Improved Mechanism for Winding up Clocks, Watches, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
Improved Mechanism for Winding up Clocks, Watches, and
the like.
I, HENRI DUBOULET, of 25 Gran De Rue Sedan (Ardennes) France, Clock and
Watch Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanism for winding up clocks, watches and the like
and comprises essentially a new application of so-called electric tremblers, which
consists in transforming by means of the contact devices hereinafter described the
oscillations of the said tremblers into continuous or intermittent rotary motion, the
latter being utilized chiefly for automatically winding up main springs or weights in
clock or watch works.
I will describe the contact devices constructed according to my invention for
opening and closing the electric circuit as specially applied to winding up mechanism
for barrels or spring boxes of clocks or watches. One of these contact devices is
applicable to ordinary clock and watch works and the other to works in which great
precision is required. It is understood that I do not limit myself to the aforesaid
application.
The accompanying drawing represents, but only by way of example, means for
effecting the continuous winding up of clock or watch works having a spring or
weight.
Figure 1 represents the mounting of electromagnets with the device for transforming
the trembling motion.
Figure 2 shows mechanism for effecting the electric contact designed to close the
circuit, in which the electromagnets are inserted at the moment when the trembling
mechanism and consequently the winding up device is to be set in action.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the said mechanism.
In the arrangement represented in these three Figures, the circuit is closed once
every hour, and remains in this state during the time necessary for the winding up,
so that when the mechanism is once set in motion it does not require any more
attention. However for the sake of greater security when the winding up has been
effected the work will operate for a certain time during which the electric
winding up device can stop, if necessary, without affecting the motion of the clock
or watch.

page_text: The contact device which I apply more especially to ordinary clocks and watches
comprises a bell crank lever a which is pivotted upon an axis 6 and pressed by an
antagonistic spring c. The said lever is pushed against the action of this spring by
an ivory pin fixed upon the axis that carries the minute hand. Accordingly this push
takes place once every hour, at which moment the small arm d of the lever is brought
in contact with a stop e controlled by a spring f which is electrically insulated from it.
The contact of the lever arm d with the stop e causes the circuit to be closed so that
the electromagnet g is excited and the armature h actuated.
This armature is preferably mounted by means of an adjustable spring i and
provided at its free extremity with another spring k forming a pawl and engaging
with the teeth of a ratchet wheel which it causes to turn forward through the
distance of one tooth during every oscillation. A fly m is mounted upon the axis of
the ratchet wheel for ensuring the engagement of the spring with the teeth of this
ratchet. By a train of wheels suitably constructed the motion, which is extremely
rapid, is reduced in velocity, and the power proportionately augmented as it is transmitted
to the barrel which consequently makes a number of revolutions thus effecting the
winding up.
It is understood that in the above described devices the details of construction
can vary according to the various applications.
In clocks and watches wherein great precision is required I preferably employ the
star wheel contact device represented in Figures 4 and 5 which device allows of the
passage of the electric current in a sure manner. According to this arrangement
electric contact is effected by means of a spring detent C which is insulated from the
pallet plate and which has at its extremity a copper roller I. The latter keeps in
position a star wheel B, half the thickness of which is of bone and the other half of
copper. Upon the periphery of this star wheel are eight teeth, four consisting of
bone, and four of copper. By this star wheel and detent the electric circuit is opened
and closed.
In order to render the operation of these two principal parts for opening and
closing the circuit understood it will be sufficient to state that every twelve hours
(or less) a tappet A, placed upon the axis of the wheel that makes a revolution in
twelve hours, causes one of the pins m upon the star wheel to advance. As this
wheel turns, it forces the roller I to rise to the point of one of its teeth and to full
back into the next interdental space the walls of which are of copper.
The circuit is then closed, as one of the wires passes to the detent that is insulated
from the pallet plate and the other wire is fixed to the work.
The current passes to the electromagnet g shewn in Figure 1, designed to wind up
the spring n Figure 4, which is placed in a cavity of the bevel wheel E. This wheel
is set in motion by the motor which turns the shaft D and consequently the bevel
wheel E through the medium of the small wheel H which gears with it when the
circuit is closed, as hereinbefore described.
Upon the cover of the barrel or spring box is placed a tappet F of the same
height as that fixed upon the axis of the wheel which makes a revolution in twelve
hours (or less) and carries upon the same axis the barrel or spring box or the large
bevel wheel E, and when the latter makes a revolution it winds up the spring through
one revolution, and turns the star wheel which then presents an interdental space
with walls of bone to the roller I. The latter stops in the interdental space, causing
the star wheel to remain in this position until the tappet of the clock or watch-
work again actuates the star wheel, and so on for every twelve hours or a fraction
thereof.
T
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1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism for Winding up Clocks, Watches, and
the like.
