IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO HOROLOGY
Year: 1862

page_text: EETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO HOROLOGY."-A com-
munication from abroad by François Victor Guyard, of 33, Boulevard
Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 11th July 1862, and dated the 21st January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
January 1862.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO HOROLOGY,."
communicated to me from abroad by François Victor Guyard, of 33, Boulevart
Saint Martin, Paris, France, to be as follows:-
Electricity affords the most accurate means hitherto known for obtaining
the isochronism of clocks, but the methods heretofore employed for carrying
this into effect have been found insufficient when applied to a large number..
Now the chief object of the present Invention is to afford more effective
means than hitherto of applying electricity to the regulating of clocks, in such
manner that however considerable in number they may all be controlled with
facility.
In the means heretofore adopted the electric current is used as the motor or

page_text: working agent, so that the mechanical action must be proportionately large,
and if reduced becomes insufficient. Whereas according to this Invention,
the clocks are worked by the same motive means and maintaining power as
ordinary clocks, and electricity is merely used as the regulating agent to
rectify from time to time, say, from hour to hour, the. trifling irregularities or
inaccuracies that may occur, which are thus prevented from accumulating,
and a practical exactitude is obtained. Again, in ordinary electric clock
apparatus the current acts simultaneously on all the clocks under control, so
that the united resistance of the coils of a considerable number of clocks
would necessitate an enormous and indeed impracticable. tension. Whereas
in the mode adopted according to this Invention for distributing or trans-
mitting the electric current, the circuit is, so to speak, divided into fractions, so
that 100,000 clocks, for example, could be controlled or driven by a current,
which, under the ordinary arrangement, would only work from 30 to 40.
According to this Invention, one, or a number of clocks are regulated
consecutively, by so arranging and combining the clocks that they may be
always "fast," and that when they come around to the period at which they
are to be regulated, they are checked or stopped for a very short interval, to
await the transmission of the regulating current, which allows of their starting
off again at the exact hour or time. These intervals of interruption are so
arranged that a batch of as many clocks as a single current can act upon con-
veniently shall stop at the same hour, or interval of time, and be consequently
controlled by the same current.
My clock is so regulated as never to lose, but always to gain a few
seconds, though never so many as 60" per hour. This clock is of ordinary
construction, except that the axis or arbor of its minute hand has a stop on it,
preferably wedge shaped, which comes once in every hour against a bent arm
or lever, having at one end a stop, also preferably of a wedge-shape, thereby
checking or stopping the minute axis monientarily. The area of the surfaces
of contact should be very small and smooth, and so shaped that they may
slide one over the other without sensible. friction. The electro-magnet controls
the sliding action, and when it allows the minute axis to escape the lever is
returned to position, preferably by a spring. The action of the current may
be kept up for some seconds to allow sufficient time for the escaping action; or
the stop on the lever may be jointed so as to resist for a time the pressure of
the stop on the axis until released to the action of a spring.
To explain the mode of distributing or transmitting the electric currents
adopted according to this Invention, I suppose, by way of example, I have to
deal with 60 clocks, which I call A¹, A2, A3, ..
to A Go

