US1310781A - bryce - Google Patents

Description

1. w, BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNEZ'L 1918. 1 310 781 lznmltud July 22, lJlJ.

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INVENTOR J. W. BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FiLED JUNE 22, I918.

Patented July 22, 1919.

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J. w. BRYCE.

SYNCHRONOUS C LOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION man JUNE 22,1918. 1,310,781. Patented July 22, 1919.

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All] 1 I 16 INVENTOR UuiT nsTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

1 AMES W. BRYCE, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T INTERNATIONAL TIME RECORDING COMPANY OF NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SYNCH'RONOUS CLOCK SYSTEM.

Application filed June 22, 1918.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W, BRYCE,

' a citizen of the United States. residing at signed to meet certain conditions which are encountered in the practical use of the same and which interfere with or impair their efi'iciency.

In explanation it may be stated that in a large manufacturing plant there may be a plurality of recording mechanisms for printing or impressing cards with the starting and finishing time of the jobs which the workmen are called upon to perform, and that each requires a clock mechanism which, to be of any value, must keep correct time. To secure this result I employ a master clock, the driving mechanism f which is run either electrically from a constant source by -a spring or by a weight, and in conjunction therewith I employ a synchronous alternating current motor and generator, the latter of which is run by a direct current motor deriving its energy from any available source such as an ordinary municipal power or lighting circuit.

The problem involved is to run the alternating current generator at areonstant and fixed speed, so that its alternations may be transmitted either to synchronous motors at each recording device or other means for utilizing the alternations, and there used to run the clocks not only at the same rate, but at a rate which will be exactly that of the master clock. If the directcurrent from the main source were absolutely uniform, the

accomplishment of this result would not be attended by any serious di'l'liculty, but such currents are subject to constant changes in value, with the result that the direct current motor which drives the alternating genera tor is subject to constant changes in speed, which, of course. means that the rate of alternations is likewise subject to corresponding change.

To avoid this the synchronous motor drives in the master clock one side of a dif- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Serial No. 241,357.

ferential gear at a rate dependent upon the frequency of the alternations. The clock mechanism drives the other side of such differential, and so long as both driving means are the same in result no change takes place, but should the motor driven side of the differential run faster or slower than that of the clock then, by the means hereinafter to be described, one or another circuit is closed that throws resistance into the armature circuit, or weakens the field magnetization, or in any other known way infiuences the direct current motor causing it to run elther slower or faster, as the case 1 may be, so as to drive the alternating current generator at a more exactly uniform rate.

In the drawings hereto annexed Ihave illustrated the master clock only, showing merely the circuit running from the alternating current generator, with branches to the recording devices. The latter are not shown, because any well known form of instrument having time indicating disks from which impressions may be taken can be operated either by synchronous motors or by the alternations from the generator in any well understood and usual manner. The invention, in other words, is not concerned with the recording devices, nor with the special manner in which these may be operated, but with the production and supply for running them of an alternating current of a fixed and uniform rate of frequency.

For this purpose Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the system, more particularly the master clock and its relation thereto. In this figure the differential is shown, not in its true position (which is in a vertical plane at right angles to the position shown in the figure), but in longitudinal section in the vertical plane of the axis of the centralshaft 7 of the movement, this being for the purpose of better illustrating certain structural features of the movement as well as certain circuit and contact arrangements. Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation of the master clock.

Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view of the same immediately above the differential.

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation of the master clock, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the differential. vThe diflerential is a well known device and in itself is not new. It comprises two gears, 1 and 2, on sleeves 3 and 4,which are connected across at top or bottom or both by gears 5. The latter are fixed to a. vertical hub 6, on the central shaft 7, which carries also the sleeves 3 and 4, and extending from said hub is a contact arm .8.

It is sufiicient for present purposes to point out that if the gears 1 and 2 rotate at exactly the same speed the hub and contact arm remain stationary, but should one of said gears rotate at a faster or slower rate than the other, then the hub will be moved about the spindle or shaft 7.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 4, the clock mech anism 9, driven as above intimated by any suitable means, has a gear member 10, which engages with a pinion 11'on a sleeve 12 on the spindle 7 and rotates the sleeve at a uniform and fixed rate. Intermediate to a disk 13 on sleeve 12 and the gear wheel 2 is a magnetic clutch 14, which is adapted to be energized by a current secured through brushes 15, bearing'on contact rings 16, and to thereby connect the clock driving mechanism with one sideof the dilferential.

