IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP WATCHES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOP WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Henri Alfred Lugrin and
Prosper Nordmann, both of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 29th December 1877, and dated the 28th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1877.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP WATCHES." [A communication from
abroad by Henri Alfred Lugrin and Prosper Nordmann, both of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to an improved horse-timing attachment to watches, by
which one or more observations can be made by a very simple method, and the
timing device after use be thrown entirely out of connection with the watch move-
ment, thereby avoiding all friction when the watch is not used for timing purpose.
The timing device is so placed in relation to the movement and face dial, that no
confusion can occur with the face hands, and a neater and better arrangement is
obtained.
>
According to this Invention the quarter second hand and the split quarter second
hand, together with their dial, are arranged on the top of the watch movement on
the side opposite to the face with the hour and minute hands, in order to separate
the horse-timing attachment from the face dial and hands, and facilitate the working
of the quarter second hands without confusion with the other hands. The quarter
second hand is revolved by means of a bevelled and minutely toothed wheel, which is
applied to the centre post, and revolved by gearing with a corresponding toothed
wheel attached to the watch train, and bevelled in the opposite direction, so that
the wheels when in gear are in the same plane, and may be readily put out of gear by.
a wedge-shaped or bevelled lever and lifting spring, by which the centre wheel is

page_text: brought into a position parallel to and slightly above the other wheel. A spring
attached to the centre wheel bears on the bridge of the movement, and lowers the
centre wheel into gear as soon as the lever is withdrawn. This lowering spring
may also be adjusted on the top of the bridge. The motion of the timing device is in
this manner established or interrupted by a simple, accurate, and reliable mechanism
that ensures the instant starting or stopping of the quarter second hands. The
quarter second hands are returned or shifted back to the point of starting by a
spring lever in connection with the usual heart-shaped cam of the centre post. The
gearing, ungearing, and shifting back can however also be done by the usual push
device. The split quarter second hand may be stopped or retained by a fulcrumed
lever that is pressed on a disc of the centre post so as to stop the split quarter
second hand by the friction on the disc, while the quarter second hand continues to
travel until thrown out of gear with the watch train, as above described. On the
release of the friction lever from the disc the split quarter second hand is carried
back to the quarter second hand by the heart, cam, and spring mechanism, the watch
being then ready for the next timing.
By disconnecting the bevelled wheels the quarter second and split quarter second
hands are set to rest and separated entirely from the watch movement, so that
no friction or strain is exerted on the same when the watch is not used for timing
purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP WATCHES." A communication from
abroad by Henri Alfred Lugrin and Prosper Nordmann, both of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improved horse-timing attachment to watches, by
which one or more observations can be made by a very simple method, and the
timing device after use may be thrown entirely out of connection with the watch
movement, thereby avoiding all friction when the watch is not used for timing
purposes.
The timing device is so placed in relation to the movement and face dial that no
confusion can occur with the face hands, and a neater and better arrangement is
obtained.
The Invention consists of the arrangement of the quarter second hand and its
dial on the top of the watch movement, separated from the face dial and hands, the
quarter second hand being mounted on a short centre post, and geared with the
watch train by means of bevelled and toothed wheels. The split quarter second hand
is stopped by a friction lever and disc to admit the quarter second hand to continue
and time thereby a second horse. The timing attachment is thrown into gear with
the bevelled and toothed wheel of a watch train by a wedge-shaped lever and
spring, which are so arranged that the lever will, when thrown towards the centre
post raise the centre bevel wheel, and throw it out of gear with the watch train, and

page_text: interrupt the motion of the quarter second hand and split quarter second hands.
When the lever is brought back to its former position the bevelled centre wheel,
with the aid of a small lowering spring, is made to gear with the other bevelled
wheel and with the train of the watch.
In the accompanying Drawing, which illustrates the Invention,-
Figure 1 represents a plan view of the top of a watch, with the improved stop
device or timing attachment.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the same on line c, c, Figure 1.
And Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a detail top view and a side view of the
sliding central bevel wheel.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a quarter second hand, and A' a so-called split quarter second hand
of the usual construction as used in horse-timing attachments to watches. These
hands A and A' are arranged on the top of the watch movement on the side opposite
to that on which the hour and minute hands are arranged in order to separate the
horse-timing attachment from the face dial and hands, and facilitate the working of
the quarter second hands without confusion with the other hands. B is the dial of
the quarter second hands that is also arranged on the top of the movement, and
graduated in suitable manner. The quarter second hand A is revolved by means of
a bevelled and minutely toothed wheel C, which is applied to the centre post, and
revolved by gearing with a similarly bevelled and toothed wheel C' attached to the
watch train, which wheel is arranged with teeth bevelled with a downward inclina-
tion, while the teeth of centre wheel C are bevelled with an upward inclination.
This produces the parallelism of the intermeshing teeth of the wheels by a wedge-
shaped or bevelled lever D and lifting spring D¹, so that the centre wheel is brought
into a position parallel to and slightly above the wheel C¹, and thereby thrown out
of gear with the other bevel wheel. A spring D2 attached to the centre wheel C
bears on the bridge of the movement, and lowers the wheel into gear with wheel C
as soon as the lever is withdrawn. This lowering spring D² may also be adjusted
on the top of the bridge. The motion of the timing device is in this manner
established or interrupted by a simple, accurate, and reliable mechanism, that
ensures the instant starting or stopping of the quarter second hands. The quarter
second hands are returned or shifted back to the point of starting by a spring lever E
in connection with the usual heart-shaped cam of the centre post. The gearing,
ungearing, and shifting back can however also be done by the usual push device.
The split quarter second hand may be stopped or retained by a fulcrumed lever F
that is pressed on a disc F¹ of the centre post, so as to stop the split hand by the
friction on the disc, while the quarter second hand continues to travel until inter-
rupted by the action of the wheel-raising lever D. The release of the friction lever
from the disc carries the split quarter second hand back to the quarter second hand
by the heart, cam, and spring mechanism, the watch being then ready for the next
timing.
By disconnecting the centre bevelled wheels C from the bevelled wheel C¹ the
quarter second and split quarter second hands are set to rest and separated entirely
from the watch movement, so that no friction or strain is exerted on the same when
the watch is not used for timing purposes.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. In horse-timing watches the quarter second hand and its dial located on the
top of the watch movement, substantially as specified.
Second. The timing attachment consisting of a quarter second and split quarter
second hand, mounted on a short centre post, and geared with the watch train, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a bevelled and toothed wheel attached to the watch
movement of a timing attachment, having a similarly bevelled and toothed but
inverted centre wheel that is thrown in or out of gear with the watch movement

page_text: by suitable lever and spring devices, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
set forth.
Fourth. The combination of bevel wheel C', inverted bevel wheel C, wedge-
shaped lever D, lifting spring D', and lowering spring D³, to establish or interrupt
connection of watch movement and timing attachment, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ATADT
M. CLARK
(L.S.)