IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING UP WATCHES, CLOCKS, OR OTHER INSTRUMENTS OR MACHINES OPERATED BY A SPRING OR WEIGHT
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING UP WATCHES, CLOCKS, OR OTHER
INSTRUMENTS OR MACHINES OPERATED BY A SPRING OR WEIGHT." A com-
munication from abroad by Kasimir Vogel, of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING
UP WATCHES, CLOCKS, OR OTHER INSTRUMENTS OR MACHINES OPERATED BY A
SPRING OR WEIGHT." [A communication from abroad by Kasimir Vogel, of the
United States of America.]
This Invention has for its object to provide means for the periodical or constant
restoration of the tension or strain upon a spring, or the periodical or constant
rewinding of a weight, when such weight or spring is employed as the impelling
force of a clock, watch, motor, or other moving or impelling device or mechanism.
The said Invention comprises the combination with a minor actuating spring or
weight, in a clock, watch, motor, or other moving or impelling device or mechanism
of a major spring or weight, so combined, arranged, and connected to or with such
minor spring or weight, that as the latter is being unwound, run down, or its
impelling force is being expended, such major spring or weight shall, so long as its
force transcends that of such minor spring or weight, either intermittently or
continuously restore by rewinding such minor spring or weight.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, and in connection with a clock, I
provide a drum which is loosely mounted on a rotary arbor or shaft, and within
said drum is arranged the major coiled spring, said spring being at one of its ends
secured to the arbor and at the other end to the drum by a screw or other well
known means. Upon said shaft or arbor is rigidly secured a ratchet wheel with
which the usual spring actuated holding pawl engages. There is also concentrically
mounted upon the said arbor a gear wheel, which is secured to and revolves with
the drum as the same is actuated by the major spring. Said gear wheel meshes
into and actuates a pinion on a shaft, which pinion meshes into another gear wheel
[Price 6d1

page_text: which is rigidly secured upon another arbor. A second drum is loosely mounted
upon this arbor, and within said drum is a coiled spring, one end of which is
secured to the arbor and the other to said drum by a screw or other-well known
means. A gear wheel on this drum engages with a pinion on a shaft of the clock
movement and thereby actuates the same.
The transmittal of the force of the said two springs for the impelling of the
clock movement is effected in the following manner By the engagement of the
teeth on the first drum with the intermediate gear wheel, and the engagement of
the latter with the gear wheel which is rigid on the arbor of the second drum,
while the coiled spring in the latter is secured as stated, and the gear wheel or
teeth on said drum engage with the pinions of the shaft of the clock movement,
the force of the major spring will by said means be exerted upon the second spring,
and the force of the latter will be exerted upon the movement when not subject to
the force of the major spring, and for the purpose of intermitting or controlling the
exerting by this spring of its force upon the second spring I employ the following
described devices, that is to say:-
A bifurcated pawl having arms is pivotally and loosely mounted on the arbor
carrying the intermediate wheel, and a trundle mounted on a pin in one of the
arms travels in an excentric cam groove in the face of the gear wheel, which is on
the second drum, whereby said pawl is vibrated on the arbor as this gear wheel
revolves. Upon the arms of said pawl are formed seats, which seats engage a catch
or tooth of an outer cam, rigidly secured on the second drum arbor as the same
revolves. If both springs were wound to full tension and the said catch rested in
one of the seats of one arm, the force of the major spring would be thereby pre-
vented from acting on the minor spring, until by the semi revolution of the gear
wheel on the latter, and the action of the excentric groove upon the pin the seat
is disengaged from the catch, thereby setting free the second dram, when the action
of the major spring will restore the tension of the minor spring, which during such
half revolution of the gear wheel was thereby expended in driving the clock move-
ment. When said catch is so released from the seat in either of the arms, the
seat in the opposite arm by its contact with the catch or tooth will arrest the
rotary movement of the second drum arbor, when the force of the minor spring will
continue to drive the clock movement or other attached mechanism.
