IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Read, of White Street, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS
WATCHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Read at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1879.
WILLIAM HENRY READ, of White Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in keyless watches, whereby the
construction of the same is simplified and the cost of production reduced.
For this purpose I employ movements of somewhat similar construction to those
now in use, but instead of placing the balance wheel and regulator on the " "top
plate" of the movement I reverse its position and place it on the "pillar plate,"
and I connect the regulator by suitable connections to a lever or hand on the face
of the dial, fixed to a stud opposite to the seconds hand either at the top or bottom
of the dial, or any other place desired to give a symmetrical appearance thereto.
This may be effected by causing a pin on the regulator to enter a slot in a lever
fixed to an axis, on which the aforesaid lever or hand is fixed.
I place the winding gear on the "top plate" of the movement, and I preferably
employ equal size toothed wheels, one of which is placed on the axis of the spring
barrel, another communicates motion to the hands, and the third, to which motion
is given, is placed on an axis at the centre of the "top plate;" a pinion mounted on
a lever is employed to place the hands on the spring winding mechanism in gear
with the driving mechanism. I give motion to the central wheel by aid of the
bottom of the watch case, which I form separate and mount and fit so as to enable
it to be rotated on the watch case band. This bottom plate I preferably fix to the
central wheel by screws or otherwise, but if desired it may be caused to give motion
to such central wheel by a pin or pins, and may be retained in its position on the
watch case by clipping thereon.
As the case bottom is not hinged, and therefore does not spring open, the pendant
pusher is not required for opening the case, I therefore employ it for moving the
pinion into gear with the spring winding or hand winding gearing as may be
required.

page_text: -SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William-Henry Read in the Great Seal Patent. Office on the
5th January 1880-
WILLIAM HENRY READ,-of-White Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES."
This Invention has for its object.improvements in keyless watches, whereby the
construction of the same is simplified and the cost of production-reduced..
For this purpose I employ watches of somewhat similar construction to those
hitherto in use, but instead of placing the balance wheel and regulator on the "top
plate" of the movement I reverse their position and place them on the " pillar
plate" I then connect the regulator by suitable connections to a lever or hand on
the face of the dial, fixed to a stud opposite to the seconds hand either at the top
or bottom of the dial, or any other place desired to give a symmetrical appearance
thereto. This may be effected by causing a pin or the regulator to enter a slot in
a lever fixed to an axis on which the aforesaid lever or hand is fixed.
I place the winding gear on the "top plate" of the movement, and I sometimes
employ equal size toothed wheels, one of which is placed on the axis of the spring
barrel, another communicates motion to the hands, and the third, to which motion is
given, is placed on an axis at the centre of the "top plate." A pinion or pinions
mounted on a lever are employed to place the hands or the spring winding mechanism
in gear with the driving mechanism. I give motion to the central wheel by aid of
the bottom of the watch case, which I form separate and mount and fit so as to
enable it to be rotated on the watch case band. This bottom plate I preferably fix
to the central wheel by screws or otherwise, but if desired it may be caused to give
motion to such central wheel by a pin or pins, and may be retained in its position
on the watch case by clipping thereon.
As the case bottom is not hinged, and therefore does not spring open, the pendant
pusher is not required for opening the case; I therefore employ it for moving the
pinion into gear with the spring winding or hand winding gearing as may be
required.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same
Figure 1 represents the pillar plate of a keyless watch-with-the balance wheel
and regulator applied thereto according to my Invention, the dial in this case being
partially removed; Figure 2 represents a view of a keyless watch dial with the
balance wheel and regulator applied to the watch according to my Invention, but
which are visible and accessible to the wearer through an opening in the dial;
Figure 3 represents the top plate of a keyless watch with winding and hand setting
mechanism, constructed according to my Invention, applied thereto; and Figure 4
is a cross section of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a view of the inside of the case bottom,
arranged to give motion to the winding and hand setting mechanism; and Figures 6
and 7 are detail views representing some of the parts more clearly.
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
In Figure 1 a represents the pillar plate, immediately at the back' of which are
fixed the balance wheel b and regulator c; the latter is operated by a 'hand-or

page_text: pointer d on the face of the dial, which has fixed to its axis on the back of the
pillar plate a lever e, formed with a slot at its end to fit a pin or stud on the end of
the regulator c.
In Figure 2 the balance wheel b and regulator c are also fixed to the pillar plate a,
but instead of being operated by a hand or pointer on the face of the dial, as in the
arrangement represented at Figure 1, the balance wheel and regulator, are visible
and accessible through a circular hole formed in the dial.
According to my Invention, and as represented at Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, I
place the winding gear and hand setting mechanism on the top plate fof the move-
ment, and for this purpose I employ three toothed wheels, one of which, marked g,
is placed upon the axis or arbor of the spring barrel; another, h, communicates
motion to the hands; and the third, i, to which motion is given and which gives
motion to the other wheels, is placed on an axis at the centre of the top plate f;
pinions, are mounted on a rocking bar j, and employed to place the hands
or spring winding mechanism in gear with the driving wheel i. I give motion to
this central wheel i by aid of the bottom k of the watch case, which I form separate
and mount and fit so as to enable it to be rotated on the watch case band. This
case bottom I preferably fix to the central wheel i by screws. or otherwise, but if
desired it may be caused to give motion to such central wheel ȧ by a pin or pins,
and may be retained in its position on the watch case by clipping thereon.
The watch case may also be so constructed that the back bezel can be jointed as
usual, and the case bottom turn round in the bezel; or the watch can open at the
front in the ordinary manner and yet be wound by the case bottom k by employing
a clutch or cross bar (see Figures 3 and 4), which is held up by a spring m but
works up and down through a square hole in the central wheel i, so that if it should
happen not to return to the exact spot or slit in the raised part n (see Figure 5) of
the case bottom k when the watch is shut down it will spring into place again
immediately the case bottom is turned round to wind up the spring or to set the
hands, and clutching with the part n will carry round the central or driving
wheel 2.
In all cases, whether the watch case opens or not, I employ the pendant pusher o
(see Figure 3) to act upon a lever ol to move the pinion j into gear with the hand
setting wheel h when required for moving the hands, such lever o¹ acting in one
direction upon a pin j³ standing out from the back of the bar or lever j carrying
the pinions j, j, to place the pinion j¹ in gear with the hand setting wheel h, whilst
a spring ? acts upon such pin in the contrary direction to place and retain the
pinion in gear with the winding mechanism until the pushero is pressed down
by the finger upon the lever o¹.
The construction and mode of fitting the lever or bar j I have found to answer is
clearly represented in the Drawings, but I do not confine myself to the precise
details thereof.
I would here observe that the wheels g, h, i, may, as stated in my Provisional
Specification, be all of the same size, or they may be of different sizes, as represented
in the Drawings, and I would further remark that the watch movement I employ
is, except as herein before described, of similar character to those heretofore generally
employed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First. The improvements in the construction, arrangement, and combination of
parts of keyless watches, substantially as herein shown and described.
Second. The novel combination of the case bottom with the winding mechanism
of keyless watches, substantially as herein shown and described.
Third. The novel construction and arrangement of the winding and hand setting
mechanism of keyless watches, substantially as herein shown and described; and,
Fourth. The employment in keyless watches of the pendant pusher for altering

page_text: the hand setting and winding mechanism, in manner substantially as herein shown
and described.
In-witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Read, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January,-in-the-year of our Lord One
- thousand eight hundred and eighty.