Improvements in Watches and other Time-keepers to Enable them to Indicate both Universal and Local Time.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Watches and other Time-keepers to Enable
them to Indicate both Universal and Local Time.
I SIDNEY WATERS of 24 Ladbroke Square in the County of Middlesex Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES AND
OTHER TIME-KEEPERS TO ENABLE THEM TO INDICATE BOTH UNIVERAL AND LOCAL
TIME to be as follows:-
"
My invention consists in constructing watches and other time-keepers with such
a combination of dials as shall readily shew both the universal and the local time.
For this purpose I provide the time keeper with 2 independent circular parts or
dials concentric with each other, the inner part being arranged to move freely
within the outer part which may be fixed, or if more convenient the outer part
may be made to move around the inner part which may be fixed. I mark the
twelve hours of local time preferably upon the outer dial and the twenty four
hours of universal time upon the inner dial but I may if more convenient reverse
the positions of the hours of universal and local time."
In time pieces in which the hour-hand completes a revolution in twelve hours
I cause the dial carrying the hours of universal time to revolve once in twenty four
hours in the same direction as the movement of the hour-hand. By this means the
hour-hand always correctly indicates the universal time upon one dial and the local
time upon the other. Or, if the time-piece is constructed for the hour-hand to
revolve once in twenty four hours I cause the dial carrying the hours of local time
to revolve once in twenty four hours but in an opposite direction to the movement
of the hour hand.
When convenient I make use of two minute hands the one for universal and the
other for local time.
I set the relative positions of the two dials according to the longitude in which
propose to use the time-piece and I also construct the dials so that their relative
positions may be altered so as to adapt the time-piece for use in different
longitudes.

page_text: them to Indicate both Universal and Local Time.
I SIDNEY WATERS of 24 Ladbroke Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, 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:—
My invention consists in constructing watches and other time-keepers with such
a combination of dials as shall readily shew both the universal and the local time.
For this purpose I provide the time-keeper with two independent circular parts or
dials concentric with each other, the inner part being arranged to move freely
within the outer part which may be fixed, or if more convenient the outer part may
be made to move around the inner part which may be fixed. I marke the twelve
hours of local time preferably upon the outer dial and the twenty four hours of
universal time upon the inner dial but I may if more convenient reverse the
positions of the hours of universal and local time.
In time pieces in which the hour hand completes a revolution in twelve hours,
I cause the dial carrying the hours of universal time to revolve once in twenty
four hours in the same direction as the movement of the hour hand. By this
means the hour hand always correctly indicates the universal time upon one dial
and the local time upon the other. Or, if the time-piece is constructed for the
hour hand to revolve once in twenty four hours I cause the dial carrying the hours
of local time to revolve once in twenty four hours but in an opposite direction to
the movement of the hour hand.
I prefer to provide the time-keeper with two minute hands the one for universal
and the other for local time.
I set the relative positions of the two dials according to the longitude in which
I propose to use the time-piece and I also construct the time-piece so that the
relative positions of the dials may be altered so as to adapt the time-piece for use
in different longitudes.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a face view on an enlarged scale of a watch
made according to my invention. a is the dial for indicating local time; it is
marked with the numbers 1 to 12 in the usual manner. b is the dial for indicating
universal time; it is marked with the numbers 1 to 24 (or to 23 and 0). The
inner dial b is made to move within the outer dial a which is fixed. The universal
dial may however be placed outside the local time dial, but I prefer to place it
inside as shown. If the hour band completes a revolution in twelve hours the
dial b is arranged to revolve once in twenty four hours in the same direction as the
hour hand. But if the time-piece be arranged for the hour hand to revolve only
once in twenty four hours the dial b is fixed and the dial a is arranged to revolve
once in twenty four hours in the opposite direction to the hour hand. In either
case the hour hand will always correctly indicate the universal time on the dial b
and the local time on the dial a provided of course the relative positions of the
two dials have been set according to the longitude of the place in which the time-
keeper is used.

