IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME PIECES
Year: 1882

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown Patent Agent of 38 Southampton
Buildings London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME PIECES
Communicated to him from abroad by John Joseph Delafield Trenor, of
New York United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th August 1882.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN Patent Agent of 38 Southampton Buildings London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME PIECES [Communicated to him from abroad by John
"
Joseph Delafield Trenor of New York United States of America]
The object of this Invention is to provide time pieces with means whereby
the ordinary hands thereof without being moved independently of the motion
imparted to them by the ordinary time movement may indicate the time at any
two localities at once.
The improvements consist in the employment with a time piece having an
ordinary fixed dial and minute and hour hands of two supplemental independently
adjustable dials, one having on its face minute divisions and the other having on
its face hour divisions and portions of hours said supplemental dials being arranged
so that they and the ordinary hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and
inspected simultaneously and said supplemental dials being set with reference to
the ordinary hands without moving such hands independently of the movement
imparted to them by the ordinary time piece movement to indicate the time at any
place where it differs from that in the place where the hands with reference to the
ordinary fixed dial indicate the time.
The Invention further consists in details of construction.
There are two plates between which the watch movement is placed. The upper
one is provided with a bezel into which a flange on a metal plate
sprung and
by which the plate is held. This plate is provided with three flanges. Between
two flanges and resting upon this plate is a supplemental independently adjustable
annular dial baving sixty divisions indicating minutes on its face It is provided

page_text: with a circular rack rigidly connected thereto for which a groove in the plate is
made to permit of its movement.
Between the other two flanges is a second supplemental independently adjustable
This
annular dial divided on its face into hours and preferably quarters of hours.
dial is also provided with a circular rack which also projects into a groove cut in
the plate to permit it to move.
Journalled partly in the flange of the upper plate and partly in the bezel at one
end and in a small box at the other end is a shaft having upon its inner end
a pinion gearing into a circular rack and at its outer end with a milled wheel by
means of which the first dial may be turned in either direction by moving the
finger or thumb over said wheel.
Also journalled partly in the flange and partly in the bezel at one end and in
a box at the other end is a shaft provided with a pinion gearing into a rack and
at its outer end provided with a milled wheel whereby the second dial may
be turned in either direction by running the finger or thumb over the milled
wheel.
Apertures in the rim holding the crystal are made to permit the shafts to pass.
After the dials are placed within the respective flanges the two outer flanges
are burnished over the slightly beveled edge of each of said dials to prevent them
from moving out from between said flanges.
Within the outer flange is placed the ordinary fixed dial which is held in place
by studs passing through the plate and pins passing through holes in said studs
in the ordinary manner; and through this dial passes from the ordinary watch
movement the shafts that carry the ordinary minute and hour hands the minute
hand being preferably extended so as to project over the one dial to the other dial
and the hour hand to said dial.
Over the hands and dials is placed the ordinary crystal fitting in the ordinary
rim used for holding it.
In using the Invention as embodied in this particular form of apparatus the
watch being set for instance to New York time whether fast or slow if it be
desired to use said watch temporarily in London the user would only have to turn
one annular dial by means of the milled wheel until the proper division or fraction
of a division in said dial was opposite the hour hand to indicate London time and
to turn the other dial by the milled wheel until one of its divisions or a fraction
thereof coincided with the proper minute division of London time when opposite
the minute hand thus enabling the watch to be set to correct London time
without moving the hands and without regard to whether the watch is either
fast or slow New York time. The watch would thus indicate the correct time
in London.
It is only necessary to move the dials so that the proper hour or fraction of an
hour and minute or fraction of a minute division are opposite the hour and minute
hands at any place where there is a difference between such place and the place
where the watch is ordinarily used the hands indicating on the ordinary dial the
time in the latter place to enable the time to be ascertained without calculation at
such different place after this simple adjustment has been made.
I do not confine the Invention to the specific structure just described as it may
be varied within wide limits.
Thus the two supplemental independently adjustable dials may be placed in
a rim provided with arms extending over the crystal of the watch and held by the
bezel that holds said crystal so that the faces of said adjustable dials and the
ordinary hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and inspected simul
taneously, or they may be arranged under the crystal but above the hands a
sufficient space being left to permit said bands to move freely; or they may be
arranged to work in grooves cast in the crystal of the watch and spring into them
and so that their faces and the hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and
inspected simultaneously.
In all of these cases the two supplemental independently adjustable dials may

