Improvements in Stop-watches.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stop-watches.
I, NICHOLAY JENSEN, of the City of Washington, District of Columbia,
United States of America, Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to stop-watches; and it consists in the novel features of
construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two forms in which I have
contemplated embodying my invention, and the same is fully disclosed in the
following description and claims.
Referring to the said drawings,
Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a watch provided with my improvements,
part of the dial being removed to show parts located beneath.
Figure 2 is a section on line xx, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of a watch with the dial removed, shewing a slightly-
modified construction.
Figure 4 is a section on the line y y, Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are details of parts of the mechanism.
The object of my invention is to provide means for arresting the movement of
the seconds-hand of a watch at a predetermined point in the course of its movement
around the dial and stopping the watch-movement, thus permitting the hands of
the watch to be set without injury to the movement and enabling the minute-hand
and seconds-hand to be readily set in proper relation to each other. This
mechanism can be operated by means of an operating lever or rod extending to the
outside of the casing; but I have shewn my invention applied to stem-winding
lever or pendant-set watches, and I attach my improved device in such a manner
that the simple drawing out of the lever or crown, as the case may be, will throw
into operation the means for arresting the seconds hand and stop the watch, while
at the same time throwing the setting mechanism into gear. The seconds-hand will
then continue to traverse its dial until it reaches the predetermined point, which is
preferably 60, and will then be arrested and the watch stopped while the watch is
set. As soon as the watch has been set the lever or crown is restored to its normal
position, and this releases the device for arresting the seconds-hand and permits the
watch to resume its movement.
In the drawings, A represents the movement of a watch to which the operating
parts are secured, a being the plate or platen lying beneath the dial.
B is the hour-hand wheel, having the sleeve b to receive the hour-hand.
e is a small pinion in gear with the pinion B, and a larger wheel C is secured to
rotate with the pinion and is in position to be engaged by the operating devices
for setting the watch. I term the pinions B, C, and the "dial-train."
D is a wheel forming a part of the winding devices, which constitute-no part of
my invention and may be of any desired form.

page_text: E is the yoke, pivotted ate and provided with gears and for transmitting
motion from a pinion on a revolving sleeve F, which is engaged by the winding-
stem attached to the crown to either the setting or winding gears, according to the
position of the said pivotted yoke. The yoke is held in normal position by a
spring El with the gear in engagement with the winding-gear D, as shewn in
the drawings. A pivotted lever G, which I term the "setting-lever," is provided
with an arm g, which extends without the watch-casing, and a short arm g', which
extends into a position to engage a projection from the yoke E and move it against
the force of its spring when the setting-lever is drawn out, so as to move the geare
into engagement with the dial-train and out of engagement with the winding
devices.
H is the seconds-hand staff, and ½ the seconds-hand of any usual or preferred
construction.
The parts just described do not form part of my invention, but are described in
order to shew the application of my device to and their co-operation with the parts
of an ordinary watch, and it will be obvious that by slightly varying the details of
construction my devices can be applied to watches of different styles and having a
different arrangement of parts.
On the plate a is secured a pivotted stopping-lever K, pivotted at k and having
a long operating-arm ¹ extending to a point adjacent to the setting-lever G and
operatively connected therewith. In this instance I have shewn the short arm g¹
of the setting-lever provided with a pin, stud, or projection g³, which is adapted to
engage the lever-arm ¹ and operate the same when the lever g is drawn out, as
indicated in dotted lines.
The seconds-hand staff H has a short projection ¹ extending from the same, one
side at least of which has a face extending at an angle to the curved surface of the
arbor or staff. This projection I prefer to form of elastic material, and the end k
of the lever K extends into close proximity of the path of the projection, so that
when the arm g of the setting-lever is drawn out the end of the lever K will be
moved inward to engage with the angular face of the projection when the arbor
shall have revolved far enough to bring the same into engagement with the end of
the lever.
In order to prevent the lever K from being moved too far toward the staff H,
I provide an adjustable stop L, located in the path of the lever K, which consists
in this instance of a screw provided with a head having unequal diameters.
This head may be eccentric or elliptical, as shewn in the drawings, and by turning
the screw the lever may be permitted a greater or less movement toward the
staff H.
The lever K is preferably provided with a spring k³, which is formed integrally
therewith and engages a pin m in the plate a, a suitable pin or stop m¹ being
provided to limit the movement of the lever under the influence of the spring.
This construction enables me to form the lever K with spring and arm k¹ out of a
single piece of metal, and it can thus be made very cheaply. If I desire, however,
I may provide a separate spring, as indicated at M in dotted lines. The spring
will restore the lever K to its normal position, when the arm g of the setting-lever
is pressed in and thus release the seconds-hand staff.
The operation of my device is as follows:
When it is desired to set the watch, the arm 9 of the setting-lever is drawn out,
as shewn in dotted lines, thus operating the lever K and moving the part ³ into
position to engage the projection on the staff H. When the seconds-hand reaches 60,
the arm will engage the stopping-lever and stop the hand and the movement of
the watch, and the seconds-hand will be so adjusted on its staff that when the
arm h' and lever K are in engagement the said hand will be at 60. The watch is
then set and the minute-hand set on an even minute. When the setting-lever is
pushed in, the arm will be released and the watch will resume its movement.
By making the arm h' of elastic or spring material the said arm will form a cushion
and thus avoid a jar in stopping, which will prevent straining the parts, and by this

