Year: 1886

page_text: I, VICTOR RECLUS, of 114 Rue Turenne Paris in the Republic of France,
Clockwork Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for object improvements in electric clocks whereby there may be
effected by means of a single clockwork movement the simultaneous indication of time
at any distance and at a great number of different points.
In a system of electric clocks according to this invention there are two essential
parts, the motor mechanism or time measuring apparatus with or without striking
mechanism, and the receivers or time indicators which are controlled by electric
currents sent by the clockwork movement. A small electrical apparatus attached to
the motor mechanism, winds up automatically and continuously the barrel of the
striking apparatus and that of the motor mechanism. These barrels are able to store
up sufficient power to go a certain time without the help of electricity and thus allow
the batteries and the wires to be changed if required, without occasioning thereby any
break in the working of the system. The electrical apparatus acts at intervals
which are sufficiently short to constitute practically a continuous winding up.
consequence, the springs are always under a uniform tension, and thus exert a
constant force which ensures a perfect regularity in the action of the mechanism,
and, these springs having under these conditions only to store up an inconsiderable
force of short duration, allow of the employment of barrels of very small
dimensions.
In
The connection between the motor mechanism or time measuring apparatus and the
receivers or time indicators is such that the hands of these latter may be caused to
move either every half minute, or every minute, or at any other interval of time, as
will be seen later on.
By means of this invention an indefinite number of time indicators more or less
distant can be controlled and by aid of a single motor mechanism, the distribution of

page_text: time throughout an office or establishment of any kind, even throughout a town may
be effected.
The motor mechanism winds itself up automatically and continuously, and thus the
charge for maintenance is reduced to nothing or next to nothing, and a great regularity
in working is attained.
An arrangement of apparatus according to this invention comprises the parts herein-
after referred to and in order to render the description thereof as lucid as possible, it
is divided into two parts; the first relating to the mechanism of the clockwork move-
ment and the second to the receiver.
The essential elements of the clock work mechanism are a main shaft for the
winding mechanism; a pinion fixed upon the shaft; an auxiliary spring barrel and a
ratchet wheel loose on the shaft; a sleeve in one piece with the ratchet wheel; a hook
fixed to the sleeve; a ratchet wheel for winding up the striking mechanism, fixed
upon the said shaft; a wheel for winding up the spring of the striking mechanism,
loose on a second shaft; a spring-barrel of the striking mechanism; a pin wheel; a
centre wheel gearing with the auxiliary spring barrel; an electro-magnet with a
single bobbin; a pivotted armature actuated by the electro-magnet and connected with
the coil of the bobbin; a spiral spring attached at one end to the said armature and
at the other to a plate or strip by aid of which and a screw the tension of the spring
can be regulated; a traction pawl engaging with the loose ratchet wheel upon the
before mentioned shaft; it is jointed to the end of the armature and is furnished with
a head with an inclined surface, a holding or non recoil pawl engaging with the just
mentioned ratchet wheel; a pushing pawl pivotted on the armature and engaging
with the ratchet wheel that is fixed to the hereinbefore mentioned shaft; a holding
pawl engaging with the just mentioned ratchet wheel; an elastic electric conductor
provided with a screw which I will call 1 bearing on the holding pawl of the first
mentioned ratchet wheel by means of an intermediate insulating body, and carrying a
small stud adjacent to the inclined surface of the head of the traction pawl of the said
ratchet wheel, but not able to touch that head except when that pawl falls by the action
of the hereinbefore mentioned spring; a positive terminal of an electric circuit in
connection with the clastic electric conductor and a negative terminal arranged in any
convenient place; a cam wheel having five teeth or arms, and fixed on the axis of a
wheel, driven by the clockwork; a second flexible conductor attached to the positive
terminal and carrying a small tappet or pallet controlled by the cam wheel, and
an inclined surface, whose travel is regulated by a screw which I will call 2; a
small screw (say 3) for the purpose of determining the travel of a third spring con-
ductor towards the right the said third conductor being furnished with a pallet or tappet
governed by the cam wheel, and with a screw (say 4) the extremity of which is
adjacent to the inclined surface of the second flexible conductor; an electric conductor
connecting the third spring conductor with a second negative terminal of a second
circuit.
If a series of intermittent electric currents be sent into the electro-magnet, this
magnet will alternately attract and release its armature which under the action of the
magnet and the before mentioned spring will oscillate on its pivot. The before
mentioned traction and pushing pawls which are jointed to this armature will follow its
movements and will cause the ratchet wheels which they operate respectively to advance
a tooth at each oscillation. The first of these pawls will act by traction during its
descent under the influence of the spring, and the second pawi will act by pushing
during its ascent under the influence of the magnetism leveloped in the electro
magnet..
