Improvements in Watches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Watches.
I, FRIEDRICH FREY of 42 Sofienstrasse, Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 watches and has for its purpose to materially simplify
the stem-winder with hand setting, the escapement and the barrel.
The barrel is replaced by a simple wheel with winding arbor and a simple ring
integral with the click wheel, whereby the winding arbor hitherto used provided
with four pivots, square and screw, is reduced to an arbor having but two pivots,
while the barrel cover is entirely dispensed with.
The improved "Duplex escapement materially differs from the form usual
heretofore, as my escape wheel can be stamped out and therefore produced at a
cheaper rate and executed more exactly, while the oil more easily adheres to the
points of the sprockets of the little wheel. Moreover the upper pivot is accessible
for polishing so that the wheel need not be removed and replaced. For the
purpose of further simplification the digit of the known "Duplex" escapement is
replaced by a simple steel disc with cut and the roller by a cut or recess in the
shaft of this steel disc, thereby doing away with the great fragility of the shafts
hitherto used with rollers or of the cylinder in lever watches in the escapement of
which the cylinder slide can be dispensed with in the improved arrangement, so
that a watch with this simplified "Duplex" escapement can be made cheaper with
the application of the same simple balance usual with a cylinder movement, while,
when properly executed, the improved "Duplex" escapement excels the horizontal
escapement in reliability of movement. Moreover the chance of the so-called
sliding occurring in fine and expensive "Duplex" watches is considerably
diminished, the extent of oscillation in my simplified "Duplex" escapement being
smaller and similar to that in cylinder movements, while if required the sliding
can be precluded by the application of a banking pin as in cylinder movements.
A further advantage consists in the avoidance of the liability of stopping created
through the heavy balance hitherto used.
Referring to the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 represents the winding device and arrangement of the wheel work as it is
visible when the watch is opened.
Fig. 2 shows the rear (bottom) side of the bridge P, in which is lodged the
spring, fixing the shaft W in any of its positions.
Figs. 3 to 10.illustrate details.
the crown.
Spring R catches into two turned recesses of shaft W, viz., into the lower recess
or groove, when the watch is to be wound, and into the upper recess when the
hands are to be set, for which purpose the crown has been so far pressed in, that
spring R has snapped into the upper recess, in which position then the wheel C
Fig. 3 gears direct into the change-wheel D and the hands can be set by turning
The simple steel wheel C serving as a substitute for the usual
"Chaussée glissant" or slide pin is mounted on a square n of shaft W Fig. 2 on
which it is fixed by a screw ƒ Fig. 4, which, on being tightened, penetrates with its
point into a notch k provided at one of the limit lines of the square. With the
fixing of the wheel C on shaft W, the latter is simultaneously secured in the
watch. When loosening the screw f sufficiently, shaft W can be easily pulled
out and introduced again, without the necessity of first removing the plate.
On the shaft W being drawn back by the crown into its normal position, the
wheel C when the watch is being wound, gears into the winding wheel A. Fig. 1

page_text: which revolves about a projection in a cavity provided for this purpose and gears
on its own part into the intermediate wheel Z revoluble about a pivot of lever H.
This pivot is somewhat longer than the thickness of wheel Z amounts to, so that
said pivot projects at the bottom and lays itself for the regulation of the gearing
into click wheel S against a cavity provided in bridge P. The fulcrum of lever H
is formed by screws by which it is secured. The screw V Fig. 1, whose conic
point is visible in Fig. 2, serves for regulating the catching of spring R into
shaft W, a slight tightening or loosening of said screw increasing or diminishing
the pressure of spring R against the shaft. Spring r acting on lever H ensures
the proper gearing of intermediate wheel Z into the click wheel S. On the crown
being turned backward, the lever H turns slightly back with wheel Z so that the
gearing snaps over.
Click wheel S has a round hole and revolves about projection a of bridge B
Fig. 7. A ringe Fig. 6 is let into the inner side of the click wheel and forms with
the latter one part, viz. the barrel.
This barrel, on the watch being wound, turns with the spring contained therein
in the hole L of bridge P Fig. 2 between the projection of the latter and bridge B
Fig. 7 around the winding arbor 6 Figs. 5 and 7 integral with spring wheel F, and
now immovable, thereby winding the spring upon the arbor, which when the
watch is going, turns with its two pivots on one side in a hole of plate G, on the
other side in the hole of bridge B Fig. 7. These pivots are considerably thinner
than the corresponding pivots of other watches, whereby the friction is reduced.
The click wheel S with its ring may of course also be made in one piece and from
any suitable metal.
The wheel work is disposed as follows:
Spring wheel F runs under the barrel direct over the plate as shown in Fig. 7.
The minute wheel M Fig. 1 is provided below the spring wheel in a cavity of the
plate, the second or intermediate wheel K in a somewhat deeper cavity and the fourth
wheel in the deepest cavity below the second wheel and escape wheel. By the minute
wheel running below the balance, the otherwise frequently occurring striking of
the spiral, or its contact or that of the balance with the minute wheel is
obviated.
Another advantage of the improved watch consists in the large space left below
the dial plate regarding its surface as well as its depth which affords room for
special mechanisms for instance date, repetition or other devices.
Moreover the placing of a new spring into the barrel is considerably facilitated,
as for this purpose the watch need not be taken out of the box, but only the
bridge B is taken off. My improvements in general allow of a simpler and more
commodious mounting. In order to prevent the end of the spring from sliding out
of the barrel and come in contact with the spring wheel, the bent-round end of the
spring is slanted Fig. 10 so as to cause the pointed part to clamp itself fast
between the barrel hook and the bottom of the barrel.
The large click wheel S gives the improved watch the prepossessing appearance
of better class watches and renders the winding soft.
"
The play of the movement is precisely the same as that of the known "Duplex
escapement. Fig. 8 represents the escape wheel d seen from above with the
various positions of the steel disc E with cross section of its shaft and its recess.
Fig. 9 is an elevation and plan of steel disc E with shaft e and recess.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
In watches of all kinds :
1) A stemwinder with hand setting characterised by a displaceable shaft W held

page_text: intermediate wheel Z and click wheel S, or comes into gear with intermediate
wheel D and allows of the setting of the hands, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2) A barrel or spring box without cover consisting of the spring wheel F with
winding arbor b and the click wheel S with ring c Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 10, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
3) A "Duplex" escapement characterised by a peculiarly shaped escape
wheel d illustrated in Fig. 8 of the annexed drawing and by the application of a
little steel disc E provided with a recess and serving as a substitute for the digit
and of a shaft e with recess in lieu of the roller, Figs. 8 and 9, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
1001
FRIEDRICH FREY.
By Huelser & Co.,
Temple Chambers, London, his Agents.