Year: 1885

page_text: I AUGUSTUS GIANNAZZI of 58 Poland Street in the County of Middlesex Watch
Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a so called magic clock having no apparent mechanism
and in which the hours are indicated upon the minute hand itself the said hand
being free to be rotated forwards or backwards without affecting the going of the
clock and always returning automatically to the position indicating the true time
after being so disturbed. The hand may even for the sake of amusement be
removed from the clock dial and placed temporarily on a nail driven in the wall
or other support where it will continue to go as before.
The clock consists of a transparent dial divided in minutes and having a fixed
central axis on which the hand turns freely. The hand is a flat metal case and it
is balanced on its centre by a counterweight and watch movement contained
in a circular casing at the extremity of the short arm or tail of the hand, this
watch movement being caused by mounting its centre wheel on a fixed axis to
rotate upon said axis within the casing and to carry round the weight thus varying
the position of the centre of gravity of the hand and causing it to rotate upon its
axis, the watch movement and weight and consequently the hand performing one
revolution per hour. The weight I prefer to use is a vessel of segmental form
containing mercury and fixed to the plate of the watch movement.
The hours are indicated by figures on a dial contained within a casing formed
by the head of the hand itself, the figures on the dial being brought in succession
The dial is
in face of an aperture at which only one figure is visible at a time.
mounted on an axis and is provided with 12 teeth or pins arranged in a circle with
which engages a tooth on a small pulley mounted within the same casing formed
by the head of the hand, a spring jumper also engaging with the said pins.
Around the pulley runs an endless cord which passes through the hollow stem of
the hand and runs round another pulley on the centre axis of the watch movement
and rotating with the latter whereby the hour dial is moved the distance of one
numeral every hour the movement by which the change of figure denoting the
completion of an hour is effected being rendered sudden by means of the jumper.
Dated thin 10th day of November 1995

page_text: I, AUGUSTUS GIANNAZZI, of 58, Poland Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to a so called magic clock, having no apparent mechanism, 5
and in which the hours are indicated upon the minute hand itself, the said hand
being free to be rotated forwards or backwards without affecting the going of the
clock, and always returning automatically to the position indicating the true time
after being so disturbed. The hand may even, for the sake of amusement, be
removed from the clock dial, and placed temporarily on a nail driven in the wall, 1
or other support, where it will continue to go as before.
In order that my invention and the means by which the same may be carried
into practical effect may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the
same in detail referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which illustrate
the means by which I attain the aim of my invention. They are to be taken as 1
part of this specification and read therewith, like parts being marked throughout
with the same reference letter.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the hand.
L
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation after removing one side.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the back of the hand after removing the back plate.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the Magic Clock standing at 8 minutes past six. Part of the
cover plate of the hand is removed to shew the position of the weight with
reference to that of the hand and the movement.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the hand shewing an alternative driving gear.
A is a disc of glass, or other suitable material, on which the minutes are marked
in the usual way.
B is a fixed axis projecting from the centre of the disc and upon which the
hand C is free to revolve.
2
The hand is hollow, having two circular extensions formed in its length, one on 3
each side of the axis, and at unequal distances therefrom.
The extension c nearest to the axis contains an ordinary watch movement C
capable of a rotation upon a continuation of the axis of its centre wheel in a
bearing formed in the centre of said extension for that purpose.
To the back of the watch movement, and centrally thereupon, is fixed a snail D. 3
E is the hour dial capable of rotation round an axis e in the centre of the circular
extension at the index end of the hand. The figures in this dial shew through an
opening e¹ in the face of the hand.
The drawings illustrate a clock constructed to work with a 12 hours' cycle, and,
accordingly, 12 pins ƒ are fixed equidistantly in a circle concentric with the axis e, 4
and project from both faces of the dial E.
G is an arm working in suitable guides, the lower extremity g being in constant
touch with the periphery of the snail D.

page_text: His a depressing spring bearing upon part of the arm.
of the arm G is a flexible finger g₁ terminating in a hook g*.
J is a spring detent.
The other extremity
The back of the hand is preferably in two parts, the lower one i being
removable for the sake of giving access to the movement. The top part may
be open opposite the visible hour sign for the sake of admitting light behind
the same.
The arm G, snail D, and pins f, may be replaced by pulleys K, K¹, of equal
diameters connected by a driving band k, and a toothed wheel K³ mounted upon
the axis of the hour dial E, and having, of course, as many teeth as the latter has
hour signs.
The pulley K revolves with the watch movement and, consequently, the dial E
is moved a sign forward by the single tooth of the pulley K₁ gearing with the
wheel K
The action of my invention is as follows.
L is a pendulum bob of the well known type.
The hand constructed according to either modification described above balances
exactly upon the axis B.
M is an overbalancing weight, preferably a small flask of mercury about two
thirds full, depending rigidly from the watch movement and, of course, always at
the bottom.
The watch movement having been wound up, the snail commences its revolution
(to be completed at the stroke of the hour) pushing the arm G upwards. The
hook g² moves outside the pin f next above it, and closes upon it, when the
terminal point d of the snail having passed the extremity g of the arm, the spring H
pulls it down the drop d', thereby moving the hour dial E one space. The detent J
engages between two of the pins fand keeps the moved dial E steady.
When the gear illustrated in Fig. 6 is used the action is essentially the same,
the single tooth of the pulley K₁ moving the wheel K³, at the "stroke" of
the hour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
The combination of dial, hollow hand containing in the short arm a watch
movement and overbalancing weight attached thereto, and in the index end an
hour dial, the latter being geared with the movement so as to be moved once an
hour, substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated thin 7th der of Mer 1000