GB2256947A

GB2256947A - Fountain water clock.

Info

Publication number: GB2256947A
Application number: GB9212611A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Trevor Ledbetter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-06-17
Filing date: 1992-06-15
Publication date: 1992-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-15
Also published as: IE911689A1; GB2256947B; IE72207B1; ZA916659B; GB9212611D0

Abstract

A fountain water clock comprises a central standpipe 6 supplied with water from a pond, having two separately rotatable hub members 4, 5 mounted thereon, being driven by a clock mechanism such that the first hub member makes one revolution in one hour and the second hub member makes one revolution in twelve or twenty-four hours. Fountain jets 7, 8 emit from pointer members extending from the hubs, preferably embodied as ornamental sculptures, such that a first longer pointer/fountain jet 7 defines a minute hand and a second shorter pointer/fountain jet 8 defines an hour hand. The clock is powered by hydrostatic or hydrodynamic pressure acting on rotor means with a stepping motor escapement. <IMAGE>

Description

A FOUNTAIN WATER CLOCK The present invention relates to fountain water clocks, that is to say clocks which have revolving or moving water jets as a means of telling the time.

A fountain water clock comprising separately revolving water jets, one shorter jet to represent the hour hand and one longer jet to represent the minute hand, disposed in a circular pond with clock numerals represented around its periphery, is described in British Patent Specification No. 642,624. The present invention relates to improvements in a fountain water clock of this general type, which is intended to provide an attractive visual feature in a park or shopping mall, for example. A scaled-down version of a fountain water clock may be suitable in gardens or even in interior settings.

One of the drawbacks of the fountain water clock described in British Patent Specification No. 642,624, is that it is operated entirely by a clockwork mechanism. One of the difficulties encountered in designing a fountain water clock is to ensure a reasonable degree of accuracy in time keeping. In the present invention, a pneumatic drive system is the preferred means of moving the fountain water jets.

A hydrostatic or hydrodynamic drive system or a combined hydro-pneumatic drive system may be used, which are described herein, or an electric motor may be used as a drive system but this requires adequate insulation as the drive system may require to be submerged or partly so. All of these mechanisms may be adapted in such a way as to allow for intermittent motion, which is preferred to continuous motion.

Another disadvantage of the prior art is that if the fountain fails and no water jets emit from the fountain nozzles, it is not possible to tell the time. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a fountain water clock which may still be used to tell the time when in the manner of an ordinary clock when no water is supplied to the fountain nozzles.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fountain water clock comprising standpipe means adapted to be supplied with water and provided at one end with two separately rotatable hub members driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member makes one revolution in one hour and the second hub member makes one revolution in twelve or twenty four hours, wherein water supplied via the standpipe means may be emitted through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock, characterised in that the hub members each comprise a pointer member directed away from the axis of rotation and terminating in a fountain jet nozzle.

Preferably, the pointer members are embodied as ornamental sculptures including a part pointing away from the rotation axis serving as respective minute and hour hands.

Alternatively, the pointer members may each comprise a pipe extending from the respective hub terminating in an upwardly or inwardly directed fountain jet nozzle. Additional fountain jet nozzles may be provided along the length of the respective pipe. In use, the pipes are preferably adapted to be submerged below the water level of a basin or pond in which the fountain is located.

In another aspect, the invention also provides a fountain water clock comprising standpipe means adapted to be supplied with water and provided at one end with two separately rotatable hub members driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member makes one revolution in one hour and the second hub member makes one revolution in twelve or twenty four hours, wherein water supplied via the standpipe means may be emitted through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock, characterised in that the hub members are adapted to be mounted for rotation about the standpipe on a generally horizontal axis, and such that the fountain jets emit therefrom in a generally vertical plane, in use.

A fountain water clock is also provided including a basin to contain the fountain water having one arcuate side marked with twelve or twenty four indicia to tell the time, characterised in that two separately rotatable hub members are driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member moves through an arc in one hour and the second hub number moves through the same arc in twelve or twenty four hours, and in that water is supplied so as to emit through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock. Preferably the basin is in the shape of a sector, most preferably a quadrant or semicircle.

Preferably a separate drive mechanism is provided to rotate the first hub member and the second hub member. Alternatively, the first and second hub members are driven by a common drive mechanism by means of a suitable gear train.

The drive means most preferably includes rotor means, driven by the application of hydrostatic or hydrodynamic pressure. The rotor means may be a freewheel co-operable with a piston, which may be a pneumatic, hydraulic or hydro-pneumatic piston. Alternatively, the rotor means may be a turbine driven by fluid under pressure.

Advantageously, the derive means is adapted to provide intermittent drive. An escapement mechanism may be provided in which two co-acting pistons alternately advance and arrest the freewheel or an electric stepping motor may be used. Alternatively, an escapement mechanism is provided by a pawl and ratchet. Alternatively, one piston may be arranged to drive a friction wheel mechanism, i.e. where motion in the advance direction is arrested by friction or inertia.

