IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Powell, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Watch Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 19th May 1863, and dated the 22nd November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Powell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 22nd
November 1862.
I, CHARLES POWELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Watch
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of watches and other timekeepers
so that they shall have neither fuzee or barrel or barrel bar (or name plate).
I construct a pillar plate of sufficient thickness, and screw the pillars into
blank or blind holes; these pillars (as is usual) form the support for the upper
plate. I sink or let into the pillar plate at the back the main spring, the outer
end of which is fastened to the said pillar plate, by a newly constructed hook,
which is also let into a round hole in the pillar plate. The shank part of the
said hook is a round plane (by preference); to fix it with one screw, the hook
part widens outward, and projects just so far into the cavity for the main
spring, as to catch the end effectually, and banks itself. I insert the arbor
or shaft through the spring at back of pillar plate, and through a strong boss
left annularly round the centre of hollow in the pillar plate; the large part of
the arbor has a hook to it, to catch and gather up the spring to the centre;

page_text: this said arbor is supported with cover screwed on the back of the pillar plate,
which said cover has a strong boss or step. The arbor passes up to the inside
of the pillar plate, and there has the great wheel put upon it with maintain-
ing power spring, let into a groove in the said great wheel, then the main-
taining power wheel is put on great wheel and maintaining spring; the main-
taining power wheel has a new click and spring in one piece, and formed in a
circle, so that the click on the thin end of the circular spring banks on or
against the back or thick end, which prevents any running back (and being so
shaped will cut all the teeth from the steel ratchet, rather than give way);
the ratchet is then put on the maintaining wheel on the arbor or shaft and
pinned down, binding the whole with a pin across the ratchet and arbor; the
arbor then passes through the top plate for wind up square. I also fit main
spring in hollow inside pillar plate, and put cover on with a large centre hole;
I then put arbor or shaft through the thick body of the said arbor, having a
hook to wind up the spring; the pivot on the back end of the arbor works in
a boss in the centre of the hollow in the pillar plate, which said boss supports
the arbor. Above the thick round body of the arbor is an extended rim,
cut into a ratchet, and on that is placed the maintaining wheel with new
banking circular spring click; upon the maintaining wheel is placed the
great wheel, having the maintaining spring let into a groove in the great
wheel, having a collet put upon it, and pinned across the arbor to bind the
wheel down; the arbor then passes through the top plate for wind up square.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Powell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
POWELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Watch Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Powell, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Powell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Powell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-

page_text: after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Powell, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Powell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of watches and other timekeepers,
so that they shall have neither fuzee, or barrel, or barrel bar (or name plate).
I construct a pillar plate of sufficient thickness, and screw the pillars into
blank or blind holes; these pillars (as is usual) form the support for the upper
plate. I sink or let into the pillar plate at the back, the main spring, the outer
end of which is fastened to the said pillar plate by a newly constructed hook,
which is also let into a round hole in the pillar plate; the shank part of the
said hook is a round plane by preference with one screw to fix it; the hook
part widens outwards, and projects just so far into the cavity for the main
spring, as to. catch the end effectually, and bank itself. I insert the arbor
or shaft through the spring at the back of the pillar plate, and through a strong
boss, left annularly round the centre of a hollow in the pillar plate. The large
part of the arbor has a hook to it, to catch and gather up the spring to the
centre; this said arbor is supported with a cover screwed on the back of the
pillar plate, which said cover has a strong boss or step; the arbor passes up to
the inside of the pillar plate, and there has the great wheel put upon it with
maintaining power spring, let into a groove in the said great wheel, then the
maintaining power wheel is put on the great wheel and the maintaining spring;
the maintaining power wheel has a new click and spring in one piece, and formed
in a circle, so that the click on the thin end of the circular spring banks on or
against the back or thick end, which prevents any running back; the ratchet
is then put on the maintaining wheel on the arbor or shaft and pinned down,
binding the whole with a pin across the ratchet and arbor; the arbor then
basses through the top plate for wind up square. I also fit' main spring in a

