IMPROVEMENTS IN ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Carpenter, of Flushing, in the County of
Queens, State of New York, in the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER
TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 9th July 1858, and dated the 14th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Carpenter at
the Offico of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1858.
I, SAMUEL CARPENTER, of Flushing, in the County of Queens, State of
New York, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND
OTHER TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of a horizontal escape wheel with three
rows of teeth, of which two rows are vertical and one row horizontal, the two
rows of vertical teeth being so arranged that the staff which carries the pallets
can have its bottom bearing between them, so as to allow a tooth on each row
to act alternately on the pallets. For this purpose the escape wheel is formed
with two concentric rings, one within the other, the vertical teeth on the
outer ring being opposite to the spaces between those on the inner ring, and
the teeth on the inner ring being opposite to the spaces on the outer ring.
Around the latter ring also are inserted a series of horizontal teeth equal in
number to the vertical teeth on both rings.
The vertical teeth are for the purpose of giving the required impulses to the

page_text: pallets on the staff of the balance, a tooth on one ring striking the pallet on
one side of the staff, and the next tooth on the other ring striking the pallet
on the other side of the same, and the horizontal teeth are for the purpose of
causing the wheel to be stopped as required by their coming in contact
successively with the catch of the detent spring, the said catch being with-
drawn from each tooth successively, so as to liberate the wheel by means of a
pin on the pallet disc being brought in contact with an arm on the end of the
letent spring.
By the above arrangement, for the purpose of giving a double action to the
pallets, the watch or other timekeeper is prevented from setting by a sudden
jerk, as a tooth of one or other of the rings will always come at once into
action on its corresponding pallet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Carpenter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
CARPENTER, of Flushing, in the County of Queens, State of New York, in the
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, IIer beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Carpenter, Her special license, that I, the said Samuel Carpenter,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Carpenter, my 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
ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Carpenter, by an instrument in
writing under my band and seal, 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
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Carpenter, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in Escapements for Watches and other
Timekeepers" consists in the use of a horizontal escape wheel with three rows
of teeth, of which two rows are vertical and one row horizontal, the two
rows of vertical teeth being so arranged that the staff which carries the pallets
can have its bottom bearing between them, so as to allow a tooth on each row
to act alternately on the pallets. For this purpose the escape wheel is
formed with two concentric rings, one within the other, the vertical teeth
on the outer ring being opposite to the spaces between those on the inner
ring, and the teeth on the inner ring being opposite to the spaces on the outer
ring; around the latter ring are also inserted a series of horizontal teeth,
equal in number to the vertical teeth on both rings.
The vertical teeth are for the purpose of giving the required impulses to
the pallets on the staff of the balance, a tooth on one ring striking the pallet
on one side of the staff, and the next tooth on the other ring striking the
pallet on the other side of the same; and the horizontal teeth are for the
purpose of causing the wheel to be stopped as required, by their coming in
contact successively with the catch of the detent spring, the said catch being
withdrawn from each tooth successively, so as to liberate the wheel by means
of a pin on the pallet disc being brought in contact with an arm on the en! of
the detent spring.
By the above arrangement, for the purpose of giving a double action to the
pallets, the watch or other timekeeper is prevented from setting by a sudden
jerk, as a tooth of one or other of the rings will always come at once into
action on its corresponding pallet.
Such being the nature of the Invention, I will proceed to describe it more
particularly by reference to the accompanying Drawings, which represent on
an enlarged scale the parts of a watch above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal view, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view. A is
the escape wheel, the staff or axis of which has its lower bearing in or under
the bottom plate of the watch or timekeeper (not represented in the Drawing),
and its upper bearing in the cock B, which is raised high enough to allow the
vertical, teeth of the wheel A to pass under, as shewn in Fig. 2; C is the

page_text: inner ring, and D is the outer ring, supported, as shewn, by the arms of
the wheel; E, E, are the vertical teeth on the ring C, and F, F, the vertical
teeth on the ring D; the teeth E, E, being opposite to the spaces between the
teeth F, F, and the latter teeth being opposite to the spaces between the
former. These two sets of teeth are intended to give alternately the required
impulses to the pallets. G, G, are a series of horizontal teeth inserted in
the circumference of the ring D; one tooth corresponding with each tooth
of the two sets or series E, E, and F, F, so as to be capable of detaining the
wheel A, as required, between each action of the teeth E and F respectively
on the pallets. H is a disc on the staff I of the balance, with portions cut
away so as to form two pallets K and L, one on each side of the said staff,
and in suitable position to receive their required impulses from the vertical
teeth, the pallet K from one of the teeth E, E, and the pallet L from one of
the teeth F, F. The staff I has its lower bearing in the bracket or carrier M,
which is screwed to the cock B, and forms a bearing for the staff between the
two rings C and D, with their rows of teeth E, E, and F, F, which are raised
above the arms of the wheel A, to admit of the bracket or carrier M being
placed between them. N is the detent spring, screwed at one end to the
bottom plate of the watch, and having at its other end a catch O, to detain
the wheel A by coming in contact with one of the teeth G, G, and an arm P,
which is driven outwards by a pin Q inserted in the disc II, so as to liberate
the wheel as required. R is a collar on the staff I, into which the upper
end of the pin Q is inserted. The balance is indicated by dotted lines.
The operation of the escapement is as follows:-When the balance is at
rest, if the hair spring be rightly adjusted, the pin Q, the pallets K and L, and
the centre of the escape wheel A, will be in a straight line, and the pin Q, by
acting on the arm P through the hair spring, will have withdrawn the catch O
clear of the teeth G, G; the wheel A will thus be liberated, and on the
application of power will be made to move in the direction shewn by the
arrow in Fig. 2, a vertical tooth F of the said wheel carrying round with it
the pallet L, together with the balance, and allowing the detent spring to
return to its former position by removing the pin Q out of the way of the
latter. The wheel A will continue to move until it is stopped by the next
tooth G coming in contact with the catch O, as shewn in Fig. 1, and the
pallet L being now free from the tooth G, will return by the recoil of the hair
spring, which will cause the pin Q again to withdraw the catch O clear of the
tooth G, and allow the next vertical tooth E to act on the pallet K, and so on
in succession.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not claim as of my Invention the detent spring; but what I claim is,-
First, the construction of the escape wheel with two rows of vertical teeth
for alternately giving impulse to the pallets on each side of the staff carrying
the pallets and balance, so as to admit of this staff having its lower bearing
between such two rows of impelling teeth, as described.
And, secondly, the pallets in combination with the escape wheel and detent
spring, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Carpenter have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
SAMUEL CARPENTER. (L.S.)