Preferred embodiments of fountain water clocks in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective sketch of a fountain water clock in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a schematic sketch of a pneumatic system for driving a fountain water clock in accordance with the invention, Figure 3 shows a plan view from above of a fountain water clock in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, Figures 4a and 4b show a front and side elevation respectively of a horizontally-mounted fountain water clock in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, Figure 5 shows a side elevation in cross section of a fountain water clock in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention, Figure 6 shows a side elevation in cross section of a water fountain clock in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the invention, and Figure 7a and 7b show a sketch of a gargoyle and a detail of a striker and gong arrangement inside the gargoyle.

Referring to Figure 1, a fountain water clock in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention comprises a basin 1 bounded by a circular coping 2 around which the clock numerals 1 to 12 are indicated. A hollow column 3 is mounted at the centre of the water-filled basin 1 and acts as a housing for the workings of the fountain. Two separate hub members 4 and 5 are mounted on top of the column 3 for rotation about a standpipe 6 inside the column 3. An ornamental sculpture such as a swan is mounted on each of the hubs 4 and 5, and are arranged so that the necks of the swans represent the hands of the clock, and wherein jets 7 and 8 of water supplied by the standpipe 6 emit from the beaks of the swans.

In operation, the hubs 4 and 5 are rotated so that the hub 5 makes a full revolution once every twelve hours and the hub 4 makes a full revolution once every hour such that the hour and minute hands respectively of the fountain water clock are inscribed by the jets 7 and 8 respectively. However, should the water supply cease, it is still possible to tell the time by observing the positions of the ornamental sculptures.

Figure 2 illustrates one method of causing the hubs 4 and 5 to rotate. Water is delivered via a supply pipe 9 to a holding chamber 10 surrounding a standpipe 11 which serves as the axis of rotation for the hub members 4 and 5. Water is conveyed from the holding chamber 10 to a first fountain nozzle which may be included in a sculpture mounted on the hub 4, by means of an outlet conduit 12. Water enters the standpipe 11 through a series of holes 13 to emerge through a second outlet conduit 14, supplying water to the second fountain nozzle which may be included in a sculpture mounted on hub 5.

The drive mechanism comprises a freewheel 15 mounted on a drive shaft 16, wherein the freewheel comprises notches 17 disposed about its peripheral edge, and holes 18 drilled through the freewheel in a circular pattern adjacent to its edge. The freewheel 15 is advanced a step at a time by means of a pneumatic piston 19 which engages the notches 17 in the freewheel. When the. piston 19 is retracted, a co-acting pneumatic piston 20 engages one of the holes 18 to arrest the freewheel. Thus, when the notches 17 and holes 18 are properly indexed, and when an electric signalling system is provided to operate the pneumatic pistons 19 and 20, an escapement mechanism is provided.

The hub 4 is driven via a gear train 21, whilst the standpipe 11 is driven via a gear train 22 such that one of the hubs rotates more slowly than the other.

Bearings 23 and seals 24, 25 are provided in the standpipe and hub assembly. Alternatively, instead of the holes 18 in the freewheel 15, the second pneumatic piston 20 may be disposed in the same plane as the piston 19 on the opposite side of the freewheel 15. In this case, both pistons 19 and 20 engage the notches 17 alternately, so as to advance and arrest the motion of the freewheel.

Figure 3 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention, which shows that a circular basin is not required for a fountain water clock, and in this case a semicircular basin 31 is provided. The clock numerals 1 to 12 are shown on an outer coping 32, with the numeral 12 shown twice. Divisions may also be marked to show minutes. It can be seen more clearly from Figure 3 that the fountain jet 33, representative of the hour hand, is arranged so as to be of a shorter length than the fountain jet 34 which represents the minute hand. The range of the fountain jets is indicated by the dashed lines 35. Once the jets reach the end of their range, a reversing gear quickly moves the jet or jets back to the beginning of their range in order to make it possible to tell the time.

Figures 4a and 4b show another embodiment of the invention wherein the height of column 40 is extended, and encloses standpipe 41 which ends in a branch 42 which is coincident with the axis of hubs 43, 44, mounted for rotation at the top of the column on the front face 45 thereof. The hubs 43, 44 are provided with respective fountain jet nozzles 46, 47. Revolving seals are disposed between the hubs 43, 44 and between the hub 43 and front face 45 of the column. In use, water is supplied from the standpipe to the hubs so as to emit from the nozzles 46, 47 as two fountain jets, one representative of the hour hand of a clock and the other representative of the minute of a clock.

