IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONO- GRADIO
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Douglas, of Stourbridge, in the County
of Worcester, Watchmaker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONO-
GRADIO"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Douglas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1880.
WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, Watch-
maker. "LMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOGRAPHS.'
"
In constructing this instrument I attach a fine toothed wheel to the fourth
wheel of the watch movement. I place another fine toothed wheel upon the centre
wheel arbor working in the first named fine toothed wheel and carrying a long
second hand. The last named wheel is out of gear when not in use.
To bring it into action I raise a lever which draws two flat bolts, the one on to
a heart shaped piece at the back of the wheel to cause the before named second
hand to move into position. To set the second hand in motion I press down the
lever, thus lowering this bolt into a cavity and causing the wheel to fall into
position. To stop the second hand I press down the other bolt, which was drawn
up with the same movement as the first bolt.
Over the bolts I place a flat spring to prevent the wheel from being turned by
the sliding motion of the bolts. This attachment will also apply to the back pivot
of centre second watches. A further improvement consists in the addition of a
minute hand, either independent or otherwise.
To obtain an independent movement of the minute hand, I place a loose arbor
with a heart shaped attachment upon the centre wheel arbor. The same lever and
bolt used to bring the second hand into position and action also actuates this
minute hand. When not independent the minute hand is fixed upon the centre
wheel arbor in the ordinary way.
To this movement an independent dial may be applied at the back of the watch,
or the second hand may work in front of the ordinary dial.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Douglas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
December 1880.
WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, Watch
Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOGRAPHS." "7
"
This Invention consists of certain improvements in and addition to watches by
which independent chronographic action without stopping the ordinary time
keoping action is ensured; this I effect in various ways, as illustrated in the
annexed Drawings, to which reference will be made in the course of my
description.
Firstly. For a back movement with chronograph dial at the back of the watch I
lengthen the fourth wheel pivot a (Figure 1), upon which I fix a bevilled fine
toothed wheel (b), I lengthen the centre wheel arbor upon which I place to work
freely a second bevilled fine toothed wheel (c) gearing into the wheel (b); on the
socket of the wheel (c) carrying the seconds hand I fix a steel heart shaped
piece (d). By a jointed lever (e) I move a sliding picce (/) causing the piece (f)
by means of the stud (g) to press on the side of the piece (d), thus bringing the
seconds hand to the (60) and keeping it stationary. The first movement of the
lever (e) moves a second sliding piece (h) which is used to lift the wheel (c) out of
gear, at the same time lifting a steel cover (2) to obviate the sliding motion, which
would have a tendency to twist the wheel (c). A thin spring (5) is placed over all
to press the wheel (c) into gear.
Upon the underside of the cover (1), Figure 6, are two small pipes (", ") to full
into cavities (k, k',) in the slide (Figure 4), one to keep the slide, Figure 4, in, the
other to keep it out.
This action is operated by pulling the lever (c) at the point (e') outwards from
the side of the watch, this brings the seconds hand to the (60), the reverse action
lowers the wheel (c) into gear starting the seconds hand. The slide (h) then remains
projecting outwards, and by pressing the slide (h) inwards the wheel (c) is raised
out of gear and the seconds hand stopped.
Immediately beneath the slide (h) in the top plate a small steel pip (), Figure 5,
is employed to prevent the slide (h) from going inwards when the lever (e) is
pressed inwards.
(Figure 7b) represents an arrangement of parts intended as a substitute for the
stud (g); it consists of a slide (m) carrying a stud (n) which raises a lever (o) and
lowers it. The lever (o) is governed by a spring (p); the slide (m) is actuated in
the same manner as the slide (f) by the lever (e).
(Figures 1 to 7b) inclusive are referred to in this description.
By another arrangement, which is a modification of that described, I bring the
seconds hand to the (60) and throw the wheel (c) into and out of gear by means of
the push picce instead of the lever (e). The end of the push piece abuts upon a
slide (a), Figure 8, carrying a click (b) and spring (c). The slide (a) actuated by
the push causes the click (b) to turn a ratchet wheel (d) round one tooth, and is
prevented from moving more than one tooth by a stiff click (e) screwed to the
pillar plate. The slide (a) is returned by a spring (f) screwed to the pillar plato.