The two hereinbefore mentioned holding pawls acting in conjunction with the
traction and pushing pawls, have only the object of keeping the ratchet wheels
in position whilst the motor pawls pass from one tooth to the following one.
It is thus clearly seen that if the electro magnet be traversed by a series of currents,
suitably transmitted, the two ratchet wheels will be actuated by their respective pawls,
and that in consequence, the barrels of the motor and of the striking mechanism will
be wound up by that action, because the first mentioned ratchet wheel is attached to

page_text: the spring of the auxiliary spring barrel by the sleeve and the hook, loose on the
main shaft, and the secondly mentioned ratchet wheel is fixed on the said shaft and
gives motion to the wheels which actuate the barrel of the striking mechanism.
There remains therefore only to be explained how as the spring of the motor barrel
gradually expands and becomes relaxed in driving the clockwork, the current actuates
the electro-magnet at the right time, and gives motion to the pawls which wind up the
barrels.
The positive and negative terminals are in constant communication with
suitable electrical batteries.
one or more
A single battery is quite enough because the levers of the winding up mechanism
are combined as to need but little power. To avoid any residual magnetism
it is preferred to employ in these apparatus only electro magnets with a single
bobbin.
This bobbin is wound with a small quantity of fine wire and produces only a feeble
spark at the contact, so as neither to burn nor destroy it.
The current is only established when the small stud herein before mentioned
is in contact with the traction pawl, and in that case it traverses the following circuit:
the positive terminal, the first, mentioned elastic conductor, the stud, the traction
In order
pawl, the armature, the coil of the bobbin, and the negative terminal.
therefore to close the circuit, the inclined surface of the head of the traction pawl
must be in contact with the said stud. In order to effect this contact, the said pawl
owing to the shape of the inclined surface of its head must be in its lowest position.
As soon as the circuit is closed, the electro-magnet attracts its armature and causes the
said traction pawl to reascend the circuit is thus again broken. This break lasts till
the traction pawl under the influence of the armature spring has fallen sufficiently to
renew the contact between the inclined surface and the stud. It will be readily
understood that the traction pawl can only descend by drawing down or rotating
its ratchet wheel with it. It remains to be seen under what condition it can be drawn
down.
This ratchet wheel is exposed to the action of two forces acting in opposite
directions, the one due to the spring of the auxiliary spring barrel which tends to make
it turn from right to left in a sense contrary to that of the hands of a watch, and the
other due to the armature spring which by means of the traction pawl tends to impart
to the said wheel a rotation from left to right. When the spring of the said auxiliary
spring barrel is in tension by being completely wound up, its action balances that of
the armature spring, and the traction pawl cannot descend. But as soon as the spring
has gradually expanded by reason of the advance of the clock, the armature spring
overpowering it, will cause the traction pawl to fall gradually, becoming relaxed at the
same time. As soon as the traction pawl is in contact with the stud, it will allow the
current to pass which by means of the electro magnet, will cause it to ascend one
tooth. From this moment the armature spring regains its original tension, and
consequently transmits it anew by means of the first mentioned ratchet wheel to. the
auxiliary spring barrel the operation hereinbefore described being again repeated. It
is thus clear that when working normally, the tension of the auxiliary spring barrel is
always very nearly constant; it varies as the tension of the armature spring which
is really the motor spring, and the spring of the barrel is thus only an auxiliary spring
for transmitting the motive power.
It is to be noted that the electrical contact which takes place between the stud and
the traction pawl operates frictionally; there can consequently be no deposit caused
by the feeble electric sparks which may be produced, or by the dust of the atmosphere,
since the friction cleans the surfaces automatically, the passage of the current is by
this means well ensured.
If the auxiliary spring barrel should through any cause whatever run down
completely or nearly so the armature spring will cause the traction pawl to descend,
since the first mentioned ratchet wheel is acted on by it alone.
But the circuit being
then closed, the electro-magnet causes the traction pawl to ascend one tooth. This
pawl will have hardly ascended, when it is released by the electro-magnet the current

page_text: being broken. On the other hand, the auxiliary spring barrel by the rotation of the
first mentioned ratchet wheel through an angle corresponding to a tooth, not being
sufficiently wound, is not able to counter balance the armature spring which then
causes the traction pawl to descend anew, and thus said pawl is caused to rise and fall
in rapid succession till the barrel is wound sufficiently to counter balance the armature
spring that is to say until it is completely wound up.
The auxiliary spring barrel is of a capacity sufficient to contain a spring, which
when once wound up, is able by its own force to actuate the clock for a given
period.
