Improvements in connection with Watches and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Watches and the like.
I, FREDERICK HOTTON of 44, Crossley Street, Liverpool Road, London, N.,
Engraver, 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 the like for military use and the object is
to so construct them that they shall visibly indicate the correct time for the
"quick march" as used in Her Majesty's Army, namely 120 steps per minute, and
in carrying out my invention I proceed in or in about the following manuer, that
is to say, in constructing the train it is so arranged as to make 240 beats per
minute, and to the lever-staff is attached a "hand" having at its outer extremity
a disc half of which is colored white and the other half black or some other
distinctive color. This parti-colored disc oscillates or beats to and fro behind an
opening provided in the dial of the watch, preferably below the figure XII or
above the figure IV. Thus whenever the darker colored part of the disc is behind
the opening (which will occur once in every two beats) this darker part will
indicate = 120 beats per minute. There are other rates of march in the
British Army, for instance 75 and 165 steps per minute and by suitable arrange-
ments, these may be indicated instead of or in addition to that of 12) which is
the ordinary quick march, but the steps of 75 and 165 are not much used. The
invention is applicable to watches and the like of English or foreign make.
240
2
The indication of rate of march may be effected by the hand being caused
to oscillate or pass to and fro above the dial instead of below it, as above
described.
In order that my invention may be the more clearly indicated, I make reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a watch with the
dial off, and with my invention attached, and Fig. 2 shews front view of the watch
with the dial on, and the dark part of the disc behind the opening. Similar
letters refer to the same parts where they occur in each figure. a is the
lever-staff, 6 the hand carrying the parti-colored disc c, d is the opening in the
dial through which the two differently colored parts of c appear alternately.
I do not restrict myself to the precise details, configurations, relative
proportions and dispositions of parts as any or all of them may be varied without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
For instance the ground at the back of the opening might be of one color, and
the disc wholly of another and contrasting color, in this case the hand will take
the disc out of sight altogether on one beat and thus expose the ground. The
next beat will bring the disc into view and so cover the ground and so on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For the purpose of indicating visibly the rate of march for troops, attaching
to the lever-staff of watches and other timekeepers, a hand carrying a parti-
colored disc which oscillates or passes to and fro behind an opening provided
in the dial of the said watch or other timekeeper, the whole substantially as

page_text: described in the above specification and exemplified in the accompanying
drawings.
2. For the purpose of indicating visibly the rate of march for troops,
attaching to the lever-staff of watches and other timekeepers a hand carrying
or not at its extremity a wholly or parti-colored disc or the like, which oscillates
or passes to and fro above the dial of the said watch or other timekeeper, the
whole substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified in the
accompanying drawings.
3. For the purpose of indicating visibly the rate of march for troops, attaching
to the lever-staff of watches and other timekeepers, a hand carrying a colored
disc which oscillates or passes to and fro behind an opening provided in the dial
of the said watch or other timekeeper the ground behind the said opening being
of a contrasting color to that of the disc, the whole substantially as described in
the above specification.
4. Constructing watches and other timekeepers with means whereby may be
indicated on the dial or through openings or an opening therein the rate of march
for troops, the whole carried out substantially as described in the above
specification and exemplified in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 6th day of June 1896
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.