Improvements in Watch-cases.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
Improvements in Watch-cases.
I, Fritz Köhli, of The Seeland Watch Co. of Madretsch, Canton of Berne, in
the Republic of Switzerland, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
or
The invention consists of certain new and useful improvements in watch-cases
and has essentially for its object to provide a perfectly water and dust-tight watch-
case disposed so as to allow the watch-work to be casily affixed in the same
removed therefrom either for the purpose of interchanging the works and cases or
for repairing.
The invention further consists of certain improvements in the arrangement
of the stem of a watch-case of my improved construction arranged for stop-
watches.
The improved watch-case is composed of a casing of variable form and
configuration forming the case proper and having a pendant which may also be
of any suitable form whatever fixed to its circumference.
The front portion of the casing is provided with a suitable opening for the
introduction of the watch-work which may be provided or not with a cylindrical
cage or circle having a glass-bezel bearing an inner glass or cover covering the
works.
To the plate of the works there is affixed a glass-bezel bearing the external glass
which covers the dial.
Diametrically opposed to the pendant there is provided next the edge of the
front-opening of the case a catch or projection intended to engage a corresponding
catch or projection on the watch-work or circle. The catch may for instance be
formed like a fork and the projection engages the branches of said fork, or the one
projection may be formed like a fork and the other projection be formed so
as to engage the branches of the said fork; or the projections may form a
hinge so as to have the watch-work hinged to its casing diametrically opposite
the stem.
a
In the pendant there is provided a stem to which is fixed the crown. Tbe said
stem has at its inner end an axial square hole adapted to engage the square portion
of the usual winding-up-stem contained in the watch-work through a suitable hole of
the circle. The stem is further provided with a circular groove in which engages
the forked end of the inwardly bent portion of a spring placed in the inner
circumferential portion of the casing. The said spring is moreover provided with
push-piece fixed to its other end and engaging a suitable hole or opening of the
The spring being introduced into the casing and the push-piece engaged in.
a suitable hole of the case; it will be understood that as the bent end portion
which is forked and engages the groove of the stem projects inwards, the said
spring will have the tendency to force the said stem inwardly, that is to say to
engage the end-portion of same upon the square stem of the watch-work through
a suitable hole of the circle and to thereby firmly retain the watch-work in the
casing.
case.
The stem is further provided with circumferential grooves which are alternately
engaged by a spring fixed to the case and holding the said stem either in its
retracted position, in which the stem allows the work to be passed into the casing,
or in its depressed position, in which the sleeve is pressed by the bent portion of the
spring into the watch-work and upon the square stem of the latter as already
described.

page_text: If the improved watch-work is intended to contain a stop-watch the mechanism
of which is to be acted upon by depressing a push-piece concentric to the crown
then the stem is constructed as follows:-The crown is affixed to a sleeve having
on its outer surface a circular groove into which engages the forked end of the
spring, exactly as described above. The lower portion of the axial hole of said
sleeve is of square section and the square portion of the stem passes through the
same, the end portion of said stem is provided as in the first construction above
described, with a square axial hole intended to engage the square portion of the
stem contained in the watch-work. The said end-portion of the stem is further
provided with a shoulder bearing against the lower end of the sleeve so as to have
the depressing action of the inwardly bent end of the spring acting upon the
sleeve directly transmitted to the stem. The latter has a cylindrical portion
surrounded by a spiral spring which bears on the one hand upon the upper end
of the sleeve and on the other hand against a head-piece or push-piece, firmly fixed
to the stem and liable to be axially depressed into the crown.
According to one form of the spring the push-piece intended to act upon a
handsetting-mechanism of any kind whatever, is usually pressed outwardly
by the spring and the said push-piece being engaged in a suitable hole of the
case it prevents at same time the sliding of the said spring in the case.
•
The grooves of the stem and the spring intended to engage the same as above
specified may be dispensed with, their purpose being only to facilitate the
operation of holding the crown retracted whilst the watch-work is engaged into
the case.
According to the construction above described this operation takes place as
follows: The crown is first retracted so as to place the stem into the position in
which the spring engages the groove and in which the end-portion of the same is
out of the way of the watch-work. The said watch-work is then engaged into the
case after having engaged the projections with one another. When completely
engaged into the case, the watch-work will bear with its bezel upon the edges of
the opening of the case and in that position the square stem contained in the said
watch-work will be in line with the other stem.
