IMPROVEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING OR CONTROLLING STANDARD AND OTHER CLOCKS BY TIME SIGNALS AND FOR UTILIZING THE TIME SIGNAL WIRES FOR TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES IN THE MEANS " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alexander Lund Managing Director of the
Standard Time and Telephone Company Limited of 19 and 21 Queen
Victoria Street in the City of London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
OR APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING OR CONTROLLING
STANDARD AND OTHER CLOCKS BY TIME SIGNALS AND FOR UTILIZING THE
TIME SIGNAL WIRES FOR TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
IN THE MEANS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alexander Lund at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1882.
JOHN ALEXANDER LUND Managing Director of the Standard Time and
Telephone Company Limited of 19 and 21 Queen Victoria Street in the City of
London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING OR
CONTROLLING STANDARD AND OTHER CLOCKS BY TIME SIGNALS AND
UTILIZING THE TIME SIGNAL WIRES FOR TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC
PURPOSES
"
FOR
The objects of my Invention are to provide means or apparatus for controlling
standard turret and other clocks by time signals so as to synchronize them to
fractions of a second no matter what the size of the clocks may be, and I attain
this object by means of a current acting through a resistance coil and permanent
magnet arranged in accordance with the well known plan of Sir George Airey
for setting the standard clock at Greenwich, this first part of my invention
consisting in adapting this plan to the clock in such manner that it automatically
brings the current into play only when required and just for so long as required,
instead of the non-automatic commutator now used.
Secondly; the interposition of secondary clocks so constructed that while
capable of being thus or otherwise synchronized they become themselves controlling
clocks for redistributing the time signals over local circuits; and that without
these clocks being of an expensive kind or beating seconds or any fractional part
thereof, the duration of the controlling current is capable of complete control.
Thirdly; to utilize the time signal wires when not in use for the passage of the
time current as telephonic or telegraphic wires.
For the first of these purposes I apply to the clock to be controlled or
synchronized an ordinary double pair of contact springs such as are commonly used
on standard clocks for transmitting hourly time currents, the one pair being acted
on by the scape or other wheel revolving once a minute and the other pair by the
Do31

page_text: minute or other wheel revolving once an hour by which means a current more or
less prolonged passes through the springs once every hour. For any purpose such
as that of charging the resistance coil on Sir George Airey's system the greatest
possible length of time which these springs could be made to keep on the current
would be valueless to effect the object of the present Invention. I therefore placo
in connection with these springs and connected on the controlling current in series.
with the resistance coil actuating the magnet on the pendulum, a small electro
magnet and armature so arranged that the current in passing through it, is
automatically short circuited out of the contact springs above mentioned and also
if so desired out of the coils of the said electro magnet but is left permanently
flowing through the resistance coil connected with the pendulum; a pin in the
minute or other contiguous wheel being so placed as to reopen the short circuiting
shunt and so to release the controlling current at any determined period previous
to the arrival of the next hourly or other time signal.
I further place in connection with one of the springs first mentioned preferably
the upper spring of the pair connected with the seconds, another electro magnet
and armature actuated by a standard hourly or other time signal and in such a
position that should the time signal arrive in the clock before the closing of the
springs, in other words, if the clock should have gained time in advance of that
signal, then the closing of the armature upon the electro magnet opens theso springs
and prevents their boing closed by the clock as they otherwise would be, the said
armature being returned like the other by a pin on the minute or other contiguous
wheel.
It will be seen from the above arrangement that a large clock does not require
a larger or more powerful apparatus than a small clock except that the Airey coil
and magnet must be proportionate to the size of the pendulum which they have to
affect.
To make this part of my Invention most readily available the clock should be
regulated to a small gaining rate but by the addition of a bar or other suitable
device working as a pole changer the invention may bo used with a clock having
either a gaining or a losing rate.
To effect the second part of my Invention, select one or more of the clocks
thus or otherwise synchronized and affix in the same a pair of contact making
springs of the ordinary kind but instead of actuating them by a single lifting pin
1 place two levers in connection with them in such a way that one lever is in
connection with the top and the other with the lower spring the two levers being
actuated by a suitable pin or pins in the clock train, and carrying adjusting screws
actuating the two contact making springs in such manner that the making of the
contact can be adjusted by the one lever and the breaking of the contact by the
other lever; by these means the interval between the making and breaking of the
contact or in other words the duration of the electric current can be adjusted as
required to the greatest nicety.
To effect the third part of my Invention I place in any two of the controlled or
synchronized clocks suitable springs whereby the line wire is shunted from the
telegraph or telephone instruments to the synchronizer just previous to the arrival
of the time signal; or preferably I use at one end an electric relay whereby the
passage of the primary current through tho relay effects the required transfer and
brings into action an electric current of the opposite kind positive or negative to
that employed on the telephone or telegraph circuit; at the other end I place a
suitable polarized or other relay to automatically shunt the line from the telegraph
or telephone to the synchronizer, the first call from the telephone or telegraph
instruments automatically restoring the connection to themselves.