page_text: be adjusted by the fingers and they may be of any desired material, as metal,
paper, pasteboard, etc. or they may be made of paper or pasteboard of such size
as to be within the ordinary hour circle of the fixed dial with which they are to
be used and after having been properly adjusted with reference to the ordinary
hands temporarily pasted or glued or otherwise secured to either the inside or
outside of the crystal so that the hands and their faces and the ordinary fixed dial
can be seen and inspected simultaneously and be removed and others adjusted when
moving from place to place.
In all of these cases the outer supplemental dial can have the hour divisions
on its face and the inner one the minute. These supplemental dials can also
be arranged so that they are within the divisions of the ordinary fixed dial.
These supplemental dials may also be applied either in the manner described
to ships chronometers, portable clocks or other moveable time pieces and fixed
time pieces as well as to watches and any skilled mechanic could attach them in
the manner above described and such time piece would still contain the Invention
so long as the ordinary fixed dial and hands were used in connection with two
supplemental dials capable of independent adjustment with reference to the
ordinary hands so that their faces and the hands and the fixed dial can be seen
and inspected simultaneously for the purpose described.
These supplemental dials can be applied to old time pieces as well as new so as
to effect the object above described.
By the use of this Invention the time can be ascertained at any two localities
at once without moving the hands of the time piece independently of the motion
imparted to them by the time movement and thus without liability of the time
piece losing its rating; and a traveller can after adjusting the two supplemental
dials upon the time piece ascertain the local time at any place he has reached.
A shipmaster can also do the same when he is at anchor at any port and this
without the inconvenience of and injury incident to resetting it to indicate the
time at the locality where it is ordinarily used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th February 1883.
$3
WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN Patent Agent of 38 Southampton Buildings London,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME PIECES A communication to me from abroad by
John Joseph Delafield Trenor of New York United States of America
The object of this invention is to provide time pieces with means whereby the
ordinary hands thereof without being moved independently of the motion imparted
to them by the ordinary time movement, may indicate the time at any two
localities at once.
The improvement consists in the employment with a time piece having an
ordinary fixed dial and minute and hour hands of two supplemental independently
adjustable dials, one having on its face minute divisions and the other having on
its face hour divisions and portions of hours, said supplemental dials being arranged
so that they and the ordinary hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and
inspected simultaneously and said supplemental dials being set with reference to
the ordinary hands without moving such hands independently of the movement
imparted to them by the ordinary time piece movement, to indicate the time at
any place where it differs from that in the place where the hands with reference to
the ordinary fixed dial indicate the time.
The invention further consists in details of construction herein after fully
described and claimed.
In the Drawings I have shewn one form of apparatus which is the best I have
devised in carrying out the invention. Figure 1 thereof being a plan view of a
hunting case watch with the lid open containing the invention. Figure 2 being a
vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the same taken on the line x. x. of
Figure 1. Figure is an enlarged partial section of the same, and Figure 4 is a
bottom view of a section of the plate 4.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views of modifications of the apparatus shewn in the
other figures, containing my invention.
1 is the upper of the two plates between which the watch movement is placed.
It is provided with a bezel 2, into which a flange 3 on a metal plate 4 is sprung
and by which the plate 4 is held. This plate is provided with flanges 5. 6 and 7.
Between the flanges 5 and 6, and resting upon this plate is a supplemental
independently adjustable annular dial 8 having sixty divisions indicating
minutes on its face. It is provided with a circular rack 9 rigidly connected thereto,
for which a groove 10 in the plate 4 is made to permit of its movements. Between
the flanges 6 and 7 is a second supplemental independently adjustable annular
dial 11 divided on its face into hours and preferably quarters of hours. This dial
is also provided with a circular rack 12 which also projects into a groove cut in the
plate 4, to permit it to move.
Journalled partly in the flange 3 and partly in the bezel 2 at one end, and in a
small box 13 at the other end, is a shaft 14, having upon its inner end a pinion 15
gearing with the circular rack 9, and at its outer end with a milled wheel 16 by
means of which the dial 8 may be turned in either direction by moving the finger
or thumb over said wheel.
Also journalled partly in the flange 3 and partly in the bezel 2, at one end and
in a box 17 at the other end is a shaft 21 provided with a pinion 18 gearing into
the rack 12 and at its outer end provided with a milled wheel 19 whereby the
dial 11 may be turned in either direction by running the finger or thumb over the
milled wheel 19.
Apertures in the rim holding the crystal are made to permit the shafts 14 21
to nee

