Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
I, CHARLES HUMBERT, the younger, of Chaux-de Fonds, in Switzerland, Watch
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in or appertaining to the dials of watches
and clocks, of any system or dimensions, and has for its object to render the same
luminous in the dark, or at will. I attain this result first, by a special construction of
the dial, and secondly, by the combination of the said dial with any source of light.
In watches, the source of light consists of an electric lamp acted upon by a portable
battery.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an outside view of a watch provided with
ny system of luminous dial. Fig. 2 is a cross section shewing the arrangement of
the parts composing the luminous dial, and shewing also the arrangement of an
electric lamp in the watch case. Fig. 3 shews the electric battery intended to act
upon said lamp, and which may be a battery of any system, an accumulator, or
other source of electricity. Fig. 4 shews an interruptor, suspended, in the same
manner as a locket, to the conductor K, which takes the place of the watch chain, and.
which connects the battery L with lamp J. Fig. 5 is a top view, and Fig. 6 a back
view of the insulator I, which supports the electric lamp, J, and the reflector N.
In all the figures, similar letters refer to similar parts or pieces.
The casing A, carries, as in ordinary watches, the case bottom B, and glass
bezel C.
The mechanism, that is to say, its plate D, is fixed, as usual, to the bearing a, of the
ring A.
Upon the plate D, there is affixed, by means of pins e, and screws d, a polished
plate or dial E, bearing neither signs nor divisions. A second dial F, of rough or
ground glass, or other suitable material, upon which are marked the signs and
divisions of the hours, minutes, and seconds, is fixed upon a ring G. The inner
surface of the latter which surrounds the space left between E and F, is polished, and
Price l

page_text: inclined towards the polished surface of E. The arbor of the hour, minute, and
seconds hands traverses the dial E, the space between E and F, and the dial F, so as
to have the hands moving between the dial F and the glass H.
The object of the polished inner surface of G is to distribute the light, which enters
through the openings g, over the whole surface of E and to eliminate the shadow
projected upon E by the arbor of the hands. Thus, it will be seen, that my luminous
dial consists of a plane reflector E, combined with a circular reflector G and a source
of light J, with the view of illuminating the glass dial F, superposed over F, and
bearing the signs and divisions of hours, minutes, and seconds, above which the
hands move.
As the said dial is intended for a watch, or for a clock, of any dimensions, the
proportions of the constitutive parts of my dial, as well as the distance between E
and F, and the number or kinds of sources of light will vary in every case.
In watches, the electric lamp J, which is affixed to a piece of insulating material I,
and provided with a polished reflector N, is placed in an enlargement a¹ of the watch-
case-ring A, and covered over by a corresponding enlargement c of the glass bezel C.
The lamp J, is connected by means of two conducting wires and y, which are
inserted into a flexible cable K, with the source of electricity L. An interruptor M,
of any construction allows the user of the watch close the current when he wishes to
have the dial illuminated.
In the drawings, the interruptor M is composed of a piece of flexible insulating
material, shaped like a horse shoe, and bearing both ends of the interrupted wire x.
By pressing upon the ends of the horse shoe, contact is established between the two
ends of the interrupted wire x.

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to the Dials of Watches
and Clocks.
I, CHARLES HUMBERT, the younger, of Chaux-de fonds, in Switzerland, Watch
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement reference being had to the drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My invention relates to improvements in, or appertaining to, the dials of watches
and clocks of any system, or dimensions, and it has for its object to render such dials
luminous in the dark, or at will. I attain this result first, by a special construction of
the dial, and secondly, by the combination of the said dial with any source of light.
In watches the source of light consists of an electric lamp acted upon by a portable
battery.
In the drawings left with my Provisional Specification, Fig. 1 is an outside view of
a watch provided with my system of luminous dial.
Fig. 2 is a cross section shewing the arrangement of the parts composing the
luminous dial, and shewing also the arrangement of an electric lamp in the
watch case.
Fig. 3 shews the electric battery intended to act upon said lamp, and which may be
a battery of any system, an accumulator, or other source of electricity.
Fig. 4 shews an interruptor, suspended in the same manner as a locket, to the
conductor K, which takes the place of the watch-chain, and which connects the
battery L with lamp J.
Fig. 5 is a top view, and Fig. 6 a back view of the insulator I, which supports the
electric lamp J, and the reflector N.
In all the figures similar letters refer to similar parts or pieces.
The case-ring A carries, as in ordinary watches, the case bottom B, and glass
bezel C.
The mechanism, that is to say its plate D, is fixed, as usual to a bearing a of
the ring A.
Upon the plate D there is affixed, by means of pins e, and screws d, a polished
plate or dial E, bearing neither signs nor divisions. A second dial F, of ground
glass, or other suitable material, upon which are marked the signs and divisions of
the hours, minutes, and seconds, is fixed upon a ring G. The inner surface of the
latter which surrounds the space left between E and F is polished and inclined towards
the polished surface of the plate or dial E. The arbor of the hour, minute, and
seconds hands traverses the dial E, the space between E and F, and the dial F, so as
to have the hands moving between the dial F and the glass H.
The object of the polished inner surface of G is to distribute the light which enters
through the opening 9, (or openings) over the whole surface of E and to eliminate

page_text: the shadow projected upon E by the arbor of the hands. Thus, will be seen that
my luminous dial consists of a plane reflector E, combined with a circular reflector G,
and a source of light J, with the view of illuminating the glass dial F, superposed
over E and bearing the signs and divisions of hours, minutes, and seconds, above
which the hands move.
As the said dial is intended for a watch, or for a clock, of any dimensions, the
proportions of the constitutive parts of my dial, as well as the distance between E
and F, and the number or kinds of sources of light will vary in every case.
In watches, the electric-lamp J, which is affixed to a piece of insulating material I,
and provided with a polished reflector N, is placed in an enlargement a¹ of the watch-
case ring A, and covered by a corresponding enlargement c of the glass bezel C. The
lamp J is connected by means of two conducting wires x and y which are inserted
into a flexible cable K, with the source of electricity L. An interruptor M, of any
construction, allows the user of the watch to close the current when it is desired to
have the dial illuminated.
In the drawings, the interruptor M is composed of a piece of flexible insulating
material shaped like a horse-shoe and bearing both ends of the interrupted wire x.
By pressing upon the ends of the horse-shoe, contact is established between the two
ends of the interrupted wire x.
The cable containing the electrical conductors and forming the watch-chain, may
be connected to the electric lamp contained in the watch, by means of any system of
frictional contact, or spring or screw contact, allowing the cable to be attached to, and
removed from, the watch without withdrawing the lamp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be carried into effect, I claim :-
1. The polished dial E and circular reflector G, dial F of ground glass, or other
suitable material, bearing the divisions and signs of hours minutes and, in some
cases, of seconds, combined with any source of light projecting its rays into the space
contrived between E F and G, through one or more openings g, placed on the
circumference of the reflector G, substantially as shewn and described and for the
purpose specified.
2. In watches, the combination of a dial, composed as before described, with an
electric lamp J, of any system, located in an enlargement of the watch-case in face of
the opening g, the lamp being provided with a reflector N and connected to any
source of electricity L by means of a flexible cable K, provided, or not, with an
interruptor M of any construction, substantially as shewn and described and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 4th day of Februar 1888