US2072457A - Time indicating device - Google Patents

Description

March 2, 1937. c. E. LARRABEE TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed llay 3, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY- March 2, 1937.

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C. E. LARRABEE TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed May 3, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A'TTORNEY- March 1937- c. E. LARRABEE TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed May 3 19553 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS.

ATTORNEY-- March 2, 1937. I c, E, LARRABEE 2,072,457

TIME INDICATING DEVICE Filed May 3, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F nouns TENS uu ITS 0| 6 \j RN, 4/74 601: h

n I l q I gl 71 /I e j gw i zllu Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES TIME INDICATING DEVICE Clinton E. Larrabee, Binghamton, N. Y., alsignor.

by mesne assignments, to International ness Machines Corporation, New York. N. Y.. a corporation of New York Application I 3, 1933, Serial No. 369,.

'lOlaims.

This invention relates to time indicating clocks and more particularly to the type of clocks in which the time indications are read directly from numerical indications.

The usual indication of time from a clock is to a note the position of a pair of hands relative to a dial on which the only figures appearing are a single set of figures from 1 to 12 inclusive which designate the hour only. The minute hand position is estimated by its relative position to the hour figures and through habit it is quickly determined by a glance at reasonably close approximation to the exact time. One seldom counts the minute marks to determine exactly. The extent of this habit of estimating approximate time is more clearly brought out in a more. exaggerated manner by the popular acceptance of the many queer shaped ornamental dials that may be found on time-pieces such as rectangular, oblong dials-in which the hands register in only two positions with the indicating marks on the dials edge. namely, on the opposite ends of the short axis of the dial. The ends of the hands are nowhere near in register with the indications on the long axis of the dial. In many processes and scheduled work it is vitally important that the particular minute can be notedimmediately. In railroad work, for example, it is desired to read the time directly in the same terms as printed in the railroad time schedules so that immediate glance at the clock will give the time indication to the minute without the necessity of counting minute marks. It is the general object, therefore, of this invention to provide a time indicating device in which the time is indicated directly by a single set of numerals appearing in the time indicating positions.

Another object is to provide a time indicating device in which the time indications appear on a plurality of endless movable tapes.

Still another object is to provide a time indicating mechanism as set forth in the previous objects, in which the movable tapes are advanced periodically under the control of electrical impulses.

A further object is to provide a time indicating mechanism as set forth in the previous objects, which may be automatically corrected for any divergence from the correct time due to power failure.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the specification and accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference numerals indicate similar parts and wherein in the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the time indicating device;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on lines 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear of the machine with the casing removed, looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the control mechanism:

8. 5 is a detail section taken on line 8-5 of i Fig. 6 is a detail of selected parts of the mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrows 8-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the contact assemblies;

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the control contacts;

Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially along the lines l! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram showing the wiring circuit for the device; and

Fig. 11 shows the development of the continuous tapes showing the perforations and figures.

The indicating mechanism may be enclosed in any suitable case to harmonize with the surroundings where it may be located. In the present embodiment, a plain rectangular case 20 (Fig. 1) is provided, which is adapted to fit into suitable ornamental receptacles. The front of the casing is provided with a plurality of apertures II which are provided with glass or other suitable transparent coverings 22 (Fig. 2). The case is mounted on the base 23 and is secured to the front of the supporting frames 24 by means of angle pieces (not shown). The mechanism is mounted on the base and supported by a plurality of supporting plates 24 in the front and a plurality of supporting plates 25 in the back (Figs. 2, 3, and 9). These plates are mounted on the base and are tied together at the top 1:. cross bars 28 (Fig. 2). Mounted on shafts supported by the side bracket 25 are feed rolls 21, 21a, and 21b. These feed rolls are free to rotate on their supporting shaft and fixed to one end of the rolls are gears 28, 28a and 28b. Each of these gears drives through identical, separate gear trains to the power shaft so that for the sake of simplicity only one will be explained. The gear 28, meshes with an idler gear 20, rotatably mounted on a shaft fixed to one of the side frames 25 (Figs. 3 and 4). The idler gear 29 meshes with a gear 30 which is mounted on the main power shaft 3|. The main power shaft extends clear across the machine and is journaled in the side frames 25. The gear 30 is free to rotate on the main power shaft and has fixed to it a beveled gear 32. This beveled gear meshes with a beveled gear 33 which is rotatably mounted on a stud fixed to a ratchet wheel 34 by means of a mounting bracket 3!.

