Improvements in Watches and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Watches and the like.
I, HUGO HEILMANN of Dessau in the Duchy of Anhalt in the German Empire,
Watchmaker, 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 time keepers of all sorts, such as clocks with or without
striking works, and especially to pocket watches, and consists in improvements in
the method of and mechanism for winding said time keepers, the winding of the
watch or other time piece being effected by means of a pull on a chain or cor.
instead of using a key or the pendant or button in the same, by means of which
improvements an easy and quick winding is obtained.
On the drawings appended hereunto the improved winding mechanism is shewn
applied to a horizontal watch with the improved arrangement of wheel work
described in my Specification No. 2140 A.D. 1896 as an example how my invention
may be carried out or applied.
Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the arrangement of the wheels of a horizontal
watch according to my said specification with my improved winding mechanism
applied thereto;
Fig. 2 a cross section of the same or top view of the watch works;
Fig. 3 the wheels spread out diagrammatically to show their arrangement in
different planes;
Fig. 4 a front view of the hour wheel;
Fig. 5 a view of the arrangement of the improved winding mechanism, Fig. 5A
showing a view of the guide rollers for the chain;
Fig. 6 a side view of the spring barrel and section of the chain barrel removed.
from its arbour;
Fig. 7 a top view of the chain barrel;
Fig. 8 a section of the chain barrel and the winding on of the chain.
As shewn by Figs. 1 to 4, the watch work is combined in a compact manner so
that the spring barrel F, centre wheel a and third wheel b, that is to say the three
first wheels, determine the diameter of the watch, and the other wheels and parts,
as the seconds wheel c, escapement wheel d and cylinder e (or in lever watches the
lever and balance) are arranged on a separate plate above the former wheels F, a
and b, in the manner described in my said specification.
The spring barrel arbour g² (which in key watches is turned by the key) has
according to my improvement a large ratchet wheel 9 fixed on it, and is supported
at its outer end in a bush f, upon which a chain barrel K is mounted loosely. The
latter consists of a spring case for a light winding on spring h, and of two flanges
on the circumference of the case, forming a groove i in which the winding chain Z
is wound off and on. On the side of the inner flange of the chain barrel a pawl k
is arranged near to its edge and held in gear by a spring, which pawl when the
barrel is turned forward by pulling the chain engages with the large ratchet
wheel g aud by turning it winds up the spring in the spring barrel, while the light
spring in the chain barrel effects the rewinding of the chain upon the chain
barrel when the chain is released. By o the usual pawl for the ratchet o' on spring
case arbour is denoted. The chain is fixed at in the bottom of the groove i and
preferably guided by two small rollers m and n on the watch case or plate, and is
at its end provided with a suitably shaped handle G in order to facilitate its

page_text: seizure by hand and to protect the slot through which the chain passes, against
the entry of dust.
The winding of the works is effected by seizing the handle G of the chain L, and
pulling the chain out. The chain barrel is thereby caused to make several
revolutions, and by the pawl k turns the large ratchet wheel g, which is fixed upon
the spring arbour g¹ and thus winds up the spring.
The spring h contained in the spring barrel which is attached at one end to the
latter and at the other end to the bush f, is wound on or tightened at the same
time that the watch is wound, and after the pull is finished and the chain released,
effects the automatic turning back of the chain barrel or the rewinding of chain
upon the same.
Obviously the arrangement may be reversed so that the winding of the watch is
effected by the turning back of the chain barrel after the release of the pulled out
chain, by using a sufficiently powerful spring in the chain barrel.
As will be seen from Fig. 8 the chain and barrel are arranged for three
revolutions of the chain barrel for each pull of the chain, and the watch is
conveniently so arranged that each pull of the chain winds it up for 24 hours.
The winding arrangement hereinbefore described may obviously be used for any
other kind of watch works, whether arranged on one or two plates, and to clocks
and time pieces, and the details of the mechanism may be modified to suit different
kinds of works.
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
claim is
1. The winding of watches and time-pieces by pulling a chain or band off a
barrel which on release of the chain winds it on again selfactingly, the winding of
the watch or time-piece being effected either during the outwards or inwards
motion of the chain or band, substantially as herein before described.
2. In watches and timepieces the arrangement of a chain and a chain barrel
containing several convolutions of the chain, or its equivalents, a pawl attached to
said barrel and engaging into a ratchet wheel fixed on the spring barrel arbour,
and a spring contained in the chain barrel wound up by pulling the chain out and
winding the same on again after its release, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1896.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.