An Improvement in or connected with Electric Clock Movements to Record the Time by Electricity.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or connected with Electric Clock Movements
to Record the Time by Electricity.
WILLIAM HENRY STOCKALL, 6 & 8, Clerkenwell Road, London, E.C., in the
County of Middlesex, Watch & Clock Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
This invention has for its object improvements in or connected with electric
clocks whereby the noise usual with electric clocks is reduced to a minimum
further an improvement in guaranteeing the escape of only one tooth at a time.
The rotation of the clock hands is caused by an electro magnet giving an impulse
to an armature which by means of a driving arm propels a toothed wheel, one tooth
at each excitation of the magnet. The improvement I claim is that by means of
a second toothed wheel exactly similar to the first wheel but reversed in its teeth.
Into this second wheel a detant attached to the armature previously mentioned.
engages simultaneously with the driving arm & thus prevents more than one tooth
moving at one time. I also fit into a cock piece a screw having a rubber buffer
or spring against which the armature strikes and thus keeps the motion nearly
silent. For the controlling clock which regulates the exciting of the electro
magnets in aforesaid movements by means of a contact at definite intervals. I
make a claim as follows. Two cams placed together on one axis which causes two
arms to drop in succession, the interval of time between the drop of these two arms
is varied by the distance of the two points on the cams or by the length of the two
arms, by this adjustment I am enabled to give a short or long contact with the
electric current for driving the various subsidary clocks by the excitation of the
electro magnet before mentioned.
An Improvement in or connected with Electric Clock Movements
to Record the Time by Electricity.
I, WILLIAM HENRY STOCKALL, of 6 and 8, Clerkenwell Road, London, E.C., in
the County of Middlesex, Watch and Clock Manufacturer, 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 certain new and useful improvements in connection with
electric clocks, and which invention has for its object to reduce to a minimum the
noise usual with such clocks; and also to absolutely ensure the escape of only.
one tooth at a time, of certain wheels in the subsidiary clocks, hereinafter known
as the receivers, and thus give accurate movements to such clocks, and further to
control by means of a long or a short contact, the electric current

page_text: used for actuating the said receivers. By the use of this improved, apparatus,
absolute certainty in the control of the receivers is obtained with a minimum
amount of noise.
My invention is applicable in all cases where the ordinary systems of central
regulating and subsidiary clocks, or receivers, ist in use...
I now proceed to describe my said invention, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, and the figures and letters of reference marked thereon,
similar letters indicating like parts throughout.
Fig. 1 shews my improved driving mechanism, as applied to the receivers.
Fig. 2 shews the central regulating clock, with my improved current controlling
mechanism attached.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the current controlling mechanism shewn in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a detail of Fig. 1 to shew more clearly the three pawls working into
the two toothed wheels, and which control the working of the clock..
Figs. 6 and 7 shew a detail of the current controlling mechanism as applied to
the central regulating clock.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew an alternative arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2.
1
The mechanism in Fig. 1 consists of an ordinary plate or frame A as used in
the construction of clocks, and to which is attached the wheels and driving 2
mechanism.
*
•
On this is mounted a spindle B upon which the hands of. the clock are attached
and the various wheels B1, B2; 133 and 134 known as the motion work, are the
usual train of wheels common to all clocks for obtaining the correct relative
speed of the hour and minute hands. C is an electro-magnet with its armature 1, 2
.pivotted at D¹.
i
To the armature D is attached a balance weight E, by means of a rod E¹;, 'and
the movement of the armature D is regulated by the screw F.
An adjustable screw G has attached to its end a piece of rubber or other suit-
able material H, which acts as a buffer for the armature to strike against, instead 3
of against the poles of the magnet; or I may substitute for the rubber H a small-
spring to answer the same purpose, or should I desire, I may attach the rubber or
other suitable material or spring, to the armature 1) instead of to the adjustable
screw G, which would have the same effect. To the end of the armature D I
attach a link J, and piyotted to the end of this link is a pawl.K which engages 3
with a toothed wheel L.