The ratchet wheel ll is free torotate on the power shaft by which it is supported. when the power shaft rotates and the ratchet wheel 34 is unobstructed, the beveled gear 32 is held stationary by the resistance of the rollers and the beveled gear 33 rolls around it causing the ratchet wheel 34 to rotate freely.

Adjacent and below the ratchet wheel 34 is a member 31 pivotally mounted on a rod 38 extending across the machine and supported by the side brackets. The member 31 is located in the same plane as the ratchet wheel and has an extension 39 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 34 whenever the member 31 is rotated counterclockwise. This member is normally biased in a clockwise direction by a spring 40 having one end attached thereto and the other end fixed to a mounting plate 25. Another extension 4| of said member is provided with an arcuate notch in which a roller 42 seats. The roller is pivoted between two ears of a U-shaped member 43 which is pivoted at 44 to a bracket 45 mounted on the core of a magnet 46.

The U-shaped member is biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 41 attached at one end to an extension 48 of the U-shaped memher. This extension abuts an insulated block 49 mounted on one of the spring blades of the normally opened contacts 50 which are mounted on, but insulated from, a bracket 5|, which in turn is mounted to one of the side frames 25. Pinned within the legs of the U-shaped member 43 is an armature 52 adapted to cooperate with the pole face of the magnet 46. When said magnet is energized and attracts its armature, the member 43 is rocked clockwise and the roller 42 rolls out of the notch in extension 4| camming the member 31 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby bringing the extension 39 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 34 to prevent it from rotating (see Fig. 2). Thus, if the power shaft 3| now rotates, this rotation is transmitted through beveled gears 36, 33, and 32, gears 30, 29, and 28 to the roller 21.

Impinging against the roller 21 are friction rolls 53 pivotally mounted on a bracket 54 which in turn is pivotally mounted on a rod 55 supported by the side frames 25. The rollers 53 are pressed firmly against the roll 21 by virtue of the tension of springs 56 which bias the bracket 54 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2.

One end of the springs 56 is anchored to the rod 38 and the other end is fastened to the bracket 54.

The side frames 24 On the front of the machine have rotatably mounted thereon rolls 51 and 58 (Fig. 2) There are three sets of these rolls corresponding to the rolls 21, 21a and 21b, which are partially shown in Fig. 9, as 58, 58a and 582), the upper rolls 51 not being shown. The rolls 21, 51 and 58 are adapted to receive and carry an endless tape 60 of a suitable translucent material. The two other sets of three rolls each areeach adapted to carry an endless tape of like material but each set is independent of the other. These three tapes carry the time indicating indicia and are each operated from the power shaft 3| by mechanism identical in detail with that previously described. One of the tapes carries indicia designating the units of minutes; another, the tens of minutes; and the third tape indicates the hour.

The mechanism previously described was for driving the tape carrying the units of minutes. To describe the operation of the other two would be to repeat the description previously given word for word, using the same reference numerals with the sufllx a for the .tens of minute section and the suffix "b" for the hour section. Like reference numerals with the suffixes added refer to like parts as those already described.

Referring now to Fig. 2, which is a section through the units of minutes section, the tape 60 is carried around the roll 21 into the bite of the roll 21 and the spring-pressed roll 53 through an aperture 6|, into a storage well 62, where it lies in folds. From this storage well it passes over the edge and under a baffle plate 63 and out of the storage well through an aperture 64, around the roller 58, past the apertures 2| in the front of the housing, over the roll 51, and back to the roll 21. The storage well 62 is a box-like structure made of suitable sheet metal material and supported rigidly on the base of the machine by tie-straps to the side frames and cross struts such as indicated by the reference numerals 65. The purpose of the storage well is to store the excess tape where it can be fed out conveniently to indicating position. The surface of the tape is covered with an opaque coating with the exception of the area outlined by the different indicia so that illumination placed in back of the tape will pass through the translucent part which shows the indicia in the manner shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose electric lights 66, 66a and 66b are suitably mounted in back of each tape between the eross braces 26.

