US731621A - Electric clock. - Google Patents

Description

No. 731,621. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. 0. ROMANZE.

ELECTRIC GLOGK.

APPLICATION FILED 002.16, 1902.

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No. 781,621. PATENTED'JUNE 23, 1903. 0. ROMANZE. ELEGTRIG CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 16, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903. PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO ROMANZE, OF ENFlELD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF 'lWVO-THIRDS TO FREDERICK STEPHEN ELLIOTT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,621, dated June 2 1903- Application filed October 16,1902. Serial No. 127,498. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO ROMANZE, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 52 Kynaston road, Enfield, England, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Clocks, (for which I applied for British Letters Patent on the 14th of May, 1902, No. 11,101) of which the following is a specification.

In the description of this invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of the improved electric clock, the front frame-plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a plan of the clock. Fig. 3 is a plan of the commutators, brushes, and terminals. Fig. leis an end view of the terminals shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a commutator and escapement-axle, and Fig. 6 is aplan of Fig. 5. Figs. 5 and 6 are to an enlarged scale.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 6, o represents the plates of the clock-frame, which are kept apart by suitable distance-studs (not shown) in a manner well known. 1) indicates two coils wound with fine wire upon suitable bob bins, each having a connected wire core to form an electromagnet, which when excited by an electric current from the battery 0 through the wire connection I) attracts the iron armature d, pivoted at d, against the pull of an adjustable spring e. The armature in thus moving by magnetic attraction also carries with it two clicks or springpressed pawlsfand 'g in its movement, which pawls are pivoted to a brass armature-lever 7b, which is screwed to the soft-iron armature (Z, therefore moving with it. Then thevarmature is attracted by the electromagnet, the pawl f slips over one tooth of the ratchetwheel f without moving the latter; but the pawl g is pulled downward and turns the ratchet-wheel g (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) the distance of one tooth, a pawl 1 attached to the winding-barrel g holding it in its gained position. The current being interrupted,as described hereinafter, the spring e asserts its action by pulling the lever h and its attached armature (Z upward. In doing so the pawl facts upon the ratchet-wheel f to turn it one tooth, a detaining-pawlf holding it in its gained position. Simultaneously the pawl g has raised a tooth ready for the next stroke when the current energizes the electromagnetb. Consequentlyateach stroke of the armature and lever 71, caused by the making of the current-circuit and magnetic pull upon armature d against the spring e on the one hand and the breaking of the circuit and return pull by the spring 6 on the other hand, the spring box or barrel to which the ratchet g is attached is wound up a tooth, and then the spring box or barrel actuated by the ratchet-wheelf is wound up a tooth and the respective pawlsg and f replaced in position ready for the next stroke. The springbarrel f actuates the time-keeping part of the mechanism, while the spring-barrel g actuates the electric transmitting portion of the mechanism; but it will be obvious that the relative action of the winding-up operation described above may be reversed without affecting the nature of the inventionas, for example, the position of the electromagnet b and spring e may be placed on opposite sides to those shown in Fig. 1, in which case the terms would be altered accordingly. The movement of the armature (l and its attached lever h is limited by an adjustable stop-screw (1 held in place by a set-screw d both acting in a bar d which is placed across the frame and forms a nut for the two screws. The pull of the spring 6 is also made adjustable by a milled nut e, turning upon a small square rod 6 screwed upon its corners and terminating in a hook, to which one end of the spring 6 is attached. The rod 6 passes through a similarly-formed hole in a bracketpiece e secured to one of the side frames. The lower end of the spring e is attached to another hook, secured to the lever h, as shown in Fig. l.