In this instance, the fountain jets are disposed in a generally vertical plane, and clock numerals as a means to tell the time may be marked on a non-rotating screw cap top 49 placed over the hub assembly, and/or around the periphery of a larger outer circle inscribed by the fountain jets. The column 41 is located in a basin or pond to contain the fountain water in use.

Figure 5 illustrates a further embodiment of a fountain water clock in which column 50 supports hubs 51, 52, rotatable about a vertical axis. The topmost hub 52 is preferably just submerged below the water level in the basin 53, when in use. Hub 51 has extending therefrom a long pipe 54 having regularly vertically disposed nozzles or apertures along its length from which fountain jets emit so as to break the surface of the water level in the basin. The line of jets 55 which is produced is representative of a minute hand, whilst a pipe 56 extending from hub 52 of shorter length produces jets 57, which are representative of the hour hand. If for any reason the water supply to the pipes 54, 56 ceases, it is still possible to tell the time by observing the position of the pipes which are just visible below the water surface. Clock numerals are marked around the periphery of the pond 53.

In the embodiment described with reference to Figure 5, it will be noted that the longer pipe passes below the shorter pipe, i.e. "minute hand" passes below the "hour hand", wherein a sensor automatically cuts off the jets 55 while they are temporarily eclipsed by the jets 57 representing the hour hand.

Figure 6 shows a similar arrangement to that shown in Figure 5, except that pipes 60, 61 support an ornamental sculpture 62 at their extremities which revolve around the basin 63 and emit an inwardly-directed fountain jet representative of the hour and minute hands of the fountain water clock. The sculptures 62 are preferably completely above the water level of the basin in use. Again, the position of the sculptures may be used. to tell the time if the fountain jet water supply were to cease.

Other features of interest may be added to any of the fountain water clocks described above. For example, as shown in Figures 7a and 7b, gargoyles may be provided around the periphery of the fountain basin, adapted to emit a jet of water on the hour, half hour or quarter hour, as desired. For example, a gargoyle 70 may be made in the shape of a frog, wherein a small water nozzle 71 is adapted to emit a jet of water from the mouth of the frog, past an articulated jaw 72. The jaw 72 may be attached to a striker arm 73 which pivots between two stop positions 74 and which includes a gong 75 at its other end.When water emits through the nozzle 71, onto a spoon-shaped extension 77 of the striker which is preferably bifurcated so as to focus the jet, the striker arm 73 is upset and gong 75 hits against a metal coil 76 or bell, and is preferably adapted to strike out the hour, half hour or quarter hour as the case may be.

It will be appreciated that the hubs are adapted to revolve about a common axis, but are geared so as to revolve at different speeds. An electric motor mounted inside the column, or having an extended drive shaft and mounted outside the fountain basin, is adapted to rotate the hub drive shaft via a gear train. The hubs may be made of glass-reinforced plastics material or other plastics material for light weight, and include revolving seals. Preferably, a synchronous electric motor is used.

Alternatively, an electrically-operated submersible water pump may be used both to produce the fountain jets and to revolve the hubs. In this case, a turbine is provided on the hub axis, which may be rotated continuously or intermittently. Intermittent motion is provided by an outlying wheel or series of escapement teeth. A two-way solenoid valve may be used to alternately close one jet and open another jet in a dual jet arrangement, in which a jet of water alternately moves the turbine blades and then the escapement teeth so as to disengage the escapement from the turbine in a stepwise manner, thereby causing the turbine to move incrementally.

Alternatively, a pawl and rachet wheel mechanism may be used in which a pawl is intermittently caused to move by a water jet. A magnetic pawl, energised by a solenoid, may be used, or any means may be used which urges the hub axis in one direction at a controlled speed providing sufficient torque to revolve the hubs. Any suitable hydraulic or electric timing mechanism may be used to govern the intermittent motion of the turbine.

Continuous rotary motion of a turbine could be preset, with the mass of the rotor element, friction and torque being matched to the characteristics of the continuous drive, or a synchronous speed control system may be used so as to ensure sufficient accuracy.

A separate mechanism may be provided to revolve the "hour" hub and the "minute" hub, if desired rather than a single geared mechanism. It will of course be appreciated that the "hour" hub must be geared down so as to revolve at a slower speed.

In a particularly preferred method of causing the hubs to revolve, pneumatic force is used. Pneumatic cylinders may be fed entirely with compressed air, or by a liquid such as mineral oil, pressurised by compressed air which is in effect a hydro-pneumatic system. In the latter case, compressed air is fed alternately to one of a pair of dash pots to develop a head of compressed air above a reservoir of liquid, in a double-acting cylinder arrangement. A straightforward pneumatic drive system may consist of two gears driven, via a freewheel mechanism, by two separate pneumatic cylinders. The drive gear for the "minute" hub may have 30 teeth and would therefore be indexed for movement for every two minutes. Similarly the drive gear for the "hour" hub, which must be of larger diameter, may have, for example, 60 teeth so that it would be indexed at one minute intervals. A locking device may be incorporated into each drive so as to prevent either gear being dragged by the other and also to prevent overdrive. The pneumatic cylinders are fed by compressed air delivered by solenoid valves and pneumatic valves, the sequence of operation of which is controlled by, for example, a programmable logic controller, which would also allow for additional control features.

