Improvements in Watch Cases.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
Improvements in Watch Cases.
I, CALEB KIMBALL COLBY, of 11 John Street, New York, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the class of watches wherein the stem or pendant of
the watch is attached to an open ring or band in which the watch-movement is
mounted, and the object is to cheapen and simplify the construction of the case
and to render it substantially dust proof.
The case consists of a ring to receive and support the watch-movement, a pendant
which is rigidly secured to this ring, and a back cap and front cap.
The back cap
and front cap are hinged together and hinged to the said ring all at the same point.
That is, the same hinge pin serves to hinge all three of the parts together. The
back and front caps close together over the ring so as to completely enclose or
house it and they snap together, the one on the other, when the case is closed, and
not onto the ring. Thus the ring is wholly invisible when the watch-case is
closed.
In the respective back and front caps are formed half round or other shaped
recesses to embrace the pendant, and at this point the pendant has, by preference,
a packing ring of soft rubber, or the like, to exclude dust.
If the watch-case is what is termed an open face, it will have a glass or crystal
set in its front cap.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agenis for the Applicant.
Improvements in Watch Cases.
I, CALEB KIMBALL COLBY of 11 John Street in the City, County and
State of New York; United States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to the class of watches wherein the stem or pendant of
the watch is attached to an open ring or band in which the watch-movement is
mounted, and the object is to cheapen and simplify the construction of the case
and to render it substantially dust proof.
The case consists of a ring to receive and support the watch-movement, a pendant
which is rigidly secured to this ring, and a back cap and front cap. The back
cap and front cap are: binged together and hinged to the said ring all at the
same point. That is, the same hinge pin serves to hinge all three of the parts
together. The back and front caps close together over the ring so as to com-
pletely enclose or house it and they snap together, the one on the other, when
the case is closed, and not onto the ring. Thus the ring is wholly invisible
when the watch-case is closed.

page_text: In the respective back and front caps are formed half round or other shaped
recesses to embrace the pendant, and at this point the pendant has, by preference,
a packing ring of soft rubber, or the like, to exclude dust.
If the watch-case is what is termed an open face, it will have a glass or crystal
set in its front cap.
.
A watch-case embodying my improvements is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a diametrical, transverse section thereof in the plane of the pendant
and showing the case open; and Figure 2 is a similar section showing the case
closed. In these views the pendant is represented in elevation.
Figure 3 is an edge view of the case as it appears when closed.
Figure 4 is an edge view of the case with the pendant broken away and the front
or face cap raised.
a represents the back cap or half of the case, and b, the front cap or half. These
caps are of substantially the same depth, and they are hinged together at r, opposite
the pendant, c. The pendant is rigidly secured to a ring, d, which is adapted to
receive and hold a watch-movement, and is hinged at the same point to the two
parts, a and b, of the case. The same hinge pin serves for the three parts, a, b and d,
and the ring is hinged at about the middle of its width or depth, so that, when the
case is closed (see Figures 1 and 3), the meeting line y of the two caps forming the
inclosing part of the case will lie in a plane passing edgewise through the case and
ring in the axis of the pendant and through the middle of the ring. The two
caps, a and b, house or inclose the ring or movement and are provided around their
margins with the usual undercut and matched flanges which snap together when the
caps are closed and secure the caps, one to the other, and the ring d is free within
them, not necessarily touching them except at the hinge. The caps a and b have
each a half-round recess, e, at the point where they close around and embrace the
neck, c', of the pendant, which will be, by preference, provided at this point with a
packing ring, c, of rubber, to prevent the access of dust.
The case here shown has what is called an open face, the cap b having set in it a
glass or crystal, g, through which the dial of the watch may be seen.
This con-
struction materially reduces the cost of manufacture of the case and also the amount
of metal required to make it, this latter being an important item in gold cases, for
which the invention is especially adapted.
By making the two caps a and b of substantially, about the same depth, as here
shown, and thus bringing the meeting line y in the middle of the depth of the closed
case (see Figure 3), and hinging the ring d at about the middle of its width, as shown,
the case may be made with plain dies, whereas, as ordinarily made, complicated and
expensive dies are employed. Where the ring d is out of contact with the caps a
and b, about its circumference, the formation of a seating for it in the back cap is
avoided, thus reducing both the labor and the quantity of material used.
1 um aware that it is not new in a hunting case for a watch to bring the two
outer caps together over the watch by beveling the edges of the caps, but in this
construction, which relates to an entirely different kind of case, the back-cap is
snapped onto the ring of the watch-case and the face-cap is held by the usual
spring catch operated by the push-pin of the pendant. The caps are not arranged
to snap together as in my construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A watch-case composed of a ring d, to hold the movement provided with a
pendant or stem, and two caps, a and b, which are hinged together and to the
ring. d at a common point opposite to the pendant, said caps having undercut
and matched marginal flanges which snap together when the caps are closed, the
caps thus forming a housing for the ring, as set forth
2. A watch-case composed of two caps hinged together and arranged to snap

page_text: together when closed, a ring to hold the movement hinged to the caps at the point
where, they are hinged, and a pendant or stem secured to the said ring and provided
with a packing ring about its neck at the point where the caps embrace said neck
when the case is closed, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.