IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CHRONOMETERS AND OTHER MECHANISME REQUIRING A STEADY SPRING POWER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Valentin Weber, of Orchard Street, St.
Luke's, London, Watchmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO CHRONOMETERS AND OTHER MECHANISME REQUIRING A STEADY
SPRING POWER."
Sealed the 28th November 1854, and dated the 19th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Valentin Weber at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th June 1854.
I, JOSEPH VALENTIN WEBER, of Orchard Street, St. Luke's, Watchmaker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO CHRONOMETERS AND OTHER MECHANISME REQUIRING A STEADY SPRING
POWER" to be as follows:-
It consists in the application of a second or "winding-up" main spring, by
which the fusee, chain, and going fusce, hitherto used in chronometers for
compensating the irregularities of the common main spring for moving the
going work, are dispensed with. This second or winding-up main spring is
connected with and operates in such a manner upon the common main spring
as to wind it up or keep it wound up constantly to the same point, whereby
the power of the spring remains a perfectly uniform one throughout.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Valentin Weber in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
VALENTIN WEBER, of Orchard Street, St. Luke's, London, Watchmaker, send a
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Valentin Weber, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Valentin Weber, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Joseph Valentin Weber, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter 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 "Iм-
PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CHRONOMETERS AND OTHER MECHANISM REQUIRING A
STEADY SPRING POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Valentin Weber, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Joseph Valentin Weber, 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 (that is to say):-
In constructing a machine which is intended to measure time, one of the
principal objects is to obtain a uniform motive power. As the tension of the s
main spring, which in portable machines replaces the weights, is not uniform,
the fusee has been introduced as a means of equalization, the going fusee
having for its object to supply the force of the main spring during the operation
of winding up. This arrangement, in which the main spring, by means of the
chain, acts upon the fusee, the latter being, through the great wheel, in direct
connection with the going works, 1 reject as imperfect. The proofs of the
imperfections inherent to the system are found in the errors of the fusee.
The winding up of the watch likewise exercises an injurious effect upon the

page_text: functions of the mechanism, each winding up producing errors of greater or
less magnitude, owing to the going fusee.
My improvements' consist in the application of a second or "winding-up"
main spring, by which the fusee, chain, and going fusee, hitherto used in
chronometers for compensating the irregularities of the common main spring
in direct connection with the going works, are dispensed with. This second or
winding-up" main spring is connected with and operates in such a manner
upon the common main spring as to wind it up or keep it wound up constantly
to the same point, whereby the tension of the spring remains uniform, or nearly
so, throughout.
<<
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood, and more readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to
the annexed Sheet of Drawing, and the letters and figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents a front view, and Figs. 2, 3, & 4, various side views, of
those parts of a chronometer which constitute or are in immediate connection
with my improvements. Fig. 5 shews some of the parts more in detail.
a, Fig. 1, is a wheel, fixed upon the barrel arbor a', (see also Figs. 2 & 3,) which
replaces the ratchet work, wherewith the going barrel, marked e, in Figs. 2 & 3,
would otherwise have to be provided. The going barrel b, upon whose arbor b¹,
which is squared at one end, a ratchet is placed, and which is provided with
a stop-work b, contains the "winding-up" main spring, which, on being wound
up, in consequence of its superior strength, winds up the main spring in the
barrel e, by means of the wheel b', which gears into the wheel a, (see Figs. 1
& 2). The wheel c, (see Figs. 1 & 4,) fixed upon the arbor c', which gears
into the wheel b', is provided with 8 moveable pins c, which are in contact
with a cycloidal lever d, upon whose arbor d' (see Fig. 3) a pinion d' is fixed,
into which the wheel e' takes; and the combination of the wheel c, which
receives its motion from the main spring, with the cycloidal lever d, which is
actuated by the wheel e¹, produces the desired uniform motion. Now, as in
this case each of the wheels a, b, & e', is supposed to have 80 teeth, whilst
the wheel is provided with 40 teeth only, besides being furnished with
8 moveable pins c, as already mentioned, and as the pinion d, as well as the
centre pinion f is provided with 10 teeth, the cycloidal lever d will perform
one revolution during the same time as the centre pinion, that is, in one hour;
and it will pass over two pins of the wheel c, which are equivalent to 10 teeth
of the wheels & b. In consequence of the cycloidal shape of the lever d, the
wheel c will pass over equal spaces in equal portions of time, and thus render

