IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KEYLESS WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Pauline Gontard,
of Cortèbert, Switzerland.
Sealed the 6th January 1880, and dated the 24th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES." [A communication from
abroad by Pauline Gontard, of Cortèbert, Switzerland.]
This Invention relates to keyless watches, and consists in improvements, having
for their object to afford the same space for the barrel as in ordinary watches, to
reduce the number of screws by dispensing entirely with the smaller ones which
are liable to be lost, and to be stripped of their threads; to modify the bevel gear
connecting the winding arbor with the winding mechanism with a view to increase
its durability; to provide an improved form of click which is durable and certain
in its action; to simplify the mechanism of keyless watches, and also facilitate
mounting and dismounting the movement and fixing it in its case.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate an example of the Invention. Figure 1
represents a watch movement having the improvements applied. Figure 2 is a detai 1
of the bevel gear connecting the winding arbor with the barrel arbor. Figure 3 is
a detail of the winding arbor. Figure 4 is a detail of a cannon for a purpose to be
explained farther on. Figure 5 shows the bevel pinion separately. Figure 6 shows
the contrate pinion forming also a ratchet or clutch engaging with a similar one on
the pinion, Figure 5. Figure 7 shows an elevation and Figure 8 a plan of the
barrel arbor. Figure 9 is a section taken on line 1-2, Figure 1. Figure 10 is a
similar section in a watch differing slightly from that shown in Figure 1. Figure
11 shows the winding arbor and part of the watch case, the barrel and other
mechanism being removed. Figure 12 shows an arrangement of hand setting
mechanism, differing slightly from that shown in the preceding Figures. Figures 13
and 14 show sections on line 3-4, Figure 12, the hand setting mechanism being out
.

page_text: of and in gear in these two Figures respectively. In all these Figures the same
reference letters and numerals indicate the same parts wherever they occur.
A, A', is the barrel bar or bridge of special form in which the barrel arbor is
mounted. B, B¹, is a click spring fixed at B', and terminating in a double click,
1-2. A screw fixed in this click enables it to be raised when it is desired to let
the main spring run down. C, C, is the ordinary ratchet fixed on the barrel arbor,
and D is the winding wheel having bevel teeth on its face to gear with the bevel
pinion J, and straight teeth on its periphery to gear with wheel C. The bevel
teeth, both of J and D, are mathematically true, that is to say, they converge
exactly towards the point of intersection of their axes.
The double click is located between wheels D and C, with whose teeth 1 and 2
respectively engage. This improved form of click avoids the increase of resistance
caused by the gearing and the friction of the arbor in the barrel bar or bridge, as is
the case when the ratchet wheel raises the click. Moreover, as the click engages
both with the winding wheel D and the ratchet wheel C, it cannot possibly fail,
and the click spring may therefore be made very weak so as to avoid almost all
wear.
The wheel C, C¹, is fixed on the barrel arbor in the following way:-The said
arbor carries a circular plate F, F1, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, from whose centre
rises a pivot E, having a central screw hole tapped through it and into the arbor as
shown. In the plate F, FI, are also screwed three studs which pass through corres-
ponding holes in the part C¹ of the ratchet wheel. A single screw G¹ screwing into
the hole in the pivot E thus suffices to fix the ratchet wheel securely to the barrel
arbor. By this means I am enabled to advantageously dispense with the square on
the barrel arbor to receive the ratchet wheel. Thus the ratchet wheel may be
adjusted to turn perfectly round, which is very difficult when it fits on a square,
and quite impossible for the watch jobber after the ends of the arbor are turned.
