Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-01-05
AN INGENIOUS ADJUSTING A''AsA'


Recently the writer had occasion %
vislt one Of the oldest watchmakers In
the statS % Maine, Mr.. samuel Richards
of south Paris, and Was shown IN ap-
parAtus made BY himself over twenty
years ago, for the purpose OF adjusting
watches. The skili and ingenuity dis
played by this apparatus IL very CREDIT.
able to the inventor, aud for the benent
Of the readers Of the Keystone, this de-
scription IL given.
About twenty years sgo Mr.. lsich,rls
exp~rIencrd con siderable difiiculty With
watche. being affected by the tempcri-
TURF. and Il would include socslled fine
watches at that, and In order Ia over
come this be- sent to various PLACES In
our large cities "a procure an apparatus
for adjusting watches Ia heat AMI cold
aud the only thing that could he had
Was QUE that would cost about sJu,, aud
which could be- only used In cities where
gas Was available. consequently u Was
of no use to him; 80 the only resource
left was 10 rely on HE own skill Ia assist
him In making what De- desired.
lie Immediately set Ia work ani made
an apparatus that answered hi. purpose
for m,ny years, doing the work inaveIy
cre,lItable manner. and many of the
watches which he adjusted are still run
ming finely In the pockets OF the owner. IN
hI. vicinity. The invention consist. OF,
hr.t, q rectangular. upright wooden box,
which can be- tightly closed. within
this I. q sheet Iron cy llnder, aud inclo.' d
In this L. q metal chamber made of tin,
With a removable alright cover, he
meath which an ordinary Kerosene lamp
Is placed, aud around which run. tube
nlIcd with hot water to assist In heating
the chamber evenly. Now, as u IL abso-
lately necessary that an even tsmpers-
ture should be- maintained Tor q long
time, Mr.. Richards hlf upon q very In
genIou. con,rivsnce Tor TIL. purpose.
within the metal chamber, In which,
hy the way, the watches are hung. there
IL q u-shaped bar, made up of strip 81
bras. on the outer aide Of the u, Welded
"a q strip of steel on the inner, very sim
liar Ia the balance wheel % q watch.
The greater expansion % the brass when
heated, cause. the sides al the U Ia AZ.
prosch each other. To ons side of the U
!. fastened q hne ~ire, which pas.r.
through the aide. OF the chamber Y"
the lamp beneath. on which y. doabl
Aiding alex tube With weight. % which
the wire .. sttscbed.
On tho chamber bccomlns ton highly
heated, the sides of the L approach one
another, drawing In IN. ~irc, which
rai.e. the sliding tube on the lamp aud
cut. 90 the n,me, and on cooling the ac-
ton I. reversed.
Thu. the temperature IL kept insaria-
ble for hours.
A round hole cut In the aide Of the box
aud Get With gis.. enables the operstor
to readily ohser,. q thermometer which
hang. within. The temperature main
taIned 4. aiout iUD dsgr-r- fahr. The
next thing Mr.. Richards made VA.
fr,eylng box Ia accompany hls heating
apparatus. hi. fr-~fing box VA. made
In the shape of an Inverted triangle, With
a receptacle for the ~stche. az the low
er extremity, .o that Oh. meltin. lcs may
fall toward. aud keep Ia contact With the
receptacle. There u an outlet al IN.
bottom 10 the box to allow IN. water Ia
escape. III. box L. lln~i With slnc, aud
the r,,sp,acl- !. mad. II the same mate
rial and wster-tight, making II impo.sl
bic for moisture Ia come In contact With
the watches. The packing of the pox
consisted % equal parts 81 crushed icr
aud ALT, which brought the Temperature
down Ia sero.
Daring the fir.t year sitter perfec'lng
III. apparatus, Mr.. Richards adjusted
nearly two hundrrd watches, many of
them wsre Cor jobbing hoa.. IN one of
our cities. III. fir.t watch adja.tri by
Mr.. Richard. with hls apparatus Va. a
Ilor.I a Cou,oi.lcr, imported b, Me..rs.
Qulnch a KRUGER, % New York city.
hi. was q fine watch, hot Ind never
h-~n tested, aud on trial was found Ia
vary four minute. In twenty -four hours,
N running twelve bour- In heat aud
lively. hours In cold. The b,lanc.
/ screw. wsr- then chang,-i to different
bol.-, aud st the hnsi test NO variation
vas found In changing frvm heat TAI cold.
Til. watch ~as sold by Mr.. Richards,
and va. carried In the pocket With a va
ria,Ion IL only ffty-h,c second. IN
eleven months, averaging i've .econd.
p-r month, and an sccount ~ w.. extra
ordinary porformsnce ~ss publl.hci ny
/ the Importers AZ that time 10 the Amer
lean Neurological Journsl.
or late years Mr.. Richards has not adj
Iu.t.i many watches, owing to the fact
/ that the watch compsnic. have improved
their fscilltis. for doing the work quick
~ and on larger scale, aud consequent
~ lowering the price % adjusted watch
"a Ia such al extent that they are
brought within reach of all.
| Mr. Richards keeps the correct time
by making observations With q IRE
wear. patent transit Instrument, h. sup.
plying the town With the true standard
time.
| A. mentioned above. Mr.. Richard. '.
one ~ the old..t, u not the 81 ie-t, watch
maker IN the state; he was born IN w
ford, Ne, July ~, isji; .cry~i thru
year, apprenticeship With simeon Wal
ton ~ Nor~ay, Me-, and becsme e-tsb-
Ii.h.i ne q watchm ,ker ani jcvel-f at
south Pari. Va isyI, where h"l. to-day
Gu.,ayc \. frlb-r, In the Keystone.