US310530A - mayrhofer - Google Patents

Description

7 Sheets-Sheet l.

C. A. MAYRHOFBR. ELECTRIC ENEUMATIG CLOCK SYSTEM.

Patented Jan. 6,1885.

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0.-A. MAYRHDFE'R.

ELECTRIC PNEUMATIC CLOCK SYSTEM. No. 310,530. Patented Jan.6,1885.

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' ELECTRIC PNEUMATIC CLOCK SYSTEM.

No. -310,530. I Patented Jan. 6,1885.

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ELECTRIC PNEUMATIC CLOCK SYSTEM. No. 310,530. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

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7 Sheets-Sheet 6. C. A. MAYRHOPER- ELECTRIC PNBU'MATIC CLOCK SYSTEM.

No. 310,530. PatentedrJan. 6, 1885.

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C. A. MAYRHOFER.

ELECTRIC PNEUMATIC CLOCK SYSTEM.

No. 310,530. Patented Jan. 6 1885.

'UNITED STATES CHARLES ALBERT llIAYItHOEER, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY,

ASSIGNOR OF OEE-HALF TO CARL DIENER, GE SAME PLACE.

ELECTRlC PNEUilf'lA'l'lC-CLOGE-7 SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,530, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed March 19. 1884.

(No model.) Patented in France December 3l, 1583, No. 150,481 in Belgium December 8l, 18S No. 63,721; in Italy December' 3l, 1883, XVII, 16,273, and XXXII, 34T;

in Germany January 1, 1884, No. 23,387; in England Jan uar 1, 1SS4,N0.1.GS1 in Spain June 9 1881, No. 5,662, and in Austria-Il'ungary October l0, 1834, No. T70 and No. 46,758.

.Y y i V To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnrns ALBERT )Livia- IYIOFER, a subject of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Nether Austria, in the Empire of AustriaHuugary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Pneumatic Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or tigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

The object of this invention is to provide means by which any number of clocks connected together by hydropneumatic means may be wound and correctly set every time an electric circuit is closed by a central or standard clock. For this purpose each time the electric circuit is closedby the centra-l or standard clock a liquid under pressure is made to compress a quantity of air and wind up and set all the secondary clocks in the entire system. I accomplish this by first making an electric circuit open or close valves in pipes containing` liquid under pressure, and, secl ondly, the liquid in its turn compresses air and operates the mechanism to produce the result required. The clocks in this system may be of any desired construction-that is, any of the well-known sell'acting clocks in common use.

I will now proceed to describe my invention, referring to the drawings forming part of this application, in which the same letters et reference indicate the same parts in the drawings.

Figure l is a diagram illustrating a standard or central clock and secondary clock with the electric hydropneumatic means for controlling said secondary clocks, which will be hereinafter fully explained. Eig. 2 is a per spective view ot' an electric magnet with appliances for opening valves and setting the liquid in motion. Fig. 3 is a like view of the valves and cock regulator for governing the lievi of the liquid. Fig. 4t shows the two aircompressing chambers with their connections. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my safety devices by which the liquid is prevented from en` tering into the air-pipes in case of accident or ott` e r disturbances. Fig. G is a perspective view of mechanism ier restoring the electric magnet and the valve-regulator t'o their normal position. Eig. 'T shows a box containing a counting` or indicating mechanism and means for operating it. Eig. S represents the rear of a clock having both the appliances for sending a current of electricity to the line andthe 6o means for winding and setting the secondary or line clocks.

From cach central station any number of secondary clocks maybe controlled and wound up. The standard clock at the central station 6 5 may itself be controlled by any other standard clock (as i'rom an astronomical observatory) by electric hydrostatic and pneumatic means; or it may be even itself controlled by one of the line-clocks.

For the sake of convenience I have shown in the diagram in Figs. l and S a clock which has both the circuit-closers of the central clock and means for sending an electricimpulse out on the line and devices for winding and setting the secondary or line clocks.

Commencing with the central clock, I will now describe my system.