Referring now to Fig. 11, the three tapes are provided with a series of perforations in a plurality of different alinements for the purpose of controlling the movements of the tapes with respect to the proper alinement relative to the apertures 2|. Only one series of perforations 61 are provided in the hour tape 60?), the purpose of which is to control the positioning of the indicia in proper visible registration upon each movement of the tape. The tape 600. carries tens of minute indicia and will hereafter be called the tens tape. This tape has three series of perforations, 68, 69, and 10. The perforation 68 is for effecting transfer from minutes to hours; the perforation 69 is for effecting corrective operations, to be explained later; and the perforation 1B is to control the positioning of the tape in proper registering position.

The tape 60, carrying the units of minutes and indicia, hereinafter to be called the unit tape" is provided with four series of perforations 1|, 12, 13, and 14. The function of the perforation 1| will be explained in detail later and relates to the self-corrective feature. The perforations 12 control the registration position of the unit tape; the perforation 13 controls the transfer from unit to tens of minutes; and the perforation 14 relates to self-correction of the device. The hour tape 60b is provided with twelve evenly spaced numerals 1 to 12, inclusive. The tens tape 60a is provided with twelve evenly spaced indicia 0 to 5 and 0 to 5, inclusive. The repetition of the numerals on the tape is for the purpose of making the tape long enough to go into the machine. The unit tape 60 is provided with ten evenly spaced indicia 0 to 9, inc usive. The ends of each tape are joined together, making three separate endless belts, which are run over the rollers as previously described, with the excess length of tape being stored in folds in the storage well 62.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 8 and 9, a bed plate 18 runs transversely across the machine and rests on the base 23. This bed plate underlies all of the tapes. Mounted on the bed plates are a series of blocks 19 adjacent to the edge of the tapes. Pivoted at to these blocks are contact levers 8I which are provided with free running rollers or wheels 82 rotatably mounted to the lever by the stud 88. On the same end of the lever and adjacent to the roller wheel 82 is mounted a disk of insulating material 88 which is adapted to cooperate with spring blade contacts. There are eight sets of contacts in the device each one of which is controlled by a contact lever such as described. The contact of the type shown in Fig.

2 opens when cooperating with a perforation and that shown in Fig. 8 closes when cooperating with a perforation.

The roller wheels 82 on the contact levers are each alined with a series of perforations on the tapes and are adapted to drop into these perforations whenever they pass underneath one of the roller wheels. To facilitate this, slots 85 have been milled in the bed plates directly beneath the wheels 82 so that when the perforations pass under the wheels they will drop through the perforations and into the slots thus dropping the contact lever 8I and operating the contact controlled thereby. When the tape moves and the wheel 8I is in the slot, the rolling action of the wheel as the end of the perforation strikes it causes it to roll out of the slot and perforation and onto the surface of the tape.

Turning now to Fig. 3, the motive power for operating the tapes is derived from a driving motor I28 which has a housing 81 integral with the motor casing containing a worm and gear, the worm being fastened to the armature shaft and the worm gear being fixed to shaft 88, to which is also fixed beveled gear 88, fastened to shaft 8i joumaled in brackets 82. At the upper end of shaft 8i is fixed a beveled gear 93 which meshes with another beveled gear 88 fixed to the drive shaft 8|.

The contacts which control the operation of the tapes are mounted on a cross strip 85 and are insulated therefrom. These contacts comprise contacts 88 controlled by the perforations in the hour tape; contacts 81 and 88 and 89 controlled by perforations in the tens tape, contacts I88, I8I, I82, and I88 controlled by the perforations in the unit tape (see Figs. 8 and 9).

Turning now to the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 10, the wiring in the present embodiment is arranged to operate the clock on an hourly supervised system such as is shown in the patent to J. W. Bryce, No. 1,687,491, dated October 16, 1928 in which three wire circuits are run to each of the secondaries, or its equivalent, two wires and a ground return circuit.

In the Bryce patent these lines are designated A, B, and C and would be connected to the terminals A, B, and C respectively shown in Fig. 10.

