IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCK MOVEMENTS OR MECHANISM from ab
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co. Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an invention
A communication
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCK MOVEMENTS OR MECHANISM
from abroad by Frederic Almon Lane, of New Haven, Connecticut, United
States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCK MOVEMENTS OR
MECHANISM [A communication from abroad by Frederic Almon Lane, of New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.]
"
This invention relates to improvements in clock movements and more particularly
to that class of movements which are designed for very small cases, the object of
the said invention being to adapt a "marine movement" to clocks of this kind and
the said invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts
as hereinafter described.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a rear plate and a front
plate, the latter being shorter than the former, say by one half of its length. A
vertical division-plate is arranged between the front, and rear plates, and is
substantially the same size as the rear plate; these three plates are connected by
pillars, in the usual manner, so that each plate is held in its proper relative position
to the other; the main wheel shaft has its bearing in the rear plate and the
division plate; the spring is arranged on the said shaft in substantially the usual
manner, and between the rear plate and the division plate.
The centre shaft has its bearing in the rear and front plates, and extends through
the division-plate; this shaft is provided with a pinion between the rear plate and
the division-plate, into which pinion the main wheel works, and from which
the train of gearing arranged between the division plate and the front plate is

page_text: The balance-wheel-shaft has its bearing in the division plate and in an arm
extending down from the front plate, so that the balance wheel occupies a position
in front of the main wheel, and in rear of the plane of the front plate; the said
balance wheel operates upon a crown wheel through a lever in the usual manner.
By employing a division-plate and arranging the main wheel and its spring upon
one side of the said plate, and the balance wheel on the opposite side thereof, I am
enabled to bring the balance wheel, and its connecting mechanism in front of the
main wheel, and within the limits of the space necessary for such main wheel; at
the same time the front plate is made so short, that the balance wheel and its
immediate connections are exposed, so that they may be seen through an opening
in the clock-case, thus imparting an attractive appearance to the small clock which
a pendulum cannot do.
In the usual construction of this class of movements the verge is made from steel
of considerable thickness, so as to ensure a proper engagement with the escapement-
wheel, which is made of brass, with projecting teeth; the wheel itself is thin, and
to ensure the proper working of the teeth upon the points of the verge, it is
necessary that the verge shall be considerably thicker than the wheel because of
the unavoidable irregularity of the point of contact between the escapement wheel
-and-the-points-of-the-verge,-owing_to_the_slight_play_axially necessary to the
escapement wheel and to the verge.
This steel verge is secured to the verge-shaft directly and the lever is also secured
to the same shaft directly, or in some cases, the lever and verge are rivetted
together, and then secured to the shaft; this makes the lever with the verge an
expensive part of the movement. In the operation of this vergo it "banks" at
the root of the teeth of the wheel, the depth-of-the-tooth limiting the play of the
verge and lever..
To obviate these difficulties I construct the lever and verge in one and the same
piece, from-sheet-steel,-or-equivalent metal and provide the escapement-wheel with
a series of pius in its rim projecting parallel with the axis of the wheel, upon which
pins the verge works; I also construct the verge with banking pins formed as a
part thereof.
The escapement-wheel is constructed with a series of pins projecting from its
rim parallel with the axis on which the wheel revolves, these pins being spaced
according to the verge which is to work upon them, and to the train of gearing
between the escapement wheel and the centre shaft. The verge and lever are made
in one piece and are preferably cut from thin sheet metal. The verge in general
outline is of the usual form of a "dead beat" verge, and is hung upon its pivot in
the usual manner. The longer arm extends to the balance-wheel, so as to be
operated thereby through the pin on the hub of the wheel working in a fork in the
end of the lever arm,
The arrangement of the verge in relation to the escapement wheel is such that
the ends of the said verge work upon the pins. Each of the arms of the verge is
constructed with a banking pin projecting from the working face of the arms so as
to strike upon the pius, which pins arrest the spring or vibration of the verge, and
its lever arm. The operation of the movement turns the lever and the balance
wheel in the usual manner.
By this construction a very large proportion of the expense of the usual verge
and lever is avoided. The verge-lever may be very thin, because the length of the
pins in the escapement wheel permits considerable play, either of the wheel itself,
or of the verge, hence very much less friction is produced in the escapement than
on the toothed wheel on the thick verge, so that not only is the movement cheaper,
but better than movements of the usual construction.