Therefore if the action of the electric current be interrupted during a shorter period,
the clock will still continue going.
On re-establishing the current, the auxiliary spring barrel will be immediately wound
up to its maximum tension, as just described.
The wheel work of the striking mechanism beyond the pin wheel herein before
mentioned is the same as in ordinary clocks, known as "rack-strikers."
The driving wheel work of the hour hand beyond the centre wheel is the same as in
ordinary clockwork.
The clock-work may be with or without striking mechanism, the winder of each
spring being independent.
The clock is connected to the subsidiary time indicators by a special mechanism
which sends an electric current every minute, for example, into each indicator and
thus causes the shaft carrying the journal of the minute hand to advance a sixtieth of
the circumference.
The minute journal drives the hour wheel by means of the minute wheel as usual.
If the current were sent every half-minute, the minute hand would only advance
of the circumference for each impulse of the current.
The operation of the mechanism for actuating the hours' indicators is effected in the
following way:
The cam wheel hereinbefore mentioned with five teeth fixed on the shaft of the
middle wheel, governs the secondly and thirdly mentioned flexible conductors by
means of the tappets or pallets fixed on them respectively. During its rotation, the
cam wheel raises on one hand the tappet on the secondly mentioned conductor and
thereby the conductor itself and on the other hand it pushes the tappet or pallet on
the secondly mentioned conductor towards the left so as to bring the screw (4)
under the inclined surface of the said conductor, but without any contact taking place.
At a given moment, the tooth of the cam wheel which was raising the tappet on the
second conductor releases it, and the inclined surface then falls upon the end of
the screw (4), but the contact between the two is hardly made when the tooth of the
cam wheel which was operating the third conductor releases it in its turn and
the latter takes up its former position, quitting the inclined surface, and the contact
is broken anew.
Thus during a comparatively short time, contact has been made between the second
and third conductors by means of the inclined surface and the screw (4). This
contact suffices to close the electric circuit which traverses the following course :-the
positive terminal the second and third spring conductors, the electric conductor
between the third spring conductor and the second negative terminal and then passes
to the different time indicators.
It is to be understood that by varying the number of the teeth of the cam wheel,
electric currents may be transmitted to the indicator at any predetermined intervals of
time whatever. It will moreover be seen that these currents although they may come
from the same battery as that of the clock, do not pass through the bobbin of the
electro magnet; they do not therefore encounter any great resistance, and do not
cause injurious sparking at the stud hereinbefore mentioned. Besides, as the contact
between the inclined surface and the screw (4) is frictional, the passage of the current
is well insured. The method of transmitting the currents to the time indicators
having been described it remains to explain the mode of working of the indicators
themselves.

page_text: ELEMENTS OF A TIME COUNTER OR INDICATOR.
An electro-magnet with a single hobbin, the coil of which is attached to positive
and negative terminals; a pushing pawl jointed to the end of the armature of the
electro magnet and engaging with the teeth of a ratchet wheel; a screw (say 5)
serving to limit the descent of the said armature, and consequently that of the paw!
pivotted thereto; a weight arranged to force the said pawl to enter the teeth of the
said ratchet wheel; a holding pawl for the said ratchet wheel with a balance weight,
and furnished at its top part with an inclined surface; a stem attached to the
armature and provided with an abutting screw (6) limiting the recoil of the pushing
pawl and with a friction screw (7) acting on the inclined surface just mentioned to
cause the holding pawl to engage with the ratchet wheel when the pushing pawl leaves
the said ratchet wheel in order to ascend.
The electric current enters at the positive terminal of the time indicator, passes
through the bobbin thereof and returns to the battery by the negative terminal.
At each passage of the current the armature is attracted and with it the pushing
pawl which ascends one tooth of the ratchet wheel; the electro magnet itself limits
the ascent of the said pawl.
During the ascent of the pushing pawl, the stem attached to the armature follows
its movement, and at the same time as the screw (6) limits the recoil of the pushing
pawl, the screw (7) rubs against the inclined surface of the holding pawl and obliges
the said holding pawl to engage with the ratchet wheel in order to prevent it turning
or running back in the contrary direction.
On the electric current being broken, the armature descends by its own weight,
and, if found necessary with the aid of a spring, (although the residual magnetism is
very small), and the pushing pawl causes the ratchet wheel to advance one tooth.
When a second current is produced, the series of movements described above is
reproduced, and the ratchet wheel will advance another tooth and so forth.
This ratchet wheel having sixty teeth, and being fixed on the same shaft as the
minute journal will cause the minute hand to advance through one-sixtieth of
the circumference, that is to say, a space indicating a minute, and this movement will
be transmitted to the minute wheel and to the hour wheel.
