IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE TIME
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Hill, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Watch
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING
THE TIME"
Sealed the 6th June 1879, and dated the 24th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Hill at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December 1878.
ALBERT HILL, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Watch Maker.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE TIME."
"IMPROVE-
My Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations herein after described
of the parts of apparatus for indicating the time whereby the time at night or in a
dark place is clearly indicated.
My Invention is also an efficient indicator of the time by day.
In constructing, according to my Invention, apparatus for indicating the time I
proceed as follows:-
I take the globe or shade of a gas or other lamp, the said globe being by
preference of a spherical or nearly spherical figure; on the said globe I paint or
otherwise produce a circular series of figures from 1 to 12, both inclusive, the
arrangement of the said series of figures resembling the arrangement of figures on
a clock or watch dial, and constituting, with the portion of the globe on which they
are situated, a transparent dial. The centre around which the series of figures is
arranged is the end of a horizontal line passing through the centre of the globe and
terminating at the outer surface of the globe. A circular hole struck from the
same centre is made in the globe, the said hole being somewhat larger than the
"works" of a watch or other timekeeper. The said hole is concentric with the
circle of figures or dial on the globe, and in the said hole the works of a watch or
other timekeeper are fixed in the manner herein after described. The said works
are provided with minute and hour hands of sufficient length to extend to and
indicate the time in the ordinary way on the dial on the globe. The works of the

page_text: watch or other timekeeper having been wound up, and the said works introduced
and fixed in the hole described, and the gas or other flame being lighted in the
globe, the time is indicated by the fingers on the transparent dial of the globe.
The works of the watch or timekeeper may be supported in the globe by means
of three equi-distant arms on the edge of the "works," two of the said arms being
fixed and the other being a bolt sliding radially and pressed outwards by a spring;
the said arms have fork like terminations. In fixing the works in the hole in the
globe the said works are inclined and the forked ends of the two fixed arms are
engaged on the edge of the hole, and the sliding arm is pressed inwards. The
works being now raised into a vertical plane the spring arm is allowed to advance,
when its fork engages with the edge of the hole and the works are firmly supported
in the said hole, but are isolated from it.
The annular space between the works and the hole in the globe not only serves
to isolate the works from the heated globe, but constitutes the passage through
which a current of air passes into the interior of the globe and helps to keep the
works cool. The heating of the works may still further be provided against by
protecting them at back by an imperfect conductor of heat, or by a highly polished
metal plate which absorbs radiant heat to only a slight extent.
I prefer to make the globe of semi-transparent glass, or of transparent glass
roughened on one side or otherwise made semi-transparent; or of china or other
semi-transparent material. A transparent glass globe may however be used,
although it is not so effective as a semi-transparent globe.
The arrangement of parts described may be employed-on-one or more sides of
the globe, so that the time may be indicated on one or more sides of the globe.
Although my Invention is specially applicable to the indicating of the time by
night or in dark places, yet my said Invention is also an efficient indicator of the
time by day.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st June
1879.
ALBERT HILL, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Watch Maker.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE TIME."
"IMPROVE-
My Invention consists of the arrangements or combinations hereinafter described
of the parts of apparatus for indicating the time, whereby the time at night or in a
dark place is clearly indicated. My Invention is also an efficient indicator of the
time by day.
In constructing, according to my Invention, apparatus for indicating the time I
proceed as follows:-I take the globe or shade of a gas or other lamp, the said.
globe being by preference of a spherical or nearly spherical figure. On the said
globe I paint or otherwise produce a circular series of figures, from 1 to 12 both
inclusive, the arrangement of the said series of figures resembling the arrangement
of figures on a clock or watch dial, and constituting, with the portion of the globe
on which they are situated, a transparent dial. The centre around which the series
of figures is arranged is the end of a horizontal line passing through the centre of
the globe and terminating at the outer surface of the globe. A circular hole struck
from the same centre is made in the globe, the said hole being somewhat larger
than the "works" of a watch or other time keeper. The said hole is concentric
with the circle of figures or dial on the globe, and in the said hole the works of a
watch or other time keeper are fixed in the manner hereinafter described. The
said works are provided with minute and hour hands of sufficient length to extend
to and indicate the time in the ordinary way on the dial on the globe. The works
of the watch or time keeper having been wound up, and the said works introduced
and fixed in the hole described, and the gas or other flame being lighted in the
globe, the time is indicated by the fingers on the transparent dial of the globe.
The works of the watch or time keeper may be supported in the globe by means of
three equi-distant arms on the edge of the "works," two of the said arms being
fixed and the other being a bolt sliding radially and pressed outwards by a spring.
The said arms have fork like terminations. In fixing the works in the hole in the
globe the said works are inclined, and the forked ends of the two fixed arms are
engaged on the edge of the hole, and the sliding arm is pressed inwards. The
works being now raised into a vertical plane the spring arm is allowed to advance,
when its fork engages with the edge of the hole and the works are firmly supported
in the said hole, but are isolated from it. The annular space between the "works"
and the hole in the globe not only serves to isolate the works from the heated
globe, but constitutes a passage through which a current of air passes into the
interior of the globe and helps to keep the works cool. The heating of the works
may still further be provided against by protecting them at back by an imperfect
conductor of heat, or by a highly polished metal plate which absorbs radiant heat
to only a slight extent.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation apparatus constructed according to my
Invention for indicating the time; Figure 2 represents a vertical section of a
portion of the same taken on the line a, a, Figure 1; and Figure 3 represents a
side elevation and front elevation, with a portion removed, of the "works" of a
watch or other time keeper, with which is combined apparatus constructed according
to my Invention for fixing the said watch or time keeper..
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
b is the transparent or semi-transparent globe or shade of a gas or other lamp
having painted or otherwise produced upon it the watch or clock dial c, c, the said.