page_text: hollow inside the pillar plate, and put a cover upon it with a large centre hole;
I then put the arbor or shaft through, the thick body of the said arbor
having a hook to wind up the spring. The pivot on the back end of the arbor
works in a boss in the centre of the hollow in the pillar plate, which said boss
supports the arbor. Above the thick round body of the arbor is an extended
rim cut into a ratchet, and on that is placed the maintaining wheel with a new
banking circular spring click. On the maintaining wheel is placed the great
wheel, having maintaining spring let into a groove in the great wheel, the
great wheel having the collet upon it and pinned across the arbor, to bind
the wheel down; the arbor then passes through the top plate for wind up
square.
Having thus set forth the nature of my said Invention I next proceed to
describe it with reference to the Drawings (which are måde double size, in
order the better to illustrate the smaller parts of a regular sized watch):
Figure 1 is a section of Figure 2 through the line a-y, including a section
of Figure 5, and represents a pillar plate, in which said pillar plate I screw
the three pillars, and instead of drilling the holes quite through, I form blank or
blind holes, as shewn at a, Figure 1; 6, Figures 1 and 2, shew the position of
the spring, which is let in the under side of the pillar plate (by preference)
and the outer end of the spring is fastened to the pillar plate by the hook 'c,
Figure 2, which said hook is also let into a round hole in the pillar plate, the
hook part projecting into the cavity for the main spring, so as to catch the
end of the said main spring, and effectually bank itself; the arbor. or shaft d
is inserted through the main spring, and through the strong boss e, which is a
part of the said pillar plate z. The hook catches the inner end of the main
spring, for the purpose of gathering it up. The arbor d is supported with the
spring cover g, Figure 1 and 4, which said cover is held in its position by the
ears g, i, Figure 4, which fit the recesses 92, Figure 2; the said cover, has a
boss or step h of a suitable size and durability for the end of the arbor to
rotate in. The arbor d passes up to the inside of the pillar plate, and there
has the great wheel i, Figure 1 and 5, put on it (the teeth of the wheels are
partly represented by dotted lines); the maintaining power spring is next put
upon the said great wheel, shewn in Figure 5 at k; this said spring, as also
the ratchet spring 1, i; and the disc part of the ratchet m, are let into the great
wheel, so that when the maintaining power wheel 1, Figure 6, is put upon the
great wheel, the said springs and ratchet 'may work freely. The dotted line
in Figure 6, shews the position of the circular spring and click, and where it
is riveted to the maintaining power wheel. It is merely shewn in Figure 5;
to denote its position when the maintaining power wheel is put in its place;

page_text: this said maintaining power wheel is screwed to the great wheel by three screws
(by preference), the slots n (for the heads of the screws) allow the maintaining
wheel to act on the spring k by being connected thereto by the pin o, which
passes through the small hole p, Figure 6; the ratchet is then bound or fixed
by a pin or otherwise, it then passes through the top plate for wind up square.
I also fit main spring in hollow inside pillar plate, so that the hollow for spring
would be the same as in Figure 1 but inverted, and the annular step e would
be made to fit the end of the arbor marked d, and when the main spring is
fixed as before described, a cover g, Figure 4, is put on, but having hole or
boss of a suitable size for arbor d to pass through the ratchet maintaining wheel;
circular spring click, (l, i, Figure 5,) and great wheel are then put on, and
are held down by a collet, pinned across the arbor or otherwise, which said
arbor then passes through the top plate for wind up square.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself to the exact
form or position of the parts, but what I claim, is,-
First, screwing the pillars into blank or blind holes.
Secondly, sinking the main spring into the pillar plate on either side.
Thirdly, the circular spring click (l, i, Figure 5).
Fourthly, the hook, Figure 3.
And lastly, connecting maintaining power wheel by two or more slots and
screws to the great wheel, all in the manner shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Powell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JOSEPH COOKE,
Bennett's Hill,
Birmingham.
CHARLES POWELL. (L.S.)