- The wing and layout of the contacts and relays shown in this diagram are schematic to present an orderly arrangement to simplify the description. The relays including magnets II8, I28 and I3I and the manually operated contacts I88, I88a and I88b may be mounted in any suitable panel box of standard construction, preferably in a readily accessible position for inspection and manual control of the indicating unit. As the indicating unit is most frequently placed in a recess in the wall where it is not readily accessible it is preferred to separate the control units from housing containing the indicating mechanism. Terminals I88 and I85 may be connected to any suitable source of commercial current supply, preferably 110 volts A. C. or D. C. With the clock in operating condition, the switch I88 is normally closed. Minute impulses normally sent out over the system to which this secondary is attached are received at the terminal A and pass over line I81, through normally closed relay contacts I88, wire I88, relay magnet coil II8, line III, to terminal which is the return line, the same as shown in the Bryce patent referred to previously. The energization of coil II8 closes contacts H2 and closes a circuit from one side of the power supply I85, through wire II3, contacts II2, wires H8 and III, magnet coil 88, wire II8, to the other side of the line I88. The energization of magnet 88 closes contact 58, as previously explained and closes a circuit through the motor relay magnet as follows: from supply line I85, through wires H1, H8, contact 58, wire II8, motor relay magnet I28, wire I2I, to the other side of the line I88. Relay contacts I22 are now closed completing the circuit through the motor I28, to start it operating, in the following manner: from one side of line I88, through wire I28, motor I23, relay contact I22, wire III to the other side of the line I85. The motor'now operates to rotate the drive shaft 8I (Fig. 4) and the magnet 88 causes the pawl 88 to engage the ratchet wheel 88 to hold it stationary, thus causing the power shaft to drive the roller 21 and thus drive the tape 88 as previously explained. When the tape is still, some of the perforations in the tape are adjacent some of the contact rollers 88 as shown in Fig. 8 so that the rollers set into these perforations. The roller 88 supporting contact I8I normally sits in its adjacent perforation when the units tape is in registering position and in such position contact I8I is normally open.

As the tape 88 moves, as previously explained, the perforation moves out of registering position with its supporting roller causing the roller to ride up onto the surface of the tape and causing contact I8I to close. The minute impulse which causes the tape to move is of about two seconds duration but before this impulse terminates the tape has moved sumciently to close contact I8I, closing a circuit through the magnet 88 as follows: from the supply line I85, through wire II1, contact I8I, magnet 88, wire II8, to the other side of the supply line I88. This holds the magnet 88 energized and keeps the units tape 88 moving as long as the contact I8I remains closed. When the next succeeding figure on the units tape reaches registering position, the roller supporting contact I8I encounters another perforation 81 through which it drops causing the contact I8I to open, thus deenergizing magnet 88 causing the pawl 88 to become disengaged from the ratchet wheel 88, thus stopping the tape in registering position. The deenergization of magnet 88 also causes contact 58 to open and stop the motor I23.

When the 9 unit on the units tape 88 is in registration position and is to be moved to 0, it is necessary to effect a transfer to the tens numeral and cause the tens tape to register its next succeeding numeral. This is accomplished in the following manner: With the 9 unit in position, the perforation 18 on the unit tape lies immediately in the path of the supporting roll for contact I82. This contact is normally open andpis the type shown in Fig. 8. When the minute impulse is received to move this tape from 9 to 0, the tape moves as previously explained and immediately after the movement is initiated the roller supporting contact I82 encounters the perforation and drops into it closing contact I82. This perforation is longer than the others and is designed to hold the contacts I02 closed for about two seconds while this perforation passes by.

When this perforation has passed, the roller rolls out on the surface of the tape and contact I02 opens and remains open until the tape has again completed an entire cycle to the 9 position. When the contact I02 closes for two seconds, it acts to move the tens tape in exactly the same manner as the minute impulse effects the unit tape. A circuit is completed from one side of the supply line I05, through wire II'I, contact I02 (now closed), wire I31, normally closed, contacts 99, magnet 46a, wire H6, to the supply line I04. The magnet 46a thus becomes energized and closes contact a across the motor circuit to insure that the motor I23 will continue to operate until the tape 60a is in proper registering position. Perforations in the tape 60a efiect control of the contact 99 in the same manner that contacts IOI were effected; that is, as soon as the magnet 46a is energized and the tape 60a moves, the contacts 99 close to continue the movement of the tape after contacts I02 open until the next succeeding number on the tape 60a is in registering position when the next perforation is encountered which opens contacts 99 deenergizing magnet 46a and opening contacts 50a stopping the tape 60a and the motor I23. Transfer to the hour tape takes place when the minute tapes changes from the 59 position to the 00 position, such as from 11:59 to 12:00 oclock. This transfer is effected in the same manner in which the previously mentioned transfer was effected. In this instance, the elongated perforation 68 in tape 60a causes contact 91 to close momentarily to energize the magnet 46b through the following circuit: from one side of the supply line I05, through wire I", contact 91 (now closed), wire I25, magnet 46b, wire II6, to the other side of the supply line I04. The magnet 46b closes contact 50b, in like manner to magnets 46 and 46a, to keep the motor operating sufhcientiy long for the hour tape to be properly positioned. As in the previous instances, when the hour tape starts operating perforations therein cause contacts 96 to close to maintain the circuit through the magnet 46b until the hour tape has reached its proper registering location. Contacts I40, I40a and I40b are manually operable for the manual operation of the tapes 60, 60a and 601), respectively, when any one or all of these tapes require adjusting or correcting such as the advance in time when changing from standard time to daylight saving time. The closing of contact I40 completes a circuit from one side of the line I05, through switch I06, line I, contact I40, line II5, magnet 46, line Hi to the other side of the line I04. The energization of magnet 46 causes the tape 60 to be moved as previously described. Similarly, the closure of contacts 011 and I40b causes the magnets 46a and 46b, respectively to be energized.

