INVENTIONS IN TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1807

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
MANTON, of Davics Street, Berkeley Square, London, Gun Maker, do send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of December, in the forty-eighth year of His
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Manton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Joseph Manton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my "INVENTIONS IN TIMEKEEPERS;" in which
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the the said Joseph
Manton, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Inventions, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may
hore fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Manton, do hereby declare that my said Inventions in Timekeepers
consists of an instrument or machine for timekeepers to act in vacuum, so
constructed that they may be wound up in vacuum when required without

page_text: admitting the external air, as is hereafter described in the explanation of the
annexed Drawing, which is the section of an instrument or machine for
keeping a timekeeper in vacuum, and the manner of winding up in vacuuni.
A, A, is a round plate of brass made perfectly flat, to which the stopcocks B, B,
are connected by the flat shoulder or flanch a, a, and secured by four screws,
of which 6 represents one. B, B, two stopcocks; the stoppers of them C, C,
are kept close in their places by the collets c, c, fitted square on the ends and
beld down by the screws d, d, drawing the stoppers to any degree of tightness.
At the end of the stopcocks B, B, is a circular box E, E, screwed in at D,
with a leather between the shoulders; the bottom of this box has a socket or
tube e screwed into it, and the tube e has cemented within it a barometrical
gage F, F, with a scale G, G, of inches and parts attached thereto to shew
the state of vacuum the timekeeper keeps the time in, and also to prove the
various joints and component parts are positively air-tight. By comparing
the height of mercury in the gage with a barometer, the perfectness of vacuum
will be ascertained. Within the circular box E, E, is a contrivance f, which
precludes the possibility of the mercury getting up or into any part of the
apparatus, for if the mercury passes the tube e it would strike against the
concave or under side of f, and then return to its proper place. At the
right-hand end of the stopcocks B, B, is a pipe 9, connected to the stopcocks
by the screw nut H; the inner shoulder or bottom of this nut bears on the
shoulder h of the pipe or tube g, and fixes it securely. This pipe is used only
to connect the instrument or machine to an air pump for the purpose of
exhausting, which being done it is then disengaged by unscrewing the nut H,
afterwards unscrewing the box E, E; it is also taken away with the barome-
trical gage and scale, leaving the instrument or machine conveniently portable
and inclosed in the box or case I, I. k, k, a ring of brass, within which the
receiver r, r, 1, 1, is placed. L, L, a mirror to shew the vibration of the
balance, which otherwise could not be advantageously seen. 1, 1, a thin ring
of brass surrounding the edge of mirror L, L, and preserving it from any
damage. n, n, a thin ring laying between the under side of the mirror L, L,
and the upper surface of the plate A, A, thereby leaving a space or passage
for the air to pass through the hole M of the mirror into the holes m, m, m, m,
of the stopcocks B, B, and through which the air passes when the instrument
or machine is being exhausted. N, N, a ring of brass grooved and supported
by four pillars, two of which K, K, are shewn with their ends passing through
the mirror at o, o, and screw into the plate A, A; this ring is fastened to the top
of the pillars K, K, by the screws p, p. 9, 4, the dial plate or face of the time-
keeper fitted into the groove or recess of the ring N, N, and fastened by small

page_text: screws, so that the fusee of the timekeeper is perpendicular and precisely
opposite to the winder P, P. r,r, r, r, a glass receiver, the bottom of it made
perfectly flat, and greased or rubbed with linseed oil, which has been boiled
until it is of a thick consistence, to unite close with the upper surface of the
plate A, A, and effectually prevents any air from entering. O, O, a hollow
socket with a flat shoulder or flanch fastened to the under side of the plate A, A,
with four screws, two of which are shewn at t, t, containing collars of leather
(which have been well soaked in oil or grease) 8, 8, 8, 8, which are close
fitted on the steel cilinder or winder P, P, and the outer edge of the leathers
are as closely fitted within the hollow socket O, O, and kept tightly pressed
together by the screw nut R, R, thus forming a continued tube of leather, and
through which tube the cilinder or winder passes. Z, a chamfered or square
sunk hole for holding oil to supply the cilinder or winder. T, T, is the fusee
of the timekeeper. P, P, the winder, is a cilinder of steel, having on the lower end
a thumb piece or cross lever q, q, fitted on square and fastened by the small
screw nut v. On the upper end of the cilinder or winder is a cross piece of
steel u, u, having jointed at the ends on opposite sides the pieces w, w, which
are kept strait by two springs. To the fusee T, T, is fixed a staple piece X, X,
made fast by the small screw nut y. To wind up the timekeeper the cilinder or
winder P, P, is pushed upwards until the cross piece w, w, comes in contact
with the staple piece X, X; the timekeeper is then wound up by turning the
cross lever q, 9; is is then pulled down, and thus disengaged from the fusee.
If, through incaution, the cilinder or winder should be improperly turned, yet
no harm would ensue to the timekeeper, for then the pieces w, w, are thrown
forwards contrary ways to each other, and thus would pass or clear staple
piece X, X, and immediately resume their proper situations, being forced back
by the springs already described acting against them. I, I, a box or case
having one or more sides to open for the purpose of winding up the time-
keeper, &c., &c. Z, Z, two of the brackets of the box or case. The advan-
tages of timekeepers going in vacuum are, the unequal pressure of the
atmosphere will be prevented, for when the air is heavy the vibration of the
balance or pendulum is retarded; when the air is light its motion is acce-
lerated; but by these Inventions of timekeepers going in vacuum the vibrations
of the balance or pendulum will be more uniform; the sea air, damps, and dust,
which are so injurious in rusting, corroding, and clogging the movements of
timekeepers, are totally excluded. The oil in vacuum will also be preserved
in a more uniform fluid state, and not so liable to be glutinous as when exposed
to the atmospheric influence. Great care should be taken to have a good air
pump so as to exhaust the air as much as possible, for the more perfect the

page_text: vacuum the more correct will be the motion of the balance or pendulum. These
Inventions for timekeepers to go in vacuum, and to be wound up in vacuum
when required without admitting the external air, will be of great advantage
in being applied to clocks or watches. The form or shape and manner of
constructing or making the apparatus of the instruments or machines, or the
materials or the substances they are made of, for containing timekeepers, clocks,
or watches in vacuum, may be varied; so the materials or the substances, or
the form or the shape and manner of constructing or making the instrument
or machine for winding timekeepers, clocks, or watches when in vacuum
may be varied, provided that no external air is admitted.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Manton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
JOSEPH MANTON. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Joseph Manton came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.