AN IMPROVED CALENDAR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Frédéric Portebois, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Clockmaker, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED CALENDAR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Frédéric Portebois at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1879.
LOUIS FREDERIC PORTEBOIS, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Clockmaker. "AN IMPROVED CALENDAR."
This Invention relates to an apparatus which may be used alone, but is by
preference adapted to an article of furniture or other object, and is so arranged
that the action of winding up the clockwork movement which gives the hours also
sets in motion the wheelwork for giving the date, day, month, and year.
In one modification of my Invention I employ a watch or clock movement giving
the hours, and capable of going for twenty four hours at a time. This movement
is placed behind a hinged door, which it is necessary to open at least once a day
for winding up the watch or clock movement. The opening of this door causes a
click to move forward a slide and two arms, thereby turning one tooth of a wheel
(having seven teeth) and with it a dial which marks the days; also turning a
wheel (having thirty teeth) and with it a dial on which are marked the dates, such
days and dates being shewn through openings in the case of the apparatus. When
the day wheel has made one revolution a click moves forward a wheel (having
twelve teeth) and with it a dial for the months, and when this wheel has made
one entire revolution a click moves forward one tooth, a wheel carrying the dial for
indicating the years. Suitable springs provided with stops keep the wheels in their
places.
In another modification of my apparatus it is not necessary to open and close a
door to set the wheel work in action.
In this case the watch or clock movement is provided with a small button, on
the axis of which is placed a toothed wheel gearing with a small pinion fixed on
the barrel arbor. The arbor of the said wheel also carries another pinion gearing
with a toothed sector or rack placed at the end of a jointed lever, the other end of
which communicates movement to a slide. The other parts of the apparatus are
similar to the arrangement hereinbefore described.
To wind up the watch the herein before described button is turned, thereby
turning the wheel and pinion and drawing along the sector or rack, causing the
click to push the slide, and also the arms for changing the date and the day, and
so on, in such a manner that the movement required for winding up the watch once
daily will be sufficient to operate the working of the calendar.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent fled by
the said Louis Frédéric Portebois in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
April 1880.
LOUIS FRÉDÉRIC PORTEBOIS, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Clockmaker. "AN IMPROVED CALENDAR."
This Invention relates to an apparatus which may be used alone, but is by
preference adapted to an article of furniture or other object, and is so arranged
that the action of winding up the clockwork movement which gives the hours also
sets in motion the wheelwork for giving the date, day, month, and year.
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Several arrangements may be employed. Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing
shews a back view of one arrangement of my improved calendar. At Y is placed a
watch or clock movement giving the hours, and capable of going for twenty four
hours. This movement is placed behind a hinged door A, which it is necessary to
open at least once a day for winding up the watch Y. In opening the door the
click or cleat B moves forward the slide D, and consequently the arms H and I,
thereby turning the wheel J (having seven teeth) one tooth, and with it the dial N,
on which are marked the days of the week; the wheel K (having thirty teeth) is
also moved forward one tooth, and with it the dial D, on which are marked the
dates (the days and dates being shewn through openings, as shewn in Figure 2).
When the wheel K has made one revolution the click p moves forward the wheel L
(having twelve teeth) and the dial P for the months, and when this wheel for the
months has made one revolution the click 9 moves the wheel M one tooth forward,
and with it the dial R, for the years; springs furnished with stops X, V, keep the
wheels in their places.
Figure 3 shews the back of a movement of another arrangement of my perpetual
calendar; and Figure 2 shews the front of this calendar, in which it is not necessary
to open and close a door to set the wheel work in action. Y is the watch or clock
movement for giving the hours, and is shewn at A, Figure 2, where it is provided
with a small button Z; on the axis of this button is placed a toothed wheel Z',
Figure 3, gearing with a small pinion n fixed on the arbor of the barrel of the
watch. The arbor of the wheel Z' also carries another pinion gearing with a
toothed sector or rack m placed at the end of a lever r jointed at s, and the end b
of which communicates movement to the slide d. The other parts of the apparatus
are similar to the arrangement hereinbefore described.
To wind up the watch the button Z is turned, thereby turning the wheel Z¹, the
pinion n, and at the same time the rack or toothed sector M will be drawn along,
whilst the arm B will push the slide D, and the pieces H and I, which change the
date and the day, and so on, in such a manner that the movement required for
winding up the watch once daily will be sufficient to operate the working of the
calendar.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein laid down and shewn in the Drawing, as the same may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I claim
is,-
An improved calendar, constructed as hereinbefore described, in which the watch
or clock movement giving the hours cannot be wound up once daily without setting
in motion the wheelwork forming the calendar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Frédéric Portebois, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.