Photo from Google Google has digitized many patent applications, including Windsor’s application for the one-handed clock.

It’s an extension of last week’s — it covers a patent that Windsor was awarded in 1923.

But this one is by far the most interesting story of the series.

Google has even digitized the original patent application, which was filed on October 17, 1911, and renewed on Jan. 30, 1913.

We’ll let Windsor’s own words in the application tell the story.

Photo courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society One of two trademark documents the Historical Society holds from Windsor’s one-handed clock application.

“To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Frederick E. Windsor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clock-Dials; 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.”

He moved to Los Angeles in 1910, but was back to Warren as a home base by 1913.

“My invention relates to clock dials and particularly to that class of dials in which the gradations are spaced to accommodate a clock provided with a single hand.”

There it is — a one-handed clock.

“The object of my invention is to provide a clock dial which enables the time of day to be read by the use of only one clock hand thus obviating the mechanism necessary for operating the usual extra hand and also obviating the necessity of observing two hands, in order to read the time. I accomplish this object by means of the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.”

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Several of Windsor’s one-handed clocks are in the collection of the Warren County Historical Society, including this small model.

In short, Windsor felt it was easier to read a one-handed clock.

“The drawing illustrates a face view of my improved dial. Referring to the drawing 1 designates a dial of suitable material on which are printed and otherwise placed, hour numbers, 2, which are spaced around the dial in the usual manner. On the outer side of the circular row of characters, designating the hours and located between each pair of same, and within the double circle 3, are numbers 2 which designate the quarter hours, and these may be printed in different colors or type from the hour numbers or other characters in the dial.

“3 designates a double circle which surrounds the hour numbers 2 and is divided into minute spaces, there being sixty of these spaces between each hour number and the one next adjacent thereto.”