page_text: dial being transparent, so that when the flame of the gas or other light is ignited
the dial is illuminated. d is the circular hole or opening in the globe 6 in which
the works of the watch or time keeper are fixed, the said hole or opening d being
concentric with the dial c, c; e represents the works of a watch or other time
keeper fixed in the circular hole d, and f, g, are the minute and hour hands of the
same, the said hands being curved, as seen in Figure 2, nearly to the curvature of
the globe b, so that they move nearly in contact therewith. The said hands f, g,
are of sufficient length to extend to and indicate the time in the ordinary way on
the transparent dial c, c. On the front of the works e of the watch or timekeeper
is a circular disc or dome plate h (omitted in Figure 3) of a size proper to fit closely
over the opening d in the shade or globe. The said disc or plate h is fixed to the
pillar plate of the works by screws at i, i, and the said disc or plate h is larger
than the works of the watch. Or in place of the screws i, i, studs on the inner
face of the dome plate h may pass through holes in the pillar plate and be fixed by
cotters, but any other convenient way of fixing the dome plate h to the pillar plate
may be employed. In the edge of the covering disc or plate h a series of perfora-
tions is made opposite the anuular space between the works and the hole d in
the globe (see Figure 2). When the works of the watch or time keeper are fixed
in the hole d in the globe in the manner hereinafter explained the annular space
between the works and the said hole serves to isolate the said works from the
heated globe, and also forms with the perforations k in the disc h a passage through
which currents of cold air pass into the interior of the globe and assist in keeping
the works cool.
l
A highly polished metal cap or plate m may also be placed over the back and
sides of the works to further protect them from being heated.
The fixing mechanism which I prefer to use consists of three radial equi-distant
arms n, p, q, at the edge of the works e and carried by the pillar plate of the said
works. The arms n, p, are fixed, but the arm q is capable of sliding radially and
constitutes a spring bolt. The said spring bolt or moveable arm q has a looped or
turned up end, and which works upon the fixed pin r, the principal part of the said
bolt being guided in its motion between the two small pins represented in Figure 3,
but the guiding of the said bolt may be effected in a variety of ways. A spring 8
bearing against the bottom bent end of the bolt 9 presses it outwards into the
position represented in the Drawing. The bolts n, p, q, have a fork like or notched
termination for engaging with the edge of the hole d in the shade or globe b, and
the sliding bolt q has at its head a small projection t for operating upon it by means
of the thumb or finger nail.
In fixing the works of the watch or time keeper in the hole d in the shade or
globe the said works are inclined and the two fixed arms n, p, are engaged with
the edge of the hole d.
The spring arm or bolt q is now pressed downwards and the works are raised
into a vertical position. The acting end of the spring arm or bolt q is thus brought
opposite the edge of the hole d, and by removing the pressure from the said spring
arm q it rises and snaps upon or engages with the edge of the hole d, and thereby
fixes the works firmly in the said hole; but the said works are isolated from the
said hole by the annular air space l, as herein before described.
In order to retain the sliding bolt more firmly in its place at the edge of the
hole d, and to determine the proper position of the works in the said hole d a notch
or depression may be made at u in the globe into which the head of the bolt g
snaps when released.
I prefer to make the globe of semi-transparent glass, or of transparent glass
roughened on one side or otherwise made semi-transparent, or of china or other
semi-transparent material.
A transparent glass globe may however be used, although it is not so effective as
a semi-transparent globe.
The arrangement of parts described and represented may be employed on one or
more sides of the globe, so that the time may be indicated on one or more sides of

page_text: the globe. Although my Invention is specially applicable to the indicating of the
time by night or in dark places, yet my said Invention is also an efficient indicator
of the time by day.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in apparatus for indicating the time herein before described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say; the combination with the
globe or shade of a gas or other lamp of the "works" and hands of a watch or
other time keeper, tho said "works" of the watch or time keeper being fixed in
but isolated from a circular hole in the globe or shade concentric with a watch or
clock dial painted or otherwise produced on the globe or shade, substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated, whether one or more than one of the said
dials and isolated watch or clock "works and parts connected therewith bo
combined in the same globe or shade for indicating the time.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Hill, have hereunto set my hand and
scal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
JAB. BRAGG,
Stationer,
Reading,
Berks.
ALBERT HILL (LS.)