page_text: After the dials 8 and 11 are placed within the respective flanges 5, and 6 and 6
and 7, the flanges 5 and 7 are burnished over the slightly beviled edge of each of
said dials to prevent them from moving out from between said flanges.
Within the flange 7 is placed the ordinary fixed dial 20 which is held in place
by studs passing through the plate 4, and pins passing through holes in said studs
in the ordinary manner; and through this dial 20 passes from the ordinary watch
movement, the shafts that carry the ordinary minute and hour hands, the minute
hand being preferably extended so as to project over the dial 11 and to the dial 8
and the hour-hand to said dial 11.
Over the hands and dials is placed the ordinary crystal fitting in the ordinary
rim used for holding it.
-- In using the invention as embodied in this particular form of apparatus the
watch being set, for instance to New York time, whether fast or slow; if it be
desired to use said watch temporarily in London the user would only have to turn
the annular dial 11, by means of the milled wheel 19 until the proper division or
fraction of a division in said dial was opposite the hour hand to indicate London
time, and to turn the dial 8 by the milled wheel 16 until one of its divisions or a
fraction thereof coincided with the proper minute division of London time when
opposite-the minute hand thus enabling the watch to be set to correct London time
without moving the hands and without regard to whether the watch is either fast
or slow New York time. The watch would thus indicate the correct time in.
London.
:
It is only necessary to move the dials 8 and 11 so that the proper hour or
fractions of an hour and minute or fraction of a minute division are opposite the
hour and minute hands at any place where there is a difference between such place
and the place where the notch is .ordinarily used, the hands indicating on the
ordinary dial the time in the latter place to enable the time to be ascertained
without calculation at such different place after this simple adjustment has been
made.
I do not confine the invention to the specific structure just described with
reference to the Drawings as it may be varied within wide limits.
Thus the two supplemental independently adjustable dials may be placed in a
rim provided with arms extending over the crystal of the watch and held by the
bezel that holds said crystals so that the faces of said adjustable dials and the
ordinary hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and inspected simultaneously,
as shewn in plan view at Figure 5, and sectional view at Figure 6; or they may be
arranged under the crystal but above the hands, a sufficient space being left to
permit said hands to move freely, or they may be arranged to work in grooves cast
in the crystal of the watch, and spring into them and so that their faces and the
hands and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen and inspected simultaneously, as
clearly shewn at Figure 7 of the Drawings.
In all of these cases the two supplemental independently adjustable dials may be
adjusted by the fingers and they may be of any desired material as metal paper,
paste board etc, or they may be made of paper or paste board of such size as to be
within the ordinary hour circle of the fixed dial with which they are to be used
and after having been properly adjusted with reference to the ordinary hands
temporarily pasted or glued or otherwise secured to either the inside or outside of
the crystal so that the hands and their faces and the ordinary fixed dial can be seen
and inspected simultaneously and be removed and others adjusted when moving
from place to place. Such paper dials are shewn in plan and sectional views at
Figure 8 of the Drawings.
In all of these cases the outer supplemental dial can have the hour divisions on
its face and the inner one the minute. These supplemental dials can also be
arranged so that they are within the divisions of the ordinary fixed dial.
These supplemental dials may also be applied either in the manner described in
the Drawings or as above suggested to ships chronometers, portable clocks or other
moveable time pieces and fixed time pieces, as well as to watches, and any skilled

page_text: mechanic could attach them in the manner above described, and such time piece
would still contain the invention so long as the ordinary fixed dial and hands
were used in connection with two supplemental dials capable of independent adjust-
ment with reference to the ordinary hands so that their faces and the hands and
the fixed dial can be seen and inspected simultaneously for the purpose described.
These supplemental dials can be applied to old time pieces as well as new so as.
to effect the object above described.
By the use of this invention the time can be ascertained at any two localities at
once without moving the hands of the time piece independently of the motion
imparted to them by the time movement and thus without liability of the time
piece losing its rating; and a traveller can after adjusting the two supplemental
dials upon the time piece ascertain the local time at any place he has reached. A
shipmaster can also do the same when he is at anchor at any port and this without
the inconvenience of and injury incident to resetting it, to indicate the time at the
locality where it is ordinarily used.
Having thus described the invention and the merits it possesses, what I claim as
new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
1st In combination with the ordinary fixed dial and hands of a time piece,
two supplemental independently adjustable dials, one having on its face the
divisions of minutes and the other of hours, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2nd In combination with the ordinary fixed dial and hands of a time piece,
two supplemental independently adjustable dials, one bearing on its face the
division of minutes and the other of hours, with means for adjusting the same
with reference to said hands without moving the latter substantially as described.
3rd In combination with the plate 4, the supplemental independently adjustable
dials 8 and 11 substantially as described.
4th In combination with the plate 4 the supplemental independently adjustable
dials 8 and 11 provided with annular racks and shafts provided with pinions and
wheels substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Morgan Brown have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Ninth day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
DRAWN