US244089A - Electrical clock - Google Patents

Description

(Mode1..)

D. F. SWEET. ELECTRICAL CLOCK.

No. 244,089. Patented July 12,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. SWEET, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRICAL CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,089, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed October 29, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL F. SWEET, of Hastings, in the county of Barry, and in the State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eleetro-Magnetic Secondary Clocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in secondary clocks, the mechanism of which is operated through the agency of electricity by means of a primary clock which is adapted to make and break an electric circuit passin g through the helix of the electro-magnet of the secondary clock at proper intervals, to actuate the armature ofthe said secondary clock in such manner as to actuate a ratchet-wheel forming part of the mechanism of the secondary clock, to rotate the hour and minute hands through suitable intermediate mechanism in unison with the mechanism of the primary clock. These objects I attain by the devices and mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved clock; Fig. 2,,a view partly in side elevation and partly in section; and Fig. 3, an end elevation of the apparatus.

The letter A indicates the frame carrying the various working parts of my improved clock, at one end of which is mounted an ordinary electro-magnet, B, the helices of which are in circuit, with proper contact making and breaking mechanism, operated by a ehronometer or time-keeper of suitable description, and with a suitable battery, in such manner that the circuit will be made and broken once each minute.

The letter 0 indicates an armature, secured to one end of a lever, D, fulcrumed at E to the frame A, the armature being located opposite the poles of the magnet, as usual, so as to be attracted thereby when the electric circuit is closed.-

The lever D carries at its opposite end a pivoted pawl, F, which is adapted to engage, one tooth at a time, the teeth of a ratchet wheel, G, mounted on the minute-hand shaft 11 of the clock.

The letter I indicates a wire detent secured rigidly to the lever D, and adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the opposite side of the ratchet-wheel to the pawl F and hold the wheel against backward movement.

K indicates a fly or fan secured to a shaft, L, having bearings in the frame A. The said shaft is provided with a short curved arm, I, which bears against a spring, M, on the pawl F in such manner that the atmospheric resistance of the fan, when operated by the lever D through the medium of the spring M and arm I, will retard the motion of the mechanism and prevent it from sudden shocks when the electric current is strong and tends to magnetize the magnet too powerfully and actuate the armature with violence.

The letter N indicates a spring, bearing against the ratchet wheel at its periphery, which, while it permits it to move readily, holds the minute-wheel balanced, so that it cannot fall back when moved.

The letter P indicates the hour-hand-actuating wheel. This is mounted on a sleeve, Q, surrounding the minute-hand, as usual. The said wheel is provided on its rear face with a series of pins, R, twelve in number. The minute hand shaft, opposite the same face, is provided with an eccentric, S, which has a throw of just half the distance diametrically between the two pins.

The letter T indicates an eccentricstrap, which projects at each side, and is bifurcated, as indicated by the letter t. To the lower edge of the strap is attached a link, a, which is connected to a spring, 1), which holds the strap in a horizontal position while moving across the face of the wheel R. The strap between its bifurcated ends is of such length as to leave the pin at one side disengaged while engaging and'operating the pin at the other.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The electro-magnet actuates the armature and 5 lever at each make of the circuit by the main clock or chronometer advancing the ratchetwheel to the extent of one tooth, the lever falling back at each break, causing the pawl to take another tooth. The wheelhaving sixty IOO teeth, it will be evident that it will be rotated completely in one hour. During its rotation the eccentric-strap will engage and move the hour-wheel to the extent of one tooth, and on the succeeding rotation of the ratchet-wheel will work across the face of the wheel It, and will thus continue engaging alternately the teeth on opposite sides and operate the said wheel so long as the motion of the main clock is kept up.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the lever D and its pawl F, the fan or fly K, arm M, and spring Z, and the ratchet-wheel mounted on the minutehand shaft of a secondary clock, the whole adapted to operate substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the minute hand shaft of a secondary clock, the ratchet-wheel 20 mounted thereon and provided with a series of sixty teeth, the eccentric mounted on said shaft, and the bifurcated eccentric-strap, and the hour-hand wheel provided with a series of pins, twelve in number, with which the bifur- 2 5 eated strap is adapted to engage to operate the hour-hand, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of October, 1880.

DANIE IJ F. S WE ET.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. TRAsK, F. L. UPJorIN.

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