The operation of the device as described thus far is adapted to operate on any minute impulse electric time system. To adapt the device to be operated on.an hourly supervised system, such as shown in the Bryce Patent No. 1,687,491, the additional perforations previously referred to are required in the units and tens tape as well as additional contacts cooperating .therewith and additional circuits. As shown and described in the Bryce patent, rapid supervising impulses are periodically sent over the A wire, and normal impulses are sent over the B wire only during a certain period of the hour, the B wire remaining dead at other times. The rapid impulses are sent over the line between the 59th and 60th minutes. If the time indicating device is in correct time with the controlling master clock when said master clock reaches the 59th position, the units and tens tape will indicate 59 and a perforation I4 in the units tape will cooperate with the roller of contacts I03 causing said contacts to close, also a perforation 69 in the tens tape will cooperate with the roller supporting contacts 96 causing them to close. The closure of contacts I03 and 98, which are wired in series, establishes the following circuit: from one side of the power supply I04, through wire II6, contact I03, now closed, wire I26, contacts 96, now closed, wire I29, resistance unit I30, relay magnet coil I3I, wires I32 and H1, back to the other side of the power supply I05. The relay coil I3I now being energized, attracts its armature and causes contacts I08 to open and contacts I33 and I34 to close. of contacts I33, transfers the magnet IIO from the A wire to the B wire. Rapid impulses coming over the A wire about ten seconds after the 59th minute impulse are not, therefore transmitted to the coil H0 and therefore the time indicating device is uneilfected. Should the time indicating device be slow, the perforations 69 and I4 would not be in their proper controlling position so that contact I06 would still remain closed and the rapid impulses would flow through to the indicating device advancing it, until it reached the 59th minute at which time contact I08 would open and prevent any more rapid impulses from affecting it.

The closing of relay contact I34 completes a holding circuit through the relay coil I3I as follows: from. one side of the power supply I04, through wires H6 and I35, contacts I 34, resistance unit I30, relay magnet coil I3I, wires I32 and Ill, and back to the other side of the power supply line I05. The rapid impulses being transmitted over the A wire cease shortly before the 60th minute impulse is transmitted, and then the 60th minute impulse is transmitted over the 13 wire, in accordance with the description in the Bryce patent previously mentioned. The 60th minute impulse, therefore, energizes the relay coil IIO as follows: from the B wire terminal through contacts I33, now closed, wire I09, relay magnet IIO, wire III to the common return C. The operation of the relay coil H0 and its corresponding contact I I2, then step the unit and tens tapes along one position as previously explained, thereby removing the perforations I4 and 69 from cooperation with their corresponding contacts I03 and 96 causing both of these contacts to open. The holding circuit through magnet I3I, however, continues to hold contacts I33 closed and regular minute impulses still continue to be transmitted over both the A and B lines until about 44 minutes after the hour at which time the minute impulses cease to be transmitted over the B wire until the next succeeding 60th minute impulse. When the time indicating device indicates 4 minutes after the hour, a perforation II in the units tape engages the rolls supporting contact I00 causing said contact to close. This closes the following shunt circuit around the magnet coil I3I to deenergize it: from one side of the supply line I05, wire I", contact I00, now closed, wire I36, resistance unit I30, contact I34, now closed, wires I35 and H6 to the other side of the supply line I04. With the deenergization of magnet I3I, contact I34 opens breaking the holding circuit and the shunt cir- The opening of contacts I06 and closure cult, and contacts I33 open and contacts I close thus transferring the time indicating device from the B line back to the A line.

