IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS GOING BARREL WATCHES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Whittaker, 8, Eton Grove, Dacre
Park, Blackheath, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KEYLESS GOING BARREL WATCHES.”
Sealed the 16th November 1875, and dated the 19th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Whittaker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th May 1875.
I, RICHARD WHITTAKER, 8, Eaton Grove, Dacre Park, Blackheath,
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“¢ IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS GOING Barbel WATCHES,” to be as follows :—
The object of my Invention is to simplify, strongthen, & render
more efficient the various parts of a keyless going barrel watch, & is
accomplished as follows:-
The barrel is attached to the lower plate by forming a left-hand scrow

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Whittaker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
WHITTAKER, of 8, Eton Grove, Dacre Park, Blackheath, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queon Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eight year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Whittaker, Her special
licence that I, the said Richard Whittaker, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Whittaker,
my executors, 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
**IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS GOING BARREL WATCHES," upon the condition

page_text: wheel & stop piece from screwing on so tight as to be difficult to take
off; it also allows of the mainspring being set up near the end of the last
turn, which is sometimes an advantage). A pivoted stop piece B, some-
times called the gatherer, is then screwed or it may be squared on
if desired. The shoulder of the stop piece rests on the plate C, & the
pivot fits in a hole at the proper depth or pitch for the barrel teeth &
center pinion; the pivot should be a little larger than usual, & the
end or top of the pivot made to come flush or leavel with the bottom of
the sink cut out for the click wheel D, Fig. 2; the click wheel E, Fig. 1,
is then screwed on, & it slightly binds the arbour to the plate. The 1
advantage of this arrangement is the barrel is held upright without a
name bar or top plate, & may be made to come through the top plate
on a line with the top of the balance cock; the hight of the barrel is
thereby greatly increased without increasing the thickness of the watch,
& it admits of a high thin mainspring which gives ample power for 1
vibration to the balance & allows of from two to three turns of spring
being set up, which gives the barrel an approximate adjustment. If the
barrel is made without a stop work the same principle will apply, but
the lower pivot of the barrel F, Fig. 5, must be made about twice the
usual diameter, which will increase the size of the shoulder of the pivot 2
for the lower plate, which will rest against the lower plate instead of the
shoulder of the pivoted stop piece.
2nd. The usual sinks being made in the lower plate for the keyless
wheels G, H, Fig. 1, instead of placing the shifting bar K, Fig. 2, at the
bottom of these sinks as in mechanisms in use I cut a hole or chamber L
through the plate for the shifting bar K & the end of the spring m, n, o,
to work in, which brings the bar & spring close to the under surface
of the solid top plate p, Figs. 6 & 8. Instead of making the shifting
bar to work on the heart piece R which passes through the wheel H,
Figs. 1 & 6, I make it work on the screw S, Figs. 1 & 6, which 3
passes through the cone T & screws into the heart piece R, Fig. 6,
& which binds the heart piece & cone to the lower plate. The
advantage of this arrangement is the thickness & strength of the
keyless wheels & shifting bar is greatly increased without increasing
the thickness of the watch.
3rd. The keyless wheels E, G, H, Fig. 1, are planted in a straight
line z. z, instead of a triangle, as in mechanisms in use, & lock
3

page_text: themselves in gear for the purpose of preventing accidental setting of
the hands. In order for the wearer to set the hands of the watch he
must turn the button or winder back about one-third of a turn & at
the same time pull it out, this will cause the intermediate wheel g
which works upon the pivot u, Figs. 1 & 2, to role on the pitch line of
the wheel H until it has left the gearing of the click wheel E, &
then it enters & gears with the minute wheel b; the shifting bar K
will then assume the position as shewn in Fig. 4, & the hooked end w
will press against the periphery of the pivot X of the bearing for the
bevil wheel in the pendant; then by keeping a slight continued tension
on the button the wearer by turning the button may set the hands as
desired. Immeadiately he leaves hold of the button the spring m, n, o,
which is screwed into band of the case at the point or end o presses;
against the back of the pivot at the point n & against the shifting bar
at the point m throws the pivot back into the socket & the wheels
E, G, H, into a straight line, & so lock themselves in gear & prevent the
setter being accidentally pulled out, which might shift the hands.
4th. My improved case lock spring Z, Z, Fig. 9, receives its motion
from the side of the pendant instead of the center of the pendant; a
small piece y is formed on the end of the spring Z, Z, which passes into
a slot or nick cut in the side of the pendant at the point y betwen the
band of the case & the movement. The push piece w is squared on to
the rod or arbour of the pendant pinion, & passes through the pendant,
& comes in contact with the spring at the spring at the point y, Fig. 9,
which discharges the cover or bottom of the case in he usual way. The
advantage of this arrangement is it saves the expensive bridge being
made on the lock spring to pass over the wheel or pinion in the
pendant.
5th. The winder J is octagonal & fluted, as shewn in Figs. 1 & 3.
It may be easily made in a draw plate & is screwed to the arbour of
the pendant pinion in the usual way. The advantage of this form of
button is the power for winding up, the mainspring may be more
easily transmitted, & it does not so soon wear smooth as the one with
fine V shaped teeth in use.

page_text: socket of steel, & is let into the solid top plate under the wheel H, Fig. 1.
The rod R³, Fig. 2, passes through the sleve usually formed on the
pendant pinion of hunting case watches; a slot g' is cut in the sleve,
& a pin H in the rod R³ works in the slot, which allows the rod R³ to
be drawn out about the eight of an inch; on the end of this rod
5
pivot p³ is formed, & is made to work in the socket, it is this pivot
& socket which constitutes the bearing I have invented. The piece of
steel T, Fig. 6, in which the socket is made, is of conical shape & let
into the solid top plate p, p, Fig. 6, & mado flush or leavel with boath
surfaces of the solid top plate, the under part of the coned piece A, A, A, 10
Fig. 8, forms that part of the under surface of the solid top plate on
which the shifting bar K works; the screw 8, Fig. 6, passes through the
cone & screws into the heart piece 8, Fig. 1, & binds boath cone &
heart piece to the lower plate. The advantage of this bearing is, it
utilises the whole of the valuable bearing in the pendant & prevents 18
the depth of the wheel in the pendant which gears with with the
wheel H, Fig. 1, from wearing shallow.
Having thus fully described my Invention I wish it to be understood
I do not claim the Invention of a solid top plate, I allow the 1 & 2
armd shifting bar is old, & that winding up the mainspring & 20
setting the hands by a train of steel wheels from the pendant is also old;
but what I claim as new & desired secured by Letters Patent is,—
1st. The combination of the barrel arbour, pivoted stop piece, lower
plate, & click wheel by means of a left-hand screw tap or thread on
the the barrel arbour, arranged & operating substantially as described & 25
for the purpose specified.
2nd. The sinking of the shifting bar & spring through the lower
plate, arranged substantially as described & for the purpose specified.
3rd. The planting of the wheels E, G, H, Fig. 1, in a straight line,
arranged & operating substantially as described & for the purpose 30

page_text: 6th. The bearing for the bevil wheel in the pendant, arranged &
operating substantially as described & for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said
Richard Whittaker, hereunto
set my hand & seal, this
19th day of November, in the
year of our Lord 1875.
•
RICHARD WHITTAKER