If each revolution of the gear wheel on the second drum moved forward the
hands on the dial one hour then by these devices the superior force of the major
spring would once each half hour restore the full tension of the minor spring, which
restoration would be so repeated as long as the strength, as exerted, of the major
spring exceeded that of the minor spring. Instead of rewinding the latter at each
half revolution of its drum, it may be accomplished by any degree of frequency,
or infrequency, as may be desired, or such rewinding may be continuous and in
the ratio of the expenditure of the force of the minor spring, to accomplish which
result the gear wheel opposite the wheel on the second drum would have a cam
groove corresponding to the groove in the gear wheel on the second drum, while
one of the arms of the pawl would be provided with a cam pin projecting in the
opposite direction to the other pin, so as to engage in the groove in the face of the
said gear wheel opposite the drum.
By this arrangement the superior force of the major spring can only rewind the
inferior spring by means of the gear wheel secured to the arbor of the second drum,
as the cam gear wheel on the drum is rotated by the action of the minor spring as
it actuates the clock movement.
It will be obvious that the employment of a weight in place of either or both
said springs would not change the principle of my Invention, which is equally
adapted to use with either of such actuating means, and my Invention is adapted
to use not only upon time keepers but to numerous other purposes where springs or
weights are employed as the motive power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Scal Patent: Office on the
22nd September 1881.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of 'the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London.- "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING
UP WATCHES, CLOCKS, OR OTHER. INSTRUMENTS OR MACHINES OPERATED BY A
SPRING OR WEIGHT." A communication from abroad by Kasimir Vogel, of the
United States of America.
This Invention has for its object the periodical or constant restoration of the
tension or strain upon a spring, or the periodical or constant rewinding of a
weight when such weight or spring is employed as the impelling force of a clock
or watch, a motor apparatus, or other moving or impelling device or mechanism.
The said Invention comprises the combination with a minor actuating spring or
weight in a clock, watch, motor, or other moving or impelling device or mechanism
of a major spring or weight, so combined, arranged, and connected to or with such
minor spring or weight, that as the latter is being unwound or run down, or its
impelling force is being expended, such major spring or weight shall, so long as
its force transcends that of such minor spring or weight, either intermittently or
continuously restore by rewinding such minor spring or weight.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a front or face elevation of a common clock movement having my
Invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a side or edge elevation of Figure 1, as seen from the right hand
thereof.
Figure 3 is a side or edge elevation of Figure 1, as seen from the left hand of
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a front elevation, showing the vibrating pawl and cam, by which
the action of the major spring or weight upon the minor spring or weight is
regulated and controlled.
Figure 5 is a vertical diametric section shewing a modification of the devices
shewn in Figure 4, by which the compensation or restoration of force to the minor
spring or weight is regulated.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the devices shewn in section in Figure 5.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A represents the common movement or interior mechanism
of a clock, the same being shewn only for the purpose of more easily illustrating
one of the practical applications of my Invention.
A drum a is loosely mounted on a rotary arbor b, and within the said drum is
arranged the major coiled spring c, shown in end and side elevation in Figures 1
and 2, the said spring being at one of its ends secured to the arbor or shaft b, and
at its other end to the drum a by a screw as shewn in Figure 2, or by other con-
venient means. Upon the said shaft b is rigidly secured the ratchet wheel d with
which the usual spring-actuated holding-pawl engages, as clearly shown in Figures
1 and 2. There is also concentrically mounted upon the arbor b a toothed wheel e,
which is secured to and revolves with the drum a as the latter is actuated by the
spring c. The wheel e gears into and actuates a pinion f on the shaft g; this
pinion gears into a wheel which is rigidly secured upon the arbor i, the gearing of
the said wheels e, f, h, being clearly shewn in Figure 2..
The drumj is loosely mounted upon the arbor i, and within the said drum is the
coiled spring secured at one end to the arbor i, and at its other end to the said
drum j by a screw, as shown or otherwise. A gear wheel k on the drum j engages.
with a pinion a' on the shaft b' of the clock movement A, and thereby actuates the
same, the meshing of the said wheel k and pinion a¹ being shewn in Figure 1.