page_text: the motion of the spring barrel b, and through the latter, that of the wheel a,
uniform with the motion of the going barrel c. As soon as the main spring in
b, by means of the stop-work b, is wound up to the extent of one revolution, it
will, on being further wound up, owing to its superior width and strength, wind
up the spring in e to that point where the tension of the two springs shall be
in equilibrium; which being the case, the cycloidal lever d, with its arbor and
pinion, is placed in its position, as shewn in the Drawing. The increased
tension of the main spring, which arises from the same being further wound
up, will, through the medium of the wheel c, and of its pins c, act upon the
cycloidal lever d, and thus prevent the wheel a from being further acted upon
by the wheel ', or rather, the cycloidal lever & will allow the wheel a being
influenced only to the extent to which the tension of the spring in the barrel e
becomes relaxed. The cycloidal form of the lever possesses at the same time
the advantage in so far to counterbalance the superior tension of the main
spring that no irregularity is perceptible in the going of the machine during
the whole term of its operation, and it will be perceived that the winding up
of the main spring in b, cannot in the least affect the uniform motion of the
machine. A spring g, (see Fig. 5,) which is placed underneath the wheel c, has
for its object to allow each of the pins & in succession to recede in its socket
and again to force it back into its projecting position, as shown in the Drawing.
This spring is so placed with regard to the wheel c, that at 1, where the
pin begins to act, it presses the pin against the wheel c, and prevents it from
receding; whereas at 2, where the pin has performed its duty, the distance
of the spring g from the wheel c is such, that the pin drops into its socket,
so as to allow the cycloidal lever d to pass over it, to effect which purpose the
edge of the cycloidal lever d is tapered off towards the wheel c.
arm h of an elbow lever, which hinges on the centre pin i, the
Fig. 3) of the cycloidal lever d presses with the force which the pins of the
wheel c exert upon it. The arm / terminates conically towards the spring g,
which is placed immediately over it, and will be thrust under the said spring,
and cause that one of the pins c", which is at the moment in action, to be pressed
against the wheel c, and the latter against its upper bearing, whereby the
abruptness of the motion is somewhat diminished. The pivot of the arbor d'
of the cycloidal lever d moves in a slot, and it is, therefore, by means of the
elbow lever h, h', relieved from the pressure exerted against it. In large
machines, such as ships' chronometers, the fusee, with the omission of the going
fusec, can be advantageously combined with my improvements, by substituting
(see Figs. 2 & 4) the great wheel for the wheel b, and the spring in the
barrel b. In that case the arbor a of the wheel a must be provided with a
Against the
arbor d' (sec

page_text: ratchet work. In this combination, the lever h, h', Fig. 5, is dispensed with.
As in flat pocket chronometers it is often necessary to introduce carrier wheels
between the wheels & &c, so as to be able to place the parts c & d on the other
side of the barrel e, it may be advantageous to let these carrier wheels turn
upon conical pivots, as in that case, when the pressure of the main spring is
powerful, these wheels would be pressed against the plates upon which they are
placed, and thus contribute to the efficiency of the apparatus. Instead of
applying the cycloidal lever d, a worm and worm wheel might be applied with
similar results. The shape of the lever arms d is dependent upon the motion
of the pins c in the wheel c, inasmuch as the said pins on the wheel c &
pinion d, moving at the same circumferential speed, will describe a cycloidal
curve. On the wheel c and lever d being applied to a machine in which a
greater or less number of the pins correspond with one revolution of the
pinion d, the number of arms of the cycloidal lever d must be in accordance
with the number of pins; the curve can nevertheless be mechanically marked
out in the manner above indicated. It is evident that the pinion d (see Fig. 3)
may be made to gear into any other combination of wheel-work than that
described with reference to the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise combination of mechanism described with reference
to the annexed Drawing; but I claim, the combining two main springs in such
a manner that the main spring in immediate connection with the going works
shall be maintained by the other main spring at a uniform tension during the
whole time that the machine is in operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Valentin Weber, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOSEPH VALENTIN WEBER. (L.S.)