In event that the time indicating device is 15 minutes or less fast, the tens and units tapes will reach the 59th minute position in advance of the master-clock controlling the system and will cause said device to be transferred to the 13 wire which is dead, between the 44th and 60th chronological position of the master clock. The indicating device will accordingly be stopped at its 59th chronological position until the master clock sends the first impulse over the B wire on the 60th minute which will then advance the time 15 indicating device in step with the controlling master clock.

While the novel features of the invention have been shown and described as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various 0 omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend to be limited therefore only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A time indicating device having a plurality of circuits adapted to receive normal periodic electrical impulses and rapid electrical impulses,

comprising movable indicia bearing elements for indicating time, a motor for driving said elements, means controlled by normal and rapid electrical impulses for initiating operation of 5 said motor, and means controlled by the position of said indicia bearing elements for terminating the operation of said motor.

2. A time indicating device having a plurality of circuits adapted to receive normal periodic electrical impulses and electrical impulses more rapid than normal, comprising movable indicia bearing elements for indicating time, a motor for driving said elements, a releasable driving train between said motor and said elements, means operable by normal and rapid electrical impulses for controlling said driving .train, and means controlled by the chronological position of said time elements to determine whether said first named means shall be operated by said normal or rapid impulses.

3. In combination a time indicating device having a series of denominational order indicating elements arranged side by side to jointly indicate the time of day, a motor, releasable driving mechanisms between said motor and each of said elements to independently drive the same, electro-magnetic means for controlling the operation of each of said driving mechanisms, electrical contacts controlled by the element of a lower denominational order for controlling the electro magnetic means associated with the next higher denominational order element to render its associated driving mechanism effective to drive said last mentioned element, additional electrical contacts associated with each denominational order element for controlling the electro-magnetic means associated with said element to render its associated driving mechanism ineffective to terminate the drive of said element, and circuits connecting said electrical contacts and said electro-magnetic means.

4. In combination, a time indicating device having a series of denominational order indicat ing elements arranged side by side to jointly indicate the time of day, a motor, releasable driving mechanisms between said motor and each of said elements to independently drive the same, periodically operated time controlled means for controlling the driving mechanism associated with the element of lowest denominational order and for initiating operation of said motor to effect periodic operation of the same, and additional means controlled by each element of a lower denominational order for controlling the driving mechanism associated with the element of the next higher denominational order to eflect periodic movement thereof, said last named means including means rendered efiective by the operation thereof for controlling said motor.

5. A time indicating device having a plurality of time indicating elements of different denominational orders arranged side by side to Jointly indicate the time of day, a motor, difierential gear trains connecting said motor with each of said elements, electro-magnetic means for controlling each of said difierential gear trains for eflecting operation of its associated element, time controlled electric contacts for effecting operation of one of said electro-magnetic means to initiate periodic operation of the element of the lowest denominational order, electric contacts controlled by each element of a lower denominational order for controlling the electro-magnetic means associated with the element of the next higher denominational order to effect operation thereof and circuits connecting said electric contacts with said electro-magnetic means.

6. A timing device comprising a plurality of indicia-bearing elements for indicating time, each element having a difierent denominational order, a motor for driving said elements, releasable driving trains between said motor and each of said elements, electromagnetic means associated with each of said releasable driving trains to render said driving means effective, said elements having apertures arranged in spaced relation, and means cooperating with said apertures for selecting the electro-magnetic means to render effective the releasable driving means associated with the element of a. higher denominational order to operate said element.

'7. In combination, a time indicating device having a series of denominational order indicating elements arranged side by side to jointly indicate the time of day, a motor, releasable driving means between each element and said motor, periodically operated time controlled means for controlling the driving mechanism associated with the element of lowest denominational order for rendering said driving mechanism effective, means operable by said time controlled means for initiating operation of the motor to move said time indicating element, means for controlling the driving mechanism associated with the ele'ment of the next higher denominational order, means operated by the subsequent movement of the element of the lower denominational order for operating the driving mechanism control means associated with the time indicating element of the next higher denominational element and means controlled by the subsequent movement of said last named time indicating element for controlling the operation of the motor for a predetermined period.

CLINTON E. LARRABEE.

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