The dismounting of the parts is very simple, as the only screw employed is the
large screw G. The three screw studs in the plate F, F', may be replaced by
three plain studs driven tightly in the one (either the ratchet wheel or the plate)
and received in corresponding holes in the other. The wheel D is carried by a
triangular bar or bridge G fixed by the screws 3, 4, 5. The two first pass freely
through the bar or bridge G and screw into the plate; they serve to fix both the
bar G to the barrel bar A, and the latter to the plate. The third screws into the
bar A, and fixes the bar G in which a slot is formed, so that it is only necessary
to unscrew Nos. 3 and 4, and to slacken No. 5 slightly, in order to withdraw the
bar G. The latter is furnished on the underside with a central circular projection
upon which fits a flanged disc Q, between which and the bar G the wheel D is held
by a single screw H. Three screw studs fixed in Q engage in corresponding holes
in G. In certain cases the mounting of wheel D on the bar G may be simplified
by substituting for the disc Q a pivot on the bar G for the wheel D to turn on
and in which it is retained by a large headed screw, as in Figure 10.
The winding and hand setting mechanism consists of the arbor I, Figure 3, upon
the part M of which is placed a cannon K, Figure 4, which carries the bevel pinion,
J that gears with the winding wheel D. These three parts I, K, and J, are mounted
free, the one on the other. The lower end of the cannon K is received in a counter-
sink N in the contrate pinion L, which gears with the motion work for setting the
hands. Beneath N the pinion L has a square hole P in which the square O on the
arbor I engages. To fix the pinion L on the cannon K it is only necessary to
tighten the set screw R a little, until it enters the side of the cannon K, without
however touching the part M of the arbor I. This set screw R never needs to be
removed, it being only necessary to slacken it a little in order to dismount the
parts. The cannon K has a groove s in which engages the extremity T of a
spring T, T', fixed to the band or side of the case, so that the watch movement
may be removed from the case without disturbing the spring or its push piece.
When the movement is in place, the winding arbor I which is provided with the

page_text: usual milled knob, is retained by a screw U having a lateral notch, and placed on
the band or side of the case. This screw engages in a groove V around the winding
arbor I,.and does not allow the latter to move longitudinally, except when the
notch in the screw is turned round towards the arbor, which position is indicated
by a guide mark on the screw corresponding to another on the outside of the watch
case.
When the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 11, the clutch or
ratchet on the upper end of the contrate pinion L is engaged in the corresponding
ratchet on pinion J, so that on turning the winding arbor I, its squared part o
carries round pinion L, whose ratchet engages as above mentioned with that of
pinion J, which gears through wheel D with wheel C, C', and so winds up the
mainspring. On depressing the push piece Y, the part p, q, of spring T, T¹, is bent,
and the extremity T pushes down the cannon K which carries with it the pinion L,
disengaging it from J, and at the same time putting it into gear with the motion
work for setting the hands forward or back by turning the arbor I as usual. When
the cannon K is thus shifted, the pinion J is retained by its adjustment in the
plate as usual; the only peculiarity of the mechanism in that case is, that the
cannon K slides through the pinion J and upon the arbor I, together with
the pinion L, instead of the latter alone being shifted. To avoid having to keep
the push piece Y depressed by the finger whilst the hands are being set, and to
avoid any projection on the outside of the watch case, I may employ the arrange-
ment shown in Figures 12, 13, 14. The push piece is replaced by a cylinder d, e, f,
terminated at one end by a pivot which passes through the watch case, and is
retained in place by a screw h screwing into the pivot, and whose head is larger
than said pivot, so as to retain it, and yet allow it to turn. The cylinder d, e, f,
has a lateral notch at the middle, in which the spring T lies, as shown in Figure 13,
and it is provided at its opposite end with a lever m, Figure 14, terminating in an
inclined nib seen in Figures 13 and 14. When the watch case is closed and the
lever occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 12, the spring T is
perfectly free so as to allow the ratchets on J and L to slip over one another when
moved backwards in winding up the watch. When however lever m is turned to
the full line position, Figure 12, the circumference of cylinder d, e, f, acts like a
cam on the spring T, pushing it upwards (see Figures 12 and 14) until it throws
pinion L into gear with the motion work for setting the hands. This arrangement
is more particularly applicable to hunting watches.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th January 1880.
<<
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES." A communication from
abroad by Pauline Gontard, of Cortèbert, Switzerland.