Q is the central-clock mechanism or stand ard time-piece, the center or minute arbor of 8o which has a contact-wheel, E, and a spurwheel, q, rigidly fastened to it and meshing with a pinion, QQ attached to another contact wheel or disk, It, which is calculated to make eight rotations to one of wheel R. rIhese 85 wheels are made of metal or conductive materia-l, and are provided with bosses or projections r r'. llfhen these wheels are set in motion bythe clock iinechanisni, the said bosses or projections make contacts simultaneously at 9o certain intervals with the central spring, S and S, and close the electric circuit through the train of wheels, wire w', plate 3 of switchboard V, crossq'ilatc S, connected to plate 3 by a switclrpin, thence by wire IY, thence to electro -magnet B through circuit I3 and IL in the safety devices, (to be hereinafter fully described,) thence back through the switchboard V, by plates 9 and 4, and wire tot", local battery K, and wire ai, to contact S of the standard or central clock.

It is obvious that, instead of having a local circuit such as above described, a main-line circuit can be used.

In the diagram Fig. l, I show a main-line wire, rv, leading to point XV', thence through the lightningarrester IV, wire w', plates 6 and 8 of the switch-board, wire wg, through the eircuit-breaker I:S and IL and electro-magnet I3, thence back through wire wf, plates g and 5, wire x2, thence through the lightningarrester to mainline "When the electric circuit is closed through eontact-points S S of the central or standard clock, the electromagnet I3 (see Fig. 2) is energized and attracts its armature b, fastened to shaft b2 by arm b", causing the shaft to turn slightly and carry the arm b5,also attached to said shaft b2, backward. This arm b5 has a lug or support, b, upon which normally rests the end of lever C, and when the lug b" is turned backward the end of lever C is allowed to drop down. The lever C is pivoted upon an upright, c, and at its fulcrum end is provided with a reenforcement, c', upon which rests a pin, c?, adjustabl y fastened to the end of lever-arm ci", which latter is free to turn on the bearing d. Then the lever C drops down, the arm c falls off the pin c2 by the help of a weight (not shown) hanging on rod c. The said arm ci" is fastened to the beam D by means of the slotted segment d and set-screw dt. The weight on rod c causes the beam D to oscillate and carry with d the weight d to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. The slotted segment d and set-serew d2 allow the angle between arm cis and weight d to be regulated at pleasure. The said beam D bears segments at both ends, and is provided with projecting pins c c c c, by means of which the arms c'Z and e", fastened to the plugs of the valve-cocks D and DE, are moved into the position shown,or into the position indicated by dotted lines, in order to open one of the valve-cocks and close the other. The upper parts of these valve-cocks are connected together by a curved pipe, D, and the lower part of valve-cock D communicates by means of a pipe, y, with the main conduit Y of a city or other water-su pply, and cock D2 connects by means ot' pipe g/ with exit-main Y of said city water-supply. The curved pipe D is also connected with another branch pipe, D",whichleads to the valve-cock regulator, Fig. 3. Vhen the lever C falls down-that is to say, every time the electric circuit is closed by the central cloek--the valve-cock D is opened, valve D2 is closed. In consequence of this the water or other liquid flows from the conduit Y or main supply through pipe g/ and valve-cock D into the curved pipe D", thence through branch pipe DL into valve-cock E, Fig. 3,which in its no1 mal position is open. This valve-cockis conneeted by means of pipe f with a cylinder, F, whose piston bears a rack, F. The liquid entering the said cylinder raises the piston and rack and partially rotates the pinion F`, which has two sets of gears, and which meshes with the teeth of sector f, fastened to the plug ot' valve-cock FJ, and turns down said sector, and at the same time turns upward the sector j, fastened on valve-cock El. In this manner valve-cock F] is opened and valvecock E" is closed. with a flange or disk, and guides the rack F. A small roller, gi, bearing on the rear of the segment, also acts as a guide for the said rack. Ey the lowering ot' the toothed sector /",which is provided with pins or tappets /`"j', thearm j", fastened on the plug of the valve-cock l, is forced downward and the valve-eock E" is closed. Vheu the sector is raised, the said cock is opened.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, valve-cock E stands closed and val vecoeks lfl au d E stan d open. If, now, the liquid enters cylinder F, it raises the rack F', which opens valve-cock t and closes El, and then the liquid flows from the conduit Y or main supply into the pipe y', and from thence by branched pipe and stop-cocks 7L h into the air-chambers GV (i, as shown in Fig. ff. This compresses the air therein contained and forces it through if It and valve-cocks 71"' h into pipe The two air-chambers are not ordinarily needed, but are both used when one is not sufficient to perform the labor of winding-and .setting all the secondary cocks 71," /t and siq'iply-valves. 'l1/l is a manometer, and 71, h are gageglasses. Before this compressed airisallowed to act upon the secondary clocks it passes through what I term a safety appanatus.7 (Best shown in Fig. 5.)