It is clear that it is easy to connect by means of conducting wires, as many time
indicators as desired, with the single clock which contains the motive elements.
According to a modification, the construction of the motive clockwork is varied so
as to permit of its being more economically effected and of its being sold cheaper, the
principle of the modified system is however exactly the same as that herebefore
described.
In this modification a single ratchet wheel with two pawls drives both the motive
or spring barrel and that of the striking mechanism. Further both barrels are
arranged on two distinct shafts in order to avoid the difficulties of construction arising
from their arrangement on a common shaft, and which said difficulties are due to the
necessity of combining concentric solid and hollow shafts. According to this
modification an electro magnet is placed underneath its armature which is provided
with a small spring tending to raise it. Jointed to the armature is a peculiar pawl
engaging with a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft of the auxiliary spring barrel. The
teeth of this pawl and of the ratchet wheel are such that the ratchet wheel during its
rotation is followed up by the pawl and that the armature to which it is fixed, rises
through the action of the armature spring. At the moment however when the electro-
magnet exerts its attractive force, the pawl falls with the said armature, without
drawing with it the ratchet wheel. It then leaves the tooth against which it was
resting, and falls under the following tooth to rise anew, following the movement of
the spring barrel.
At the end of the armature is fixed a second driving pawl engaging with the teeth
of the before mentioned ratchet wheel. The object of this second pawl is to carry
with it the ratchet wheel, when the armature is attracted by the electro-magnet. A

page_text: retaining pawl prevents any return movement of the ratchet wheel, whilst the second
driving pawl passes from one tooth to the following.
On the retaining pawl is arranged a small pin or stud, and at the end of the
armature there is a spring terminating in an inclined surface, this latter comes in
contact with the stud at the moment that the armature is at the highest point of its
stroke. At the moment when the contact takes place, the current which actuates the
electro-magnet is closed, and the latter attracts the armature. On the shaft of the
ratchet wheel, are fixed two toothed wheels engaging respectively with a wheel of
the striking barrel, and with a wheel of the hour barrel which by means of a centre
wheel drives the wheelwork of the clock.
This mechanism operates in the following way; assuming the clock to be going
normally, the springs of the barrels of the motive and the striking mechanisms are in
normal tension and in consequence give motion to all the elements with which they
are connected respectively. The shaft of the motive or auxiliary spring barrel rotates
and carries round with it the ratchet wheel which is in its turn followed up by the
first driving pawl and the armature which is raised by the armature spring.
The armature then raises the second driving pawl and causes it to ascend one tooth of
the winding ratchet wheel.
During this upward movement, the inclined surface of the spring at the end of the
armature approaches the stud of the retaining pawl and scarcely has the first driving
pawl fallen into the next tooth of the winding or ratchet wheel than contact is made
between the inclined surface and the stud.
The electric current being thereby established, it actuates the electro-magnet which
attracting sharply the armature, causes the first driving pawl to fall one tooth of a
second ratchet wheel, and also draws by means of the second driving pawl, the first
mentioned ratchet wheel with it through an angle corresponding to the width of a
tooth. The rotation of the first ratchet wheel is transmitted through the pinions to
the barrels of the motive and striking mechanism and imparts an excess of tension
to their spring exactly equal to the tension which they had slowly lost during the
ascent of the armature.
Thus, as in the preceding case, the winding up takes places continuously, and
consequently the tension of the barrels remains very nearly constant, resulting in a
great regularity in the working of the clock. The mechanism employed to transmit
the current to the time indicators is the same as described above as are likewise the
indicators themselves. It is clear that a still more economical system can be obtained
equally well by employing an ordinary clock which winds itself without the aid of
electricity. To this clock there are applied the elements of the automatic electrical
current sending device so as to enable it to drive at a distance the time indicators, as
described for the clocks wound electrically.
Dotad this 1st day of Autahan 1002

page_text: I, VICTOR RECLUS, of 114, Rue Turenne, (Seine), Paris, in the Republic of France,
Clockwork 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 has for object improvements in electric clocks whereby there may be
effected by means of a single clockwork movement the simultaneous indication of
time at any distance and at a great number of different points.
In a system of electric clocks according to this invention there are two essential
parts, the motor mechanism or time measuring apparatus with or without striking
mechanism, and the receivers or time indicators which are controlled by electric
currents sent by the clockwork movement. A small electrical apparatus attached to
the motor mechanism, winds up automatically and continuously the barrel of the
striking apparatus and that of the motor mechanism.