The latter may then be pressed into the watch until the square hole is engaged
on the stem of the work, that is to say until the spring engages the groove.
The
work is then firmly fixed in its case.
If the stem is of the modified construction above referred to the watch-work is
introduced exactly in the same manner but the grooves and the spring being
dispensed with the crown must be held retracted by hand during the operation.
When the work is in its place and the crown abandoned to itself the end of the
spring will cause the end of the stem to engage the stem of the work and the
latter is firmly fixed in the case. But the end-portion may nevertheless be
depressed by acting upon the push-piece in view of acting upon a stop-hand-
mechanism of any well-known construction whatever.
Dated this 8th dor of Iuno 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
22332
1, FRITZ KÖHLI, of The Seeland Watch Co. of Madretsch, Canton of Berne, in
the Republic of Switzerland, 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 :-
The invention consists of certain new and useful improvements in watch-cases

page_text: and has essentially for its object to provide a perfectly water and dust-tight watch-
case disposed so as to allow the watch-work to be easily affixed in the same or
removed therefrom either for the purpose of interchanging the works and cases or
for repairs.
The invention further consists of certain improvements in the arrangement
of the stem of a watch-case of my improved construction arranged for stop-
watches.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a cross-section through my improved watch-case and through
the pendant and crown the watch-work being shown about to be introduced into
the case.
Figure 2 is a detail of a spring hereinafter described showing the same withdrawn
from the case.
Figure 3 shows the construction of the stem of the watch-case shown in Figure 1,
when the watch for which it is made is a stop-watch the stop-hand mechanism of
which is to be acted upon by depressing the crown and stem.
In all the figures the same letters of reference refer to the same parts.
The improved watch-case is composed of a casing of variable form and
configuration A forming the case proper and having a sleeve or stem case A¹
which may also be of any suitable form whatever fixed to its circumference.
The front portion of the casing A is provided with a suitable opening for the
introduction of the watch-work which may be provided or not with a cylindrical
cage or circle C having a glass-bezel D bearing an inner glass or cover covering
the work.
To the plate of the works there is affixed a glass-bezel B bearing the external
glass which covers the dial.
Diametrically opposite the sleeve A' is provided next the edge of the front-
opening of the case A a catch or projection a intended to engage a corresponding
catch or projection on the watch-work or circle C. The catch a may for instance
be formed like a fork and the projection c engages the branches of said fork, or the
projection c may be formed like a fork and the projection a be formed so as to
engage the branches of the said fork; or the projections a and c may form a hinge
so as to have the watch-work hinged to its casing diametrically opposite the
stem.
In the sleeve A' is provided a stem G to which is fixed the crown G¹. The said
stem G has at its inner end g+ an axial square hole adapted to engage the square
portion of the usual winding-up-stem contained in the watch-work (not shown)
through a suitable hole in the circle C. The stem G is further provided with a
circular groove g in which engages the forked end of the inwardly bent portion e of
a spring E substantially formed as shown in Figure 2 and placed in the inner
circumferential portion of the casing A. The said spring E is moreover provided
with a push-piece F fixed to its other end and engaging a suitable hole or opening
of the case A. The spring E being introduced in the casing as shown in Figure
and the push-piece F engaged into a suitable hole of the case A it will be understood
that as the bent end portion which is forked and engages the groove g of the stem G
projects inwardly, the said spring E will have the tendency to force the said
stem G inwardly, that is to say to engage the end-portion g* of same upon the
square stem of the watch-work through the hole in the circle C and to thereby
firmly retain the watch-work in the casing.
The stem G is further provided with circumferential grooves g¹ and g² which are
alternately engaged by a spring A+ fixed to the case A and holding the said stem G
either in its retracted position, as shown in Figure 1, in which the stem G allows
the work to be passed into the casing, or: in its depressed position, in which the
sleeve g is pressed by the bent portion e of the spring E' into the watch-work and
upon the square stem of the latter as already described.
If the improved watch-work is intended to contain a stop-watch the mechanism
of which is to be acted upon by depressing a push-piece concentric to the crown Gi

page_text: then the stem is constructed as shown in Figure 3. The crown G¹ is affixed to a
sleeve H having on its outer surface a circular groove g into which engages the
forked end e of the spring E, exactly as described above. The lower portion of
the axial hole of said sleeve H is of square section and the square portion g³ of the
stem G+ passes through the same, the end portion 9+ of said stem G+ is provided
as in the first construction above described, with a square axial hole intended to
engage the square portion of the stem contained in the watch-work. The said end-
portion g of the stem G+ is further provided with a shoulder g' bearing against the
lower end of the sleeve H so as to have the depressing action of the inwardly bent
end e of the spring acting upon the sleeve H directly transmitted to the stem G+.
