IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS 'OR TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Maltby Crichton, of Stoke Abbey, Stoke
Bishop, in the Parish of Westbury-upon-Frym, in the County of
Gloucester, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS
'OR TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 10th June 1859, and dated the 5th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Maltby Crichton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th April 1859.
I, FRANCIS MALTBY CRICHTON, of Stoke Abbey, Stoke Bishop, in the
Parish of Westbury-upon-Frym, in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS
OR TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
This. Invention consists in a new arrangement of what is usually termed a
"going barrel," or toothed spring box, applying the power of one only to work
both trains. On the arbor of a going barrel, at either end of the barrel, but
wholly detached from it, I place a toothed wheel made to turn freely on
the arbor against a collet, and firmly attached to the arbor over such wheel
I place the winding ratchet, and on the wheel itself one or more, clicks
to work with the ratchet; the wheel can thus turn freely in one direction on
the arbor between the ratchet and collet in precisely similar manner to the
great wheel on a common watch fusce arbor. I pitch the teeth of this wheel
in connection with the striking train in place of the second going barrel,

page_text: which is dispensed with. In winding the clock, the ratchet and clicks work
upon the wheel as a fusee arbor does, instead of in the usual manner with
going barrel movements upon the clock plate. While thus the going barrel
is a continuous motion turning in one direction upon the arbor, and driving
one train, the arbor itself carrying the wheel pitching with the striking train
is always ready to act turning in the opposite direction. One stopwork only
is necessary, which answers for both trains, and placed in the usual way upon
either end of the barrel. This double action of the mainspring may be applied
to other timepieces, such as musical clocks, &c.; and I claim this Invention
for every description of timekeepers where a second mainspring may be
requisite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Maltby Crichton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
MALTBY CRICHTON, of Stoke Abbey, Stoke Bishop, in the Parish of Westbury-
upon-Frym, in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Francis Maltby Crichton, Her special licence that I, the said Francis
Maltby Crichton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Francis Maltby Crichton, 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 CLOCKS OR TIMEKEEPERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Francis Maltby Crichton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Francis Maltby Crichton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in a new arrangement of what is usually termed a
going barrel," or toothed spring box, applying the power of one only to work
both trains. On the arbor of a going barrel, at either end of the barrel, but
wholly detached from it, I place a toothed wheel made to turn freely on the
arbor against a collet, and firmly attached to the arbor over such wheel I
place the winding ratchet, and on the wheel itself one or more clicks to work
with the ratchet. The wheel can thus turn freely in one direction on the
arbor between the ratchet and collet in precisely similar manner to the great
wheel on a common watch fusee arbor. I pitch the teeth of this wheel.in
connection with the striking train in place of the second going barrel, which
is dispensed with. In winding the clock, the ratchet and clicks work upon
the wheel as a fusee arbor does, instead of in the usual manner with going
barrel movements upon the clock plate. While thus the going barrel is a
continuous motion turning in one direction upon the arbor, and driving one
train, the arbor itself carrying the wheel pitching with the striking train is
always ready to act turning in the opposite direction. One stopwork only is
necessary, which answers for both trains, and placed in the usual way upon
either end of the barrel.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will prooood to describe the D.

page_text: toothed wheel g, which gives 'motion to the striking train as the Drawing
-shows.
It will be seen that by, this arrangement, the tension of the mainspring
giving the barrel a tendency to revolve in one direction drives the clock train,
and the same spring giving the arbor a tendency to revolve in a contrary
direction actuates the striking train. This double action of the mainspring
may be applied in the manner above described to other timepieces, such as
musical clocks, &c., and I claim this Invention for every description of time-
keepers where a second mainspring may be requisite.
of
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Maltby Crichton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of October, in tho year
Your Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
FRANCIS MALIBY CRICHTON. (L.S.)