IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Mills, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mills at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1878.
THOMAS MILLS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster.
WATCHES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to the construction of what are known as "stop-watches,"
and more especially to that class of "stop-watches" having independent seconds,
wherein the seconds' hand can be stopped and started without stopping the other
movements of the watch.
I mount the fourth or central wheel and its pinion loose on the seconds' staff, and
near to the back end of the staff I pin or fix a small collet. On the staff, between
the fixed collet and the bush of the central pinion, I mount a sliding bush having
a run or flange at the back end facing the collet above named. Between this rim
or flange and the fixed collet is placed a spiral spring which has a tendency con-
stantly to force the other or front end of the sliding bush against the face of
central pinion, and this spring will cause sufficient friction between the collet, the
sliding bush, and the pinion, to cause the fourth or central wheel to carry the
seconds' staff (and consequently the seconds' hand) round with it when the watch is
"going" in the ordinary way; but whenever the sliding bush is drawn back away
from contact with the pinion, the friction ceases, and the centre wheel continues to
revolve without giving motion to the seconds' staff.
"

page_text: Underneath the top plate is fixed a lever, one end of which has a fork embracing
the sliding bush in front of the rim or flange, and the other end is connected by a
bell-cranked lever to the slide by which the seconds' hand is stopped. This slide
also acts simultaneously upon another lever fixed to the bottom plate underneath
the dial, the other end of which lever acts as a brake against a small roller on the
seconds' staff, and thus brings the seconds' finger to a "dead stop" the instant that
the centre wheel is disconnected by the staff by the first-named lever. As soon as
the slide is moved in the reverse direction, these two levers are returned to their
original position by means of springs, the brake is withdrawn, and the central
wheel (which has continued its movement without interruption) becoming again
connected by friction with the seconds' staff puts the seconds' hand at once into
motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd January
1879.
THOMAS MILLS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster.
WATCHES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to the construction of what are known as "stop-watches,"
and more especially to that class of "stop-watches" having "independent seconds,"
wherein the seconds' hand can be stopped and started without stopping the other
movements of the watch.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a section of so much of the movement of a
stop-watch as is necessary to illustrate the application of-my-Invention thereto, the
Drawing being enlarged to about six times the actual size.
Fig. 2 is a face view of the bottom plate, and Fig. 3 an underneath view of the
top plate.
Fig. 4 is a section of part of the movement, drawn about twelve times the actual
size.
I mount the fourth or central wheel a, a, and its pinion b, b, loose on the seconds'
staff c, c, and near to the back end of the staff I pin or fix a small collet d. On the
staff c, c, between this fixed collet d and the bush e of the central pinion, I mount a
sliding bushf, f, having a rim or flange g at the back end, facing the collet above
named. Between this rim or flange g and the fixed collet d is placed a spiral
spring h, which has a tendency constantly to force the other or front end of the
sliding bushf, f, against the face of the bush e of the central pinion b, b, and this
spring will cause sufficient friction between the collet d, the sliding bush f, and the
pinion 6 to cause the fourth or central wheel a, a, to carry the [seconds' staff c, c,
(and consequently the seconds' hand) round with it when the watch is "going" in
the ordinary way; but whenever the sliding bush f, f, is drawn back away from
contact with the pinion b, b, the friction ceases, and the centre wheel a, a, continues
to revolve without giving motion to the seconds' staff c, c.
Underneath the top plate i, i, is fixed a lever k, k, one end of which has a fork
embracing the sliding bush f, f, in front of the rim or flange g, and the other end is
connected by a bell-cranked lever l, l, to the slide by which the seconds' hand is
stopped. This slide, which is provided with two pins, also acts simultaneously
upon another lever m, m, fixed to the bottom plate n, n, underneath the dial, the
other end of which lever acts as a brake against a small roller o, o, on the seconds'
staff c, c, and thus brings the seconds' finger to a
"dead stop "the instant that the
centre wheel is disconnected from the staff by the first-named lever; the lever m
acting as it were a "thought" later than the lever k. As soon as the slide is moved
in the reverse direction, these two levers k and m are returned to their original
position by means of the springs p, p, the brake is withdrawn, and the central
wheel (which has continued its movement without interruption) becoming again
connected, by friction with the seconds' staff, puts the seconds' hand at once into
motion.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical

page_text: effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the improvements in
the construction of the "stop motion" of watches having "independent seconds," as
herein-before particularly described, and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Mills, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
THOMAS MILLS. (L.S.)

