IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-PIECES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James and William Bradshaw, of Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Watch Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TIME-PIECES."
Sealed the 24th April 1855, and dated the 1st November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James and William
Bradshaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents; with their
Petition, on the 1st November 1854.
We, JAMES & WILLIAM BRADSHAW, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Watch Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-PIECES" to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual compound and complicated spring holder, with its
several fixings, we propose to fix a simple lever, attached to a projection near
the escape wheel, with a small spring to act upon it, so that during the move-
ment of the wheel the said lever will act in the same manner as the usual
spring holder; by this contrivance we are enabled to reduce very considerably
the cost of watches, chronometers, clocks, and all kinds of time-pieces:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James and William Bradshaw in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
and WILLIAM BRADSHAW, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Watch
Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year.of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Bradshaw and William. Bradshaw, Her special licence that we,
the said James Bradshaw and William Bradshaw, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Bradshaw and William
Bradshaw, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME-
PIECES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Bradshaw
and William Bradshaw, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bradshaw, for and on behalf
of myself and the said James Bradshaw, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that
is to say):-
Our Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the spring holders or detent spring of time-pieces, and instead
of using the ordinary compound and complicated spring holder or detent
spring, with one part stong and another part very weak, and fixing it firmly
to the stud in the potence plate, we use a simple lever, and cause it to
work or vibrate upon a staff in suitable bearings, by which contrivance we are
enabled to dispense with the very slender or weak part of the detent, and make
it of the same strength from end to end, and thus prevent the time-pieces

page_text: from stopping so very often, and otherwise getting out of order on account of
the said very delicate part giving way.
Another part of our said Invention consists of causing an independent dead
or full 'seconds and half seconds to beat from the one train, thus dispensing.
with the ordinary plan of independent trains, and simplifying very much the
mechanism of the time-piece. The particulars of these our improvements will
be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings;
in which, Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the construction and arrangement of the
detent spring as at present generally adopted, shewing the weak or slender
part, which is so apt to get out of order. Fig. 3 shews the construction and
application of our improved detent with the lifting spring attached. Fig. 4 is
a modification thereof, shewing the locking spring reversed. a represents the
lever, fixed on the staff b; which vibrates in suitable bearings.. The staff 6 is
furnished with a spiral spring c, the reaction of which causes the locking of
the balance wheel when the lever a is lifted, by the lifting spring d coming in
contact with the lifting pallet e. Fig. 5 shews another modification or other
shaped spring which may be used instead of the spiral spring c, if desirable;
but we prefer the spiral spring, which will be found in practice more effective.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views of various arrangements for causing the
seconds hand to stop when required without stopping the whole train or time-
piece, which object is obtained by raising the hand and boss, on which it is
fitted tight, off the seconds pivot; or the same object may be obtained by means
of a small cross-cut, grooved, or chased plate, with its corresponding one fitting
tight on the seconds pivot. In Figs. 6 and 7 the hand is shewn at i, the
seconds boss, to which it is connected at k, having the lower part formed with
a groove or pulley l, with the under side cross-cut, grooved, or chased, and kept
in contact with the driving plate m by the slight spring n; the lever for lifting
or stopping is shewn at o, which works on a fulcrum at p, and its lifting end
enters the groove l. It is evident that the hand can be raised or stopped at
pleasure by pressing against the end g of the lever o. In Figs. 8 and 9 the
lever o for raising or stopping turns upon the centre p, and is furnished with
an incline, which raises the boss k, by being pressed under the lower part of it.
Fig. 10 represents another modification for raising the seconds hand, by
means of a pinion working in the third wheel, which pinion works upon the
centre, and is raised by the levers, described in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. In Fig. 11
we shew a novel and useful arrangement of accomplishing a full dead seconds
from an ordinary train by means of a small star wheel, as represented in
Fig. 11 at r; this wheel is worked by a pinion from either the third or fourth

page_text: wheel, so divided as to give one impulse to each tooth of the wheel s. in one
second.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
exact details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and
which, to the best of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used
within this realm, the simple lever in place of the detent spring, with the
method of working the same; and the mode or method of working the half or
full seconds with one train; and the application of the same to all kinds of
time-pieces; as such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bradshaw, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Bradshaw, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
.
WILLIAM BRADSHAW. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-..
named William Bradshaw, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,.
Patent Agent,
Manchester.