Improvements in Controlling-clocks for Watchmen.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Controlling-clocks for Watchmen.
I, KARL MÜLLER, of Eberswalde, in the Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom
of Prussia, German Empire, 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:-
This invention refers to clocks for controlling watchmen, i.e. for registering and
indicating the time at which a watchman has visited a certain place or station.
In the clocks of this kind known up to now, the watchman is compelled in every
case to put a key hung up at the respective station into the controlling-clock. By
turning then the key, the peculiarly shaped bit of which acts on the registering-
and indicating-mechanisms of the clock causing the same thereby to make the signs
necessary for controlling the respective watchman.
Simple as this operation apparently is, there are, nevertheless, some circumstances,
which render the said operation difficult. The keys are but small and their bits
in most cases of a somewhat complicated configuration, so that they are very liable
to damage. These keys, now, are to be introduced in as small holes, which often
times must be done in darkest night and at very bad conditions of weather, for
instance in severe cold, so that irregularities in the registrations and indications.
occur even if the watchman tries to fulfil his duty with all faithfulness.
The disadvantages afore mentioned may be completely avoided by using the
improved controlling-clock represented in the accompanying drawing. This clock
does not require a key for being influenced in any manner; all that is necessary is
to put the whole clock into casings arranged at the respective stations, each station
having, as a matter of course, one casing. This manipulation does not require any
cleverness, and may be performed perfectly independent of the weather, as the
watchman may have on even thick and clumsy gloves without being hindered from
operating his clock.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings,
afore mentioned, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several
views, and in which:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the closed clock.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the casing with its lid, the latter
being opened, and the section being taken on line - of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows a plan of the inner of the clock, the lid being opened.
Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the casings adapted to
receive the clock as a whole, and
Fig. 5 a front-view of such casing.
The shape of the casing 1 of the clock is not the usual round one, but an oblong
one; the casing is provided with a lid which may be opened and closed as well as
fastened by a lock. The lower part of said casing contains the controlling-
mechanism proper, and the lock, which latter is set into the small front-wall. The
lid has secured to it the eye 2 for the lock, and also a detecting-device 3, that will
be more fully described hereinafter.
The lower part of the casing, i.e. the casing proper, is closed by a board 4
(Figs. 2 & 3) arranged near the rim of said part. A clock-work 5 without dial..
and without hands is fastened to the under surface of board 4, the shaft 6 of said
clock-work carrying in lieu of a hand a disk 7, made of strong Bristol-paper,
which is held by an elastic ring 8. The disk 7 is arranged above board +, and is
rotated on
one time within twelve hours..

page_text: The front part of casing 2 (i.e. the righthand part in Figs. 2 & 3) contains the
registering- and indicating device proper, which, when at rest, is not in contact
with the controlling-disk 7. The said device consists of a vertical post 9 (Fig. 2)
carrying at its upper end an elastic arm 10 with a cog-wheel 11, the teeth of which
latter are pointed so as to be adapted to produce small perforations in the disk 7,
when wheel 11 is moved over said disk. Post 9 may be displaced sideways, i.e. in
the direction to clock-work 5, by means of a pin that is introduced into the inner
of casing 1 through a hole 12 provided in the front-wall of said casing. When
displacing the post, i.e. when moving the cog-wheel in a radial line over disc 7, a
flat spring 13 is strained, which spring afterwards brings post 9 back to its former
position. Post 9 is guided during its movement in its upper part by a slit 4* in
board 4, and in its lower part by a movable parallelogram 14, to the front end of
which said post 9 is fixed. The elastic arm 10 of the post is secured against undue
side-movements by an angular piece 10° fixed to board 4.
The periphery of disk 7 is divided into twelve equal parts designated with 1-12;
each of these parts is divided in six portions representing each ten minutes. The
disk contains, further, some concentric circles, the number of which corresponds to
the number of the station at which a control shall be exercised. There are shown
in Fig. 3 of the drawing six concentric circles designated with I-VI. The
designations may, as a matter of course, be other ones, but they should correspond
to the designations of the respective stations.
If, thus, cog-wheel 11 is moved a certain way, it runs upon the disk 7 furnishing
the latter thereby with a straight row of fine holes. In order to make the latter
more visible, the part of board 4 below the way of cog-wheel 11 is provided with
a corresponding number of fine cavities, the distance between each two of them
corresponding to that of the teeth of cog-wheel 11, so that the points of the latter
may readily penetrate disk 7, and may produce real holes within it.
There is, thus, produced on the disc at each such movement of wheel 11 a distinct
line, the point of commencement of which indicates the time at which the indicating
device 9-10-11 was operated; the length of that line, or the circle up to which
that line extends from the periphery indicates the station at which the indicating-
device was operated. It is to be seen herefrom, that one and the same indicating-
device is employed in my improved controlling-clock for indicating the various
times as well as the several stations, the differences in the indications being
produced by the longer or shorter strokes of post 9, and by the rotation of disc 7.
This arrangement and manner of working also shows the differences between my
improved clock and those used hitherto for the purpose in question, those older
clocks requiring for each station not only a special key but also a special indicating-
device.
When setting a fresh disk into the apparatus, care must be taken, that the
designation corresponding to the hour of the respective time of the day is placed
exactly in the way of wheel 11, so that false indications, which would be the result
of a false position of disk 7, are avoided. After having secured the disk in place,
the casing is closed, and the clock then ready for use.
For, now, having the certainty, that the casing has not been opened afterwards by
an unauthorized person, the lid of the casing is provided at its inner side with an
angular projection 3, the end-part of which corresponds with a hole 3ª in board 4.
The said end-part is wedge-shaped, and is adapted to make a cut in the periphery
of the disk, when the lid of the casing is closed. The wedge, after having passed
the periphery of the disk, gripes below the latter, so as not to hinder the further
rotation of the same. When reopening the lid, disk 7 is lifted a little by angle-
piece 3, as much as allowed by the holder 15, Fig. 3, and the disk is passed then by
part 3 without being injured. If, thus, more than one cut is found in the periphery
of the disk, proof is given thereby, that the controlling-clock has been opened and
again closed by an unauthorized person.
The manner in which the clock must be operated by the watchman is a very simple
one.
There is arranged for that nurnose at each station a casing 16 kioo 4 & 5.

