Improvements in Electric Clock Mechanism.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1892-Accented, 20th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Clock Mechanism.
A communication from FRANK ALEXANDER ELLIS, of 3, King Street East,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of this invention is to provide simple mechanism by which a number
cf clocks may be accurately operated by and from a standard clock, and it
consists essentially of mechanism arranged in connection with the hands of a clock
and actuated by gravitation and the making and breaking of an electric circuit,
the said making and breaking being effected by the escape wheel or other suitable
operating part of a standard clock.
The drawing represents a perspective view of the parts involved in this
invention..
A represents an ordinary battery, B the wire connecting the battery A to the
metal frame C in which the arbour of the escape wheel D is journalled or by other
suitable means to the said arbour.
E is a wire connecting the battery A to the electro-magnet F and G is a wire
connecting the magnet F to the metal post H which is suitably insulated from the
frame of the clock and has a light metal spring I extending from it in the path
of a metal pin J extending from the escape wheel D. In this arrangement,
the magnet F will only be magnetized when the pin J is in contact with the
spring I
K is a pivotted armature from which a lever L extends. On the end of this
lever, is flexibly suspended a bar M, the weight of which is sufficient to keep the
armature K, clear of the magnet F except when the circuit is made by contact
between the spring I and the pin J the strength of the current thus created being
sufficient to draw the armature K into contact with the magnet F and thereby raise
the bar M which as before stated is sufficiently heavy to draw the armature K
away from its magnet the instant this current broken by the pin J clearing itself
of the spring I.
N is a pawl pivotted on the bar M and preferably actuated by a light spring (
in such a manner as to hold the nose of the pawl N in constant contact with the
ratchet teeth P formed on the wheel Q which is fixed to the arbour R of the
minute hand. This arbour is suitably geared to the arbour S of the hour hand.
Assuming that the escape wheel D represents the escape wheel of a standard
clock, from which it is designed to operate one or more clocks, consisting merely of
minute and hour hands arranged in connection with a clock dial, it follows that
each revolution of the escape wheel D causes the pin to make contact with the
pin which contact is broken almost instantaneously by the pin passing the
spring I which spring is extremely light so that it will not interfere with the free
revolving of the escape wheel. The instant that the contact described is made the
armature K is drawn towards its magnet F thus raising the bar M so as to bring
the nose of the pawl N opposite to a fresh tooth of the wheel Q. The instant that
contact ceases between the pin J and the spring I the weight of the bar M causes
it to fall the said weight being sufficient to make the ratchet wheel Q revolve the
distance of a single tooth and as this ratchet wheel Q is fixed to the minute
arbour R which is geared to the hour arbour S the said arbours are caused to
revolve a sufficient distance to indicate a minute and corresponding fraction of an
hour. A pin T extending from the bar M comes in contact with the ratchet

page_text: wheel Q when the bar M has fallen sufficiently far to give the desired movement to
the wheel Q. This pin prevents the bar M falling farther than the required
distance to accomplish the desired end, and it also assists in preventing the wheel Q
from revolving. A light spring. pawl U connected at one end.to the frame V
and designed to engage with its other end in the ratchet teeth P on the wheel Q
effectually prevents the wheel Q from being revolved in the reverse direction by
the upward movement of the pawl N when the bar M is raised as before described.
From this description it will be seen that by this invention.a simple mechanism is
provided by which a number of clocks may be accurately operated by and from a
standard clock.
Modifications in detail may be made without departing from the spirit of this
invention.
For instance the pin J may be merely a contact piece let into a collar or boss of
the scape wheel or its arbour the rest of the boss being of insulating material or
insulated from the rest of the mechanism. Also the wire B might terminate in a
spring or brush which would engage with the arbour of the scape wheel or with a
collar thereon.
Dated this 28th day of January 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Clock Mechanism.
A communication from FRANK ALEXANDER ELLIS, of Toronto, in the Dominion
of Canada.
:
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 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:-
The object of the invention is to provide simple mechanism by which a number
of clocks may be accurately operated by and from a standard clock, and it consists,
essentially, of mechanism arranged in connection with the hands of a clock and
actuated by gravitation and a make-and-break of an electric circuit, the said make-
and-break being effected by the escape wheel or other suitable operating part of a
standard clock.
The drawing represents a perspective view of the parts involved in the
invention.
A represents an ordinary battery, B the wire connecting the battery A to the
metal frame C in which the spindle of the escape wheel D is journalled.
E is a wire connecting the battery A to the magnet F, and G is a wire
connecting the magnet F to the metal post H which is suitably insulated from
the frame of the clock and has a light metal spring! extending from it in the
path of a metal pin J, extending from the escape wheel D. In this arrangement
the magnet F will only be magnetized when the pin J is in contact with the
spring I
K is an armature from which a lever L extends. On the end of this lever is
flexibly suspended a bar M, the weight of which is sufficient to keep the armature K
clear of the magnet F except when the circuit is made by contact between the
spring and the pin J the strength of the current thus created being sufficient to
draw the armature K into contact with the magnet Fand thereby raise the bar M
which as before stated is sufficiently heavy to draw the armature K, away from its
magnet the instant this current is broken by the pin J, clearing itself of the
spring I.
N is a pawl pivoted on the bar M and preferably actuated by a light spring O

