IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES OR OTHER POCKET TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Walker, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES OR OTHER
POCKET TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 27th November 1868, and dated the 1st June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st June 1868.
I, SAMUEL WALKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
WATCHES OR OTHER POCKET TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
The object which I have had in view in devising and perfecting the
various novel constructions, combinations, arrangements, and modi-
fications of parts hereafter referred to under five distinct heads has been
to provide accurate timekeepers of desirable and ordinary pocket sizes
which require winding less frequently than the reliable watches now in
use, say winding once a week instead of every day.

page_text: First. For the purpose of obtaining power sufficient to drive for the
longer period I make the mainspring and its barrel deeper and larger
than in thirty-hour watches of the same size. To allow that to be
done I carry the one cnd of the barrel through the pillar plate and
form a recess for the other end in the potance plate; and to secure the
barrel arbor I attach to the pillar plate a transverse bar formed with
a polygonal, oval, or other opening therein; the barrel arbor is passed
therethrough and held thereby, the usual ratchet wheel and click being
dispensed with.
Second. With the object of effectively utilizing the power stored up
in the spring, of causing it to act with uniform energy as well when
nearly run down as when newly wound up, and of rendering the parts
more durable, I construct the fusee of larger size than those in thirty-
hour watches of the same size. The greatest diameter of the fusee is
equal to that of the main or first wheel; and that the power from the
mainspring may act directly on the pinion of the second wheel I lead
the chain from the fusee to the barrel from the inside instead of from
the outside, as hitherto has been the practice. The main wheel is made
for strength of bell metal, and it works in a recess in the pillar plate.
Third. The wheels and pinions composing the train by which motion
is conveyed from the first wheel are disposed nearer to the circumference
of the plates than formerly, and most of them operate in recesses. The
seconds' wheel, too, is placed near the circumference, so as to enable the
watch to be made of the desired flatness. The number of the teeth of
the wheels and the leaves of the pinions composing the train may be
varied, but in all cases, and this is a most important feature of my
Invention, the 'scape wheel must not have less than sixteen nor more
than twenty-two teeth. I prefer a moderate train thus, main or first
wheel 72 pinion 12; second wheel 60 pinion 12; third wheel 60
pinion 8; fourth wheel 64 pinion 8; and fifth or seconds' wheel .60
and pinion 8.
Fourth. An escapement of great strength, consequently not liable to
get out of order when in wear nor during cleaning, working with
minimum friction, is provided by making the limbs of the pallets of a
wedge shape and the 'scape wheel with club teeth. The incline of the
club teeth act to "drive; the number of teeth I prefer is nineteen.
Fifth. Another construction of escapement working with inconsiderable
friction is provided by reducing the length of drive, that is to say, reducing

page_text: the width or thickness of the limbs of the pallets and constructing the
driving surfaces at an increased angle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th November 1868...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
WALKER, of Liverpool; in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Samuel Walker, Her special license that
I, the said Samuel Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said. Samuel Walker, 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 WATCHES OR OTHER
POCKET TIMEKEEPERS," upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the
said Samuel Walker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing, under my,, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Walker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and. ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
The object which I have had in view in devising and perfecting the
various novel constructions, combinations,, arrangements, and modi-
fications of parts hereafter referred to under four distinct heads has been.
to provide accurate timekeepers of desireable and ordinary pocket, sizes,

page_text: which require winding less frequently than the reliable watches now in
use, say winding once a week instead of every day.
First. For the purpose of obtaining power sufficient to drive for the
longer period I make the mainspring and its barrel deeper and larger
than in thirty-hour watches of the same size. To allow that to be
done I carry the one end of the barrel through the pillar plate and
form a recess for the other end in the potance plate; and to secure the
barrel arbor I attach to the pillar plate a transverse bar formed with a
polygonal, oval, or other opening therein; the barrel arbor is passed
therethrough and held thereby, the usual ratchet wheel and click being
dispensed with.
Second. With the object of effectively utilizing the power stored up
in the spring, of causing it to act with uniform energy as well when
nearly run down as when newly wound up, and of rendering the parts
more durable, I construct the fusee of larger size than those in thirty-
hour watches of the same external size. The greatest diameter of the
fusee is equal to that of the main or first wheel; and that the power
from the mainspring may act directly on the pinion of the second wheel I
lead the chain from the fusee to the barrel from the inside instead of from
the outside, as hitherto has been the practice. The main wheel is made
for strength of bell metal, and it works in a recess in the pillar plate.
•
Third. The wheels and pinions composing the train by which motion
is conveyed from the first wheel are disposed nearer to the circumference
of the plate than formerly, and most of them operate in recesses. The
seconds' wheel, too, is placed near the circumference, so as to enable the
watch to be made of the desired flatness. The number of the tecth of
the wheels and the leaves of the pinions composing the train may be
varied, but in all cases, and this is a most important feature of my
Invention, the 'scape wheel must not have less than sixteen nor more
than twenty-two teeth. I prefer a moderate train thus, main or first
wheel 72 pinion 12; second wheel 60 pinion 12; third wheel 60
pinion 8; fourth wheel 64 pinion 8; and a fifth or seconds' wheel 60
and pinion 8.
Fourth. An escapement of great strength, consequently not liable to
get out of order when in wear nor during cleaning, working with minimum
friction, is provided by making the limbs of the pallets of a wedge shape
and the 'scape wheel with club teeth. The incline of the club teeth act
to "drive; "the number of teeth I prefer is nineteen.