These barrels are able to store up sufficient power to go a certain time without the
help of electricity and thus allow the batteries and the wires to be changed, if required,
without occasioning thereby any break in the working of the system.
The electrical apparatus acts at intervals which are sufficiently short to constituto
practically a continuous winding up. In consequence, the springs are always under a
uniform tension, and thus exert a constant force which ensures a perfect regularity
in the action of the mechanism, and these springs having under these conditions only
to store up an inconsiderable force of short duration, allow of the employment of
barrels of very small dimensions.
The connection between the motor mechanism or time measuring apparatus and the
receivers or time indicators is such that the hands of these latter may be caused to
move either every half minute, or every minute, or at any other interval of time, as
will be seen later on.
.
By means of this invention an indefinite number of time indicators more or less
distant, can be controlled, and by aid of a single motor mechanism, the distribution
of time throughout an office or establishment of any kind, even throughout a town,
may be effected.
The motor mechanism winds itself up automatically and continuously, and thus the
charge for maintenance is reduced to nothing or practically nothing, and great
regularity in working is attained.
The annexed drawings illustrate the invention.
In order to render the description thereof as clear as possible, it is divided into two
parts; the first relating to the mechanism of the clockwork movement, and the second
to the receiver.

page_text: k is an armature actuated by the electro-magnet, pivotted on the joint and
connected with the coil of the bobbin j.
is a spiral spring attached at one end to the armature k, and at the other to a
small plate or strip 1, by aid of which and a screw the tension of the spring can be
regulated.
m is a traction pawl engaging with the loose ratchet wheel d; it is jointed to the
end of the armature k, and is furnished with a head having an inclined surface.
m² is a holding or non-recoil pawl engaging with the ratchet wheel d.
n is a pushing pawl pivotted on the armature k, and engaging with the ratchet
wheel e.
nis a holding pawl engaging with the ratchet wheel e.
o is an elastic electric conductor provided with a screw o' bearing on the pawl m
by means of an intermediate insulating body, and carrying a small stud o adjacent
to the inclined surface of the head of the pawl m, but not able to touch such head
except when that pawl falls by the action of the spring 1.
is the entrance terminal of the current, it communicates with the elastic
conductor o.
p is the exit terminal of the current.
g is a cam wheel having five teeth or arms, and being fixed on the axis of a wheel
driven by the clockwork.
is a second flexible conductor attached to the terminal p, and carrying a small
tappet or pallet controlled by the cam wheel It has an inclined surface r and
its travel is regulated by a screw
s is a small screw for the purpose of determining the travel of the spring conductor t
toward the right.
t is a spring furnished with a pallet or tappet governed by the cam wheel 7, and
with a screw, the extremity of which is adjacent to the inclined surface »".
u is a conductor connecting the spring t with the exit terminal of the current u'.
If a series of intermittent electric currents be sent into the electro-magnet, the
magnet will, under the action of the spring 1, alternately attract and release the
armature, which will oscillate on its pivot k
The pawls and 2, which are jointed to this armature, will follow its movements,
and will cause the ratchet wheels d and e respectively to advance a tooth at each
oscillation. The pawl m will act by pulling during its descent under the influence!
of the spring 1, and the pawl will act by pushing during its ascent under the
influence of the magnetism developed in the electro-magnet j.

page_text: The pawls m' and n¹ acting in conjunction with the pawls m and n, have the object
only of keeping the ratchet wheels in position whilst the motor pawls pass from one
tooth to the following one.
It is thus clearly seen that if the electro-magnet ; be traversed by a series of
currents, suitably transmitted, the ratchet wheels d and e will be actuated by their
respective pawls, and that, in consequence, the barrels of the motor and of the
striking mechanism, will be wound up by that action, because, on the one hand, the
ratchet wheeld is attached to the spring of the barrel by the sleeve d' and
the hook d, loose on the shaft a; and, on the other hand, the ratchet wheel e, being
fixed on the shafts a, give motion to the wheels band which actuate the barrel of the
striking mechanism g. There remains, therefore, only to be explained how, as the
spring of the motor barrel gradually expands and becomes relaxed in driving
the clockwork, the current actuates the electro-magnet at the right time, and gives
motion to the pawls which wind up the barrels.
The terminals and pare in constant communication with one or more suitable
electric batteries. I may remark that a single battery is quite enough, because the
levers of the winding up mechanism are combined so as to need but little power. To
avoid any residual magnetism, it is preferred to employ in these apparatus only
electro-magnets with a single bobbin. This bobbin is wound with a small quantity of
fine wire, and produces only a feeble spark at the contact, so as neither to burn nor
destroy it. The current is only established when the small stud o" is in contact with
the pawl m, and in that case it traverses the following circuit -The terminal P, the
spring o, the stud oll, the pawl m, the armature k, the coil of the bobbin j, and the
terminal p. In order, therefore, to close the circuit, the inclined surface of the head
of the pawl m must be in contact with the stud o". In order to effect this contact,
the pawl m, owing to the shape of the inclined surface of its head, must be in its
lowest position.
