IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOGRAPHS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Douglas, of Stourbridge, in the County
of Worcester, Watchmaker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHRONOGRAPHS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Douglas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September
1881.
WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester,
Watchmaker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOGRAPHS."
This Invention refers to improvements in chronographs, by which an extra
minute hand and extra seconds hand are shewn with the ordinary hands upon the
same dial, or upon a back dial if preferred. This I effect in the following manner:
Upon the pinion of the fourth wheel I place a motion wheel, which works in a
second motion wheel carrying a friction wheel to work another friction wheel
carrying the seconds hand. A small tooth placed upon the second friction wheel
actuates a ratchet wheel which carries the extra minute hand. The operations of
starting, stopping, and returning to the sixty are all effected in open faced watches
by the winder operating as the push piece, but in double cased watches a separate
push piece at the side is employed. Or by another plan the movement of the extra
minute band is effected by the great wheel without the intervention of the second
friction wheel and tooth thus:-Upon the arbor carrying the extra minute hand is
a small bevilled wheel, which with the arbor is capable of a rising and falling
motion, rising out of gear and falling into gear upon the great wheel; or instead of
this bevilled wheel I can employ a flat motion wheel gearing into the great wheel.
This flat motion wheel works freely upon a stud, which stud is drilled to allow the
arbor to pass through, a roughed disc being fixed upon the arbor and rising out of
gear and falling into gear upon the flat motion wheel instead of upon the great
wheel. The action of the push piece is upon a slide carrying a click gearing into
a ratchet wheel, which carries a star piece, this star piece lifting three clicks, one
passing under a lifting piece, raising the seconds hand out of gear; another click
falling upon a heart shaped pieco causes the seconds hand to return to the sixty;
the third click falling upon a similar excentric returns the minute hand to the
sixty.
i

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Douglas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th March 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester,
Watchmaker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOGRAPHS."
This Invention refers to improvements in chronographs, by which an extra
minute hand and dial index and an extra seconds hand are shewn with the ordinary
hands upon the usual dial face; or the extra minute hand and extra seconds
hand may be shown upon a back dial if preferred.
Referring to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the dial shewing the extra minute hand A and dial
index B, also the extra seconds hand C with the ordinary hands.
Fig. 2 is a section of the parts; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same on the top
plate.
'
Fig. 4 is a plan of the underside of the top plate, and Figs. 5 and 6 are sections
of modifications. Upon the arbor or pinion of the fourth wheel D, Fig. 2, I place
a motion wheel E, which works in a second motion wheel F attached to and
carrying a friction wheel G, working another friction wheel H on an arbor I passing
through the hollow arbor I of the centre wheel, the said arbor I carrying the extra
seconds hand C. In some cases it may be preferable to use three-bevel-wheels-
instend-of-two,-as-described,-and-dispense-with-tho-two-motion_wheels_E.and F.
A small flat tooth K placed upon the second friction wheel H actuates a ratchet
wheel L on an arbor M carrying the extra minute hand A.
The operations of starting, stopping, and returning the extra minute hand A and
seconds hand C to the 60 or zero point are all effected in open faced watches by
the winder N operating as the push piece, but in double cased watches a separate
push piece at the side is employed.
The action of the push piece N is upon a lip of the slide P, Figs. 2 and 4, which
is slotted as shewn, and placed on the underside of the top plate and kept up in
position by the spring P, and carrying a click R gearing into a ratchet wheel S,
the axis of which carries a star piece T', Figs. 2 and 3, working on the upper face
of the top plate. The click R and ratchet wheel S are both kept up to their work
by the springs R¹ and S'.
A pressure of the push piece N causes the star piece T to operate and move three
clicks V, W, and X by one pressure; the click V passes under a lifting piece or
spring Y, thus lifting the extra seconds hand C out of gear and stopping it. The
next pressure of the push piece causes the second click W to fall upon a heart
shaped piece or eccentric H¹ of the friction wheel H, when the seconds hand C
will return to the 60 or zero point. The third click X simultaneously falling upon
a similar eccentric L¹ of the ratchet wheel L causes the minute hand also to return
to the GO.
The next pressure of the push piece N and movement of the star piece T releases
the clicks W and X from their contacts with the eccentrics H¹ and L', and also
withdraws the click V from beneath the lifting spring Y, and allows the extra
seconds hand to fall into gear, restarting it, and consequently the extra minute
hand.
Z is a double spring, one spring being upon the other to keep the clicks W and
✗ up to their points of contact or bearing upon the eccentrics, and Z' is a similar
spring to keep the click V up to the star piece T.
By another plan, as shewn in the section, Fig. 5, the movement of the extra
minute hand A is effected by the great wheel (b) without the intervention of the

page_text: second friction wheel H and tooth K. Thus upon the arbor M carrying the extra
minute hand A is a small bevilled wheel (c), which with the arbor M is capable of
a rising and falling motion, rising out of gear and falling into gear upon the great
wheel (b) by the movement of the click V; or instead of this bevilled wheel (c), as
shewn in Fig. 6, a flat motion wheel (7) may be employed gearing into the great
wheel (b); this flat motion wheel (d) works freely upon a stud, shewn dotted,
which stud is drilled to allow the arbor M to pass through a rough disc (f) being
fixed upon the arbor, and rising out of gear and falling into gear upon the flat
motion wheel (d) instead of upon the great wheel (b).
By another arrangement I use the two coarse wheels E and F, and two fine
wheels with straight edges in the place of the two bevilled friction wheels (G
and H); or I may employ three friction wheels with straight edges, and dispenso
with the wheels E, F, and G, H. In using both these last modifications I employ
the already described means for raising or lowering the wheels in and out of gear,
and an additional piece of the form of a watch regulator to move the motion wheel
away from the centre.
Having thus described the object and nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect,
I claim,-
Firstly. The general arrangement and combination of the parts of chronographs,
by which an extra minute hand and dial index and an extra seconds hand are
shewn with the ordinary hands upon the usual dial face, or upon a back dial if
preferred, as herein described and shewn, or any mere modification of such arrange-
ment and combination involving the same principles.
Secondly. I claim the parts connected with the operations of starting, stopping,
and returning the extra minute and seconds hand, by means of which I am enabled
to separate the ratchet wheel S from the star piece T, and place the ratchet wheel S
and slide P between the plates.
Thirdly. I claim severally the slide P, the spring R', the two clicks V and X,
the lifting spring Y, and the double spring Z, each and all in their adaptation to
chronographs.
Fourthly. I claim the arrangement of the mechanical parts on the top plate of
a watch, by which I am enabled to bring an extra minute hand on to the dial, as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Douglas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
PATTAYA
WILLIAM HENRY DOUGLAS (18)