In order to make a firm support between this peculiar verge lever and its shaft
I make a perforation in the lever, at the point where it is to be connected to the
shaft and slightly larger in diameter than the said shaft, and into this perforation
I fit a collar which is bored to closely fit the shaft, and is constructed with a
shoulder at one end, so that that end may pass through the perforation in the body

page_text: of the verge, and be rivetted down upon the opposite side so as to firmly secure the
said collar to the verge This collar is of such a length that when it is placed upon
the shaft and secured thereon it will hold the vergo securely. This peculiar
construction of verge and lever may be applied to escapement wheels of other
construction, and the banking pins may be formed upon a verge which is separate
from its lever, or the verge and lever may be made without the banking pins as an
integral part thereof.
If the banking pins be otherwise arranged, than as an integral part of the verge,
it is necessary that some convenient method of adjustment in assembling the parts,
be provided; to this end I apply to the verge a single pin projecting outward from
its surface parallel with the axis of the shaft, and in the plate of the frame I cut a
triangular hole through which this pin projects; the upper and lower sides of this
opening permit the pin to swing in the movement of the verge so that in so
swinging the pin will first strike one edge in one direction, and the other in the
opposite direction. The inclined sides of the opening converge toward the shaft of
the verge, hence as the pin stands farther from, or nearer to, the shaft, its movement
will correspond to the distance between the two sides; to vary the extent of this
movement therefore it is only necessary to bend the pin in toward the shaft, if the
movement is required to be less, or outward if it is required to be greater, that is
to say when the movement is required to be less the pin should be bent into the
narrower part of the opening and when the movement is required to be greater it
should be bent into the broader part.
The pin may be on any part of the lever or verge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, " IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCK MOVEMENTS OR
MECHANISM A communication from abroad by Frederic Almon Lane, of New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America,
"
This invention relates to improvements in clock movements, and more par-
ticularly to that class of movements which are designed for very small cases, the
object of the said invention being to adapt a "Marine Movement" to clocks of
this kind, and the said invention consists in the novel construction of the parts as
hereinafter described.
The said invention is illustrated-in-the-accompanying_drawing in which,
Figure 1. is a front view
Figure 2. a side view, and
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, detached views showing my improvements
A represents the rear plate; B the front plate, which is shorter than the said
rear plate, say by one half its length; C is the vertical division plate arranged
between the front and rear plates, and of substantially the-same-size-as-the rear
plate the three plates are connected together by pillars D in the usual manner, so
that each plate is held in its proper relative position to the other; E is the main
wheel shaft which has its bearings-in-the-rear-plato_A_and_the division plate C;
Fis the main wheel; and G the spring arranged on the said shaft in substantially
the usual manner, and between the rear plate and the division plate, as shewn in
Figure 2.
His the centre shaft which has its bearings in the rear and front plates, and
extends through the division plate; this shaft is provided with a pinion I between
the rear plate and the division plate, into which pinion the main wheel works,
and from which the train of gearing arranged between the division plate and the
front plate is operated.
a is the balance wheel whose shaft has its bearing in the division plate C, as
at b, and in an arm d extending down from the front plate, so that the said
balance wheel occupies a position in front of the main wheel, and in rear of the
plane of the front plate; the said balance wheel operates upon the crown wheel e
through a lever fin the usual manner.
By employing a division plate, and arranging the main wheel and its spring
upon one side of the said plate, and the balance wheel on the opposite side thereof,
I am enabled to bring the balance wheel and its connecting mechanism in front of
the main wheel, and within the limits of the spaco necessary for such main wheel
which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1; at the same time the front plate is
made so short, that the balance wheel and its immediate connexions are exposed,
so that they may be seen through an opening in the clock case, thus imparting an
attractive appearance to a sinall clock which a pendulum cannot do.
In the usual construction of this class of movements the verge is made from steel
of considerable thickness, so as to ensure a proper engagement with the escape-
ment wheel which is made of brass with projecting teeth; the escapement wheel
itself is thin, and to ensure the proper working of the teeth upon the points of the
verge, it is necessary that the verge shall be considerably thicker than the wheel,
because of the unavoidable irregularity of the point of contact between the escape-
ment wheel and the points of the verge, owing to the slight play axially necessary

page_text: to the escapement wheel and to the verge. This steel verge is directly secured to
the verge shaft and the lever is also secured to the same shaft, or, in some cases,
the lever and verge are rivetted together and then secured to the shaft; this makes
the lever with the verge an expensive part of the movement. In the operation of
this verge it "banks" at the root of the teeth of the wheel, the depth of the tooth
limiting the play of the said verge and lever.
To obviate these difficulties I construct the lover and verge in one and the same
piece from sheet steel or other suitable metal, and provide the escapement wheel
with a series of pins in its rim projecting parallel with the axis of the wheel, upon
which pins the verge works; I also construct the verge with banking pins formed
as a part thereof.
