Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
RESERVE
I, FREDERIC VERNON HAWLEY of 289 High Holborn London W.C., Jeweller, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to swivels such as are usually employed for attaching a watch
to the chain. The object of the invention being to provide a swivel which will enable
the watch to be lifted by it but will automatically become detached from the watch
should the chain be "snatched as in a case of attempted robbery. To accomplish
this I propose to form said swivel in the following manner :-
"
The usual half round wires are bent into the shape of an ordinary swivel, but are
provided with an opening at the bottom which divides the arms, one of which is
soldered at the top to a bell shape cap, the other passes through the bell, finishing off
with the usual revolving loop. Within the bell on the second arm is a coiled spring
which is kept in position by a collar.
Beneath the bell a lever bar diagonally connects both arms. The bottom of the
bell is covered in, except a slot at one side which allows the second arm to move up
and down, the spring tending to keep the second arm down, and in contact with the
first arm.
When the swivel is attached to the watch chain by the revolving loop any
sudden jork or pull at the chain will raise the second arm leaving the swivel open at
the bottom so that the watch is released and remains securely in the pocket, it being
intended that the wearer should take the watch out of the pocket by the swivel, thus
preventing its action.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Watch Swivels.
I FREDERICK VERNON HAWLEY of 289 High Holborn London W.C., Jeweller 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:
This invention relates to swivels such as are usually employed for attaching a watch a
to the chain. The object of the invention being to provide a swivel which will enable
the watch to be lifted by it but which will automatically become detached from the
watch should the chain be "snatched" as in the case of attempted robbery.
To accomplish this I propose to form said swivel in the following manner, reference
being made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and
in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a swivel when closed.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the swivel when open and Fig. 3 is a side elevation.
The usual half round wires a a¹ are bent into the shape of an ordinary swivel, but
are provided with an opening at the bottom which divides the arms. The arm a is
soldered or secured ta the top to (or made to form part of) a bell shaped cap e,
while arm a passes through the bell'e and terminates with the usual revolving loop d
to which it is attached.
Within the belle on the arm a¹ is a coiled spring c which is held between the top
of belle and a shoulder on arm a¹.
Beneath the bell a pivoted lever barf diagonally connects both arms. The bottom
of the bell is covered in, with the exception of a slot gat one side which allows the
arm a to move up and down, the spring c tending to keep it in the latter position
and its end in contact with the arm a as shown in Fig. 1.
When the swivel is attached to the watch chain by the revolving loop d any sudden
jerk or pull at the chain will raise the arm a², opening the arm at the bottom as shown
in Fig. 2 so that the watch is released and remains securely in the pocket it being
intended that the wearer should take the watch out of the pocket by the swivel or by
its ring, thus preventing its action. It will be evident that the force required to open
the swivel will vary with the strength of spring employed, and experiment leads me
to think that the spring should be just strong enough to enable the watch to be lifted
from a table by the chain but not strong enough to enable it to be lifted from the
pocket against the ordinary friction upon its sides.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The improvement in watch swivels which consists in so forming them that any
sudden or violent pull upon the chain will cause the swivel to open and release the
watch substantially as described.
2. The improved watch swivel consisting of the arms a a¹ connected by lever f,
arm a' being attached to the loop ring d and normally held in its closed position by a
spring e substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
D
.
1
T
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicant.