IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS AND WATCHES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William James Matthias and Thomas Bailey,
of Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Clockmakers, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS AND WATCHES.
Sealed the 30th March 1853, and dated the 15th October 1852.
Matthias and Thomas Bailey at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th October 1852.
WC, WILLIAM JAMES MATTHIAS and THOMAS BAILEY, of Clerken-
well, in the County of Middlesex, Clockmakers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS
WATCHES" to be as follows:-
Our improvements in clocks consist,―
First, in so arranging the works that the striking parts shall keep
the time keeping parts in motion. Or that by winding up the striking
parts the time keeping parts shall be kept going.
Second, we dispense with the fusee in clocks, and substitute a watch
spring for it.
Third, we make the first action or power act upon the 12 hour
5 action, instead of the 1 hour action, to work the hands.
This we
apply to church clocks and all other kinds of clocks, and to watches.

page_text: Fourth, we make certain arrangements whereby, without increasing
the size of the clock, we are enabled to illuminate eight day and other
clocks going a longer period.
Fifth, we arrange clock work in such manner as to work the hands
of a turret or other separate clock from a clock placed inside a church
or other building.
Figure 1, is an elevation of a clock constructed according to our
improvements, with part of the dial plate removed; and Figure 2, is a
side view of the same. A, is the striking spring box; B, the spring box of
the 12 hour action for giving motion to the hands and escapement C,
gearing between the striking and 12 hour actions. The running down
of the striking action keeps the going action wound up, thus dispensing
with the use of a fusee and obtaining perfect adjustment.
The striking action spring is thus made to supply the power for
working the 12 hour action, and this arrangement conipressés the works
into such a narrow space that room is given, as at a; for illuminating,
if desired, without increasing the size of. the case. In order to enable
our clocks to keep more accurate time we combine with them a screw
remontoir movement, seen at D, which may be in a separate case; and
by increasing the length of the connection d, between the remontoir
and the going or 12 hour action of the clock, we are enabled to give
motion to the hands on the dial of a turret clock, whilst the remontoir
may be in a distant part of the same building. We adopt similar
arrangements in watches, with the exception of the striking action,
which in this case is dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William James Matthias and Thomas Bailey in.
the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 15th April 1853..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
WILLIAM JAMES MATTHIAS and THOMAS BAILEY, of Clerkenwell, in the 3
County of Middlesex, Clockmakers, send greeting...
WHEREAS: Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said William James Matthias and Thomas
Bailey, Her special licence that we, the said William James Matthias
and Thomas Bailey, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said William James Matthias and Thomas
Bailey, our 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 CLOCKS AND WATCHES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William James Matthias and
Thomas Bailey, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William James Matthias and
Thomas Bailey, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
Our said Invention consists,-
Firstly. In distributing the power over the machinery of clocks on
the twelve hour action instead of the one hour action, according to the
present practice, by which arrangement we reduce the friction of the
moving parts to a minimum, and are enabled to keep the clock in action
with a very light weight or slight spring.
Secondly. In arranging the works of clocks in such manner that the
going or time keeping parts shall receive motion from the striking
action, and that by winding up the striking action the time keeping
action shall be wound up, by which arrangement also the running
down of the striking action keeps the going action in motion.
Thirdly. In regulating and governing the action of clocks by means

page_text: of a screw remontoir movement of an entirely new construction, which
may either be combined in the same case with the other parts of the
clock, or placed in a separate case at any required distance therefrom,
which latter arrangement is particularly applicable in the case of turret
and other clocks in large buildings.
Fourthly. In constructing watches with the power applied thereto on
the machinery of the twelve hour action, as before mentioned with
respect to clocks, whereby we are enabled, without increasing the size
of the same, to keep them in action for long continued periods with
once winding up.
Figures 1, and 2,, of the Drawings annexed are respectively a front
elevation and side view of a clock constructed with our improvements.
A portion of the dial plate is removed in Figure 1, in order that the
arrangement of the parts may be more clearly exhibited. A, A', are
the front and back plates of the framing between which the working
parts of the clock are contained. These are maintained at their proper
distances apart by means of pillars or stays in the ordinary manner.
B, is the spring box or barrel of the twelve hour action for giving mo-
tion to the hands and escapement. A spring is shown in the Figure 1,
contained within the barrel as being the source of power, but we some-
times use a weight instead thereof, which is suspended from a cord
wound on the exterior of the barrel B. C, is the twelve hour wheel,
which is introduced in the train, and receives motion from the barrel
B. The wheel C, is either fixed or running loose when required, as
herein-after mentioned, on a hollow pipe or shaft D, which is pivotted in
the frame or plates A, A', and projects at front to a sufficient extent to
enable it to have the hour hand E, fixed thereon. The object of making
the pipe or shaft D, hollow is, to allow the shaft F, which carries the
minute hand G, to pass through it. The opposite end of this shaft F,
carries the minute wheel H, and passes through the back plate A', in
which it is pivotted; and on the further side of the plate A', it is fur-
nished with an arm and balance weight to counterpoise the weight of
the hand G. In order to reduce the friction of the shaft F, in the hollow
pipe D, a small boss is attached to it which works easily in the hollow
of D. By this arrangement it will be seen that the dial works usually