The escapement wheel e is shown drawn to an enlarged scale in Figure 3; it is
constructed with a series of pins h projecting from its rim parallel with the axis
on which the wheel revolves, these pins being spaced according to the verge which
is to work upon them, and to the train of gearing between the escapement wheel
and the centre shaft; this train of gearing, and the relation of the escapement
wheel thereto, are well known and therefore require no detailed description.
The verge and lever are shown in Figure 4; they are made in one and the same
piece and are preferably cut from thin sheet metal. The verge in general outline
is of the usual form of a "dead beat" verge, and is hung upon its pivot in the
usual manner.
The longer arm extends to the balance-wheel, so as to be operated
thereby through the pin on the hub of the wheel working in a fork in the end of
the lever arm, as shown in Figure 1. The arrangement of the verge in relation to
the escapement-wheel is such that the ends of the said vergo work upon the pins h.
Each of the arms of the verge is constructed with a banking pin i projecting from
the working face of the arms so as to strike upon the pins as shown in Figure 1,
which pins arrest the spring or vibration of the verge and its lever arm. The
operation of the movement turns the lever and the balance-wheel in the usual
manner, the verge at each vibration causing the banking pins i to come in contact
with the pins on the wheel.
By this construction a very large proportion of the expense of the usual verge
and lever is avoided; the verge lever may be very thin because the length of the
pins in the escapement-wheel permits considerable play, either of the wheel itself
or of the verge, lience very much less friction is produced in the escapement than
on the toothed wheel on the thick vorge, so that the movement is not only cheaper
but better than movements of the usual construction.
In order to make a firm support between this peculiar verge lever and its shaft,
I make a perforation in the lever at the point where it is to be connected to the
shaft, slightly larger in diameter than the said shaft, and into this perforation I fit
a collar, see Figure 5. This collar is bored to closely fit the shaft, and is
constructed with a shoulder m at one end, so that that end may pass through the
perforation in the body of the verge, and be rivetted down upon the opposite sido
so as to firmly secure the said collar to the verge. This collar is of such a length
that when it is placed upon the shaft and secured thereon, it will hold the verge
securely. This peculiar construction of verge and lever may be applied to
escapement wheels of other construction, and the banking pins may be formed
upon a verge which is separate from its lever, or the verge and lever may be made
without the banking pins as an integral part thereof.
If the banking pius be otherwise arranged than as an integral part of the verge,
it is necessary that some convenient method of adjustment in assembling the parts
be provided; to this end I apply to the verge a single pin n, see Figure 6,
projecting outward from its surface parallel with the axis of the shaft, and in the
plate of the frame I cut a triangular hole 7, through which this pin projects; the
upper and lower sides of this opening permit the pin to swing in the movement of
the verge, so that, in so swinging, the pin will first strike one edge in one direction,
and the other in the opposite direction. The inclined sides of the opening converge
toward the shaft of the verge, hence as the pin stands farther from, or nearer to,

page_text: the shaft, its movement will correspond to the distance between the two sides; to
vary the extent of this movement, therefore, it is only necessary to bend the pin
towards the shaft if the movement is required to be less, or outward if it is
required to be greater, that is to say, when the movement is required to be less the
pin should be bent into the narrower part of the opening, and when the movement
is required to be greater it should be beat into the broader part.
I have represented the pin as on one arm of the verge, but it will be understood
that it may be on any part of the lever or verge.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
Foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim.
First. In a clock movement, a division plate arranged between the front and
rear plates, the main-wheel shaft having its bearings in the said division plate and
Tear plate, the main-wheel, the spring, and centre pinion arranged between the said
division and rear plates, and the balance wheel arranged outside the division plate
and in front of the said main-wheel, substantially as described.
Second. In a marine clock movement, a verge and lever constructed in one and
the same piece, in combination with an escapement wheel provided with a series of
pins projecting from its rim and parallel with its axis, substantially as described.
Third. In a marine clock movement, the verge constructed with the banking
-pins projecting_from_its working surface, the said verge-being-made-in-one-and
the same piece with the lever or otherwise, substantially as described.
---
Fourth. The herein described improvements in marine clock movements,
consisting of the thin metal verge and lever constructed in one and the same piece,
in combination with the collar attached thereto to form connection with the shaft,
-and the crown-wheel-constructed with pins projecting from its side, and parallel
with the axis of the said wheel, substantially as described.
-
Fifth. In a marine clock movement, the pin n extending from the verge or lover,
_and_the_frame constructed, with a triangular opening through which the said
pin projects, and upon two sides whereof the said pin-will-bank,-and-between
which sides the said pin may be adjusted, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty fifth day of October in the year of our Lord One