IMPROVED STRIKING- WORK WITH REPETITION FOR CLOCKS AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I CARL HAHLWEG of Stettin in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire,
watchmaker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED STRIKING-
WORK WITH REPETITION FOR CLOCKS AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The invention relates to a new arrangement of devices for striking the hours in
clocks or other time pieces (as also half and quarter hours) and for repeating the
striking of the proper hours as often as described, and its object is to produce a
striking and repeating-work of so simple and reliable a nature that it can be used
not only in the cheapest but also in the most elaborate clocks.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a common clock after
removing the dial-plate; Figure 2 is à side or edge view with the plates in section;
Figure 3 is a front view of the compound gear; Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1
with the plates in section.
Figure 5 is a front view, similar to Figure 1 but showing other positions of parts:
Figure 6 is a section of the compound gear; and Figure 7 is a front view of a
somewhat modified construction.
In carrying out my invention, my intention was to alter the whole work of the
clock as little as possible. Therefore the movement remains undisturbed and from
the striking-parts only the notch wheel, the usual latch and the unlocking lever
are removed and replaced by other parts, described hereafter. This is the reason
why, in the drawing besides the new parts only those old ones are shown, which
are necessary for the understanding of the invention.
Gearing with the hour wheel a the idler pinion b revolves round a stud fastened
to the front plate. A curved lever (the latch d) mounted on the protruding end of
the-shaft carries at its back a short shaft round which revolves a compound gear
consisting of the transfer wheel'c with as many teeth as the hour wheel a possesses,
and the wheel h bound together by a coil spring 8. p. in the following manner. The
transfer wheel c has a bub extending backward and the wheel h has one extending
forward of the same diameter. A wire spring 8. p is coiled round the two hubs and
fastened with one end to the wheel h and with the other to the wheel c. For
locking the two wheels a pin y of the wheel h strikes the banking pin which is
loose upon the shaft and reaches with its bent portion through an opening between

page_text: the spokes of the wheel c. The spring s. p. should be wound in such way that the
wheel h receives a tendency to press in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3.
By this construction the wheel h can be turned contrary to the arrow once round
and still so much more as the banking pin z possesses play in the notch of the
wheel c.
The purpose of which will be hereafter explained.
The wheel has (12) saw-shaped teeth, one of which is cut away a little. The
gap between this shorter tooth and the next one (in the direction of the arrow) is
shallower than the others. The shorter tooth is next to the pin y.
The latch is made to spring in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 by means
of the spring working against a cross pin e of the shaft or in any other
convenient way. The latch d carries upon its back the nose m in a proper place to
correspond to the unlocking pin n of the heart-wheel H. The end of the latch d
comes in the normal position of the parts near to the arm o of the repetition
lever u (Figure 1) which for regular striking is moved by the pins 8 8 of the centre
wheelt the arm o lifting the second arm o' of the lever u; for repeating by being
agitated through the pull on the wire which latter is jointed to the third arm ou
of the lever u.
The normal position of the repetition lever u is maintained by a spring. The
arm o has a backward projection forming the hook which extends through an
opening in the front plate and comes at a certain position of the repetition lever u
in contact with the moderator pin r on the shaft of the moderator wheel M thereby
stopping the movement of the wheel train.
The transfer wheel c remains in all positions of the latch d in gear with the idler
pinion b, and as it has the same number of teeth as the centre wheel a it revolves
always in conformity with it.
Upon the shaft of the pin wheel P (the chain wheel, or the spring barrel,
which is mounted also upon the shaft is not shown in the drawing) is fastened
the saw toothed wheel i gearing with the wheel h. The wheel i should have as
many teeth as the pin wheel P bas pins (in the drawing 10) when the wheel h haṣ
12 teeth. So arranged, the clock must strike for each full revolution of the
wheel h twelve times, and for each tooth of it once. Figures 1-5 show the
position of the parts after the clock has struck 6. By pulling the wire j,
the arm o of the repetition lever u touches the end of the latch & raising it and
stops, the hook a coming in contact with the inside wall of the opening in the front
plate.
By these means the wheel his lifted out of gear with the wheel i and springs
back for 6 teeth, the pin y striking the banking pin (Figure 3) At the same
time the nose m passes the unlocking pin n releasing the heart wheel H which
commences to move until (shortly after) all is stopped by the moderator pin r
coming within the reach of the hook x.
At the moment the wire ; is released the repetition lever u springs back,
liberating the moderator pin and allowing the latch,d to fall fully forward into
the position shown by full lines in Figure 5. The wheels h and i are now in gear,
and nose m is so much removed that the unlocking pin n passes it freely. The
striking work comes in motion and the clock will strike 6 times, as the wheel i
winds up 6 teeth of the wheel h until the shallow gap.g sets upon the corre-
sponding tooth of the wheel i lifting the latch d in the position shown at
Figure 1 whereby the nose m arrests the unlocking pin n and the striking is
stopped.
It is clear that the repetition may take place as often as desired and as long as
6 teeth of the wheel h spring back in this operation. And this will be the case
until the pins of the centre wheel t by moving the lever u has stopped the
moderator pin r about 5 minutes before 7 o'clock.
During these 5 minutes the clock cannot repeat.
As soon as the centre wheel t has turned enough to bring the minute hand to the
figure 12, the pin 8 passes the arm o¹, the lever u springs back into its normal