page_text: In order that the relative positions of the two dials may be readily altered so as
to adapt the time-piece for use in a different longitude to that for which they
were previously set, I prefer to arrange the mechanism so that by imparting
motion by means of a key or otherwise to one arbor I can move at the same time
the ordinary hour and minute hands and the universal dial as well as the other
minute hand (when such is used) while by imparting motion to another arbor
I move the ordinary hour and minute hands only; I can thus alter the relative
positions of the universal dial and additional minute hand with respect to the
ordinary hour and minute hands so as to get the proper adjustment for any
given longitude. The mechanism by 'which this can be effected will be under-
stood by reference to Figures 2 and 3, Figure 2 being a front view of the
time-piece with the dials removed and Figure 3 a side view, partly sectional, of a
portion of the mechanism. In these Figures, 1 is the centre arbor, 2 is a cannon
pinion whose pipe 3 is frictionally tight on the arbor 1. 4 is another cannon
pinion whose pipe 5 is frictionally tight on the pipe 3 but not so tight as the pipe 3
is on the arbor 1. 6 is the hour wheel loose on the pipe 5. 7 is the hour hand on
the pipe of the wheel 6. 8 is the ordinary minute hand on the pipe 5. 9 is an
additional minute hand for universal time on the pipe 3. The pinion 2 receives
motion in the usual way and the pinion 4 normally moves synchronously there-
with; this pinion moves the wheel 6 through the intermediation of the wheel 10
and pinion 11. This wheel 10 is in gear through the intermediation of a pinion 12
with a pinion 13 whose arbor can be turned by means of a key applied at the back
of the watch. The pinion 2 is in gear with a wheel 14, which, through the
intermediation of a pinion 15, gears with another pinion 16 whose arbor can in
like manner be turned by means of a key. On the arbor of the wheel 14 is a
pinion 17 which drives at half the speed of the hour hand a wheel whose arbor
carries the universal dia! 6-see Figure 4, which is a view of the underside
of the face plate, 18 being the wheel last described. It will readily be under-
stood that so long as the time-piece is going the hour hand 7 and minute
hand 8 will move as in ordinary time pieces, that the additional minute hand 9
will move synchronously with the minute hand 8 and that the dial b will turn
at half the speed of the hour hand; also that by turning the arbor of the pinion 16
in the one direction or the other the three hands and the dial b will all be moved
to any extent desired in the same ratio, while by turning the arbor of the
pinion 13 the hour hand and ordinary minute hand 8 only will be moved because
the greater friction that there is between the pipe 3 and arbor 1 than between the
pipe 5 and pipe 3 will prevent the movement being transmitted to this pipe and to
the pinion 2 and thence to the pinion 17 from which the dial b receives its
movement.
Another way by which the relative positions of the dials a and b can be adjusted
is to have the figures for indicating universal time marked on a ring or dial which
is placed against a disc moved like the dial b, the friction between the ring and
disc b being sufficient to cause the ring to, normally turn with the disc but not
sufficient to prevent it being moved around the disc by means of the fingers or by
the use of a suitable instrument.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Constructing watches or other time-keepers, substantially as hereinbefore
described, with two dials for showing respectively universal and local time, the
dial for showing universal time being caused to revolve once in twenty four hours
in the same direction as the hour hand, this hand revolving once in twelve hours.
2. Constructing watches or other time-keepers, substantially as hereinbefore
described, with two dials for showing respectively universal and local time, the
dial for showing local time being caused to revolve once in twenty four hours in
the reverse direction to the hour hand, this hand revolving once in twenty four hours

page_text: 3. In a watch or other time-keeper constructed in either of the ways referred to
in claims 1 and 2 respectively, I claim an additional minute hand for indicating
universal time.
4. In a watch or other time-keeper constructed in either of the ways referred to
in claims 1 and 2 respectively, I claim means for adjusting or altering the relative
positions of the two dials according to the longitude of the place in which the
time-keeper is to be used, substantially as herein before described.
5. For the purpose of adjusting the relative positions of the two dials, as referred
to in claim 4, I claim the mechanism hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 2 and 3.
6. For the purpose of adjusting the relative positions of the two dials, as referred
to in claim 4, I claim the mounting of the universal dial on a disc actuated by the
mechanism, the dial normally moving with said disc but being capable of adjust-
ment thereon, as set forth.