As before stated, pipe .o conducts the compressed ai r from the air-compressors and con- Veys it into the cylinder Ii ef the said safety apparatus, from which it passes through the air-pipe c, that communicates with the secondary clocks. The cylinder K contains a fioat, IC, that does not prevent nor hinder the passage of the air, but it is raised whenever liquid or water enters cylinder Ii. The float Iig has an upright rod that passes through a small stuffing-box, and is provided at its top with a button, Iii". It' the `float K2 is raised, button Ii vraises one end of lever K, fastened to the shaft 7.', and partially turns it. The arm s, also fastened to shaft 7.:, has a lug,whieh holds wheel i from rotation by pin t, resting on said lug. The partial turning of the shaft 7a releases the pin t from end of the path of the lug, and the wheel 'i is rotated by the weight fi'2 and cord t" in the direction of the arrow. The arbor of wheel i carries a pinion, I2, which gears with the sector I, fastened to the plug of valve-cock Il. By the turning of the wheel and pinion I the sector is raised The pinion F" is provided i ICO IIC

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and the valvecock is closed and stops the flow of liquid from the main supply.

In order to indicate disturbances or accidents at the central-clock station, an electriccircnit breaker is placed in the path ot' the sector. This consists of two metallic springarms, F and l",which are normally in contact. The spring-arm l* is longer than the spring arm l, and as 'the sector l is moved up it strikes the arm Il and separates the contact'- points, breaking the circuit, which has been before described. This interruption may be made visible at the central station in any wellknown manner.

Any disturbances in working caused by lack of water may be indicated at the central-clock station. A small pipe, Z, leads from the conduit Y to the cylinderl L, the piston of which is maintained in an elevated position as long as the pressure of liquid or water is not interrupted. If leaks occur in conduit Y, the weight L on the pistonvrod will press down upon the opposite end of the lever l and operate the safety apparatus in the same manner before described.

In Fig. 3 is also shown a trough, 3l, having in its center a hollowed or receiver recesst, which contains a iloat, ML. The purpose of this device is to cut oit' the water-supply in case ofthe breakage of a pipe, gage-glass,&c. This float M2 bears an upright rod, in., proA vided at its lower end with a collar, oa. lf the water rises in the receiver lil, the float is raised and collar m lifts the slotted end of lever mi and closes the valve-cock M of the main conduitY, and at the saine time the upper end ot' rod m raises lever l and closes valve cock I and breaks the electric circuit, as before set forth.

It is seen from the foregoing that il the central cock is arranged to make and break an electric circuit at regular intervals ot' time a current of water orliquid will flow atthe same intervals and compress the airin the cylinder, and force it to wind and set the secondary or line clocks. To produce this effect several valve-cocks are opened and closed and several levers and weights are brought into operation. In order to restore all these parts to their normal position after they have been so operated the line air-pipe c is connected to what l' term a reverser l (see Fig. t3) by means of a branch pipe, z. This branch pipe leads to the air-cylinder N. As long as the pressure of air in the line-pipes is not sufficient to raise the piston N', with its weight Ni, the piston will remain on the bottom ofthe cylinder; but as soon as the pressure is great enough to raise said piston and its weight the arm a, connected to said weight, as shown, will lift one end of the lever ai, fastened to the plug of valve-cock Of, by means of which the valve-cock is opened and the compressed air flows through it to another branch pipe, z2, leading to air-cylinder E, Fig. 2, raising a piston or weight contained therein with rod c, which latter being loosely attached tothe lever-arm c, it is also raised and turns the beam D and restores it and lever Q to their normal position, ready for action when the central clock again closes the circuit. The spring attached toa lug on shaft Zr draws back arm b, andthe support b again rests thereon. lt is obvious that valve-cock D is closed by this restoring movement. The valvecock now being open, the water contained in cylinder F ofthe valve-cock regulator, Fig. S, will be discharged throughf, E, and D, and valve-cock Di to exit-pipe Y by means of a weight hung at g on the sectorfi, which forces down the rack F and its piston.

ln order to indicate the number of times that the circuit has been closed by the central or standard clock, a registering or counting mechanism is connected to the branch airpipe c. The compressed air, entering the cylinder P, lifts a piston which operates said register. This register may be of any well-known construction. The air compressed as has been described passes through the air-pipcs and any other branch pipes to the secondary or line clocks, for the purpose ol" winding and setting' them.

