IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH CASES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WATCH CASES." A communication from abroad by Ezra C. Fitch, of New
York City. in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH CASES." [A communication from abroad
by Ezra C. Fitch, of New York City, in the United States of America.]
This Invention applies more especially to the class of open face stem winding
watches now coming into extensive use, and the improvements aim to simplify and
cheapen the construction of the case, and at the same time render it impervious to
the entrance of dust, to which ends the Invention embodies a number of novel
features, as hereinafter set forth.
The main body of the watch case is formed in one seemless piece in the shape of
a concave shell, and open in the front to receive the movement. This continuous or
seamless construction of the body of the case, avoiding the use of any lids or caps,
thus greatly conduces to simplicity and cheapness, as may be observed, and con-
stitutes one feature of the present Invention.
The movement of the watch is held in a sustaining ring, which is hinged to the
case on the front edge of the aperture thereof in such manner that when the bezel
is removed the ring with its contained movement may be swung outward, thus ren-
dering the movement readily accessible and obviating the necessity of a back cap or
lid, which hence enables the case to be formed in one seamless piece, as before
described, and constitutes another feature of the Invention.
The movement is held in the ring in the manner usual in American watches, and
this ring is hinged to the rim of the case just at the base of the stem, the movement
being so arranged therein that the winding stud of the movement comes in line
with the winding key of the stem, and properly engages therewith. When the

page_text: movement is to be swung out however, the stem-winding-knob may be pulled
partly out as usual, so as to draw the key out of engagement with the stud, and
thus permit the outswing of the movement, as will be understood, the key and
stud becoming readily engaged when the movement is again swung into the case.
The bezel which holds the glass is attached to the case by screwing it thereon,
the rim of the bezel being formed with an internal screw thread, which meshes with
a corresponding thread on a shouldered rim on the face of the caso, and as the bezel
is thus screwed tightly down the level edge of the rim forms a tight joint with the
shouldered rim of the case, which is proof against the entrance of dust or moisture,
as will be appreciated. A small groove may be turned in the face of the shoulder
on the case to receive a fine packing ring of pure rubber or other suitable material
to make the tightness of the joint more secure and certain if found necessary.
The face of the bezel is formed with a marginal circle of millings, which affords
sufficient frictional grasp to enable the bezel to be readily screwed on or off.
Another feature of the Invention consists in the removeable stem cap, which is
adapted to tightly fit upon the top of the stem and enclose the winding knob, so as
to prevent the entrance of any dust or other foreign matter at that part. The stem
cap is preferably attached to the stem by screwing it thereon in the manner of the
bezel, and may be readily unscrewed when it is desired to wind the watch, as will
be understood.
The cap is preferably of similar diameter with the body of the stem, which latter
is formed with a short threaded neck which screws into the threaded bore of the
cap, the level edge of the cap being screwed down tightly on the smooth shoulder of
the neck so as to form a perfectly tight joint, which effectually prevents the infil
tration of any dust or moisture thereat. Any other suitable mode of attaching the
cap to the stem may be employed, but the screw connection meeting in a tight
shouldered joint is considered preferable. A packing ring may also be used on
the shouldered neck of the stem similar to that of the bezel if found desirable.
These combined features of construction thus form a watch which, while being
cheap, simple, and complete, has the advantage of being impervious to the entrance
of dust or wet. This latter quality is found to be of great importance to that class
who most use this class of watches, such as railway officials, travellers, and others
who have to make frequent reference to the watch, and who are almost constantly
exposed to the influence of dust or wet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
October 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH CASES." A communication from abroad
by Ezra C. Fitch, of New York City, in the United States of America.
This Invention applies more especially to the class of open face stem winding
watches now coming into extensive use, and the improvements aim to simplify and
cheapen the construction of the case, and at the same time render it impervious to
the entrance of dust, to which ends the Invention embodies a number of novel
features, as hereinafter set forth.
The Drawings annexed present in Figure 1 a diametric section of the improved
watch case on the line of the stem and on an enlarged scale; Figure 2 is a face
view with the bezel and stem cap removed, both of which embody novel features,
and are shown separately in Figure 3.