page_text: h
.
h '
h
"
"
A 59
A G⁰
"
"
12 59, 1 59, 2 59,
"
1h, 2h, 3h,
h
'
11 59,
12h
A common conductor leads or branches to each clock, but only comes in
contact at the moment when the stops come in contact, (supposing - that
arrangement adopted,) and the minute axis is interrupted. Thus the electric
current, though transmitted every minute, can only pass through the way
opened to it, and hence regulates only one, clock per minute. Now, suppose
instead of a single clock A', A², we were dealing with a group of clocks A¹, A³,
having their intervals of interruption arranged to come at the same time,
thus:-
Group No. 1
2
"
3
"
60
"
A¹, B¹, C¹, D¹,
A², 'B³, C², D³,
A, B, C, D, and so on to
A, B, C, D6º.
Supposing each group to consist of 30 clocks, then the whole number of
clocks will be 1,800, which will thus be easily regulated by a current, other-
wise capable of only regulating 30. (This mode may be adapted to other
electric horological apparatus.) Now, each clock of the 60 groups may be
considered as a secondary regulator or governing clock, the accuracy of which
may be depended on at the moment at which it is set right by the main
regulator or principal clock, so that we shall thus have 1,800 secondary
regulators. Each secondary regulator beside the point of contact before
referred to, bas another point of contact intended to be connected with a
second conductor, through which a current wholly distinct from the principal
one is sent continuously. These secondary "contacts" are so placed that the
transmissions are arranged 2" to 2" for the 30 regulators of each one group,
and all will be produced to one minute, so that any two following ones are
prevented from intermixing. Each such secondary regulator actuates a sub
Thus there may
group of, say, 30 clocks, to which it transmits its current.
be 1,800 sub groups, which will be consecutively regulated at intervals of 2',
and thus 54,000 clocks may be regulated by a current necessary for 30 only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters 'Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael Henry,,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO HOROLOGY," communicated to me
from abroad by François Victor Guyard, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris,
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael Henry,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of tho
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, as communicated to me, that is to say :-
Electricity affords the most accurate means hitherto known for obtaining
the isochronism of clocks, but methods heretofore employed for carrying that
object into effect have been found insufficient when applied to a large number
of clocks. Now the chief object of the present Invention is to afford more
effective means than hitherto of applying electricity to the regulating of clocks
in such manner that however considerable the number of clocks to be regulated
they may all be controlled with facility.
In the methods heretofore adopted an electric current has been used as the

page_text: actual moving and maintaining power of the clocks, and for that reason a
proportionately large amount of force has had to be exerted by the current to
keep the clocks going, so that if the current should become reduced from
some cause or other it would at once cease to be sufficient for the purpose,
whereas, according to this Invention, the clocks to be regulated are kept going
by the same moving and maintaining power as are ordinary clocks, and
electricity is merely used as the regulating or controlling agent to correct from
time to time, say from hour to hour, the trifling irregularities or inaccuracies
that occur, which are thus prevented from accumulating. In this manner a
degree of precision is attained fully sufficient for all ordinary practical purposes.
Again, in electric clock apparatus hitherto known the current acts simul-
taneously on all the clocks under control, so that the sum of the resistance
of the electric coils of a considerable number of clocks necessitates an enormous,
and, indeed, impractical amount of tension, whereas in the mode adopted
according to this Invention for transmitting the electric current the circuit is,
so to speak, divided into fractions, so that a hundred thousand clocks, for
example, can be controlled by a current which under ordinary known arrange-
ments would only control from thirty to forty.
According to this Invention one clock is regulated or a number of clocks
are consecutively regulated by arranging and combining the clocks; thus
they must gain or be too fast until electrically regulated, and when they
come round to the time at which they are to be electrically regulated, they
are checked or stopped for a very short interval to await the transmission of
the regulating current, which allows of their setting off again at the exact
moment. These intervals of interruption are so arranged that a batch or
cluster of as many clocks as can be acted upon conveniently by a single current
shall stop at the same hour or interval of time, and shall consequently be
controlled by the same current.
The clocks to which this Invention is applied must be so mechanically
regulated as never to lose, but, on the contrary, always to gain or be a-few
seconds fast, though never so many as sixty seconds in the hour. The clocks
may be of ordinary construction in all respects, except that to adapt them for
this Invention they must be slightly modified in the following manner, that is
to say:-Upon the axis or arbor of the minute hand is a small stop, which
once in every hour comes against a stop on one end of a bent arm or lever,
whereby the axis of the minute hand is checked or stopped for a moment. Tho
touching surfaces of the stops should be smooth and of very small area, and
they should be so shaped that they may slide one over the other without
sensible friction. The action of an electro-magnet controls this sliding action;