As soon as the circuit is closed, the electro-magnet j attracts its armature k, and
causes the pawl m to re-ascend; the circuit is thus again broken. This break lasts
until the pawl m, under the influence of the spring has fallen sufficiently to renew
the contact between the inclined surface and the stud o". It will be readily under-
stood that the pawl m can only descend by drawing down or rotating the ratchet
wheel d with it. It remains to be seen under what condition it can be drawn down.
The ratchet wheel d is exposed to the action of two forces acting in opposite
directions, the one due to the spring of the barrel c, which tends to make it turn from
right to left in a sense contrary to that of the hands of a watch, and the other due to
the spring which by means of the pawl m tends to impart to the said wheel a rotation
from left to right.
When the spring of the barrel c is in tension by being completely wound up, its
action balances that of the spring 1, and the pawl m cannot descend. But as soon as
the spring has gradually expanded, by reason of the advance of the clock, the spring !,
overpowering it, will cause the pawl m to fall gradually, becoming relaxed at the same
time. As soon as the pawl m is in contact with the stud ol, it will allow the current
to pass, which, by means of the electro-magnet, will cause it to ascend one tooth.
From this moment the spring regains its original tension, and consequently transmits
it anew by means of the ratchet wheel d to the barrel c, the operations hereinbefore
described being again repeated. It is thus clear that, when working normally, the
tension of the auxiliary spring in the barrel c is always very nearly constant; it varies
as the tension of the spring, which is really the motor spring, and the spring of the
barrel is thus only an auxiliary spring for transmitting the motive power.
It is to be noted that the electrical contact which takes place between the stud o¹¹
and the pawl m operates frictionally; there can consequently be no deposit caused by
the feeble electric sparks which may be produced, or by the dust of the atmosphere,
since the friction cleans the surfaces automatically; the passage of the current is by
this means well ensured. If the auxiliary spring in the barrel e should through any
cause whatever run down completely, or nearly so, the spring will cause the pawl m
to descend. since the ratchet wheel dis acted on by it alone.
But the circuit being
B

page_text: then closed, the electro-magnet causes the pawl m to ascend one tooth. This pawl will
have hardly ascended, when it is released by the electro-magnet, the current being
broken. On the other hand, the auxiliary spring barrel by the rotation of the ratchet
wheel a through an angle corresponding to a tooth, not. being sufficiently wound, is
not able to counter-balance the spring 7, which then causes the pawl m to descend
anew, and thus the pawl m is caused to rise and fall in rapid succession, until the
barrel is wound sufficiently to counter-balance the spring 1, that is to say, until it is
completely wound up. The barrel c is of a capacity sufficient to contain a spring,
which, when once wound up, is able, by its own force, to actuate the clock for a given
period. Therefore if the action of the electric current be interrupted during a shorter
period, the clock will still continue going.
On re-establishing the current, the barrel will be immediately wound up to its
maximum tension, as just described.
The wheelwork of the striking mechanism beyond the pin wheel h is the same as in
ordinary clocks, known as "rack strikers." The driving wheelwork of the hour hand
beyond the centre wheel is the same as in ordinary clockwork.
The clock work may be with or without striking mechanism, the winder of each
spring being independent. The clock is connected to the subsidiary time indicators
by a special mechanism which sends an electric current every minute, for example,
into each indicator, and thus causes the shaft carrying the journal of the minute hand
to advance a sixtieth of the circumference. The minute journal drives the hour wheel
by means of the minute wheel as usual. If the current were sent every half minute,
of the circumference for each impulse of
the minute hand would only advance 1
the current.
q
The operation of the mechanism for actuating the hours' indicators is effected in the
following way:
-The cam wheel fixed on the shaft of the middle wheel, governs the
spring and the lever by means of the tappets or pallets and fixed on them
respectively.
During its rotation, the cam wheel 7 raises on one hand the tappet r², and thereby
the spring, and on the other hand it pushes the tappet or pallet t' of the spring t
towards the left, so as to bring the screw under the inclined surface, but without
any contact taking place. At a given moment, the tooth of the cam wheel q, which
was raising the tappet, releases it, and the inclined surface then falls upon the
end of the screw, but the contact is hardly made between the pieces and t",
when the tooth of the cam wheel y which was operating the spring t, releases it in its
turn, and the latter takes up its former. position, leaving the inclined surface ¹¹, and
the contact is again broken.
