US878740A - Key for watchmen's clocks and securing device therefor. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. l, 1908.

A. A. NEWMAN. LOCKS AND SECURING DE VICE THEREPOR.

KEY FOR WATCHMENS C APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. 1906.

UNITE@ TATES Ped-. TENV" @Fi llQE.

KEY WATOEMENS CLCKS AND SECURXNG DETCE THERELFOBI.

no. eremo.

Specication of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 1l, 198123.

Application l'ed September 19| 1906. Serial No. 335.248.

To all 'whom tt may concern.'

Be it known that l, ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of. Illinois, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Keys for l"fatchmens Clocks and Securing Devices Thereior, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key for watchmans clock and securing device therefor, and is fully described :and eX- plained in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of-.oneor1 my keys supplied with the securingdevice Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing the manner in which the keys and securing devices are assembled g and Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the completed key.

Referring to the drawings, A, is a suitable key such as is in common use in connection with watchmens clocks of the type wherein the watchman carries the clock irorn place.

to place and marks upon a dial therein contained by means of keys which are stationarily mounted at various points on his beat. The upper end of this key, fi, is provided with a central cylindrical opening, a, which flares out at its upper end to a rather broad funnel shape, the metal of the key being correspondingly 'flared on ito outer side to produce a tunnel-shaped ilange, al. ln the opening thus formed l slip one end, b, of a length, B, ci "fox-tail lor other close-link chain. A number of chains of this general type are in common use for various purposes, and they may be dened in a general way by stating that they are all composed oi short and fine links, they links being packed closely together so that the chain has the appearance of a rop-e or other very close -fabric. At the same time the closeness of the links prevents twisting of the chain to any considerable extent and also makes sharp bends in it practically impossible, so that the chain has a peculiar ,and characteristic feeling when taken in the hand, it being termed, in common parlance, snaky After the end of this chain is placed in the opening in the upper end of the key the metal of the key is clenched down upon it, as shown in Fig. 3, making the removal of the chain from place impossible. inasmuch as the clench is usually made behind the end of the dishonest watchmen who cut one of the links 0i' each chain and bend them back into position after replacing the keys. A reasonably careful inspection will -at once detect such mutilation of the chain, but an inspection which is superficial may not discover the fraud for a considerable period. lt is therefore particularly desirable to afford a connection for the key which cannot be mutilated at all without the mutilation being eX- trernely conspicuous. The fox-tail" chain such as is shown in the drawings, and the other chains closely allied thereto in construction and in appearance, which l have already described, possess all the features necessary for making a perfect supporting device for cooperation with a watchmans key. in the ordinary use of a Hfox-tail and similar chains, the principal Yfeature is one or appearance, andthe fact that it 1s I ractioally impossible to repair it when oroken is a feature which has never been turned to practical account, and which has heretofore been a detriment, rather than an advantage. By combining this chain with the key oi a watchmans clock, i turn to advantage the feature which has heretofore been neglected and has even made the chain undesirable for other processes.

ln the use of such a chain the 4fact that (it is incapable of making a sharp bend has made its use difdcult, for the chain has had a tendency to break ofi close to the key where there was a sharp bending strain upon the cham. To avoid this diliiculty, iiare the opening at the upper or rear end of the key so as to make it impossible 'for the chain to be bent into a sharp angle at this point.

ln the claims hereto appended, for want ci a better generic term, l have used the word fox-tail to define the chain which l use but i wish it to be understood that when l use this term l intend to cover not only the chain herein shown, but other chains partaking of the characteristics which l have already set forth in the speciication as belonging to this 'chain and others which are closely allied to it in construction, appearance7 operation, and feeling.

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-\- l. The combination with a key having an opening at its upper end, of a. length of foxtail chain having .one end inserted in said opening and being permanently held in place y by the metal of the key, whereby the removal of said key from the chain and its subsequent replacement without detection is prevented.

2. The combination with a key for a watchmans clock having an opening, of a length of fox-tail chain having one end inserted in said opening, the metal of the key being brought down upon said chain beyond its end, whereby the removal of said key from the chain and its subsequent replacement without detection is prevented.

3. The combination with a keyfor a watchmans clock having a flaring opening, of a length of fox-tail chain having one end ineremo mans clock having a laring opening, of a length of fox-tail chain having/ one end 1nserted in said opening, the metal of the key being brought down adjacent to said end.

5. The combination with a key for a watchmans clock having an opening larger at its outer end than at its inner end, of a length of fox-tail chain having one end secured in the smaller end of said opening, whereby the chain is permitted to bend to alimited extent only within the opening.

In witness whereof l have signed the above A application for Letters Patent at Chicago, in

the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 17th day of September, A. D. 1906.

ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN.

TWitnesses:

L. HEISLAR, J. H. LANDES.

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