This Invention relates to keyless or stem winding watches, and consists in im-
provements having for their object to afford the same space for the barrel as in
ordinary watches; to reduce the number of screws by dispensing entirely with the
smaller ones, which are liable to be lost and stripped of their thread; to simplify
and improve the winding and other mechanism of keyless watches, and also faci-
litate mounting and dismounting the movement and fitting it in its case.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood will proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings, which illustrate an
example of the Invention. Figure 1 represents a watch movement embodying the
improvements; Figure 2 is a detail of the bevel gear connecting the winding arbor
with the barrel arbor; Figure shows the winding arbor separately; Figure 4
shows a small sleeve or "cannon" to be placed on the winding arbor; Figure 5
shows a simplified arrangement of the winding and hand setting mechanism;
Figure 6 shows the bevel pinion separately; Figure 7 shows the contrate pinion,
forming also a ratchet or clutch engaging with a similar one on the bevel pinion,
Figure 6; Figure 8 shows an elevation, and Figure 9 a plan of the barrel arbor;
Figure 10 is a section taken on line 1-2, Figure 1; Figure 11 is a similar section,
but showing an arrangement differing slightly from that shown in the former
Figure; Figure 12 shows the winding arbor and the device for putting in gear the
mechanism for setting the hands; Figure 13 shows a slightly different device for
the same purpose; Figures 14 and 15 show sections on line 3-4, Figure 13, the
hand setting mechanism being out of and in gear in these two Figures respectively.
In all these Figures the same reference letters indicate the same parts wherever they
occur.
+
The
A, A', is the barrel, bar, or bridge of special form. The only support for the
barrel B, B', is a click spring fixed at B', and terminating in a double click 1-2.
A screw fixed in this click enables it to be raised when it is desired to let the main
spring run down. C, C', is a toothed wheel serving also as a ratchet fixed on the
barrel arbor, and D is a crown shaped or annular wheel having bevel teeth on its
face to gear with the bevel pinion J, and straight teeth on its periphery to gear
with wheel C. The bevel teeth both of J and D are mathematically true, that is to
say, they converge exactly towards the point of intersection of their axes.
double click 1-2 engages with the teeth of the two wheels D and C. This
improved form of click raised directly by the wheel D avoids increase of the
resistance due to the gearing and the friction of the arbor in its hole in the barrel
bridge, as happens when it is the ratchet wheel that raises the click. Moreover, as
the click engages with the wheel D and the ratchet wheel C it cannot possibly fail
to act, and the click spring may therefore be made very weak, so as to avoid almost
The wheel C, C, is fixed on the barrel arbor in the following way :-
:-The
said arbor carries a disc F, F', as shown in Figures 8 and 9, from whose centre rises
a pivot E, having a central screw hole tapped through it and into the arbor to a
depth corresponding, as shown, nearly to the commencement of the threaded part of
the arbor, upon which the inside hook of the barrel is screwed. In the plate F, F¹,
are also screwed three studs, the plain cylindrical parts of which pass through cor-
responding holes in the part C of the ratchet wheel. A single screw G¹ screwing
into the hole in the pivot E thus suffices to fix the ratchet wheel securely to the
all wear.

page_text: barrel arbor. By this means I am enabled to advantageously dispense with the
square on the barrel arbor on which the ratchet wheel is usually fixed. Thus
the ratchet wheel may be adjusted to turn perfectly true, which is very difficult
when it fits on a square, and quite impossible for the watch jobber after the ends of
the arbor are turned. The dismounting of the parts is very simple, as the only
screw employed is the large screw G. The three screw studs in the disc F, F¹, may
be replaced by three plain studs driven tightly in the one (which may be either the
ratchet wheel or the disc), and received easily in corresponding holes in the other.
The wheel D is mounted in a triangular bar or bridge G, fixed by the screws 3, 4, 5.