All these pieces work between the plates working inside. Upon the top plate I
place a disc (g) with four, five, or six notches; this disc is attached to the square of
the ratchet wheel arbor. The movement of the ratchet wheel actuates this disc
and causes it to raise and let fall suddenly a lever (h) governed by a spring (h¹),
which lever falling upon a heart shaped pioce (i) attached to the seconds whicel (c)
causes the hand to fly up to the (60). The movement of the disc (g) also raises and
lowers a flat lifting piece (j), thus lifting the wheel (c) out of gear. A thin
spring () over all lowers the wheel (c) into gear. Figures 8 to 15° represent this
modification.

page_text: For double cased watches the slide (a) is actuated by a push piece at the side of
the case, the parts being similar to that last described. The slide (a) can be
returned by a flat spiral spring (2) requiring a cover (m) to resist the pressure of
the spring () and to keep down the slide (a).
These parts are shewn in (Figures 16 to 18a) inclusive. Figures 19, 20, and 21,
represent the parts necessary to bring the chronograph action onto the front dial
Upon the fourth wheel arbor (n) I place a wheel (o) working in a motion wheel (P)
carrying a bevilled wheel (q) driving a bevilled wheel (2). Upon the wheel (7)
fix a heart-shaped piece (8). A long thin arbor (t) carrying tho wheel (r) passes
freely through the centre wheel arbor and carries the second hand (u) to the front
dial. The wheels (9 and r) are kept in position by a bridge screwed to the top
plate. The wheel (q) is thrown out of gear by means of the lifting piece already
described. Figures 22 to 26 inclusive show an arrangement by which an
independent minute hand is made to indicate minutes, an independent seconds
hand also recording seconds.
In Figure 22 is shewn a lever (a) with two nibs (b, b¹), (b) actuating the minute
hand, and (b) the seconds hand. (Figure 23) is a double thin spring pressing the
wheels (c) and (d) into gear; the wheel (c) carries a seconds hand (e), and (d) a
minute hand; (f) (Figure 24) shews a lifting spring to raise the wheels (c) and (d)
out of gear; this spring is screwed to the plate passing over the disc (g); a pip (h),
Figure 24, on the underside falls into the cavities in the disc (g). When the pip is
on the solid of the disc, the wheels (c) and (d) are out of gear, and in gear when
the pips are in the cavities. Figure 25 shews a side view, and Figure 26 a plan of
this arrangement. Figure 27 shews another arrangement by which the chrono-
graph is read from the front dial. Upon the fourth wheel arbor I fix a bevilled
wheel (a), and upon a fixed stud I place a bevilled motion wheel (b). Upon a
slender arbor passing through the centre wheel I fix a bevilled wheel (c) and heart
shaped piece (d). I raise the motion wheel (b) out of gear by means of a spring (1),
the spring being raised by a disc (f). The motion wheel (b) is thrown into gear by
a thin spring, shewn dotted at (g), and the wheel (c) is kept stationary by another
thin spring screwed to the plate at (h). The wheels (a) and (c) are kept in position
by a bridge (i). The lever (j) is actuated by the disc (f) and is governed by a
spring (). This arrangement is worked by the push piece, as described for in
(Figures 8 to 15º).
Having thus described my Invention and illustrated the several parts or
appliances by which I obtain the result of being able to attach chronograph
movements to ordinary watches in such manner that the chronograph is prevented
from stopping or in any way interfering with the regular time keeping of the
watch, and also I obtain arrangements by which I place some of the parts between
the plates, thereby reducing the thickness of the watch and dispensing with some
of the screws. I would remark that some of the appliances shewn are not new in
form but have been previously used in other combination; they are those shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, and 21, and I therefore make no claim to
these parts separately, but only as herein combined or arranged with the other
parts or any mero modifications of such arrangements by which the same results
are gained; but I claim the parts illustrated in the remaining Figures separately,
and also in the several combinations and arrangements or any mere modification of
the same herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Douglas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.