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mills at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1878.
THOMAS MILLS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster.
WATCHES."
" IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to the construction of what are known as "stop-watches,"
and more especially to that class of "stop-watches" having independent seconds,
wherein the seconds' hand can be stopped and started without 'stopping the other.
movements of the watch.
I mount the fourth or central wheel and its pinion loose on the seconds' staff, and
near to the back end of the staff I pin or fix a small collet. On the staff, between
the fixed collet and the bush of the central pinion, I mount a sliding bush having
a run or flange at the back end facing the collet above named. Between this rim
or flange and the fixed collet is placed a spiral spring which has a tendency con-
stantly to force the other or front end of the sliding bush against the face of
central pinion, and this spring will cause sufficient friction between the collet, the
sliding bush, and the pinion, to cause the fourth or central wheel to carry the
seconds' staff (and consequently the seconds' hand) round with it when the watch is
going" in the ordinary way; but whenever the sliding bush is drawn back away
from contact with the pinion, the friction ceases, and the centre wheel continues to
revolve without giving motion to the seconds' staff.
"

page_text: Underneath the top plate is fixed a lever, one end of which has a fork embracing
the sliding bush in front of the rim or flange, and the other end is connected by a
bell-cranked lever to the slide by which the seconds' hand is stopped. This slide
also acts simultaneously upon another lever fixed to the bottom plate underneath
the dial, the other end of which lever acts as a brake against a small roller on the
seconds' staff, and thus brings the seconds' finger to a "dead stop" the instant that
the centre wheel is disconnected by the staff by the first-named lever. As soon as
the slide is moved in the reverse direction, these two levers are returned to their
original position by means of springs, the brake is withdrawn, and the central
wheel (which has continued its movement without interruption) becoming again
connected by friction with the seconds' staff puts the seconds' hand at once into
motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd January
1879.
THOMAS MILLS, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATCHES."
This Invention relates to the construction of what are known as "stop-watches,"
and more especially to that class of "stop-watches" having "independent seconds,"
wherein the seconds' hand can be stopped and started without stopping the other
movements of the watch.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed. or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and havė
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a section of so much of the movement of a
stop-watch as is necessary to illustrate the application of my Invention thereto, the
Drawing being enlarged to about six times the.actual-size.-
Fig. 2 is a face view of the bottom plate, and Fig. 3 an underneath view of the
top plate.
Fig. 4 is a section of part of the movement, drawn about twelve times the actual
size.
I mount the fourth or central wheel a, a, and its pinion b, b, loose on the seconds'
staff c, c, and near to the back end of the staff I pin or fix a small collet d. On the
staff c, c, between this fixed collet d and the bush e of the central pinion, I mount a
sliding bush ff, having a rim or flange g at the back end, facing the collet above
named. Between this rim or flange g and the fixed collet & is placed a spiral
spring h, which has a tendency constantly to force the other or front end of the
sliding bush ff, against the face of the bush e of the central pinion b, b, and this
spring will cause sufficient friction between the collet d, the sliding bush f, and the
pinion b to cause the fourth or central wheel a, a, to carry the [seconds' staff c, c,
(and consequently the seconds' band) round with it when the watch is "going" iu
the ordinary way; but whenever the sliding bush f, f, is drawn back away from
contact with the pinion b, b, the friction ceases, and the centre wheel a, a, continues
to revolve without giving motion to the seconds' staff c, c.
Underneath the top plate i, i, is fixed a lever k, k, one end of which has a fork
embracing the sliding bush f, f, in front of the rim or flange g, and the other end is
connected by a bell-cranked lever 1, l, to the slide by which the seconds' hand is
stopped. This slide, which is provided with two pins, also acts simultaneously
upon another lever m, m, fixed to the bottom plate n, n, underneath the dial, the
other end of which lever acts as a brake against a small roller o, o, on the seconds'
staff c, c, and thus brings the seconds' finger to a "dead stop" the instant that the
centre wheel is disconnected from the staff by the first-named lever; the lever m
acting as it were a "thought" later than the lever k. As soon as the slide is moved
in the reverse direction, these two levers k and m are returned to their original
position by means of the springs p, p, the brake is withdrawn, and the central
wheel (which has continued its movement without interruption) becoming again
connected, by friction with the seconds' staff, puts the seconds' hand at once into
motion.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical

page_text: effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the improvements in
the construction of the "stop motion" of watches having "independent seconds," as
herein-before particularly described, and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Mills, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
TUOMAS MITLS 101