Instead of using two pneumatic cylinders, one may be used instead, and one or both of the hubs revolved by means of a gear train. That is to say only one or neither, of the hubs being directly fixed to the drive wheel or turbine.

For larger scale fountain water clocks, a hydraulic system may be used, with a hydraulic pump supplying pressurised hydraulic fluid to hydraulic valves and actuators in a manner known, per se. This could be adapted to produce either continuous or intermittent motion.

The actual thickness or form of the fountain jet representing the hour and minute hands may be different. For example, a thicker jet may be used to represent the. hour hand and thinner jet to represent the minute hand. Events, such as the hour, half hour, or quarter hour, may be signalled by the jets playing in certain sequences. For example, intermittent playing of the jets may be timed on the hour to indicate the number of the hours on the clock. Likewise, these events may be indicated by a special movement or articulation of sculpture ornaments forming part of the fountain or gargoyles, as described above, with or without or sound effects, which may be controlled buy a central programmable logic controller unit. For example, the swan sculptures illustrated in Figures 1 and 6 may be made in such a way that the wings are caused to beat at regular intervals.

Claims

1. A fountain water clock comprising standpipe means adapted to be supplied with water and provided at one end with two separately rotatable hub members driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member makes one revolution in one hour and the second hub member makes one revolution in twelve or twenty four hours, wherein water supplied via the standpipe means may be emitted through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock, characterised in that the hub members each comprise a pointer member directed away from the axis of rotation and terminating in fountain jet nozzle.

2. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointer members are embodied as ornamental sculptures including a part pointing away from the rotation axis serving as respective minute and hour hands.

3. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointer members each comprise a pipe extending from the respective hub terminating in an upwardly or inwardly directed fountain jet nozzle.

4. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 3, wherein the nozzles are provided along the length of the respective pipes.

5. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pipes are adapted to be submerged below the water level of a basin or pond in which the fountain is located, in use.

6. A fountain water clock comprising standpipe means adapted to be supplied with water and provided at one end with two separately rotatable hub members driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member makes one revolution in one hour and the second hub member makes one revolution in twelve or twenty four hours, wherein water supplied via the standpipe means may be emitted through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock characterised in that the hub members are adapted to be mounted for rotation about the standpipe on a generally horizontal axis, and such that the fountain jets emit therefrom in a generally vertical plane, in use.

7. A fountain water clock including a basin to contain the fountain water having one arcuate side marked with twelve or twenty four indicia to tell the time, characterised in that two separately rotatable hub members are driven by a clock mechanism such that a first hub member moves through an arc in one hour and the second hub number moves through the same arc in twelve or twenty four hours, and in that water is supplied so as to emit through the hub members in the form of fountain jets, a first longer jet representing the minute hand of the clock and a second shorter jet representing the hour hand of the clock.

8. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 7, wherein the basin is in the shape of a sector.

9. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 7, wherein the basin is in the shape of a quadrant.

10. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 7, wherein the basin is in the shape of a semicircle.

11. A fountain water clock as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a separate drive mechanism is provided to rotate the first hub member and the second hub member.

12. A fountain water clock as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first and second hub members are driven by a common drive mechanism by means of a suitable gear train.

13. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the drive means includes rotor means, driven by the application of hydrostatic or hydrodynamic pressure.

14. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 13, wherein the rotor means is a freewheel, co-operable with a piston

15. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 14, wherein the piston is a pneumatic piston.

16. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 14, wherein the piston is a hydraulic piston.

17. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 14, wherein the piston is a hydro-pneumatic piston.

18. A fountain water clock as claimed in 13, wherein the rotor means is a turbine, driven by fluid under pressure.

19. A fountain water clock as claimed in any of claims 11 to 18, wherein the drive means is adapted to provide intermittent drive.

20. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 19, wherein intermittent drive is provided by an escapement mechanism.

21. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 20, wherein the escapement mechanism is provided by two co-acting pistons, alternately advancing and arresting a freewheel.

22. A fountain water as claimed in claim 20, wherein the escapement mechanism is provided by an electric stepping motor.

23. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 20, wherein the escapement mechanism is provided by a pawl and ratchet.

24. A fountain water clock as claimed in claim 19, wherein a piston is arranged to drive a friction wheel mechanism, that is where motion in the advance direction is arrested by friction or inertia.

25. A fountain water clock substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.