The clock is worked by a pendulum (not shown) and escapement acting on a wheel 11 in the ordinary manner. The axle of the escapement-wheel i is cut away at two adjoining places t" and t about one-half the diameter being removed at each place almost diametrically opposite each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, but with a sufficient web between the two for maintaining the strength of the axle. A commutator-axle 7' is mounted in hearings in the frame-plates a parallel with and a short distance from the axle of the escapement-wheel L, and on this axle are mounted two commutators j and 7", both insulated from the axle and each other. Two wire arms 7' and j are secured to the axle j. One of these arms, j is placed or bent slightly in advance of the other to suit the angle of the cut-away portions of the escapementwheel axle 71, and both are filed short enough to just clear when in the radial position, as indicated in Fig. 5, the arm 7' being opposite the cut-away space t" and the arm 7' opposite the space 11 The escapement-axle i being turned slowly by the spring-barrel f and the commutator-axle j by the spring-barrel and wheel 9 acting on the pinion j, the advance arm 9' first comes in contact with the round part of the axle t' and is held there until liberated through the space 1". The axle j thus turns in its hearings to a slight degree, but is immediately stopped by arm j also coming in contact with wheel '5 until the space '21 is turned to the radial position, when arm being liberated the axlej flies around, but is again arrested at about one-half its revolution by the pin 7a (also secured to shaft j) engaging with the edge of a projection 7t, formed on the side of the armature-lever h. This action insures the flow of the current through the brushes, comm utators, and coils b (as more fully explained after) until the electromagnet has been energized and attracted the pivoted iron armature dagainst the pull of the spring 9 and with it the lever h. This li berates the arm from the projection h, and the commutator-axle j continues its revolution until the advance arm jis again in contact with the round part of the axle 2'. Assuming the armature-axle 2' to make one complete revolution per minute, the commutator-axlej will do the same, and thus the electric circuit is made and broken and spring-barrels f and g wound up a tooth once per minute. The electric terminal brushes Z, Z, V, and Z rest on the commutatorsj andj and when the axle j is turned as s own in Figs. 2, 5, and 6 the circuit is broken by the insulating space or substance 'm, (also indicated by close lines,) on which the brushes land Z rest upon the solid metal part of the respective commu'tatorsj and 7' so that when the axlej is turned to the position shown in Fig. 3 the current passes through the brushes ll and commutatorj to the distant clock or clocks in that part of the circuit, while it simultaneously acts upon the electromagnet b and armature (1 through the brushes Z 1 commutators j connection Z), and the frame of the clock. The brushes Z and Z may be omitted, owing to the frame connection; but they help to insure the making of the circuit. In this case the operation is such that an appreciable time is given by the mechanism to enable the electromagnet b to be fully energized, and thus to perform its functions. When this has taken place, the circuit is broken quickly and effectively, while the commutators and brushes are kept clean and in good condition to perform their function.

It is to be understood that more than two commutators may be placed on the same axle if the number of clocks to be regulated in the circuit exceed about thirty, a commutator being added for each thirty clocks under the control of each clock, as hereinbefore specitied.

What I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric clock, the combination of electriccircuit connections with an electric magnet, a pivoted armature and lever acting against a spring, two spring-barrels each having a ratchet-wheel, operated alternately by the rocking motion of the armature-lever and pivoted pawls to wind up the electric transmitting and time-keeping barrels, and means controlled by the turning of the escapementwheel axle to make and break the electric cir-- cuit, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shown.

2. In an electric clock, the combination of an escapemenawheel axle having two spaces thereon, a revolnble axle having comm utators thereon arranged parallel with and a short distance from the escapement-axle, two arms secured to the commutator-axle so arranged and proportioned as to rest successively on the round part of the escapement-axle but pass freely through said spaces when turned toward the arms, and electric-circuit connections for making and breaking the circuit, substantially as and for the purpose here n described and shown.

3. In an electric clock, the combination of an electromagnet b having electriccircuit connections, a pivoted armature-lever h having a projection h, a rotatable commutatoraxlej, and a pin 7r. secured to the axlej, adapted to come in contact with the projection 7L and hold the axlej until the electromagnet is fully energized, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shown.

4:. In an electric clock, the combination of an escapement-axle 2' having spaces 2", i therein, a commutator-axlej having commutators j,j armsjij and pin 70 thereon, an armature-lever it having a projection h, and cooperating electric-circuit devices, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- YVitnesses:

EMILY BALHARRY, HENRY J. BRooKwELL.

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