page_text: in such a manner as to hold the nose of the pawl N, in constant contact with the
ratchet teeth P, formed on the wheel Q which is fixed to the spindle R of the
minute hand. This spindle is suitably geared as indicated to the spindle S of the
hour hand.
Assuming that the escape wheel D represents the escape wheel of a standard
clock from which it is designed to operate one or more clocks, consisting merely of
minute and hour hands arranged in connection with a clock dial, it follows there-
fore that each revolution of the escape wheel D, causes-the-pin-to fall in contact
with the pin which contact is broken almost instantaneously by the 'spring J
passing the spring I which spring is extremely light, so that it will not interfere
with the free revolving of the escape wheel. The instant that the contact described
is made the armature K is drawn towards its magnet F thus raising the bar M
so as to bring the nose of the pawl N opposite to a fresh tooth formed on
the wheel Q. The instant that contact ceases between the pin J and the
spring the weight of the bar M causes it to fall the said weight being
sufficient to make the ratchet wheel Q, revolve the distance of a single tooth
and as this ratchet wheel Q is fixed to the minute spindle R which is geared to the
hour spindle S, the said spindles are caused to revolve a sufficient distance to
indicate a minute and corresponding fraction of an hour. A pin T extending from
the bar M comes in contact with the ratchet wheel Q when the bar M has fallen
sufficiently far to give the desired movement to the wheel Q. This pin prevents
the bar M falling farther than the required distance to accomplish the desired end,
and it also assists in preventing the wheel Q from revolving. A light spring pawl U
connected at one end to the frame V, and designed to engage its other end with the
ratchet teeth P on the wheel Q effectually prevent the wheel Q from being revolved
in the reverse direction by the upward movement of the pawl N when the bar M is
raised as before described.
From this description it will be seen that by this invention there is provided
simple mechanism by which a number of clocks may be accurately operated and
from a standard clock..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A vertical bar M suspended from the arm or lever L. connected to the
armature K a pawl N pivotted on the bar M and designed to engage with the
teeth Pa spring O designed to act against the pawl N a pin T extending from
the bar M and designed to come in contact with the teeth P when the bar has
fallen, in combination with an electric circuit extending from the magnet F to the
escape wheel or other moving part of a clock by which the said circuit may be
made and broken at stated intervals substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A vertical bar M suspended from the arm or lever L connected to the
armature Ka pawl N pivotted on the bar M and designed to engage with the
teeth Pa spring O designed to act against the pawl Na pin T extending from
the bar M and designed to come in contact with the teeth P when the bar has
fallen, the spring-pawl U engaging with the teeth P in combination with an electric
circuit extending from the magnet F to the escape wheel or other moving part of a
clock by which the said circuit may be made and broken at stated intervals sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A vertical bar M suspended from the arm or lever L connected to the
armature Ka pawl N pivotted on the bar M and designed to engage with the
teeth Pa spring O designed to act against the pawl N a pin T extending from
the bar M and designed to come in contact with the teeth P when the bar has
fallen, the spring-pawl U engaging with the teeth P in combination with the wire E
connecting the magnet F to the battery A the wire G connecting the magnet F to
the insulated post H the wire B connecting the battery A to the frame C in which

page_text: the escape wheel D is journalled a pin J extending from the escape wheel D and
designed to come in contact with the spring I which is connected to the post H
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 18th day of July 1892
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.