IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-PIECES WORKED BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Wm. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for securing Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Berridge Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-PIECES WORKED BY ELECTRICITY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th December 1880.
William PhillIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Agents
for securing Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, and of Berridge Street, Leicester,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-PIECES
in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer.
WORKED BY ELECTRICITY." A communication from abroad by Monsieur Alphonse
Lemoine, of Paris.
This Invention has for its object an improved system of electric time-keeping
by the aid of an electro-magnet which gives automatically to the pendulum of the
clock a fresh impulsion each time that its oscillation fails to attain to a certain
amplitude of course. To arrive at this result the current is passed round the
electro-magnet each time that it is necessary by a piece mounted upon the pendulum,
and manoeuvred by the resistance that the air opposes to it during its oscillation.
In order the better to be understood I have represented in the annexed Drawing,
as an illustration only, different views of a part of a clock disposed according to
my Invention.
Fig. 1 shows the front view of the pendulum of a clock disposed according to my
Invention; Fig. 2 represents the side view of the mechanism working the closing
of the electric current when that is necessary.
In these two Figures the same letters stand for the same parts. a is the
pendulum, furnished at its lowest part with a piece b of soft iron forming the bob
or weight. This bob is of soft iron, in order to be at any desired moment drawn
by the electro-magnet.c.

page_text: Upon the bob b is a potence or standard d, upon the horizontal arm of which
turns a light spindle e mounted upon a socket f, and furnished at its lower part
with a vane or other equivalent piece g in paper, mica, or other like material.
Upon its upper part the pendulum of the clock carries a catch h, which at each
double oscillation advances one tooth of the wheel which commands the minute
hand, and which can be arranged in any convenient manner.
Upon the stand of the clock is placed a fixed blade k communicating with one of
the poles of a battery, the positive (+) pole, for example. Another blade l, forming
a spring, communicates with the electro-magnet, binding it to the negative (-) pole
of the battery.
As long as the range of oscillation of the pendulum does not descend below the
normal limit, the spindle e passes over the contact spring without lowering it by
following the inclined path that the resistance of the air gives it (acting upon its
vane). If on the contrary the range of oscillation diminishes, the speed of the
pendulum diminishes in like proportion, and the resistance opposed by the air to
the movement of the vane g must equally lessen in such manner that the spindle e
approaches the vertical. It then presses upon the contact 1, which bends upon the
blade k in such manner that the circuit being closed the current traverses the
electro-magnet which becomes active.
As this effect is produced before the pendulum becomes vertical, as indicated by
the dotted lines in the Drawing, the armature or bobb of the pendulum is attracted,
and regains its full range of oscillation. Under the influence of this impulsion the
spindle e, gliding then over the blade 7 (which again rises), the circuit is broken,
and the pendulum oscillates freely until the amplitude of its oscillation lessens
again, when the contact is re-established and gives it a fresh impulsion.
I reserve to myself the faculty of varying the forms and dispositions, as well as
of replacing the vane g with any other object upon which the air could act and
produce the same result.
The battery, as well as the organs above mentioned, can be hidden or masked in
the stand or frame of the clock; the parts regulating contact can equally be placed
at any convenient point of the pendulum or of the clock.
My mechanism being composed of light pieces, and operating under the influence
of an exterior force (the resistance opposed by the air to the movement of a
surface) does not require to work very regularly and very surely, and requires only
a battery of little intensity, the resistances being very feeble.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st May 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Agents
for securing Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, and of Berridge Street, Leicester,
in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME PIECES
WORKED BY ELECTRICITY." A communication from abroad by Monsieur Alphonse
Lemoine, of Paris.
The following is a literal translation of the Specification as communicated to me
by my French correspondent, with orders to file :-
"This Invention has for its object an improved system of electric time keeping,
by the aid of an electro magnet, which gives automatically to the pendulum of the
clock a fresh impulsion each time that its oscillation fails to attain to a certain
amplitude of course. To arrive at this result the current is passed round the
electro magnet, each time that it is necessary, by a piece mounted upon the
pendulum and manoeuvred by the resistance that the air opposes to it during its
oscillation.