page_text: Since filing my Provisional Specification I have ascertained that that
portion of my improvements described under the fifth head therein has
been attempted to be used, and for that reason I do not now make any
claim thereto.
That my Invention may be clearly seen and understood, and that
others acquainted with the manufacture of pocket timekeepers may be
enabled to carry my improvements into beneficial operation, I have
attached hereto a Sheet of illustrative Drawings, all the parts being
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 1 is a view looking on the back of the pillar plate; Fig. 2, a
front view of the pillar plate, the working parts being in position;
Fig. 3, a front view looking on the potance plate; Fig. 4, a view of the
back of the potance plate; Fig. 5 is a view of the pallets and 'scape
wheel, the crooked limb of the former being unlocked and the straight
limb locked; and Fig. 6, another view of the 'scape wheel and pallets
shewing the crooked limb locked and the straight limb free. In all
these views like letters denote the same parts.
The first head or part of my improvements is most fully illustrated in
Fig. 1.
a is the mainspring barrel brought through the pillar plate b
and made to operate in a recess formed in the potance plate c; d,
polygonal barrel arbor fitted through an opening of the same form in the
transverse bar e; the end of d is notched to allow the mainspring to be
easily adjusted. The said bar e and the arbor constructed as shewn,
serve the double purpose (a) of maintaining the barrel in an upright
position and (b) of the ratchet and click.
The second head or part of my improvements is most fully shewn in
Fig. 2. fis the fusee; g, the chain led from the inside. The main wheel
is fitted on the fusee arbor in the ordinary position, and works in a
recess in 6 for the purpose of admitting a thick fusee and strong chain.
h, the recess for the cap of the fusee formed in c; i is a spring fusee stop;
this presses on the chain when the watch is nearly fully wound up
and catches the hook, as will be understood by watchmakers; i¹, a
recess for i.
The third head or part of my improvements is shewn in Fig. 2. i, the
pinion of the second wheel; k, the second wheel; 1, the third wheel; its
pinion is underneath; m, the pinion of the fourth wheel; n, the fourth
wheel; o, the pinion of the fifth wheel; p, the fifth wheel. The train
of wheels composed of these parts has the number of leaves and teeth

page_text: herein-before mentioned, and they are disposed nearer the circumference
of the movement, as shewn, to allow of eight-days' watches being made
flat or shallow. The first wheel i, the second k, the pinion of the third
wheel, the arbor of the fourth wheel, and the fifth wheel and its arbor,
all move in recesses formed in the pillar plate 6; although I prefer to
make recesses for all these parts I do not confine myself thereto. The
motion wheels it will be obvious may be arranged in any ordinary
manner; two wheels and two pinions answer well, the carrying wheel
working in the cannon pinion and the carrying pinion working in the
hour wheel.
The fourth head or part of my improvements is shewn in Figs. 2, 5,
and 6. q, the 'scape wheel; this is formed with club teeth with the object
of getting a large number of strong teeth; I prefer eighteen or nineteen
in a small wheel. r, the pallets; both of the limbs are made of a wedge-
like form and have blunt points. It will be obvious that by this
construction of wheel and pallets an excellent "drive" is obtained, and
the teeth are much stronger than can possibly be had in those of the
usual form.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same by details which I have found to answer well in
practice, I desire to state that under the first head or part I claim,-
1. The employment of a large mainspring barrel when carried through
the pillar plate in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
2. Constructing the pillar plate with an opening and the potance
plate with a recess to receive a large mainspring barrel, for the purpose
set forth.
3. The transverse bar e with polygonal or oval opening therein in
combination with the barrel arbor d, constructed in the manner and for
the purpose set forth..
Under the second head or part I claim,-
1. Leading the chain from the inside of the barrel to the inside of the
fusee when the fusce and the first wheel are of the same diameter, for
the purpose set forth.
2. Leading the chain from the inside of the barrel to the inside of the
fusee when the barrel operates in an opening formed in the pillar plate, a
as described.

page_text: 3. Causing the first wheel to operate in a recess formed in the pillar
plate for the purpose of admitting a thick fusee and allowing of the use
of a strong chain.
4. Making the first wheel of bell metal when it is of the same diameter
as the fusee and works in a recess in the pillar plate, for the purpose
set forth.
Under the third head or part I claim,―
1. Disposing the wheels forming the train or "calliper" near the
circumference of the frame or movement in the manner described and
shewn on the Drawings, for the purpose set forth.
2. The employment of a 'scape wheel with not less than sixteen and
not more than twenty-two teeth in combination with a train of wheels
disposed, as herein described and shewn on the Drawings.
Under the fourth head or part I claim,―
1. Constructing the 'scape wheel with club teeth and the limbs of
the pallet of a wedge form with blunt points, as herein-before described
and shewn on the Drawings, for the purpose set forth..
And, finally, I claim the combination, arrangement, and modification
of the parts as a whole, as described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Walker, have hercunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-sixth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
5 In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
SAMUEL WALKER. (L.S.)