It will be seen that by the above methods a complete system of exact time
control can be effected by the same wires, and co-incident with a complété system
of telephones or telegraplis.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Alexander Lund in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th April 1883.
JOHN ALEXANDER LUND, Managing Director of the Standard Time and
Telephone Company Limited of 19 and 21 Queen Victoria Street in the City of
London "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING OR
AND
CONTROLLING STANDARD
OTHER CLOCKS BY TIME SIGNALS AND FOR
UTILIZING THE TIME SIGNAL WIRES FOR TELEPHONIC OR TELEGRAPHIC
PURPOSES
"
The objects of my invention are first to provide means or apparatus for
controlling standard turret and other clocks by time signals so as to synchronize
them to fractions of a second no matter what the size of the clocks may be, and I
attain this object by means of a current acting through a resistance coil and
permanent magnet arranged in accordance with the well-known plan of Sir George
Airey for setting the standard clock at Greenwich this part of my invention
consisting in adapting this plan to the clock in such manner that it automatically
brings the current into play only when required and for so long as required
instead of the non-automatic commutator hitherto used being employed.
Secondly, to utilize the time signal wires as telephonic or telegraphic wires.
One manner in which the first part of my invention may be carried into effect
is represented in Figures 1 to 5 of the annexed drawings. Figure 1 is an elevation
and Figure 2 a plan of the synchronizing mechanism of a clock. Figure 3 is a
section on the line 1, 2, 3, 4 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is an elevation and Figure 5
a plan showing the Airey resistance coil and permanent magnet and the clock
pendulum, a is the resistance coil, b the permanent magnet and c the pendulum.
I apply to the clock to be controlled or synchronized an ordinary pair of double
contact springs d de e¹ such as are commonly used on standard clocks for
transmitting hourly time currents, the one pair d d being acted on by the scape
(or other) wheel revolving once a minute by means such as the pin f coming
against and raising the spring d, and the other pair being acted on by the minute
(or other) wheel revolving once an hour by means such as the pin g coming
against and raising the spring e¹; thus a current more or less prolonged passes
through the springs d de e¹ once every hour as is well understood. For any
purpose such as that of charging the resistance coil a on Sir George Airey's
system the greatest possible length of time which these springs could be made to
automatically keep on the current would be valueless to effect the object of the
present invention, I therefore place in connection with these springs and connected
on the controlling current in series, as shown in the figures, with the resistance
coil a actuating the magnet b a small electro magnet h with armature i opèrating
upon a pair of subordinate contact springs kk so arranged that the current in
passing through the electro magnet h is automatically short circuited out of the
contact springs d de e¹ and also if so desired out of the coils of the electro
magnet h but is left permanently flowing through the resistance coil a connected
with the pendulum, a pin on the minute or other contiguous wheel being so
placed as to re-open the short circuiting shunt and so release the controlling current
at any determined period previous to the arrival of the next hourly or other time
signal. On reference to the figures it will be seen that so soon as both the
springs d d and e e' have been brought into contact by their respective pins f
g the current from the battery will travel by connection m to the electro
magnet h, then by connection n to the springs ee, then by connection o to the.
and

page_text: •
springs d d and then by connection to the resistance coil a and by connection q
to the battery; the current in passing through the electro magnet h attracts the
armature which has held the spring out of contact with the spring ; the
spring being thus released the springs k k¹ come into contact the result of which
is that the current from the battery passes by the connection to the springs k k
and thence by connections a and p to the coil a and battery, the current being
thus short circuited out of the electro magnet hand out of the springs & d' e e
When the pin in due course comes against the tail of the armature i-it pushes
this armature away from the electro magnet so that it presses the spring out of
contact with and, thus reopens the short circuiting shunt through r k k 8.
I further place in connection with one of the ordinary contact springs,
preferably (and as shown in the figures) the upper spring d of the pair connected
with the seconds another electro magnet and armature u actuated by a standard
hourly or other timo signal and in such a position that the armature when
attracted by its electro magnet lifts the spring d; should the time signal arrive in
the clock (Figure 1) after the closing of the springs d d', in other words if the
clock should be in advance of time, the action of the armature in opening the
springs dd would fail to provent, the passage of the controlling current into the
resistance coil a acting on the magnet & on the pendulum c; these parts being so
connected as to have a retarding effect on the clock would gradually reduce the
fast error which existed until the reduction had been carried the slightest degree
too far; the clock being, now therefore a trifle behind time the current from the
standard clock would arrive before the local controlling current could get into
action by the closing of the springs d d' o ' and therefore by holding tho
springs dd open by means of the armature u would prevent the passage of the
local controlling current; this effect would be continued until the clock by its
Intent gaining rate had again become a trifle in advance of time when the operation
above described would again tako place. There would thus be a continual poise
(so to speak) kept up between the latent effort of the clock to gain and the
resistanco coil to retard it and it would thus be always, maintained within an
exceedingly small and inappreciable error of a fraction of a second only. The
armature is held by a catch in the position in which it lifts the spring d until
the pin or another pin properly situated acts upon the tail of the armature. To
'make this part of my invention most readily available the clock should be.
regulated to a small gaining rate but by the addition of a bar or other like device
acting as a pole changer as will be well understood the invention may be used
with a clock having either a losing or a gaining rate.