page_text: The transmission of the force of the said spring c and 2 for the impelling of the
clock movement A is effected in the following manner :-It will be apparent that
by the engagement of the wheel e on the drum a with the intermediate wheel f, and
the engagement of the latter with the wheel h, which is rigidly fixed on the arbor i,
while the coiled spring is also secured as specified to the arbor.i, and drum j and
the gear wheel k on the said drum engages with the pinion a¹ on the shaft b' of
the clock movement A, the force of the spring c will be exerted upon the spring 7,
and the force of the latter will be exerted upon the movement A when not subject
to the force of the spring o, and for the purpose of intermitting or controlling the
exertion by the spring c of its force upon the spring I employ the following
devices, that is to say,-
A bifurcated pawl having arms m, n, is pivotally and loosely mounted on the
arbor g, and a trundle mounted on the pin o shewn by dotted lines in the arm n,
travels in the eccentric cam-groove p in the face of the wheel k, the said pawl
being thereby vibrated on the arbor g, as the wheel k revolves. Upon the arms m, n,
of the said pawl are formed the seats 1, 2, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, which seats
engage with the catch or tooth s of the cam t rigidly secured on the arbor i as the
same revolves. If both of the aforesaid springs were wound to their full tension
and the catch a rested in the seat 1 of the arm m, as shewn in Figure 4; the
force of the major spring c would be thereby prevented from acting on the minor
spring, until by the semi-revolution of the wheel k, and the action of the eccentric
cam or cam groove p upon the pin o in the arm n, the seat 1 has been disengaged
from the catch s of cam t, thereby setting free the drum j; when the action of
the spring c will restore the tension of the spring 1, which during such half revo-
lution of the gear wheel k was thereby expended in driving the clock movement A.
When the said catch a is so released from the seat in either of the arms m or n,
the seat in the opposite arm by its contact with the tooths will arrest the rotary
movement of the arbor i, when the force of the spring will continue to drive
the clock movement or other mechanism.
If each revolution of the gear wheel k moved forward the hands on the dial one
hour, then by the devices shewn the superior force of the spring c would once
each half hour restore the full tension of the spring 1, which restoration would be
repeated as long as the strength exerted by the spring c exceeded that of the
spring l
Instead of re-winding the spring at each half revolution of its drum and
wheel k, the rewinding may be accomplished with any degree of frequency
desired, or such re-winding may be continuous, and in the ratio of the expenditure
of the force of the spring 1, to accomplish which result the wheel h would have a
cam groove corresponding to the groove p in the wheel k opposite to that of
wheel k, while the arm m of the pawl would be provided with a cam-pin v, like
that shown at o on the arm n, but projecting in the opposite direction, so as to
engage in the groove in the face of the wheel h, as shewn in Figure 5, where the
contact of the pins in the arms of the said pawl in their respective eccentric cam
grooves is plainly shewn.
By this arrangement the superior force of the spring c can only rewind the
inferior spring 1, by means of the wheel h secured to the arbor i, as the cam gear
wheel k is rotated by the action of the spring as it actuates the clock movement.
It will be obvious that the employment of a weight in place of either or both
of the aforesaid springs would be within the scope of my Invention, which is
equally adapted to use with either of such actuating means.
Invention may readily be adapted to various purposes where springs or weights
are employed as the motive power.
And the said
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The combination with a superior prime motor and an inferior motor, the
two being united by suitable power transmitting devices of mechanism combined

page_text: and arranged therewith, to automatically control and permit such superior motor
to either intermittently or continuously re-wind the inferior motor as its force in
either case is expended.
Second. The combination of the springs o and 7, with suitable connecting and
transmitting mechanism, the cams p and t, and the bifurcated pawl, constructed
and arranged to be engaged and actuated by the cam p, and to engage with and
arrest the cam t, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the spring c with its drum a and wheel e mounted
on the arbor b; the spring with its drum ; and wheel k mounted loosely on the
shaft i, and the pawl and cams, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-one.
HENRY H. LAKE. (L.S.)