' On the sleeve 3 is a pinion 17, which is engaged by a gear 18, driven by a small synchronous motor 19, which, when supplied with current, rotates the other side of'the difierential. The above described mechanism is substantially all that is required in the device except such means as are required for controlling and utilizing the currents.

Referring to Fig. 1,-the wires 20 are assumed to run from'any source of direct cur-' rent, it being assumed in this case that an alternating current source is not available.

Connected with this circuit is a direct current motor 21, the shunt field circult being represented by 22. This circuit contains a circuit controller 23, and a resistance 24 around the contact 25 of said controller. The main or armature circu t also contains 'a controller 26, and has a resistance 27v be understood most readily from-the following description of operation: The direct current motor 21 drives an alternating current generator 29, and the I current therefrom is led to the synchronous 'm0tor' ,19. If the direct current is of the vproper'strength' and uniform, this motor 19 drives its half of the differential at the same 7 'motor 21 vary its speed then a. corresponding .var'iation'in the speed bf the gear 1' results i with a consequent movement of the contact j which are largely diagrammatic, that-the arm. 8' is movedby'the difierential between the two contacts 30 and 43, and that it is moved thereby into i engagement with {Soncontinue until the motor 21 has slowed down through wire '47, and back throughwire34 tact 30. As a result current flows from one wire of the circuit 20 by a suitable connec' 'tion 31 to the arm 8, thence by cont-act 30 through the pivoted 1e'ver32 to a stop 33, and through a wire 34 including a magnet 35, and to a circuit controller 36, and stop the niotor thereby called for, that is to slow it down} In the circuit of wire 34, is an electromagnet 38, which under the conditions'just described becomes energized and attracts 'a lever 89 similar to lever 32 over onto stop 40 connected by wire 41, including a magnet 42 with one of the line wires 20. At this moment the lever 8 is in contact with the stop 30 and the range of movement of the lever 39 is not sufficient to bring it into contact with the arm 8. The conditions established by the contact of arm 8 and stop-30 and the gear 1 rotates at the same speed as gear 2. The arm 8 therefore moves over to the right to neutral position and comes in' contact with the stop 43 on lever 39. This establishes the circuit from the main through magnet 42, wire 41, stop 40, level-.39, and

arm 8, back to line. The circuit controller 36 is thereby operated to break the circuit through the magnet 35, and in order that all sparking may be confined to the pointof separation of the controller 36 and stop 37,

the following arrangement is provided:

The levers 32 and 39 have arms 44 with insulated ends to which lead wire connections 45. The wire 34, for example, is always connected with the right hand arm 44. Under the arms 44 arecontact stops 46, connected by wire 47 with the side of the main circuit with which the arm 8 is connected. Hence when, for example, the lever :39 is shifted by magnet 38,its arm 44 is brought in contact with its stop Y46, and the circuit is maintained from one side of the main to line even after the contact betweenthe arm 8 and the stop 3 0 has been broken. I

The description of the operation given above willmake it clear that a similar action takes place. when the motor 21 runs too slow rate of speed as theclock drives the other half, and no action results, but should the and the arm 8 is shifted onto contact 43, and 120 it will be seen that the function of the apparatus isto'keep the alternating current genera-tor 29runn1ng at'exactly constant speed. 3

This accomplished, its alternations havlng-a perfectly, uniform rate "may be used to move rality' of secondary clocks,- recording inecha-' I lisms or the like. f 7

It will 'be observed that when no current Y is driving the motor 21, no current is fur- 136.

its the hands andother mechanism of'a plucur-rent, of a direct current motor'operated thereby; means for varying its speed of rotation; an alternating current generator driven by said motor; a synchronous motor operated by said generator; a master clock; a differential operated by the clock on the one hand and the synchronous motor on the other hand; circuits and circuit connections differential due to variations in the relative speed of the master clock and the synchronous motor; andmeans included in the thuscontrolled circuits for controlling the speed varying devices of thedirect current motor whereby the s d of the latter may be maintained uni orm, as and for the purposes stated.

2. A combination of elements such as specified in claim 1 in which the circuits andcircnit connections are arranged to confine all finalinterruptions ofcurrent to a point outside of the controlling apparatus. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

I 4 JAMES W. BRYCE.

therein controlled by the operation of the e

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