page_text: means also the balance-wheel will continue to vibrate for a considerable time after
the watch has been stopped, as the parts yield slightly, and when the staff H is
released the balance-wheel will resume its movements more quickly and readily
than if it had been brought to complete rest.
It is obvious that I might provide the stopping-lever with a yielding part to
engage a rigid arm on the staff, if desired, and I have indicated this construction
in Figure 3 of the drawings in connection with a slightly-modified form of
apparatus.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have shewn a slightly different form of stopping-lever
applied to a watch in which the yoke is shifted by drawing out the crown and
winding-stem. In these figures I have shewn a stopping-lever which has a sliding
movement instead of a pivotted lever, as in the other figures. The lever or rod K
is secured in this instance to the yoke E at a point at a distance from its pivot, and
a portion of the said stopping rod or lever extends into the range of the arm h¹
on the seconds-hand staff H. In this instance I have shewn the rod K' as provided
with a yielding or spring portion for engaging a rigid arm h¹; but the spring
may be dispensed with or rigid parts may be employed, if desired. Suitable
pins m³, m² retain the rod K' in position and permit its longitudinal movement.
The rod K' will preferably be cut away, as at k*, to allow the arm ' to move
freely around until it comes into contact with the part . In this instance when
the yoke is shifted to throw the setting mechanism into operation the rod K' will
be moved longitudinally and the projection * brought into the path of the arm h³,
so as to stop the seconds-hand on 60.
In order to operate the yoke by pulling out the crown O and winding-stem o,
any preferred mechanism may be used. I have shewn a sliding plate N, having a
cam-slot n engaged by a pin e, extending down from the yoke E through a slot a¹
in the plate a.
The winding-rod is made polygonal or square, as is customary,
and is capable of sliding longitudinally through the pendant sleeve F and pinion f
and is connected to the plate N by a swivel-joint, as shewn in Figure 6, so that it
may be turned to rotate the pinion fand also drawn out to move the plate longi-
tudinally. When the said plate N is moved by drawing out the crown and
winding-stem, the cam-slot engaging the pin will force the yoke to move laterally
and throw the wheel into engagement with the setting-train and out of engage-
ment with the winding mechanism. When the crown and stem are pressed in, the
arm A¹ of the seconds-hand staff will be released. I may provide a catch to hold
the crown and winding-rod on their outward position, if desired.
It is obvious that by slight variations this stopping mechanism can be attached
to any form of watch, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the exact
constructions herein shewn and described.
It is also obvious that my invention can be applied to watches which do not have
a stem-winding attachment and may be connected with a part extending through
the casing for operating the stopping mechanism, as indicated in dotted lines,
Figure 3.
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. In a watch, the combination of the seconds-hand and its staff or arbor, the
said arbor having formed upon it a face extending at an angle to the surface of the
staff or arbor, and a stop movable toward and from the said arbor, whereby it may
be made to engage the said angular face and arrest the arbor and staff at one point,
and one point only, in its revolution, substantially as described.
2. In a watch, the combination with the seconds-hand, of an arbor or staff
provided with a projection or lug, and a stop movable toward and from the arbor,
whereby the said stop can be moved inward into the path of the said lug to
arrest the movement of the arbor and seconds-hand when they shall be revolved

page_text: far enough to bring the said lug into contact with the said stop, substantially as
described.
3. In a watch, the combination of the seconds-hand and its arbor or staff
provided with a projection extending outward from the same and a stop movable
toward the arbor to engage the said lug, one of the said engaging parts being
elastic, whereby the said seconds-hand and its arbor can be stopped at one point,
and one point only, of their revolution, substantially as described.
4. In a watch, in combination with the seconds-hand, a staff or arbor having an
elastic projection extending beyond the surface of the shaft and a stop movable
into and out of the path of the said projection to arrest the movement of the arber
and hand at one point, and at one point only, of their revolution, substantially as
described.
5. In a watch, the combination, with the seconds-hand staff and means for
moving it continuously, of a movable stopping lever adapted to engage a part
connected with the said staff to arrest the movement of the said staff and an
adjustable stop for the said lever, substantially as described.
6. In a watch, the combination, with the seconds-hand staff provided with an
elastic projection, of a movable stopping lever having a part adapted to engage the
said projection and a rotatable stop for the said lever having unequal diameters,
substantially as described.
Deted the 8th day of October 1901
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.