The two first pass freely through holes in the bridge G, and screw into the plate of
the frame; they serve both to fix the bridge G to the barrel bridge A, and the latter
to the plate. The third also passes through a hole in the bridge G, but screws into
the bridge A, an opening I being made at the side of the hole through which the
screw passes, so that it is only necessary to unscrew Nos. 3 and 4 and to slacken
No. 5 without entirely unscrewing it in order to withdraw the bridge G. The latter
is furnished on the underside with a ceutral circular projection, which fits into a
flanged disc Q screwed to the underside of the bridge G by a single central screw H,
the wheel D, which is in the form of a ring or crown, turning on disc Q as a centre,
and being confined between its flange and the bridge G, as shown in Figure 10.
Three screw studs fixed in Q engage in corresponding holes in G to prevent the
disc Q turning with wheel D. In certain cases the mounting of wheel D on the
bridge G may be simplified by substituting for the disc Q a larger boss or projection
on the underside of bridge G, forming a pivot for the wlieel D to turn on, and on
which it is retained by a large headed screw, as in Figure 11.
The winding and hand setting mechanism consists of the arbor I, Figure 3, upon
the part M of which is placed a sleeve or cannon K, Figure 4, which carries the
bevel pinion J that gears with the wheel D. These three parts, I, K, and J, are
mounted free the one on the other. The lower end of the cannon K is received in'
a countersink N in the contrate pinion L, which gears with the motion work when
it is required to set the hands. Beneath N the pinion L has a square hole P, in
which the square o on the arbor I engages. To fix the pinion L on the cannon K
it is only necessary to tighten the set screw R a little until it enters the side of the
cannon K, without however touching the part M of the arbor I. This set screw R
never needs to be removed, it being only necessary to slacken it a little in order to
dismount the parts. The cannon K has a groove 8, in which engages the extremity
T of a spring T, T¹, fixed to the band or side of the case, so that the watch move-
ment may be removed from the case without disturbing the spring or its push
piece. When the movement is in place the winding arbor I, which provided with
the usual milled knob, is retained by a screw U having a lateral notch, and placed
on the band or side of the case. This screw engages in a groove V around the
winding arbor I, and does not allow the latter to move longitudinally except when
the notch in the screw is turned round towards the arbor, which position is indicated'
by a guide mark on the screw corresponding to another on the outside of the watch
case.
When the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 12 the clutch or
ratchet on the upper end of the contrate pinion L is engaged in the corresponding
ratchet on pinion J, so that on turning the winding arbor I its squared part o
carries round pinion L, which by its ratchet engaging with that of pinion J turns
said pinion, which is geared through wheel D with wheel C, C, whereby the main-
spring is wound up. On depressing the push piece Y the part p-q, of spring T, T¹,
is bent, and the extremity T pushes down the cannon K, together with the pinion
L, which is disengaged from J, and at the same time put into gear with the motion
work for setting the hands forward or back by turning the arbor I as usual. When
the cannon K is thus shifted the pinion J is retained by the plate of the frame, as
usual, the only peculiarity of the mechanism being that the cannon K slides through
the pinion J and upon the arbor I, together with the pinion L, instead of the latter
alone being shifted. To avoid having to keep the push piece Y depressed by the

page_text: finger whilst the hands are being set, and to avoid any projection on the side or
circumference of the watch case, may employ the arrangement shown in Figures
13, 14, 15, which is especially suited for use in hunting watches. The spring T, T,
is the same as before described, but the push piece is replaced by a cylinder d, e, f,
terminated at one end by a pivot, which passes through the watch case, and is
retained in place by a screw h screwing into the pivot, and whose head is larger
than said pivot so as to retain it and yet allow it to turn. The cylinder d, e, f, has
a lateral notch at the middle, in which the spring T lies, as shown in Figure 14,
and it is provided at its opposite end with a lever m, Figure 15, terminating in a
bevelled nib, seen in Figures 14 and 15. When the lid of the watch case is closed,
and the lever occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 13, the spring T
is perfectly free so as to allow the ratchets on J and L to slip over one another
when moved backwards in winding up the watch. When however lever m is turned
to the full line position, Figure 13, the circumference of cylinder d, e, f, acts like a
cam on the spring T, pushing it inwards (see Figures 13 and 15) until it throws
pinion L into gear with the motion work for the purpose of setting the hands. In
the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the cannon K is dispensed with, and for the
contrate pinion L, Figure 7, is substituted an ordinary one A, B, Figure 5, having a
square hole throughont its length to receive the square of the arbor I, and having
the grooved collars (Figure 4) midway between the two toothed ends.
