10,084. McMillan, W., and Osman, A. H. May 1. Timing pigeons. -Relates to the type of apparatus in which the time of one event is recorded by punching a paper disk driven continuously by clock-work and also by stopping auxiliary hands on the clock face. A cylindrical box m, Fig. 4, for the reception of the ring &c. is mounted on a spindle l, in the base of the apparatus, so that an opening in it may be brought into coincidence with an opening m<1> in the base. A slide j is first moved in the direction of the arrow, and, by means of a lever j<1>, rotates a ratchet wheel k through a quarter of a revolution. A wheel g, Fig. 7, mounted on the same spindle as the wheel k and provided with pins x and notches g<1> which engage star-wheels i<1>, i<2>, is thus also rotated to the same extent and causes a similar rotation in the box m, which is fixed to the same spindle l as the wheels i<1>, i<2>. The opening in the box m is thus brought opposite the opening m<1> in the base, and a cam-piece g<2>, Figs. 5 and 6, moves pivoted hooks u<2> so as to lock the upper casing b to the base B. The same movement also causes one of two pins f on the wheel g to strike the inclined end of a slide h and to move it forward, so that two needles e at the end of the slide h perforate the edge d, Fig. 1, of a paper disk d driven continuously by clock-work. A pricker t, Figs. 3 and 5, is fixed to a slide s' working on a square shaft s', which is rocked every time the slide j is moved by the action of the wheel i<1> on a lever s<4> fixed on its lower end. The pricker t is thus made to puncture the disk d every time the slide j is moved. The slide s<2> is drawn by a spring arm s into contact with a small cam r which is continuously driven by the clock. The point of the pricker t is thus moved each day nearer the centre of the disk d, and the position of the resulting puncture will indicate the day by its distance from the centre, as well as the hour in the ordinary way by its angular position. The seconds' hand a<4> of the clock engages the turned-up end of another hand a<5> mounted upon a freely rotating sleeve g<2>, Fig. 6. When the ring is mounted in the box m and the latter is turned, a cam n on the wheel i<2> raises a slide o', the upper end of which acts upon a bent lever q and causes it to withdraw the loose hand a<5> from the clock hand a<4>. The former then remains at rest and indicates the second. Independent hour and minute hands a<3> are also arrested by the movement of the slide o', which lifts the pinions p<2>, p', driving them out of gear with the clock movement. The hour and minute are thus also recorded.