chanism for winding marine chronometers
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
I FREDERICK JAMES BRITTEN 35 Northampton Square Clerkenwell London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Mechanism for winding marine chronometers.
The
On the squared extremity of the fuseo arbor is mounted a toothed wheel. A similar
wheel is fixed to the lower end of a spindle which is attached to the brass box of a
chronometer by means of two brackets. On the upper end of the spindle is the winding
handle. The two wheels already mentioned are of such a size that their teeth do not
engage but are just free of each other. A third wheel engages with the one on the
winding spindle and may be made to engage with the one on the fusee arbor also.
This third wheel runs loose on a stud carried on one end of a swinging arm.
other end of this arm is in the form of a boss which encircles & runs loosely on the
winding spindle. Rising from the top of the boss is a lever curved somewhat to the
shape of the bezel of the chronometer. A spring fixed at one end to the lower of
the two brackets which carry the winding spindle bears against a pin in the boss of the
swinging arm so that the third wheel is normally kept from engaging with the wheel
on the fusee arbor. When it is desired to wind the chronometer the bezel of the
chronometer is steadied by the left hand of the operator who at the same time clasps
with his thumb the free end of the lever mentioned as curved somewhat to the shape
of the bezel. The resistance of the spring is then overcome, the third wheel engages
with the wheel on the fusee arbor and the operator turns the winding handle with his
right band. Directly the operator removes his thumb from the lever the third wheel
is by the force of the spring disengaged from the wheel on the fusec arbor.
If desired the winding handle where it is attached to the spindle may contain a
ratchet & click such as are usually inserted in chronometer keys for the purpose of
preventing injury from any attempt to wind in the wrong direction.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1887.

page_text: FREDERICK JAMES BRITTEN 35 Northampton Square Clerkenwell London E.C.
Engineer, 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:―
The object of this invention is to provide mechanism for winding a marine
chronometer as shewn in the accompanying drawings, of which fig. 1 is an elevation
and fig. 2 a plan of the winding work.
On the squared extremity of the fusee arbor of the chronometer is mounted a
toothed wheel a. A toothed wheel of similar-pitch (b) is fixed to the lower end of a
spindle which is attached to the brass box of the chronometer d by means of two
brackets e and f. On the upper end of the spindle c is the winding handle 9. The
wheels a and bare of such a size that their teeth do not engage with each other but
are just free. A third wheel (h) engages with b and may be made to engage with
the wheel a also, thus establishing connection between a and b. The wheel runs
loose on a stud carried on one end of a swinging arm i. The other end of this arm
is in the form of a boss k, which encircles and runs loosely on the spindle c. Rising
from the top of the boss k is a lever curved somewhat to the shape of the bezel of the
chronometer m. A spring n fixed at one end to the bracket e bears against a pin o in
the boss so that the wheel is normally kept from engaging with the wheel a.
When it is desired to wind the chronometer, the bezel of the chronometer m is
steadied by the left hand of the operator who at the same time clasps the free end of
the lever with his thumb. The resistance of the spring n is overcome and the wheel h
engages with the wheel a and the operator turns the winding handle g with his right
hand. Directly the operator removes his thumb from the lever l, the wheel h is by
the force of the spring n disengaged from the wheel a. If desired, the boss p of the
winding handle may contain a ratchet and click to prevent the operator damaging the
chronometer by winding the wrong way. The winding handle may be either cranked
as shown or winged like a chronometer key. The spring n instead of bearing against
the outside of the boss as shown may, if preferred be arranged to press directly on
the inside of the swinging arun i.
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:
The arrangement of the lever and the swinging arm i whereby the winding work
is brought into action when it is desired to wind the chronometer, and all connection
between the going part of the chronometer and the winding work is broken auto-
matically when the winding is completed.
Dated this Ninth day of Jun 1000