เ
A
It will be seen from the above arrangement that a large clock does not require a
larger or more powerful apparatus than a small clock except that the resistance
coil a and magnet b must be proportionate to the size of the pendulum which they
have to affect.
'
In the arrangement already described the local controlling current is broken by
the action of a pin in a suitable part of the clock acting on the tail of the armaturo
connected with the subordinate pair of springs so as to push. back the armature
and cause it to open the springs and thus reopen the short circuit. I will now
describe a similar arrangement in which I employ an electro magnet formning part
of an ordinary relay and a pair of springs placed in circuit with the short
circuiting connections so as to be operated upon either as in the previous case by a
pin on the clock or by the minute hand itself. of the clock.
This arrangement is represented in Figures 6 to 10. Figure 6 is. a front
elevation of the clock and Figure 7 a horizontal section of the same. Figure 8 is
an elevation of the resistance coil magnet and pendulum. Figure 9 a plan of the
resistance coil and Figure 10 a plan of the relay. Letters of reference the same
as those in Figures 1 to 5 indicate corresponding parts. The connections are
such that the passage of the current while short circuiting, the two pairs of
springs dde e¹-in the clock does not short circuit the relay itself-which has a
constant tendency by the very fact of the continuous passage of the current

page_text: through it to maintain the controlling current permanently through the resistance
coil a until the clock arrives at that position where the subordinate springs k¹
are opened by the clock (in the drawings by the minute hand coming against the
projection w Figure 6 on the spring ) the effect of which is to immediately
release the armature i of the relay and therefore to break down the controlling.
current out of the resistance coil. The various connections are as follows:-The
current from the battery passes by m Figure 10 to the electro magnet h of the
relay, then by n Figures 10 and 6 to the springs d d', then by o to the springs e e¹
and then by p to the resistance coil a and by q to the battery; but immediately
the armature i is attracted to the electro magnet h the current is short circuited
out of the springs d d and ee' and after passing through the electro magnet h
passes by (Figures 10 and 6) to the subordinate springs.k k and then by 8 and p
to the coil a and by q to the battery.
To effect the second part of my invention, that is to say, to use the time signal
wires as telephonic or telegraphic wires I use at one end of the line an electrio
relay whereby the passage of the primary current through the relay effects the
required transfer and brings into action an electric current of the opposite kind
(positive or negative) to that employed on the telephone or telegraph circuit; at
the other end of the line I place a polarized relay of any convenient construction
to automatically shunt the line from the telephone or telegraph to the synchronizer,
the first call from the telephone or telegraph instruments automatically restoring
the connections to themselves, or, as I prefer, the connections are at once restored
by a spring. The manner in which I carry out this part of my invention will be
understood by the diagram Figure 11. Figure 12 shows a polarized relay suitable
for the purpose and of ordinary construction with the exception of the spring x.
In Figure 11 a represents a telephone switch board with say a positive current
from the corresponding battery. b is a time switch board with a current of the
opposite sign say negative from the corresponding battery. cc is the line wire
leading from the boards a and b to a telephone d and clock e to be synchronized
the line c being of any required length, frepresents an electric relay and g its
armature. h shows the connections for conveying a time signal from a standard
clock; i is a polarized relay which in the normal position (as shown) connects the
line wire c with the telephone d. In this position therefore the line can be utilized
for telephonic purposes. When the time current from h passes through the relay f
it brings into action in the line c'a current of the opposite kind to that ordinarily
existing therein and therefore acts on the polarized relay i so that the connection
is transferred to the clock e; the spring a Figure 12 at once restores the connection
to the telephone d, or if this spring is not employed the next call from the telephone
instruments will restore the connection.
It will be seen that by the above methods a complete system of exact time
control can be effected by the same wires and coincident with a complete system
of telephones or telegraphs.
Having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First: The employment for the purpose of synchronizing or controlling clocks,
of a resistance coil and permanent magnet connected with the pendulum, in
combination with an ordinary pair of contact springs such as are commonly used on
standard clocks and with an electro magnet or relay and arinature so arranged that
the current is automatically short circuited out of the contact springs but left
permanently flowing through the resistance coil the short circuiting shunt being
afterwards reopened, and in combination also with another electro magnet and
armature in connection with one of the ordinary pairs of contact springs and
actuated by a standard time signal so as to prevent these springs closing when the
clock is behind time, the whole acting in unison so as to synchronize the clocks to
a fraction of a second substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second-The combinations or arrangements of parts substantially as herein-

page_text: before described and represented in Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 6 to 10 for
synchronizing or controlling.clocks in the manner explained.
Third: The combination with line wires which are connected both with clocks
to be synchronized or controlled and with telephonic or telegraphic instruments of
a polarized relay substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figures 11 and 12 so that the same wires may be utilized both as time signal
wires and for telephonic or telegraphic purposes in the manner explained.
In witness whereof I the said John Alexander Lund have hereunto set my
hand and seal this thirteenth day of April One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.
JOHN ALEXDER. LUND (L.S.)