2°
Thus, during a comparatively short time, contact has been made between the pieces
and by means of the parts and . This contact suffices to close the electric
circuit which traverses the following course:-The terminal p, the spring r, the
lever t, the conductor u, the terminal u, and thence passes to the different time
indicators.
It is to be understood that by varying the number of the teeth of the cam wheel 7,
electric currents may be transmitted to the indicators at any pre-determined intervals
of time.
It will, moreover, be seen that these currents, although they may come from the
same battery as that of the clock, do not pass through the hobbin j; they do not,
therefore, encounter any great resistance, and do not cause injurious sparking at o¹¹.
Besides, as the contact between the pieces and " is a frictional one, the passage of
the current is well ensured. The method of transmitting the currents to the time
indicators having been described, it remains to explain the construction and mode of
working of the indicators themselves.
2. Elements of a time counter or indicator is an electro-magnet with a single
bobbin, the coil of which is attached to the terminals and ; w is a pushing pawl
jointed to the end of the armature ", and engaging with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel; is a screw serving to limit the descent of the armature 1, and
consequently that of the pawl w; p' is a weight arranged to force the pawl w to enter

page_text: :
the teeth of the ratchet wheel; is a holding pawl for the ratchet wheel with a
balance weight p, and furnished at its top part with an inclined surface ¹y is a stem
attached to the armature 1, and provided with an abutting screw y¹ limiting the
recoil of the pawl w, and with a friction screw y" acting on the inclined surface al to
cause the pawl to engage with the ratchet wheel z when the pawl we leaves the said
ratchet wheel in order to ascend.
C
The electric current enters at the terminal v¹, passes through the bobbin 21, and
returns to the battery by the terminal . At each passage of the current, the
armature is attracted, and with it the pushing pawl w, which ascends one tooth of
the ratchet wheel z, the electro-magnet itself limits the ascent of the pawl w.
During the ascent of the pawl we, the stem y follows its movement, and at the same
time as the screw y' limits the recoil of the pawl, the screw 2 rubs against the
inclined surface a and obliges the holding pawl a to engage with the ratchet wheel
in order to prevent it turning or running back in the contrary direction to the
direction of the arrow.
On the electric current being broken, the armature descends by its own weight,
and, if found necessary, with the aid of a spring, (although the residual magnetism is
very small) and the pushing pawl we causes the wheel to advance one tooth. When
a second current is produced, the series of movements described above is reproduced,
and the ratchet wheel will advance another tooth, and so forth. This ratchet wheel
having sixty teeth, and being fixed on the same shaft as the minute journal, will cause
the minute hand to advance through one-sixtieth of the circumference, that is to say, a
space indicating a minute, and this movement will be transmitted by the minute
journal to the minute wheel and to the hour wheel. It is clear that it is easy to
connect, by means of conducting wires, as many time indicators as desired, with
the single clock which contains the motive elements.
According to a modification (shewn in Figs. 4 and 6) the construction of the motive
clockwork is varied so as to permit of its being more economically effected and
therefore of its being sold cheaper the principle of the modified system is however
exactly the same as that hereinbefore described. In this modification a single ratchet
wheel with two pawls drives both the motive or spring barrel and that of the striking
mechanism. Further, both barrels are arranged on two distinct shafts in order to
avoid the difficulties of construction arising from their arrangement on a common shaft,
and which said difficulties are due to the necessity of combining concentric solid and
hollow shafts. An electro-magnet is placed underneath the armature k, which is
provided with a small spring tending to raise it. Jointed to the armature k is a
peculiar pawl n engaging with a ratchet wheel e fixed on the shaft of the auxiliary
spring barrel c. The teeth of this pawl and of the ratchet wheel are such that the
ratchet wheel during its rotation is followed up by the pawl and that the armature k,
to which it is fixed, rises through the action of the spring 1. At the moment, however,
when the electro-magnet exerts its attractive force, the pawl a falls with the
armature k, without drawing with it the ratchet wheel e. It then leaves the tooth
against which it was resting, and falls under the following tooth to rise anew,
following the movement of the wheel c. At the end of the armature k is fixed another
driving pawl m engaging with the teeth of a ratchet wheel d. The object of this
pawl is to carry with it the ratchet wheel d, when the armature k is attracted by
the electro-magnet. A retaining pawl m prevents any return movement of the
wheel d. whilst the driving pawl passes from one tooth to the following. On the
pawl m is arranged a small pin or stud o" and at the end of the armature k there is a
spring o terminating in an inclined surface o¹; this latter comes in contact with the
stud at the moment that the armature & is at the highest point of its stroke.
the moment when the contact takes place, the current which actuates the electro-
magnet, is closed, and the latter attracts the armature. On the shaft a of the ratchet
wheel d are fixed two toothed wheels b and c engaging, respectively with the wheel f
of the striking barrel g, and with the wheel c' of the hour barrel c which, by means
of a centre wheel i, drives the wheel-work of the clock.