page_text: into which the clock may be shoved from below. The watchman holds the clock
by its handle 1, and shoves the same into casing 16 with that side which contains
the hole 12. The clock is shoved into said casing as deep as possible, i.e. as deep
as allowed by the projections 17, which latter are arranged invisibly within
casing 16. The latter contains also a pin 18 of a certain length, which pin enters
the casing of the controlling-clock through hole 12 of the latter. The various pins
at the several stations are of a different length, so that also the stroke imparted to
cog-wheel 11 by the influence of the respective pin on post 9 is a more or less
long one, and, thus, lines of different length are produced at different stations.
These lines then form radii on disk 7 on account of the rotatory movement of the
latter.
It is of importance, that the watchman does not know the lengths of the several
pins, and that he is not in a position to measure the same himself, or to measure the
distance of the projections 17 from the lower edge of casing 16.
For this purpose,
the front and rear edge of the casing is made at inclines, the incline of the front-
edge differing from that of the rear-edge, as best to be seen in Fig. 5. From the
same reason, the casing 16 is made so long, that its rims project over the clock
when the latter is perfectly shoved into the casing. Also the head of the latter
may be artificially heightened for rendering measurements more difficult, or making
them impossible at all.
If the clock shall be employed as a stationary one, for instance in hospitals and
the like, the special casing 16 need not be used, but simply a loose pin with a
handle is required for the operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a controlling-clock for watchmen, the combination with a disk adapted to
be rotated by a clock-work, of a slide adapted to be displaced in a radial line to.
said disk, said slide carrying a projection adapted to produce lines on said disk, for
the purpose as described.
2. In a controlling-clock for watchmen, the combination with a disk adapted
to be rotated by a clock-work, and carrying signs indicating the hours and the
stations, of a slide adapted to be displaced in a radial line to said disk, said slide
carrying a wheel adapted to produce lines on said disk, for the purpose as
described.
3. In a controlling-clock for watchmen, the combination with a disk adapted to
be rotated by a clock-work, and carrying signs representing the hours of the day,
and in the remaining space concentric circles representing the stations to be
controlled, of a slide adapted to be displaced in a radial line to said disk, said slide
carrying a cog-wheel with pointed teeth adapted to produce lines on said disk, for
the purpose as described.
4. The combination, with a casing containing a disk adapted to be rotated by a
clock-work, and containing further a slide carrying a projection adapted to produce
lines on said disk, of a bolt adapted to be introduced through a hole into said
casing, and to displace said slide thereby, for the purpose as described.
а
5. The combination with a casing containing a disk adapted to be rotated by
clock-work, and carrying signs indicating the hours and the stations, and containing
further a slide carrying a wheel adapted to produce lines on said disk, of another
casing containing a pin, and adapted to receive the former casing, said pin being
adapted to enter this casing through a hole, and to displace thereby the said slide,
for the purpose as described.
6. The combination, with a casing containing a disk adapted to be rotated by a
clock-work, and carrying at its periphery signs representing the hours of the day,
and in the remaining space concentric circles representing the stations to be
controlled, and containing further a slide carrying a cog-wheel with pointed teeth
adapted to produce lines on said disk, of other casings arranged at the stations
:

page_text: and containing each a pin adapted to enter the inner of the first mentioned casing,
the pins of the station-casings being of different length, for the purpose as
described.
Dated this 27th day of March 1804
By Geo. H. Rayner,
KARL MÜLLER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.