IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn, of 169, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Charles
Delagrave and Ludovic Goillandeau, both of Paris, France.
Sealed the 9th April 1878, and dated the 6th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1877.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES." [A communica-
tion from abroad by Charles Delagrave and Ludovic Goillandeau, both of Paris,
France.]
The object of this Invention is to make a watch which will tell the time in all
parts of the world, and this by means of a single dial placed in the watch, either
replacing the inner "cap" or situated on the ordinary dial in the middle or at the
periphery. Whatever be the position of this new or universal dial, it consists of a
disc either plain or annular, and central or circumferential, divided into 24 parts,
making one revolution in 24 hours. It revolves in juxtaposition to a fixed an-
nular disc, on which are marked at proper places the names of chief cities or
countries.
In order to tell the time in any given country it is sufficient to see what figure
of the day or night is opposite the name of such country.
One manner in which the Invention may be carried into effect is as follows:-I
take a dial composed of a fixed annular disc of metal, ivory, or other suitable
material, within which turns a disc of metal, glass, or other suitable material. This
inner disc is divided into 24 parts, 12 of the divisions corresponding to the hours of
the day, and the other 12 to the hours of the night; these latter are indicated by
a colored part or by a thick line. On the outer fixed annular disc are engraved or
marked the names of places or countries, such, for example, as Greenwich, New
York, San Francisco, Sydney, Calcutta, Astrakan, their position on the dial cor-
responding to their position on the globe.

page_text: Motion is communicated to the central disc in the following manner:-The
central arbor or "long rod" carries a wheel like the ordinary minute wheel; this
wheel gears with another wheel of double the diameter, the arbor of which carries
a pinion gearing with a third wheel; the socket or axis of this third wheel carries
the revolving disc. It will thus be understood that while the ordinary hour hand 5
completes a revolution in 12 hours, the third wheel and disc will turn at only half
the speed, and make only one revolution in 24 hours.
According to another arrangement, the annular fixed disc is placed outside the
ordinary dial, forming in fact part of it, while the revolving disc, divided into its
24 parts, 12 for the day and 12 for the night, is placed around the fixed disc. This 1
disc is caused to revolve once in 24 hours by mechanism analogous to that above
described.
In either of the arrangements described the setting of the ordinary hands to the
correct time sets the revolving disc simultaneously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1878.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES." (A communica-
tion from abroad by Charles Delagrave and Ludovic Goillandeau, both of Paris,
France.)
The object of this Invention is to make a watch which will tell the time of all
parts of the world, and this by means of a single dial placed in the watch, either
replacing the inner "cap," or situated on the ordinary dial in the middle or at the
periphery. Whatever be the position of this new or universal dial, it consists of a
disc, either plain or annular, and central or circumferential, divided into 24 parts,
and making one revolution in 24 hours. It revolves in juxtaposition to a fixed
annular disc, on which are marked at proper places the names of chief cities or
countries.
In order to tell the time in any given country, it is sufficient to see what figure
of the day or night is opposite the name of such country.
One manner in which the Invention may be carried into effect is represented in
Figure 1, which is a view of a dial fitted inside a watch, Figure 2 being à view
of the ordinary dial or face, which is in this instance not altered.
The dial (Figure 1) is composed of a fixed annular disc A of metal, ivory, or other
suitable material, within which turns a disc B of metal, glass, or other suitable
material. This disc B is divided into 24 parts, 12 of the divisions corresponding
to the hours of the day, and the other 12 to the hours of the night; these latter
may be distinguished by a colored part or by a thick line t. On the fixed annular
disc A are engraved or marked at proper positions the names of places or countries,
as shewn in the Figure.
Motion is communicated to the central disc B in the following manner :--The

page_text: central arbor or "long rod" a carries a wheel b like the ordinary minute wheel;
this wheel b gears with another wheel c of double the diameter, the arbor of which
carries a pinion d gearing with a third wheel e; the socket or axis of this third wheel
carries the revolving disc B. It will thus be understood that while the ordinary hour
hand completes a revolution in 12 hours, the wheel e and disc will turn at only half
the speed, and make only one revolution in 24 hours.
According to another arrangement, represented in Figure 3, the annular fixed
disc C is placed outside the ordinary dial, forming in fact part of it, while the re-
volving disc D, divided into its 24 parts, 12 for the day and 12 for the night, is
placed around the fixed disc. This disc is caused to revolve once in 24 hours by
mechanism analogous to that above described with reference to Figure 1.
In either of the arrangements described, the setting of the ordinary hands to the
correct time sets the revolving disc simultaneously.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, constructing or manufacturing
watches with a disc divided into 24 hours or parts, and making one revolution daily
in juxtaposition to a fixed disc, on which the names of cities or countries are marked,
so that the time of any such city or country is indicated by the figure of the movable
dial opposite the name of the said city or country, substantially as herein-before
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
J. C. MEWBURN. (L.S.)