At

page_text: This mechanism operates in the following way ;—
C
Assuming the clock to be going normally, the springs of the barrels e and g of the
motive and the striking mechanisms are in normal tension and in consequence give
motion to all the elements with which they are respectively connected.
The shaft of the barrel e rotates and carries round with it the ratchet wheel e which
is in its turn followed up by the pawl and the armature k, which is raised by the
spring 1.
The armature then raises the pawl m, and causes it to ascend one tooth of the
winding ratchet wheel d. During this upward movement, the inclined surface o¹ of
the spring o at the end of the armature approaches the stud o" of the retaining pawl m²
and scarcely has the pawl m fallen into the next tooth of the winding or ratchet
wheel d, than contact is made between the points o¹ and o".
The electric current is thereby established, and actuates the electro-magnet ; which
attracting sharply the armature k, causes the pawl m to fall one tooth of the wheel e,
and draws by means of the pawl m the ratchet wheel d with it through an angle
corresponding to the depth of a tooth. The rotation of d is transmitted through the
pinions and c¹¹ to the barrels and c, and imparts an excess of tension to their
springs exactly equal to the tension which they had slowly lost during the ascent of
the armature k. Thus, as in the preceding case, the winding up takes places con-
tinuously, and consequently the tension of the barrels remains very nearly constant,
resulting in great regularity in the working of the clock. The mechanism employed
to transmit the current to the time indicators is the same as described above as are
likewise the indicators themselves.
It is clear that a still more economical system can be obtained equally well by
employing an ordinary clock, which winds itself without the aid of electricity. To
this clock there are applied the elements of the automatic electrical current sending
device so as to enable it to drive at a distance the time indicators as described for the
clocks wound electrically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim iş :-
The improved system of clock with or without striking mechanism, in combination
with one or more special time indicators situate at a distance substantially as described,
the clock being more particularly distinguished by the following points :-
1. An electrical clock comprising electrical driving mechanism, and an automatic
circuit making and breaking device for intermittently sending currents to the time
indicators in which
(a.) The driving mechanism is wound up automatically and continuously by means
of an electro-magnet such as which, by successively attracting and releasing
a spring armature, causes ratchet wheels to rotate by means of pawls, thereby
winding a motive spring barrel, such as c, direct, and a striking barrel, such as y,
through gearing such as wheels and the magnetism of the electro-magnet
being created and interrupted by a circuit maker and breaker comprising a
stud carried by a spring arm, and an inclined surface or part on one of the
pawls (m), the arrangement being such that the current is interrupted as soon
as the magnetic attraction has taken place, owing to the separation of the stud
and the pawl, substantially as hereinabove described.
(b.) The electric circuit making and breaking device for sending the currents to
the time indicators comprises a ratchet wheel fixed on a shaft driven by the
time mechanism and springs such as r and t, each in communication with one
of the terminals of a source of electricity, the said springs being arranged to
come into contact and close the electric circuit as soon as one of the springs
escapes from the ratchet wheel, the circuit being kept closed until the other
spring escapes in its turn from the said wheel, substantially as hereinabove
described.

page_text: 2. A time indicator comprising an electro-magnet with a single bobbin in com-
bination with an armature carrying a driving pawl that engages with a ratchet wheel
fixed on the shaft of a minute hand, a detent or pawl for preventing the ratchet wheel
rotating during the backward stroke of the driving pawl and formed with an inclined
surface (), and a stem such as y with pushing screw for operating the detent or
holding pawl at the desired times all substantially as described.
3. The modified arrangement of apparatus substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and 6
for automatically and continuously winding the driving mechanism by means of an
electro-magnet such as that successively attracts and releases a spring armature, the
interval of time between the successive attractions of the armature being regulated by
a pawl such as n jointed to the armature, and engaging with the teeth of a ratchet
wheel fixed on the shaft of the centre wheel.
4. The combination of the time indicators with the ordinary driving mechanism of a
clock wound by hand, and provided with an electric circuit making and breaking
device of the kind referred to under, claim 1.
5. The improved electric clock constructed arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to and shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings annexeil.
с
6. The improved electric clock or time indicator constructed arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shewn in Fig. 4 of the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 1st day of July 1887.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.