IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Goettler, of 45, Spencer Street, North-
ampton Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Olivier Courvoisier, of 1, Rue de Seyon,
Neuchâtel, in the Republic of Switzerland.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Goettler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1873.
I, JOHN GOETTLER, of 45, Spencer Street, Northampton Square,
Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES," (com-
municated to me from abroad by Olivier Courvoisier, of 1, Rue de
Seyon, Neuchâtel, in the Republic of Switzerland) to be as follows:-
--
The object of the Invention is to effect simplicity and economy in the
construction of keyless winding arrangements of watches. For this
purpose in order to effect the winding and setting of watches without a

page_text: key I employ a short rod projecting through a hole formed for that
purpose in the pendant of the watch, and having applied on its outer
end a milled knob, and on its inner end carrying a small wheel or pinion
which actuates a connecting wheel or pinion, the teeth of which take
into teeth formed on the edge or periphery of a double wheel which is
formed with a recess on one surface, around the edge of which are
formed ratchet teeth, which, when such recessed wheel is made to revolve
in one direction, will slide on, and when moved in the other direction
will, whilst winding the watch, gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel
on the axis of the winding mechanism, which ratchet wheel revolves
within the recess in this double wheel, whereby a direct and simple
means of effecting the winding is obtained. The teeth of the recessed
ratchet wheel are kept in contact during winding with the teeth of the
ratchet wheel on the winding axis by a spring acting on one end of a
bar which carries the double wheel with capability of freely revolving
in bearings carried by such bar, this bar turning on a fixed centre at the
opposite end. For the setting, this bar is moved by a pin or stud pro-
jecting through the rim of the watch so as to bring the teeth on the
periphery of the double wheel into gear with a wheel affixed to the
shaft carrying the hands, and at the same time the teeth of the ratchet
wheel will clear the inside ratchet teeth of the double wheel, such
ratchet wheel being of slightly smaller diameter. The spring acting on
the bar causes the wheel to be replaced on pressure being removed from
the stud or pin when the desired setting has been effected.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters 25
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John
Goettler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th October
1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GOETTLER, of 45, Spencer Street, Northampton Square, Olerkenwell, in 30
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 35

page_text: and grant unto me, the said John Goettler, Her special license that I,
the said John Goettler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Goettler, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Olivier Courvoisier, of 1, Rue
de Seyon, Neuchâtel, in the Republic of Switzerland, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Goettler, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 on or before the Fourteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. John Goettler, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is to effect simplicity and economy in the
construction of keyless winding arrangements of watches. For this
purpose, in order to effect the winding and setting of watches without a
key I employ a short rod projecting through a hole formed for that
purpose in the pendant of the watch, and having applied on its outer
end a milled knob, and on its inner end carrying a small wheel or pinion
which actuates a connecting wheel or pinion, the teeth of which take
into teeth formed on the edge or periphery of a double wheel which is
formed with a recess on one surface, around the edge of which are
formed ratchet teeth, which, when such recessed wheel is made to .
revolve in one direction, will slide on, and when moved in the other
direction will, whilst winding the watch, gear with the teeth of the
ratchet wheel on the axis of the winding mechanism, which ratchet
wheel revolves within the recess in this double wheel, whereby a direct
and simple means of effecting the winding is obtained. The teeth of .
the recessed ratchet wheel are kept in contact during winding with the
tecth of the ratchet wheel on the winding axis by a spring acting on one

page_text: end of a bar which carries the double wheel with capability of freely
revolving in bearings carried by such bar, this bar turning on a fixed
centre at the opposite end. For the setting this bar is moved by a pin
or stud projecting through the rim of the watch so as to bring the teeth
on the periphery of the double wheel into gear with a wheel affixed to
the shaft carrying the hands, and at the same time the teeth of the
ratchet wheel will clear the inside ratchet teeth of the double wheel,
such ratchet wheel being of slightly smaller diameter. The spring acting
on the bar causes the wheel to be replaced on pressure being removed
from the stud or pin when the desired setting has been effected.
But that the Invention may be better understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing proceed to describe means pursued in

page_text: the spring barrel k. The bar g is formed with a projection g³, which is
acted upon by a spring 7 with a tendency to keep that bar in the position
indicated by Figure 1 with the projection g³ (as borne by the spring 1)
resting against the bracket m. When the parts are in the position thus
described, and as represented by Figure 1, by turning the knob c in one
direction the teeth (2) of the wheel / will act on the teeth of the wheel i
to cause that wheel to revolve and wind up the spring in the barrel k.
When the knob c is turned in the opposite direction the spring / will
yield and admit of the wheel turning without any affect to the parts.
One-half only of the thickness of the wheel i lies within the wheel h,
and the other part of the thickness thereof projects so that a spring
catch ¹ takes into the teeth thereof to prevent unwinding.
n is a hoop, shewn separately at Figure 10, with two projections n², n³,
by turning which, by acting on the projection n¹ to move it in the
direction of the arrow, the projection n² will act on the projection gª of
the barg to overcome the pressure of the spring 1, and remove the teeth
(2) of the wheel / from contact with those of the wheel i, and bring the
teeth (1) of the wheel in gear with the teeth of a pinion o on the axis
of the minute hand, as indicated by Figures 2 and 5, by which the hands
may be set in either direction, as desired, and then when pressure is
removed from the projection n¹ of the hoop n the parts will return to their
former position.
Having thus described the Invention, as communicated to me, and
means which are adopted in carrying the same into effect, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements
of parts as shewn and described; but what I do claim is, the adaptation
or combination of parts g, h, and i, operating substantially as described.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Goettler, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.