A NEW OR IMPROVED ESCAPEMENT AND PENDULUM IMPULSE MOVEMENT, APPLICABLE TO CLOCKS AND OTHER HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christian Lange, of 99, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Watchmaker, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
ESCAPEMENT AND PENDULUM IMPULSE MOVEMENT, APPLICABLE TO CLOCKS AND
OTHER HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS.”
Sealed the 15th June 1875, and dated the 18th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christian Lange at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th December 1874.
I, CHRISTIAN LANGE, of 99, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED ESCAPEMENT AND PENDULUM IMPULSE MOVEMENT, APPLICABLE
TO CLOCKS AND OTHER HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
-
The main feature of this Invention is that the movement for the
escapement and for the pendulum impulse movement is derived from
mechanism independent of the force or power which impels the clock, -

page_text: According to the usual mode of constructing escapements and pen-
dulum impulse movements the escapement consists of two pallets, which
alternately fall into the escapement wheel, and the spindle of the pallets
is connected to the pendulum, giving the impulse thereto.
Now according to one mode of carrying out my Invention I dispense
with one of the pallets, and on the pallet spindle I fix a lever or arm
which is weighted to the proper weight for giving the impulse to the
pendulum during part or the whole of one of its oscillations. This
impulse lever or the pendulum (or both) has a projecting knob or point
of contact. On the pallet spindle I fix a wheel which gears into a pinion
on a spindle which carries a fly stop or rest, by preference balanced.
The gearing is so arranged that the fly stop or rest comes in contact
with one of two stops on the pendulum or parts connected thereto every
time the pendulum makes an oscillation in one direction.
According to another mode, when I desire to obtain a quicker move-
ment of the escapement I double the arrangement just described, viz.,
I employ two pallet arbres or spindles, each having its pallet and impulse
lever, and I arrange the fly stop or rest in such a manner relatively to
the pendulum or parts connected therewith that the fly stop or rest
comes in contact with the pendulum stops at every oscillation instead of $
at every other as in the previous arrangement.
The aforesaid mechanism is applicable to clocks and other horological

page_text: the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Christian Lange, Her special
licence that I, the said Christian Lange, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Christian Lange, my exe-
5 cutors, 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 "A NEW OR
IMPROVED ESCAPEMENT AND PENDULUM IMPULSE MOVEMENT, APPLICABLE TO CLOCKS
AND OTHER HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Christian Lange, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
5 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 Christian Lange, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say: :-
The main feature of this Invention is that the movement for the
escapement and for the pendulum impulse movement is derived from
mechanism independent of the force or power which impels the clock.
According to the usual mode of constructing escapements and
pendulum impulse movements the escapement consists of two pallets,
which alternately fall into the escapement wheel, and the spindle of the
pallets is connected to the pendulum, giving the impulse thereto.
Now according to one mode of carrying out my Invention, and as
shown in front elevation at Fig. 1 and in side view at Fig. 2, I dispense
with one of the pallets, and on the pallet spindle a I fix a lever or arm A
which is weighted to the proper weight for giving the impulse to the
pendulum B during part or the whole of one of its oscillations. This

page_text: impulse lever or the pendulum or both, as here shown, have projections
or points of contact, which in this case consist of a screw C and stop C'.
On the pallet wheel spindle or staff g I fix a wheel G which gears into a
pinion F on a spindle which carries a fly stop or rest D, by preference
balanced. The gearing is so arranged that the fly stop or rest D comes
in contact with one of two stops E on the pendulum B, as here shown,
or on parts connected thereto every time the pendulum makes an
oscillation in one direction.
According to another mode, and as illustrated by Fig. 3, which is a
front elevation, when I desire to obtain a quicker movement of the
escapement I double the arrangement just described, viz., I employ two
pallet arbres or spindles a, a, each having its pallet I and impulse lever A,
and I arrange the fly stop or rest D in such a manner relatively to the
pendulum B or parts connected therewith that the fly stop or rest D in
contact with the pendulum B stops at every oscillation instead of at ]
every other as in the previous arrangement. The fly stop D is here also
furnished with a small pinion F which gears with a wheel G on the
shaft 9. E is the stop on the pendulum B with which the fly D comes
in contact.
The aforesaid mechanism is applicable to existing clocks and other 2
horological instruments by slightly altering the pallets and fixing the
aforesaid impulse lever or levers on one or both pallet spindles.
The peculiarity pertaining to and inherent in this arrangement of
mechanism is that the unlocking of the pendulum is done in such a
manner that no resistance is thereby caused to the pendulum, and so 2
that no part of the weight of the escapement is required to be lifted.
Another peculiarity is that the escapement cannot as it is tectnically
called "trip," thereby causing irregularity to the "going" or keeping
time of the clock..
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this 8
Invention I declare that I claim,―
Firstly. The mode and means for giving impulse to the escapement
and to the pendulum of clocks and other horological instruments by
mechanism independent of the impelling power-of the clock, substantially
as herein-before set forth.

page_text: Secondly. The pendulum B having a stop or stops E in combination
with a fly stop D, pallet or pallets I, and impulse lever B, operating as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christian Lange, have hereunto set
-
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
CHRISTIAN LANGE. (L.S.)