page_text: position, the latch & falls fully forward and the clock strikes 7, because, the transfer
wheel c being turned in conformity with the hour wheel a the wheel i has now to
wind up 7 teeth of the wheel h until the gap g lifts the latch & to the position
shown at Figure 1.
The action goes on in the described manner until the clock has struck 12:
Between 12 O'clock and one, the clock must strike at the repetition twelve times:
But as the transfer wheel c turns further on and as much more as the minute hand
approaches 5 minutes to 1; the wheel h must be allowed to spring back more than
12 teeth (nearly 13) and for this purpose the banking piu must have sufficient
play in the notch of the wheel c to allow the further winding of the wheel h.
When the minute hand travels further the pin s lifts the latch and allows the
wheel to return into such position that at striking 1 o'clock only one tooth is
moved.
For striking once when the minute hand stands at each half hour, the tooth of
the wheel h nearest to pin y is cut away a little so that, when the half hour pin 8¹
of the centre wheel t which is nearer to the centre than the hour pin s moves the
repetition lever u, the latch d is lifted only sufficiently to allow this one, shorter
tooth to pass and the clock strikes only once.
It will be easily understood, that it is not necessary to make the teeth of the
wheels h and i saw shaped; any shape will answer which prevents the teeth riding
upon each other.
,
The construction may be used also in watches or other time pieces with those
alterations which any skilled watchmaker is well acquainted with to adopt and to
execute according to circumstances.
It may be here further remarked that the banking pin z may be constructed in
other ways than that above described. It may be screwed loosely to the web of
the transfer wheel c or designed in any other convenient manner.
The hook which in the foregoing portion of the specification and in the
drawing is explained as forming a part of the arm o of the repetition lever u, may
just as well be attached to the end of the latch d..
In Figure 7 is shown an alteration of the execution of the same idea which will
be readily understood as similar parts are denoted by the saine letters of reference.
The latch & is here combined with the repetition lever u and forms an angle
lever d with the arms o and o¹.
The transfer wheel c is replaced by the great star c which is here moved by a
pin of the minute wheel, gearing with the centre wheel t.
This motion is effected by leaps for the second half of each tooth of the star ca
spring S causing this leap by an oblique bend, at the same time keeping the star c
in its position.
The construction of the star c and of the wheels h and i is in all other respects
similar to that above described and the working of the whole arrangement
substantially like that of the former.
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
1. In clocks or other time pieces the striking work with repetition consisting of the
repetition lever u with the arms oo¹o the hook a which may be attached to the
arm o or to the latch d, one or more pins 8 81 of the centre wheel t the spring
latch d with nose m bearing a compound gear consisting of the transfer wheel c
and the wheel h bound together by a spring 8. p the idler pinion b into which gear
the hour wheel a and the transfer wheel c both having the same number of teeth,
the wheel i mounted upon the shaft of the pin wheel P, the unlocking pin n and
the moderator pin r; all arranged and working substantially as described and
shown and for the purpose explained.
2. In such repetition-work of time-pieces the construction of the compound gear
mentioned in Claim 1 and consisting of the transfer wheel c having an opening in

page_text: its web for the banking pin z to play in; the wheel h bearing the pin y
corresponding to the banking pin z and having one gap g shallower than the
others and the tooth, nearest to the pin y and adjacent to the shallow gap g cut
away a little; and of the spring 8 p binding together the two wheels c and h,
which both turn on the same shaft substantially as shown and described and for the
purpose explained.
3. In a striking-work, and in a striking and repeating work of time pieces the
uniting of the (clock or watch) movement with the striking as also with the
repeating parts, by the hour wheel a and the transfer wheel c which have the same
number of teeth and gear with the same idler pinion b substantially as shown and
described, and for the purpose explained.
4. The modified form of the main construction substantially as shown and
described with respect to Figure 7.