arrangement of the parts shown in Figures 1, 4, 6, and 7 has for its object to mount
the push piece and its spring in the side of the case in order to have a strong spring
protected from breakage, and to leave only a single screw beneath the dial, which
screw should be withdrawn in order to dismount the part in its entirety. In
Figure 5 the part 1, 2, 3, 4, of novel construction fulfils two purposes; the part 1, 2, 3,
is a rock lever arm pivoted at 1. The tail end from 1 to 4 is a spring bearing
against a stud 5, and constantly tending to press the ratchet teeth of the pinion
A, B, into those of the bevel pinion J.
The
This Figure represents an arrangement employed in watches of medium quality,
in which the contrate pinion A, B, is geared direct with the wheel 6 of the motion
work without any intermediate wheel. The cannon pinion, the minute and hour
wheels are much larger than usual, and the numbers of their teeth are different to
the usual ratios.
The cannon pinion makes only two revolutions to one of the wheel 6, and the
latter makes 6 for 1 of the hour wheel, which gives twelve revolutions to the
cannon pinion, on which the minute hand is squared, for one of the wheel carrying
the hour hand. When there are one or two intermediate wheels for setting the
hands they are mounted on the bridge X, the first of these wheels being indicated
in dotted lines at Z.
The part 1, 2, 3, 4, turns on a screw having a cylindrical head, or on a simple
stud, or on a projection left at the centre of the cavity in the thickness of the plate.
A screw stud 7 placed behind the centre of oscillation of the push lever 1, 2, 3, 4,
has a lug at one side acting as a button to prevent said lever rising. On giving
this stud a half turn it permits of the lever 1, 2, 3, 4, being removed without
removing the stud. The end of this lever slides under the end of bridge X, which
is notched or undercut, as indicated in dotted lines, this bridge being undercut at
the other end also to allow wheel 6 to pass under it to prevent either the lever or
the wheel rising, whilst leaving the latter completely free. The lever 1, 2, 3, 4, as
well as the bridge X, may also be placed at the other side of the winding arbor I,
that is to say, behind the figure I. instead of behind the figure XII., as in Figure 5,
the positions of these two parts being reversed.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The mode of securing the ratchet wheel to the barrel arbor by a single
large screw instead of by three small ones, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The employment of three studs to connect the ratchet wheel and barrel

page_text: arbor, so that they shall turn together instead of a square on the barrel arbor, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
3rd. In mounting the crown wheel D, the use of three studs and a single large
screw to connect the disc Q, on which wheel D rotates to the bridge G, substantially
as shown and described.
4th. The mode of fixing the bar or bridge G on the barrel bridge A by means of
the same screws that fix the barrel bridge to the plate of the frame, substantially
as shown and described.
5th. The improved form of click B, engaging with and raised by both the crown
wheel D and ratchet wheel C, substantially as shown and described.
6th. The improved arrangement of the bevel gear, substantially as shown and
described.
7th. The mode of mounting the bevel pinion J and the contrate pinion for setting
the hands, whereby the push piece and its spring T, T', may be made much stronger
than usual, and placed in the side of the case entirely outside the movement, so as
to permit of the latter being removed from the case without removing the spring
T, T', or the push piece Y.
8th. The arrangement of the spring push lever 1, 2, 3, 4, applied in lieu of the
ordinary push spring, substantially as described and shown in Figure 5.
9th. The mode of securing this push lever by the screw stud or button 7, whereby
the use of two screws is avoided, substantially as shown and described.
10th. The dispensing with all small screws in the mechanism except the screw R,
Figure 7, which is not liable to be stripped of its thread or to be lost.
11th. The combination of these several improvements, whereby the advantages
previously enumerated are secured in keyless watches, and such watches are rendered
as simple to mount and dismount as ordinary key wound watches.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)