As illustrated, A indicates the main body of the watch case, which is formed, as
shown, in one seamless piece in the shape of a concave shell, and open in the front
to receive the movement. This continuous or seamless construction of the body of
the case avoiding the use of any lids or caps thus greatly conduces to simplicity and
cheapness, as may be observed, and constitutes one feature of the present Invention.
The movements of the watch is held in a sustaining ring B, which is hinged to the
case A on the front edge of the aperture thereof, as shown at f, in such manner that
when the bezel is removed the ring with its contained movement may be swung
outward, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, thus rendering the movement
readily accessible and obviating the necessity of a back cap or lid, which hence
enables the case A to be formed in one seamless piece, as before described, and con-
stitutes another feature of the Invention. The movement is held in the ring B in
the manner usual in American watches, and this ring is hinged to the rim of the
case A just at the base of the stem, as shown, the movement being so arranged
therein that the winding stud g of the movement comes in line with the winding
key h of the stem, and properly engages therewith, as shown in Figure 1. When
the movement is to be swung out however, the stem winding knob k may be pulled
partly out as usual, so as to draw the key h out of engagement with the stud g,
and thus permit the outswing of the movement, as will be understood, the parts g, h,
becoming readily engaged when the movement is again swung into the case.
The bezel C which holds the glass is attached to the case by screwing it thereon,
as shown in Figure 1, the rim of the bezel being formed with an internal screw-
thread, which meshes with a corresponding thread on a shouldered rim m on the
face of the case, as shown, and as the bezel is thus screwed tightly down the level
edge of the rim forms a tight joint with the shouldered rim of the case, which
is proof against the entrance of dust or moisture, as will be appreciated. A small
groove may be turned in the face of the shoulder on the case to receive a fine
packing ring n of pure rubber or other suitable material to make the tightness of
the joint more secure and certain if found necessary. The face of the bezel C is
formed with a marginal circle of milling c, as shown in Figure 3, which affords
sufficient frictional grasp to enable the bezel to be readily screwed on or off.
Another feature of the Invention consists in the removable stem cap D, which is
adapted to tightly fit upon the top of the stem and enclose the winding knob k so
as to prevent the entrance of any dust or other foreign matter at that part. The
stem cap is preferably attached to the stem by screwing it thereon in the manner of
the bezel, as shown in Figure 1, and may be readily unscrewed when it is desired
to wind the watch, as will be understood. The cap D is preferably of similar dia-
meter with the body of the stem, which latter is formed, as shown, with a short

page_text: threaded neck which screws into the threaded bore of the cap, the level edge of the
cap being screwed down tightly on the smooth shoulder of the neck so as to form a
perfectly tight joint, which effectually prevents the infiltration of any dust or
moisture thereat. Any other suitable mode of attaching the cap to the stem may
be employed, but the screw connection shown, meeting in a tight shouldered joint, is
considered preferable. A packing ring may also be used on the shouldered neck of
the stem similar to that of the bezel if found desirable.
These combined features of construction thus form a watch which, while being
cheap, simple, and complete, has the great advantage of being impervious to the
entrance of dust or wet. This latter quality is found to be of great importance to
that class who most use this class of watches, such as railway officials, travellers, and
others who have to make frequent reference to the watch, and who are almost con-
stantly exposed to the influence of dust or wet.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. An open face stem winding watch case formed in one seamless concave
shell open in front to receive the movement, substantially as herein shown and
described.
2nd. An open face watch case formed in one seamless concave shell open in front
to receive the movement, and provided with a threaded edge on its face in combi-
nation with a bezel provided with a correspondingly threaded edge to screw upon
the face of the case, substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd. In combination with an enclosing watch case I claim the outswinging ring
B, adapted to contain the movement, and hinged to the margin of the enclosing case,
substantially as shown and described.
4th. In combination with an enclosing watch case I claim the outswinging ring
B, hinged to the case at the base of the stem and adapted to contain a stem winding
movement, with its winding stud arranged in line with the winding key of the stem,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5th. The combination with an enclosing watch case having the margin of its face
provided with a threaded and shouldered rim, of the bezel C, having its rim formed
with an internal thread, and a corresponding level edge or shoulder to screw upon
that of the case and form a tight joint therewith, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
6th. In a watch case I claim the combination of the removable cap D, adapted to
be tightly fitted over the stem of the case to enclose the winding knob or other
operative device thereon, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
A. M. CLARK. (LS.)