Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
SOPHRON SIEGER of 360 Argyle Street Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Watch and Clockmaker, do bereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This Invention relates to a new and improved Chronometer Detent and has for its
object to lessen the complicated mechanism at present in use.
In accordance with my Invention the Detent is a fixture upon pivots moving in
jewells between the frames of the movement. The pivots are so constructed at the
outward extremity of the levers of the Detent that the said Detent has all the
necessary lever power and moves almost without friction in the jewells. The Detent
has the preference over the Spring Detent of the ordinary chronometer inasmuch as
it remains always in the same stationary position after escaping, and has no vibration.
The Detent is kept in position by a small hair spring immediately behind the lever.
The Detent can be manufactured at a less cost than the ordinary spring Detent
Chronometer, and can be easily repaired by any ordinary watchmaker without fear
of breaking the Detent of the escapement.
My invention is applicable to an ordinary English Lever watch, also to watches
and clocks for use both on land and sea.
1000
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: A New and Improved Chronometer Detent.
I, SOPHRON SIEGER, of 360 Argyle Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Watch and Clockmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to a new and improved Chronometer detent, and has for its
object to lessen the difficulty of manufacturing the Chronometer detent as at present
in use.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed :-
A, is a Detent Lever having a staff with pivots B, which work in jewels and end
stones mounted in the top C, and bottom D, frames of the movement the said pivots
being constructed at the outward extremity of the said Detent Lever and therefore
giving the necessary lever power, the said Detent lever at the same time working
almost without friction in the jewels and end stones, and at the same time it has
no vibration after the escaping of the escapement' wheel has taken place, as is
common with the ordinary spring detent of the chronometer. The said Detent
Lever A, being kept in its proper position by means of a suitably mounted hair
spring E, and guard pin e, the said pin being mounted in front of the Detent Lever;
in the bottom frame, for the purpose keeping the Detent Lever at its proper depth.
The said Detent lever having another hair spring F mounted at its front for the purpose
of working or relieving the detent in the backward motion of the compensation
balance, the said spring being kept in its proper position, that is from going either
to the one side or the other, by means of having the point a of the Detent Lever
formed with a groove for the spring to lie in, or as a modification I may use two
small pins mounting one on either side of the spring, the said pins being mounted
to the point a of the detent lever. The angle of the said spring being capable of
adjustment by means of a small screw a¹, from the back of the detent lever.
For the purpose of working the escapement, I mount a three sided perpendicular
ruby L in a small steel disc or roller M, which is fixed to the staff of the balance
wheel J, the said ruby being for the purpose of relieving the said detent lever by
means of the air spring F, in front of the detent lever and thus allowing of the
escapement taking place and also allowing the balance wheel relief on the backward
motion and again I mount another three sided perpendicular ruby G, into the said
detent lever, against which the teeth of the teeth of the escapement wheel works, the
corresponding ruby being mounted on a small steel disc or roller H, fixed on the staff
of the compensation balance wheel J, the said ruby being of an oblong shape, and
lying in the horizontal plane, and having its extremity or the end, which projects
beyond the circumference of the said disc or roller, cut away to the necessary
angle as shewn at g, in Fig. 1, for giving the necessary impulse to the balance J. The
scape wheel I employ is an ordinary one as at present in use and working in jewels
and end stones, though I may use any other suitable scape wheel having either
straight or angular teeth.

page_text: The compensation balance I use is what is known as a "Keal Compensation balance
wheel," having the necessary spring arrangement which may be of the ordinary bair
spring, spiral spring, or any other suitable type, and rated by the ordinary spiral
spring and balance wheel or regulated by an ordinary regulator, in which case the
watch can be regulated by the owner without the necessity of taking it to a watch-
maker, as at present is the case with chronometers.
The action of the said detent is that immediately the balance wheel is moved
forward the detent lever is moved by means of the ruby on top roller M, thus allowing
of the escapement taking place; and at the same time the detert lever on being
moved forward lets the scape wheel tooth free from the ruby on said detent lever, the
corresponding tooth coming into position on the ruby on bottom roller H, and thus
giving the necessary impulse to the balance wheel.
The balance wheel being allowed to come back free by means of the ruby on top
roller being allowed to pass the point of the relieving spring F and thus come into
position for the next forward movement.
Some of the advantages gained are viz. :-
It can be fitted into any ordinary English Lever watch, including ladies watches ;
can be manufactured much easier and at a less cost than those at present in use;
can be repaired or cleaned by any intelligent watchmaker without fear of breaking
the detent, as is the case in the ordinary chronometers, and may be applied or adapted
to fit watches or clocks for land or sea.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st The Detent Lever A, working on Pivots B, and having the necessary springs E,
and F, guard pin e and spring adjuster a' with ruby G, mounted on said Detent Lever,
and also with rubies H, and L, mounted on discs or rollers H. M, both being fixed
to staff of balance wheel, substantially as and for the purposes, hereinbefore described
and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1880
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Applicant's Agents.