The latter has a cylindrical portion gs surrounded by a spiral spring I which bears
on the one hand upon the upper end of the sleeve H and on the other hand against
a head-piece or push-piece K, firmly fixed to the stem G+ and adapted to be axially
depressed into the crown G.
According to the form of the spring E as shown in Figure 2 the push-piece F
intended to act upon a hand-setting-mechanism of any kind whatever, is usually
pressed outwardly by the spring E and the said push-piece F being engaged in a
suitable hole of the case A it prevents at same time the sliding of the said spring E
in the case A.
The grooves g' and 92 of the stem G and the spring A+ intended to engage the
same as above specified may be dispensed with, their purpose being only to
facilitate the operation of holding the crown retracted whilst the watch-work is
engaged into the case.
According to the construction shown in Figure 1 this operation takes place as
follows: The crown G¹is first retracted as shown in Figure 1 so as to place the
stem G into the position in which the spring A+ engages the groove 91 and in which
the end-portion g+ of the same is out of the way of the watch-work. The said
watch-work is then engaged into the case in the manner shown in Figure 1 after
having engaged the projections a and c with one another. When completely
engaged into the case, the watch-work will bear with its bezel B upon the edges of
the opening of the case A and in that position the square stem contained in the
said watch-work will be in line with the other stem G.
The latter may then be pressed into the watch until the square hole of the
portion g+ is engaged on the stem of the work, that is to say until the spring A+
engages the groove 9². The work is then firmly fixed in its case.
If the stem is of the construction shown in Figure 3 the watch-work is introduced
exactly in the same manner but the grooves g¹ g2 and the spring A+ being dispensed
with the crown G₁ must be held retracted by hand during the operation. When
the work is in its place and the crown G¹ released the end e of the spring E will
cause the end gt of the stem G+ to engage the stem of the work and the latter is
firmly fixed in the case. But the end-portion g+ may nevertheless be depressed by
acting upon the push-piece K with the object of acting upon a stop-hand-inechanism
of any well-known construction.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1st. In watch-cases the combination with a case A of any suitable shape or
configuration having a sleeve A¹ and a catch or projection a of a crown Gla
stem G having a circular groove and an axial square hole in its inner end-
portion g+ and of a spring E adapted to fit in the circumferential portion of the
casing A and having its one end e projecting inwardly and forked so as to engage
the said circular groove g of the stem G and to project said stem toward the centre
of the case, the other end of said spring E bearing a push-piece F and being
formed so as to project the same outwardly through a suitable hole in the case A,
substantially as shown and described.
2nd. In watch-cases the combination with a case A of any suitable shape or

page_text: configuration having a sleeve A' and a catch or projection a of a crown G¹, a
stem G having circular grooves g gl and 92 and an axial square hole in its inner
end-portion g+, of a spring A+ fixed to the case A and adapted to engage the
grooves g or g respectively and of a spring E adapted to fit in the circumferential
portion of the casing A and having its one end e projecting inwardly and forked so
as to engage the said circular groove g of the stem G and to project said stem
toward the centre of the case, the other end of said spring E bearing a push-
piece F and being formed so that the latter will project outwardly through a
suitable hole in the case A, substantially as shown and described.
3rd. In watch-cases the combination with a case A of any suitable shape or
configuration having a sleeve A¹ and a catch or projection a of a crown G¹ fixed to
a sleeve H having an inner wall h with square hole, a stem G+ having a push-
piece K fixed to it, a spiral-spring I lodged within said sleeve H between the push-
piece K and the wall h, said stem G+ having a square portion engaged in the
square hole of the said wall h of the sleeve H and an inner end-portion 9+ and of a
spring E adapted to fit in the circumferential portion of the casing A and having
its one end e projecting inwardly and forked so as to engage the said circular
groove h of the sleeve H and to project said sleeve H and stem G+ toward the
centre of the case, the other end of said spring E bearing a push-piece F and being
formed so that the latter will project outwardly through a suitable hole of the
case A, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of February 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.