Steampunk - Clock - The dial recorder Ceramic Tree Decoration

This is a dial recorder, it was an invention by Scotsman Alexander Dey in 1889. His brother John, founded the Dey Time Register Company in Syracuse NY. This device was a time clock, where you would check in as you came to work. Each number on the dial represented a worker, the were assigned a number. When they came in they would align the control to their number, then spin that other dial to what time of day it was, like checking when they arrived in the morning. If you were on time, a blue ink ribbon would be used to mark the time, otherwise it was marked in red, if you were tardy. There was a paper roll in the centre that kept track of everything. The small version only had 25 numbers, where as the larger models would have 150. And if the company was very large, there might be an entire row of machines.