Year: 1886

page_text: I DANIEL NETTEKOVEN of Fort Shair Montana Territory United States of
America Watch-maker 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 :—
The object of my Invention is to provide a new and improved watch winding
mechanism which will prevent injury to the watch by overwinding.
The Invention consists of a tension clutch on the winding mechanism and of a
device for regulating the tension of the clutch.
The Invention also consists of various parts and details and combinations of
the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the
claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification; in which figure 1 is an elevation of a watch key provided with my
improvement, figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. Figure 3 is an elevation
of a stem winder provided with my improvement. Figure 4 is a front elevation
of a modified form of winder. Figure 5 is a face view of the spring of the modified
form shewn in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a face view of a ratchet of a modified form,
figure 7 is an elevation of the same. Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of a modified
form of the improvement, figures 9 and 10 are detail views of the same. Figure 11
is a face view of a ratchet wheel of a modified form, and Figure 12 is an elevation
of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
•
My Invention is applicable to watch-keys and stem winders, as illustrated in the
drawings the mechanism being the same for both forms of watch-winders.
The winding mechanism or key A is provided with the shank B having the
square aperture C which engages with the square pin or arbor attached to the
pinion meshing into the gear wheel operating on the main arbor of the watch in
the usual manner. The shank B is provided with a ratchet wheel D having.
pointed teeth with slanting edges, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; or the teeth
may have flat tops and slanting edges, as. illustrated in figures 6 and 7. The
ratchet-wheel D meshes into a corresponding ratchet-wheel E formed on the
bottom of the hollow stem F which is provided either with plain straight or fluted

page_text: sides H or with a spherical fluted knob H', as shewn in figures 3 and 4, of any
approved construction. The ratchet-wheel E forms, in conjunction with the ratchet-
wheel D, the clutch of the winding mechanism.
From the centre of the ratchet-wheel D projects a shaft G which passes into and
has its bearing in the hollow stem F and on it is coiled a spring I, one end of
which rests on the bottom of the stem F the other end resting against a collar J
adapted to slide on the shaft G and pressed against the spring I by a nut K screwed
on the upper screw-threaded end of the shaft G. A cap L fits over the upper open
end of the hollow stem F and prevents dust, etc, from entering the stem F. The
shaft G is preferably made square or hexagonal in cross-section below the screw-
threaded part, and a corresponding aperture which is square or hexagonal in cross
section is formed in the sliding collar J so that the latter turns with the shaft G
and can slide on the same without loosening the nut K.
The operation is as follows;-The spring I holds the ratchet wheels D and E in
contact and the tension of the spring is regulated by screwing the nut K up or
down; the tension must be sufficient to hold the wheels D and E in contact when
the watch is being wound that is-when the operator turns the stem F in a
forward direction and as soon as the winding of the watch is accomplished, the
shank B remains stationary, even if the operator continues to turn the stem, while
the stem F and its ratchet-wheel E turn and the latter glides over the stationary
ratchet-wheel D which prevents the breaking of the main spring or of the other
parts of the watch. The stem may also be turned backward at any time, which
backward movement causes the ratchet wheel E to glide over the wheel Das the
shank B remains stationary.
For stem winders I may also use the construction shewn in figure 4, in which
I provide the stem F with the square part N which passes through an elongated
slot O in the spring P which is attached to the edge of the watch in any suitable
manner, and the tension of the spring on the stem is regulated by a screw or other
device. The ratchet E of the stem F meshes into the ratchet D directly attached
to the pinion Q connected with the main spring of the watch in the usual
manner.
In stem-winding watches the shank B is commonly held and guided in the
stationary barrel of the watch by a screw; but I have found this to be insufficient
for my improved winding mechanism and hence construct the same as shewn in
figure 8, in which the winding mechanism A is guided and held in the stationary
barrel Qby providing the shank B with the collar R directly under the ratchet-
wheel D and by securing a sleeve S to the barrel Q1 by means of screws or other
suitable device. The sleeve S forms a bearing for the stem F and rests loosely
with its lower end on the collar R, thus permitting a free turning of the winding
mechanism and at the same time forming a better guide or bearing for the same.
The ratchet D may also be made adjustable on the shank B by making the latter
square, and by providing the ratchet-wheel with a square aperture, as shewn in
Figure 11. The form of the teeth shewn in the ratchet-wheel D, illustrated in
figures 11 and 12, is slightly different from the shape shewn in Figures 6 and 7,
but it meshes into the latter, if this is used as the ratchet-wheel E on the stem F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a watch-winding mechanism, the combination of a tension clutch on the
winding mechanism with a device for regulating the tension of the clutch,
substantially as shewn and described.
2. In a watch-winding mechanism, the combination of a tension clutch' on
the winding mechanism with a spring for regulating the tension of the said
clutch, substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a watch-winding mechanism, the combination of a tension clutch consisting
of the ratchet-wheel D on the shank B and of the ratchet-wheel E on the stem F

page_text: with a spring for regulating the tension between the ratchet-wheels D and E,
substantially as shewn and described.
4. In a watch-winding mechanism, the combination of the stem F provided with
the ratchet-wheel E with the shank B provided with the ratchet-wheel D, the
shaft G formed on the shank B, the spring I coiled on the said shaft G, the collar J
and the nut K screwed on the said shaft G, substantially as shewn and described.
5. In a watch-winding mechanism, the stem F, the ratchet wheel E formed on
the same and the cap L in combination with the shank B, the ratchet-wheel D
formed on the said shank the shaft G, the spring I coiled on the said shaft G, the
collar J and the nut K screwed on the upper part of the shaft G, substantially as
shewn and described.
6. In a watch-winding mechanism, the stem F having the square part N, the
spring P operating on the said stem and the ratchet wheel E formed on the said
stem F in combination with the ratchet-wheel D in mesh with the ratchet-wheel E
and the pinion Q carrying the said ratchet wheel D and connected with the main
spring of the watch, substantially as shewn and described.
7. In a watch winding mechanism, a tension clutch consisting of the ratchet
wheel D on the shank B and of the ratchet wheel E and a collar R on the shank B
in combination with the barrel Q¹ of the watch and the sleeve S secured on the
inside of the said barrel and serving to hold the collar R and its connections in
place, substantially as shewn and described.
8. In a watch-winding mechanism, the barrel Q¹ and the sleeve S fastened to
the inside of the said barrel in combination with the collar R on the. shank B for
holding the watch-winding mechanism in place in the said barrel Q¹, substantially
as shewn and described.