AN IMPROVED WATCH KEY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ephraim Smith, of Carlisle Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Jeweller and Watch Key Maker, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED WATCH KEY."
Sealed the 1st December 1854, and dated the 22nd June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ephraim Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
June 1854.
I, EPHRAIM SMITH, of Carlisle Street, in the County of Middlesex, Jeweller
and Watch Key Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED WATCH KEY " to be as follows:-
My Invention is an improvement upon what are known as Breguet keys,
and consists in enabling any key, made according to my improvement, to turn
either from left to right, or vice versa, according to the desire of the user.
Upon the upper part of the key shaft is a toothed wheel, which is placed inside
a small box, and into the teeth of this wheel I make a paul or catch to work.
This paul has both ends alike, and works upon a centre. Either end can be
made to take into the teeth at pleasure, by means of a spring or other suitable
contrivance, which can be directed by pressing upon it with a pin through an.
aperture or small hole in the side of the box. What I claim is, the improved
watch key, in which its action (that is, the direction in which it is made to
turn,) can be altered, by means of a reversible paul or catch.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ephraim Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EPHRAIM
SMITH, of Carlisle Street, in the County of Middlesex, Jeweller and Watch
Key Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ephraim Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Ephraim Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ephraim
Smith, 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 "AN IMPROVED WATCH
KEY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ephraim Smith, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ephraim Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention is an improvement upon what are known as Breguet keys,
and consists in enabling any key, made according to my improvement, to turn
either from left to right, or vice versâ, according to the desire of the user.
The manner in which this is effected is as follows:-Upon the upper part of
Into the
the key shaft is a toothed wheel, which is placed inside a small box.
teeth of this wheel I make a paul or catch to work the paul, having both ends
alike, and turning upon a centre, so that either end can be made to take into
the teeth at pleasure, by means of a spring or other suitable contrivance. The
paul or catch can be directed so as to cause either end of it to take into the
teeth, by pressing upon it with a pin through an aperture or small hole in the

page_text: side of the box; but I do not confine myself to the particular means described
for changing the position of the paul.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is a vertical section; Figure 2, a side
view; Figure 3, an end view; and Figure 4, a horizontal section, on the line
x, x, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, of my improved watch key. a is the body of the
watch key, which is formed in two or more parts, these parts being connected
together at b, by screwing, soldering, or otherwise; c is the shaft; and d is the
barrel of the key, which is attached to the shaft, and moves with it; e is a box
or recess, formed in the body of the key; and f is a small toothed wheel, which
is fixed to the shaft c, and works in the box or recess e; g is a double-acting
paul or catch, which is centred on the pin h, and takes into the teeth of the
wheel f; i is a spring, which acts on the paul or catch g, so as to prevent it
from slipping out of gear with the wheel f; j, j, are two small apertures in the
side of the box e, and on each side of the centre, about which the paul or
catch g turns, to admit of the introduction of a pin, by which the paul or
catch can be acted on, so as to bring either of its ends in gear with the wheel
f, and thus enable the key to be turned in either direction, according to the
requirements of the user; k is a loop or eye, by which the key may be sus-
pended; a swivel may be fitted to the key, if thought desirable.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as of my
Invention is, the improved watch key, in which its action (that is, the direction
in which it is made to turn,) can be altered, by means of a reversable paul or
catch.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ephraim Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
R. A. BROOMAN,
Patent Agent,
166, Fleet St.
EPHRAIM SMITH. (L.S.)