page_text: and when it allows the axis of the minute hand to escape the stop lever is
.returned to position by a spring. The action of the current may be kept up
for some seconds to allow sufficient time for the escaping action, that is to say,
for the stops to separate. By these means the clock to be regulated will be
put once in every hour in perfect agreement with the electric regulating or
standard clock. The stop on the lever may be jointed so that immediately on
its escaping from the pressure or contact of the stop on the axis of the minute.
hand, it shall be brought briskly away therefrom by being released to the
action of a spring.
I now proceed to explain the improved mode of transmitting electric currents
for regulating clocks adopted according to this Invention. To understand this
,mode it is necessary, first, to suppose, by way of example, that the operator
has to deal with sixty clocks, which I will call A', A2, A3, to A, and that
the stoppage or interruption required to regulate them as aforesaid takes place
In clock A when its hands are at 12h 1', 1h 1', 2h 1', 3h 1',.... 11h 1'.
12h 2, 12, 2h 2', 3h 2', .... 11h 2'.
12 59', 1 59', 2b 59', 3h 59',
"
"
A²
A 59
"
"
A GO
"
1b, 2h
3b,
4b
11h 59'.
12.
There is a main or principal conductor, from which branch wires lead to all
the clocks of the series, but these branch wires only make contact or connection
with their respective clocks at the moment when the stops of that clock come
in contact, and stop the axis of the minute hand, as above described; and
as each clock has its interval of stoppage at a different minute in the hour, it
follows that an electric current which is transmitted every minute from a
regulating or standard clock will only flow along one branch wire per minute,
(though into all consecutively) and thus would only regulate one clock per
minute. But now suppose that each single clock A, A, &c. represented a group
of clocks A', A2, &c. or in other words substitute for each single clock
A', A,..... A, a group of clocks A1, A2, ...... A, the clocks of
each group respectively having their interval of contact and interruption (or
electric regulation) at the same time.
Group No. 1
-
A', B, C, D',

page_text: each clock of the 60 groups may be considered as being itself a secondary
regulating clock or subordinate standard clock, the accuracy of which may be
depended on at the precise moment at which it is set right by the principal or,
primary standard or regulating clock; by. these means eighteen, hundred
secondary regulating clocks (or subordinate standard clocks) will be obtained,
each of which beside the point or surface of contact before referred to, must
be furnished with another point or surface of contact, which is intended to be
connected with a second conductor, through which a current wholly distinct
from the principal or main current is continuously sent. These secondary
contacts are so placed that the electric current shall branch off once every-
two seconds for the 30 secondary or subordinate regulating clocks of each
group, and as there are 30 groups it will take one minute for all the 30
to pass, so that thus 30 groups will be regulated every minute, and any two
consecutive branch currents will be prevented from intermingling. Each
such secondary regulating clock regulates a subordinate group of, say, 30
clocks, to which it thus transmits its branch current. Thus there may be
eighteen hundred subordinate groups consecutively, regulated at intervals.
of two seconds, and 54,000 clocks may thus be regulated by a current
necessary for 30 only.
I do not restrict myself to any particular apparatus for carrying into effect
the improved mode of transmitting currents herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the mode of regulating clocks by electricity, according to which one
clock is regulated, or a number of clocks are consecutively regulated by so
arranging and combining the clocks that they shall always gain or be too fast
till the period for regulating them electrically has come round, that when that
period has come round they shall stop for a short interval to await the regu-
lating current, which will allow them to go on again at the exact time, and
that the stopping intervals of all the clocks to be regulated shall be respectively
so arranged that 30 clocks, or as many as a single current can regulate at
a time, shall have their stopping intervals at the same time, so as to be all
actuated by the same current, substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the application to or employment in clocks of the arrangement and
combination of contact or stopping apparatus herein-before described, con-
stituting the mode of modifying clocks to adapt them for the method of
regulation herein described.
Third, the mode of regulating clocks by secondary regulating clocks or
subordinate standard clocks, which are regulated as described, and which

page_text: themselves regulate subordinate groups of clocks by consecutive currents acting
on the respective groups duly regulated to receive them, substantially as
described..
Fourth, the improved mode of transmitting electric currents herein-before
described for the purpose of regulating clocks by electricity..
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two..
Witness,
W. PYNE, Patent Office;
84, Fleet Street, London..
M. HENRY. (L.S.)