I HENRI DUBOULET, of 25 Grande Rue, Sedan (Ardennes), France, Clock and
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 mechanism for winding up clocks, watches and the like and
comprises essentially a new application of so called electric tremblers, which consists
in transforming by means of special contact devices hereinafter described the oscil-
lations of the said tremblers into continuous or intermittent rotary motion, the latter
being utilized chiefly for automatically winding up main springs or weights in clock
or watch works.
I will describe the contact devices constructed according to my invention for
opening and closing the electric circuit, as specially applied to winding up mechanisın
for barrels or spring boxes of clocks or watches. One of these contact devices is
applicable to ordinary clock and watch works and the other to works in which great
precision is required. It is understood that I do not limit myself to the aforesaid
application.
In the drawing left with the provisional specification means are shown for effecting
the continuous winding up of clock or watch works having a spring or weight.
Figure 1 represents the mounting of electro magnets with the device for
transforming the trembling motion.
Figure 2 shows mechanism for effecting the electric contact designed to close the
circuit, in which the electro-magnets are inserted, at the moment when the trembling
mechanism and consequently the winding-up device is to be set in action.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the said mechanism.
In the arrangement represented in these three figures, the circuit is closed once
every hour, and remains in this state during the time necessary for the winding up,
so that when the mechanism is once set in motion it does not require any more
attention. However for the sake of greater security when the winding up has been
effected the work will operate for a certain time during which the electric winding up
device can stop, if necessary without affecting the motion of the clock or watch.
The contact device which I apply more especially to ordinary clocks and watches
comprises a bell crank lever a which is pivoted upon an axis band pressed by a
spring c. The said lever is pushed against the action of this spring, by an ivory pin
fixed upon the axis that carries the minute hand.
Accordingly this push takes place once every hour, at which moment the small
arm d of the lever is brought in contact with a stop e controlled by a spring which
is electrically insulated from it. The contact of the lever arm d with the stop e
causes the circuit to be closed, so that the electro-magnet g is excited and the
armature actuated.
This armature is preferably mounted by means of an adjustable spring i and
provided at its free extremity with another spring k forming a pawl and engaging
with the teeth of a ratchet wheel which it causes to turn forward through the
distance of one tooth during every oscillation. A fly m is mounted upon the axis of
the ratchet wheel 7 for ensuring the engagement of the spring with the teeth of this

page_text: ratchet. By a train of wheels suitably constructed the motion, which is extremely
rapid, is reduced in velocity, and the power proportionately augmented as it is transmitted
to the barrel which consequently makes a number of revolutions, thus effecting the
winding up.
It is understood that in the above described devices the details of construction may
be varied according to the various applications.
In clocks and watches wherein great precision is required I preferably employ the
star wheel contact device represented in Figures 4 and 5 which device allows of the
passage of the electric current in a sure manner. According to this arrangement
electric contact is effected by means of a spring detent which is insulated from the
pallet plate and which has at its extremity a copper roller I. The latter keeps in
position a star wheel B, half the thickness of which is of bone and the other half of
copper. Upon the periphery of this star wheel are eight teeth, four consisting of
bone, and four of copper. By this star wheel and detent the electric circuit is opened
and closed.
In order to render the operation of these two principal parts for opening and
closing the circuit understood it will be sufficient to state that every twelve hours or
less a tappet A, placed upon the axis of the wheel that makes a revolution in twelve
hours, causes one of the pins m upon the star wheel to advance. As this wheel turns,
it forces the roller I to rise to the point of one of its teeth and to fall back into the
next interdental space the walls of which are of copper.
The circuit is then closed, as one of the wires passes to the detent that is insulated
from the pallet plate and the other wire is fixed to the work.
The current passes to the electro-magnet g shown in Figure 1 designed to wind up
the spring n Figure 4, which is placed in a cavity of the bevel wheel E. This wheel
is set in motion by the motor which turns the shaft D and consequently the bevel
wheel E through the medium of the small wheel H which gears with it when the
circuit is closed, as hereinbefore described.
Upon the cover of the barrel or spring box is placed a tappet F of the same height
as that fixed upon the axis of the wheel which makes a revolution in twelve hours
(or less) and carries upon the same axis the barrel or spring box or the large bevel
wheel E, and when the latter makes a revolution it winds up the spring through one
revolution, and turns the star wheel which then presents an interdental space with
walls of bone to the roller I. The latter stops in the interdental space, causing the
star wheel to remain in this position until the tappet of the clock or watch-work
again actuates the star wheel, and so on for every twelve hours or a fraction thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
First A mechanism chiefly employed for winding up clock and watch-works, and
consisting of a spring detent C carrying a roller I that rests upon a star wheel B
having teeth m with insulated parts and conducting parts, in combination with the
electromagnet g and the armature h forming the ratchet device, substantially as above
described with reference to Figures 1, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Second The combination with the electromagnet g and the armature h forming a
ratchet device for actuating the ratchet wheel as above described, of the contact
device formed by a lever having arms a, d and by a finger e establishing contact by
the stop spring substantially as, and for the purpose above specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.