For the sake of convenience I have shown the mechanism for performing these functions ttaelied to the central clock, as l have before stated; but in practice these devices are attached to the secondary or line clocks. Every time the circuit is closed by the central clock compressed air is forced into the cylinder U ct'l cach line or secondary clock and raises rod l?, and with it the end of the windingdever T, connec ed to said rod. Said leverisfulcrumed at its other end on the winding-arbor s of the clock. ik pawl, t', is attached to thc lever T, and as the lever is raised the pawl, takinginto the teeth of the ratchetwheel t, winds the clock in the direction ofthe arrow, but bcfore this is done the setting mechanism is operated, which I will first describe. The lever T has at about its center a pin, il, projecting inwardly, that moves the setting-lever Tto one side to set the hands ot' the clock. This lever has at its upper' end forksliaped projections t. A crank-arm is fastened to the minute-hand arbor, and has a projecting pin, nl, and rotates with said arbor. if the clock should gain or lose a few minutes in a day, it is set correctlyv by the arm T/ being forced toward the minute-hand arbor, the arm ai being brought to zero, or correct time, bythe forked projections moving against said arm, and thereby setting the minutehaud forward or backward, as the ease may be, vto the correct time, or to agree with the central clock. ln order to set these clocks quickly and iertainly and avoid stopping, means are employed to operate the lever T rapidly. To effect this the lever is constructed with a bent or inclined portion, asshown inthe drawings, Fig. 5. A spring, c, having a projection, e', is lhastened on the side of the lever T. Then IOC IIO

the lever T is raised by the force of the air in the cylinder U, the pin u pushes up on the inclined projection fr', forcing the lever T and its fork t3 inward, as above described. When it has passed the upper part of t-he projection o, itis forced back to its normal position by the spring o2, as seen. Until this is accomplished the winding of the clock is not commenced, as a small pin, c, is fastened to the back plate ofthe clock in such a position that the pawl t on lever T is kept out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel t while the lever T is down and until the pin u passes the incline c. The pawl t is then released, and, taking into the ratchet-teeth, winds the clock to thc upward limit of movc ment of lever T. A small spring (not shown in the drawings) controls the pawl t. The

'clocks are therefore only partially wound every time the electric circuitis closed by the central clock through the hydraulic pneumatic means which I have described. NVhen wheels R and It are set-in motion, the bosses?l r make contacts simultaneously at certain intervals with the springs S and S', and close the electric circuit through the train of gearing, wire w, plate 3 of switch-board c, connected with plate S by a switch-pin, thence by wires 102 to electro-magnet B, through circuit l l, thenceA back through the switch board V by plates `9 and 4, and wire 105, local battery X, and wire a, to contact S of standard central clock. Vhen the electric circuit is thus closed through the points S S', the electro-magnet B (see Fig. 2) is energized and attracts armatures fastened to shaft I)2 by arm b, causing the shalt to turn slightly and carry the arm b5, attached to said shaft, backward. This allows the lever C to drop and permits the arm ci5 to `fall off the pin c. This causes the beam D to oseillate and carry with it the weight d to the position shown in dotted linrs in Fig. 2. lVhen the lever C fallsthat is to say, every time the circuit is closed by the central clock-the valve cock D' is opened and valve D2 is closed, and the water flows from conduit T through pipe j and valve cock D' into the curved pipe D, thence through branch pipe D* into valvecock E, Fig. 3, which in its normal position is open. The liquid then enters cylinder F, raises the piston and rack, and partially rotates the pinion F3, and through the intermediate gearing turns down the sector j", opening the cock ll and closing cock E. rThis compresses the air contained therein and forces it through h2 lr and valve-cocks hfhf" into pipe The compressed air then passes through the safety device H, and from thence through pipe fj to the secondary clocks. Vhen the pressure becomes great enough to raise the piston N', with its weight N2, the arm z, connected to said weight,will lift one end of the lever ai, fastened to the plug of valveting the compressed air to i'low through it au d branch pipe .ai to air-cylinder E, Fig. 2, raising the piston or weight contained therein with rod e, which lifts the lever-arm c3, turns the beam D, and restores it and lever C to their normal position, ready for action when the central clock again closes the circuit.