The wheel L is mounted on the spindle B. There is also attached to the
armature D another link or bend rod M; 'and this rod M presses against another
pawl N, which is pivotted at N in the plate or fraine A. Upon the said spindle B
mount a toothed wheel O, similar to the wheel L, but with the teeth cut in 4
the reverse direction, and, into the wheel engages a pawl N pivotted in the
frame A at the point N; and previously, referred to. In Fig. 2 is shewn the
face of the central regulating clock, with my current controlling mechanism
attached. This will be more clearly understood by reference to Figs. 6. and. 7.
To the centre, or any desired spindle of the said regulating clock are mounted two 4
cams R and S and sliewn in plan in Fig. 4. Engaging with these cams are two
levers T and U, pivotted conveniently at T and U¹, and fitted with springs T
and U2 to keep them always in contact with their respective cams. The s
springs T
and U2 also serve to conduct the current past the, pivot joints at T¹ and U¹, as the
latter are very uncertain, conductors.
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Fitted on the levers U and T are contact pieces T3 and U³, which are brought
into contact.by..the cams, and hereinafter more particularly described.
Z is the Battery used for generating the current necessary to actuate the
electro-magnet, and may consist of any convenient number of cells, sufficient for
the purpose, and of, any suitable form.
.!!
Figs. 8, and 9. shew. an alternative arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2, but this
arrangement is not so compact and occupiest more space. In this apparatus-the
j
5

page_text: ame result is obtained as in that previously described; the toothed wheels O
nd L with their teeth in reverse directions are the same; so also are the electro-
agnet C, the armature D, the screw G with rubber buffer H, and the pawl P.
The essential difference lies, however, in the method of attaching the pawls K
nd N, as instead of working the pawl N by means of the rod M, I attach it
lirect to the armature as shewn at N in Fig. 8.
Further, the pawl K is attached to the end of the armature D as shewn by K
n Fig. 8. It will be seen that the receiver mechanism at Fig. 1 is connected
electrically by means of wires and an ordinary battery Z as previously mentioned,
o the central regulating clock shewn in Fig. 2, and the same remarks apply to
Figs. 8 and 9.
The manner in which my improved apparatus works, is as follows:-
The cams R and S on being revolved once per minute by the regulating clock
spindle, cause the contact pieces U3 and T of the levers U and T, to come
together and thus complete the electrical circuit, in the following manner:
It will be noticed on reference to the drawing that the cam R is placed slightly
in advance of cam S, and since both cams revolve together, and in this relative
position,--the lever T will fall before the lever U, and hence the contact pieces T³
and U3 come in contact. Immediately after, the contact is broken by the lever U
falling, dropping away from the lever T, and it will be readily understood that I
can make the contact, or make and break of the current, to last as long or as short
a time as I desire by simply altering the relative position of the cams R and S;
further this make and break of the circuit is transmitted to the electro magnet C
which correspondingly attracts the armature D, and by means of the pawl K and
wheel L, the spindle B is revolved and the receiver driven.
The object of the pawl P acting on the wheel L is to prevent a reverse direction
of the rotation of the spindle B, and the pawl N acting on the toothed wheel 0
also ensures a definite motion of the spindle B, and this is effected by the pawl N
engaging with the wheel O immediately the rod M releases it, consequent on the
forward motion of the armature D. It will also be readily understood that the
screw G with buffer H can be easily adjusted so that when the armature D is
attracted towards the electro magnet C, it shall come in contact with H before
touching the cores of the electro magnet C, and that the noise is reduced to a
minimum.
my
said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1) In mechanism used for driving subsidiary clocks on the electrical system,
the combination of the wheels and L with the pawls P, K and N for the purpose
O described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2) The screw G with buffer H, so arranged as to prevent the armature D from
coming in actual contact with the poles of the electro-magnet C, in order to
minimise the noise consequent on the armature striking the magnet.
3) The levers T and Û working on the cams R and S, the contact pieces T3
5 and 3 with the springs T2 and U² all arranged as shewn on the drawings, and
for the purposes described.
4) The arrangement of the central regulating clock, having the current con-
trolling mechanism described and electrically connected to the subsidiary clocks
or receivers, of which there may be any number, and fitted with the mechanism
50 already described.
Ontation 1907