An Improved Safety Device for Preventing the Stealing of Watches: or the like from Pockets.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
An Improved Safety Device for Preventing the Stealing of Watches:
or the like from Pockets.
I, RICHARD BING, of Speyer, on the Rhine, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner-
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved safety device for preventing the stealing
of watches or the like from pockets.
This safety device, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, serves for-
the purpose of preventing watches and the like from being stolen from the pocket..
The same is, when serving as a watch protector, inserted between watch and chain
and acts in such a manner, that on exerting a pulling action upon the chain, small.
grapple hooks are caused to project from the device which hooks penetrate the-
stuff or inner lining of the pocket and thus render the withdrawal of the watch
impossible.
As to be clearly seen from Figure 3 of the drawing the safety device consists of
a casing h, at the bottom cover of which a ring for connecting the watch thereto,.
is fixed.
Through a hole, provided in the top cover of the casing passes a small piston b,.
which carries at its outer extremity a ring b to which the chain is attached. A
spiral spring which bears against the top cover of the casing on the one hand and
against a collar provided at the bottoni of the piston 6 on the other hand, bas the
tendency of drawing the piston into and retaining it in the casing h.
At the lower extremity of tho said piston a number of grapple hooks d slightly-
bent outwards are arranged rotatable in perpendicular planes (four in the-
constructional example). The points of these grapple hooks lie, when in resting
position, Figure 1, opposite upwardly sloping holes, of which as many are provided.
in the walls of the casing as hooks are used.
If the chain is pulled (Figure 2), the pressure of the spiral spring fis overcome.
and the piston 6 drawn out of the casing h. During such operation the grapple
hooks d are caused to project outwardly from the casing hand to penetrate the
stuff or lining of the respective pocket as illustrated in Figure 2. Any unobserved
withdrawal of the watch or the like is thus safely prevented.
The essential feature of this protecting device is that when a pulling action is
exerted upon the chain, grapple hooks are caused to project from the casing
constituting part of the device. The construction of the parts for actuating this
protecting device may be various.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
olaim is :-
1. A safety device for preventing the stealing of watches or the like from.
pockets, consisting of a casing (b) inserted between watch or the like and chain,.
from which casing grapple hooks d are caused to project when a pulling action is

page_text: 2. A safety device of the kind described in the first claim, in which the grapple
hooks are provided on a small piston (6) which latter is retained inside the casing
by means of a spring (f) and to which piston the chain is attached.
Dated this 11th day of November 1895.
$45
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.