In order the better to be understood I have represented in the annexed Drawing,
as an illustration only, different views of a part of a clock disposed according to
my Invention.
Fig. 1 shows the front view of the pendulum of a clock disposed according to my
Invention; Fig. 2 represents the side view of the mechanism working the closing
of the electric current when that is necessary.
In these two Figures the same letters stand for the same parts. a is the
pendulum furnished at its lowest part with a piece of soft iron forming the bob
or weight; this bob is of soft iron in order to be at any desired moment drawn by
the electro magnet c.
Upon the bob is a potence or standard d, upon the horizontal arm of which
turns a light spindle e mounted upon a socket f, and furnished at its lower part
with a vane or other equivalent piece y, in paper, mica, or other like material.
Upon its upper part the pendulum of the clock carries a catch h, which at each
double oscillation advances one tooth of the wheel i, which commands the minute
hand, and which can be arranged in any convenient manner.
Upon the stand of the clock is placed a fixed blade k, communicating with one
of the poles of a battery, the positive (+) pole, for example; another blade l,
forming a spring, communicates with the electro magnet, binding it to the negative
(-) pole of the battery.
As long as the range of oscillation of the pendulum does not descend below the
normal limit, the spindle e passes over the contact spring without lowering it,
by following the inclined path that the resistance of the air gives it (acting upon
its vane). If, on the contrary, the range of oscillation diminishes, the speed of the
pendulum diminishes in like proportion, and the resistance opposed by the air to
the movement of the vane g must equally lessen in such manner that the spindle e
approaches the vertical. It then presses upon the contact I, which bends upon the
blade k in such manner that, the circuit being closed, the current traverses the
electro magnet which becomes active.
As this effect is produced before the pendulum becomes vertical, as indicated by
the dotted lines in the Drawing, the armature or bob b of the pendulum is
attracted, and regains its full range of oscillation under the influence of this
impulsion; the spindle e gliding then over the blade (which again rises), the
circuit is broken, and the pendulum oscillates freely until the amplitude of its

page_text: oscillation lessens again, when the contact is re-established and gives it a fresh
impulsion.
I reserve to myself the faculty of varying the forms and dispositions, as well as
of replacing the vane g with any other object upon which the air could act and
produce the same result.
The battery, as well as the organs above mentioned, can be hidden or masked in
the stand or frame of the clock; the parts regulating contact can equally be placed
at any convenient point of the pendulum of the clock.
My mechanism being composed of light pieces, and operating under the influence
of an exterior force (the resistance opposed by the air to the movement of a
surface), does not require to work very regularly and very surely, and requires only
a battery of little intensity, the resistance being very feeble."
Having now described the Invention exactly as communicated to me in
"French" by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that what is
believed to be new and sought to be claimed under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. In an electric clock a circuit operating device consisting of a rod (e)
pivoted upon a beam or other attachment (d) mounted on the ball (b) of a
pendulum (a), and provided with a paper butterfly or other light disc (g), in
order to operate upon a contact (such a l), substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Second. In an electric clock the combination with a pendulum (a), its ball (b), a
ratchet and pawl (i, h), or their mechanical equivalents, an electro-magnet (c)
actuated by a suitable battery and two contacts (k, 1); of a circuit operating
device consisting of a rod (e) provided with a paper butterfly or other light disc (g),
and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The manufacture of electric clocks in which the pendulum receives a
fresh impulse from an electric magnet whenever its speed has slackened so much
as to allow a light vane or pendulum hanging from it to assume a sufficiently
vertical position in passing as to form an electrical contact with a conductor, and
thus temporarily complete the electric circuit round the magnet; the vane at
other times being prevented by the resistance of the air or by centrifugal force,
or by both, from hanging sufficiently vertical, when passing, to form a contact.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
1114
MTANDAON