IM- PROVEMENTS IN WATCHES, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Agar and William Agar, of Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Watch Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WATCHES, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 22nd December 1857, and dated the 3rd July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Agar and William
Agar at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition.
on the 3rd July 1857.
We, JOHN AGAR and WILLIAM AGAR, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Watch Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the construction of an improved "going barrel "
for watches, which, by removing the strain from the lower part of the barrel
and centre pinion, will have the effect of distributing the friction more equally
over all the actions, by which the wearing will be diminished, the upright of
the axes preserved, and the proper pitching maintained, and hence there will
be less necessity for great strength of mainspring, whereby the friction,
wearing, &c., will be still further diminished, and springs susceptible of moro
accurate medium adjustment may be used.
Our said improvements will be easily understood by reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings. In Fig. 1 the barrel and centre pinion aro
seen in action. a is the barrel; b, the barrel arbor; c, the mainspring; d, the
centre wheel; c, the centre pinion. Fig. 2 is another view of the same, in
which it will be seen that the action between the wheel and pinion is midway
between the upper and lower plates of the frame, thus realising all the

page_text: advantages before enumerated. a is a barrel, as in Fig. 4; b, the centre
pinion; c, the upper plate; and d, the lower plate. In Fig. 8, a is the centre
wheel; b, the pinion, which it will be observed is made sufficiently high to
receive the barrel teeth when in action midway between the pivots; c, the
upper pivot; d, the lower pivot; e, the continuation of axis for carrying the
cannon pinion. Fig. 4 represents the barrel. a is the barrel; b, b', pro-
longation of the barrel arbor; c, c', the teeth cut at an equal distance from
either extremity.
As English watches are generally wound from right to left, and as in
the case of the going barrel the direction of winding is from left to right,
it is desirable to prevent the occurrence of accident from winding in the
wrong direction, and to this end the plan of the ratchet key in connexion
with the going barrel has been devised. By means of this contrivance, if from
forgetfulness or habit the key should happen to be turned in the wrong
way no damage can result, as the upper part of the key will give way by
means of the ratchets represented in Fig. 5.
The improvements in the construction of this key consist in the pro-
tection of the spiral spring from rust, &c., in a chamber contrived in
the body of the key for the purpose, and in the manner in which the
several parts are put together so as to admit of being easily taken asunder
for purposes of repair, &c. Fig. 5 is a representation of the key. a is
a pipe squared inside for winding, and attached to the lower ratchet b,
which is held in connexion with the upper ratchet c by means of a spiral
spring concealed in the body of the key. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of
the same. a is a pipe soldered to the ratchet b; c, an upper ratchet fixed in
the body of the key by the pin seen under the nipple d; e is a stem fixed
in the low ratchet 6 by the pin f, but moveable in the upper ratchet; 9 is
a collet fixed on the extremity of the stem e; h is a spiral spring embracing
the stem e, and by its tension between 9 and the ratchet c keeping the two
rutchets in continual contact.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Agar and William Agar in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
AGAR and WILLIAM AGAR, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Watch
Manufacturers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Agar and William Agar, Her special licence that we, the said
John Agar and William Agar, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Agar and William Agar, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES, AND KEYS FOR THE
SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Agar
and William Agar, by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 William Agar, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Agar, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to
say):-
Our Invention consists in the construction of watches, in which, by dis-
pensing with the chain and fusee heretofore in use, and substituting a "going
barrel," the risk to the mainspring and other parts of the machinery, arising
from the great liability of the chain to fracture, may be avoided. In all
going barrels " hitherto constructed considerable detriment has been found
to result from the disposition of the teeth around the extremity of the barrel,
whereby the friction is mainly confined to the lower pivots and holes, which
consequently wear much more than the upper, and as the wear and tear of
the barrel and centre holes is in opposite directions, the axes soon cease to be
parallel; the "pitch lino" is altered, involving increased friction and wearing
in the pitching, so that the teeth, however well shaped originally, become
speedily cut and worn beyond the possibility of repair. Hence arises the
necessity for increased motive force to keep up the motion of the machine,
which in its turn produces increased friction, and consequently wear and
tear.

page_text: We employ an improved "going barrel" constructed so as to remove the
strain from the lower part of the barrel and centre pinion, by having the teeth
disposed midway between the upper and lower extremities of the barrel,
which will have the effect of distributing the friction more equally over all the
actions, by which the wearing will be diminished, the upright of the axes
preserved, and the proper pitching maintained, and consequently less necessity
for great strength of mainspring, thereby still further diminishing the friction
and wear, and allowing the employment of springs susceptible of more
accurate medium adjustment.
an
We also employ in connection with our improved "going barrel "
improved ratchet key, in order to prevent the occurrence of accident from
winding in the wrong direction, which is of advantage in this case, as
English watches are generally wound from right to left, and the "going
barrel from left to right. The improvements of the key also consist in the
protection of the spiral spring from rust and dirt, by placing it in a
chamber contrived in the body of the key for the purpose, and in the manner
in which the several parts are put together so as to admit of being easily
taken asunder when required.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon,
the letters referring to each Figure separately.
"
Fig. 1 represents a plan of our improved going barrel" and centre pinion
as seen in action; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a detached view
of the centre wheel and pinion, with the pivots and axis connected therewith;
Fig. 4, a detached view of our improved "going barrel;" Fig. 5 is an external
view of our improved key; and Fig. 6, a section thereof.
In Fig. 1, a is the barrel; b, the barrel arbor; c, the mainspring; d, the
centre wheel; e, the centre pinion.
In Fig. 2, representing another view of the foregoing parts, it will be seen
that the action between the wheel and pinion is midway between the upper
and lower plates of the frame.
In Fig. 3, a is the centre wheel; b, the pinion made sufficiently high to
receive the barrel teeth when in action between the pivots; c, the upper
pivot; d, the lower pivot; and e, the continuation of axis for carrying the
cannon pinion.
In Fig. 4, a is the barrel; b, b, the prolongation of the barrel arbor;
c, c, the teeth cut at an equal distance from each extremity.
It will be observed that the central or midway position of the teeth in the
going barrel" realize the advantages before enumerated.

page_text: In Fig. 5, representing an external view of our improved key, a is the pipo
squared inside for winding, and attached to the lower ratchet b, which is held
in connection with the upper ratchet c by means of a spiral spring concealed
in the body of the key.
In Fig. 6, which is a section of the key, a is a pipe soldered to the
ratchet b; c is an upper ratchet fixed in the body of the key by the pin scen
under the nipple d; e is a stem fixed in the lower ratchet 6 by the pin f, but
moveable in the upper ratchet; g is a collar fixed on the extremity of the
stem e; h is a spiral spring embracing the stem c, and by its tension between
g and the ratchet c keeping the two ratchets in continual contact. By means
of this contrivance, if from forgetfulness or habit the key should happen to be
turned in the wrong way no damage can result, as the upper part of the key
will give way by means of the ratchets.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we desire it to
be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details
herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from
the principle thereof, but we claim as our Invention, and which, to the best
of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within the realm, tho
central or midway position of the teeth in the "going barrel," and the
apparatus in the interior of the key connected with the ratchets, and also
the construction and general arrangement of our improvements, as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Agar, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Agar, have hereunto set my hand and scal,
this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord 1857.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the within-
named William Agar in the presence of
WILLIAM AGAR. (L.B.)
E. J. Hoones, Patent Agent.
Manchester.