Having thus :leseribed my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. The combination, with the center or minute arbor of a central clock or standard timepiece, of a contact-wheel and spur-wheel rig idly fastened thereto, a similar contact-wheel having a pinion meshing with the spur-wheel, and the contact-springs S and S', the contactwheels being provided with bosses adapted to make contact at proper intervals with the contactsprings to close the electric circuit, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the central clock and its contact-wheels and gearing and the contactfspring and plates, of the switch-board connected to the said plates by means of suitable cond actors, aline connecting with an elcctro-magnet` and the hydropneumatic devices operated by said magnet, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the electro-magnet and its armature and the water supply and discharge pipes and their valves, of the mechanism, substantially as described, whereby said valves are alternately opened and closed by the electrical impulses established by the makes and breaks at the central clock, substantially as specified.

et. The combination, with the electromagnet and its armature and the lever to which said armature is attached, (the lever resting against the end of the same,) the pivoted arm operated by said lever, and its weighted rod, ofthe adjustable beam having segments at its end, the weighted oscillating lever, and the alternately opening and closing valve-cocks operated by projections on the segments of the adj ustable beam, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the weighted pulley f1', its pinion, andthe segment l', operating the valve-plug ofthe valve l, thelever l, engaging a lug.l fi, on the pulley, the lever K, mounted on the fulcrum-shaft lf, the float K2, located in a well, 7.x', and having a rod provided with abutton, l, at its uppper end, setting under the free end of the lever li, to operate the same and release the wheel i, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the lever K, the wheel fi, and valve-operating segment l2, ofthe iloat M2, located in a well, M, the `float-rod on, having a collar, mi, and the valve-lever m3, for automatically opening and closing the valve Mi", substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the lever K, the weight L, and the cylinder L, ofthe float K" and float-rod Ki", whereby the lever Kis actuated to release the wheel fifi, substantially as described.

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S. The combination, with the segment I and its actuating mechanism, of the ci rcnit-breaker connected by suitable conductors with the central clock, whereby interruptions or breakages in the hydraulic devices are indicated, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the segments fgf, of the pinion F2, pulley g2, the rack F and piston, the cylinder F and pipe j", valve E and pipe Dt, and the valves E and E and connecting-pipe y, all arranged to operate substantially as specilied.

10. The combination, with the clock-regulating devices, of the reservoirs G and the connecting-pipes y, p, and 7L, and the cylinder K, connecting with said reservoir by means of a pipe, z, and with the regulating mechanism, substantially as specified.

ll. The combination, with the cylinder E, ot' the pipe z2, valve O', the valve-arm if, bent arm n, having a slot through which said valvearm extends, the Weight N2, having a pistonrod and piston, and the cylinder N, connect ing with the pipe e@ substantially as and for the purposes speciiied.

12. The combination, with the pipes, of the cylinder l) and its piston, and the levers, paivl and ratchet, and registering` mechanism whereby the number of impulses established by the central clock may be registered, substantially as specitied.

13. The combination, with the cylinder U, connected to the pipe c, and the piston-rod It, of the lever T, having a lug, a, and the bent lever T, having an inclined bearing, c', against which the lug Works, and the lingers t", adapted to engage the crank-arm a, and the spring o2, bearing against said lever to hold and re` turn it to normal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

let. The combination, with the lever T and its actuating mechanism, ot' the ratchet t, sc-

cnrcd to the darling-shaft S, and the pawl et, the setting mechanism, and mechanism for holding the said pawl from the ratchet-teeth during the setting oi" the clock, substantially as specified.

15. The conibination, in an electro-hydro` pnenmaticclocl; system, with a standard o1' central clock and a series of secondary or controlled clocks, ol" a reversing apparatus, Substantiall y as described, for returning the valves and levers to their normal position after each act-nation et the circuit, substantially as described.

lo'. rEhe combination, in an electro-pncumatic-clock system, with a standard clock and a series ot secondary or controlled clocks, of safety device and gearing operated thereby, substantially as described, for giving a warning signal when an accident has occurred in any of the circuits, substantially as set forth.

17. rIhe combination, with means for \vinding and setting a series of clocks, substantially as set forth, ot' devices consisting of a reservoir connected tothe air-pipe, and having a weighted piston operating, substantially as described, for returning the valves and levers to their normal position', as set forth.

18. The combination, substantially as hereinbctbre set forth, with means, as described, for controlling a series of secondary clocks, or devices for closing the Water-supply in case of accident, the same consisting of a trough having a tloat and tloat-rod, which actuates a lever to close the water-supply cock, snbstair tially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI l atiix my signaturein presence ot two witnesses.

CHARLES ALBERT lllAYRllOFER.

"\`\f`itnesses: Y

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