page_text: employed for driving the minute from the hour hand are dispensed
with; the minute wheel H, being driven by the toothed wheel H', on
the end of the shaft H, which is pivotted in the plates A, A¹, and
carries the pinion H³, which latter is in gear with the wheel C. I, is
the spring box of the striking action, the parts of which, being well
understood by clock makers and others familiar with the machinery of
clocks, need not be described here. The spring box I, has a toothed
wheel K, fixed on it, which gears into a pinion K', on the shaft K³, on
which is also fixed the pinion K, which glars into the wheel K', on
the spring box B. It will thus be seen that the winding up of the
striking spring is made to wind up also the spring in the barrel B, and
that the running down of the striking action will keep the spring in
the barrel B, constantly wound up, a portion of it being wound up
every time the striking action is in operation. We are thus enabled
to dispense with the fusee, and at the same time obtain perfect adjust-
ment, there being no perceptible variation in a single turn of a spring
such as we use in the barrel B. When the hour and minute hands
are required to move together in setting the clock we fix a toothed
wheel on the 12 hour pipe or shaft, and a hollow pinion on the minute
wheel shaft, using a small spring to make it work easily. The wheel
and pinion should be cut with teeth in the proportion of 12 to 1, say
the wheel with 72, and the pinion 6 teeth. The 12 hour wheel is in
this case made loose on its shaft, so that while the hands are being
moved the 12 hour action still carries the train.
For the purpose of obtaining more perfect adjustment we employ
as a regulator the screw remontoir movement, next to be described.
This consists of the escapement action L, which is connected with the
pendulum in the ordinary mauner. On the scape wheel arbor M,
is fixed a screw pinion m, which is in gear with a screw N³, on the
axis N. This axis has two long pivots which pass through the
brackets 1,, in order to admit of its having a rising and falling motion.
The falling motion is produced by means of the weight O, which is
attached to the axis N, and which should be sufficiently heavy to give
a proper impulse to the pendulum. An additional weight P, is also
used. which is capable of adjustment on the arm Q, which passes

page_text: through a slot in the axis N. The opposite end of this arm has
a catch piece R, which locks with the stud S, on the spindle T, which
is mounted in bearings U, and has a toothed wheel T', which gears into
the long pinion N', on the axis N. The spindle T, also has a screw T,
formed on it, which is in gear with the worm wheel V, on the spindle
H. During the descent of the screwed axis N, with its appendages,
the screw acts merely as a rack on the teeth of the pinion m, and this
continues until the catch piece R, passes clear of the stud S, when
immediately the axis is set in nevolution by means of the toothed wheel
T', gearing into the. pinion N', and the action of the screw N³, on the
teeth of the screw pinion m, causes the axis N, to ascend until it has
reached its highest point, when the weight of the axis N, causes it
again to descend, and this motion of alternate rising and falling con-
tinues to be performed so long as the clock is in action. The axis N,
is prevented from rising too fast by means of the flies N³, which, being
in revolution, produce by the resistance of the air a check on its ascent.
The screw remontoir regulates also the striking action, which, as before
shewn, is in connection with the time keeping parts of the clock.
A clock of this construction can be made to keep working for a long
period by increasing the length of the train, according to the duration
of the period for which the clock is required to be kept in action, which
can be done without employing a spring of greater power or increasing
the weight on the first action barrel.
In the case of turret clocks and others for large buildings, the
time keeping parts may be in a separate case from that which contains
the regulating movement. The hands of the clock would in this case
be driven from the remontoir or regulator by means of screw dial work
of the ordinary construction, and the connection between the parts
of the clock might be established by means of rods, chains, or otherwise.
The striking action might also be detached from the time keeping parts,
and placed in a separate case, and the communication would be
established by similar means.
The arrangements shewn in Figures 1, and 2, compress the works
into such a narrow compass, that room is given, without increasing the
size of the case, to illuminate the clock, if desired.

page_text: We apply the mode described of distributing the power on the
12 hour, action to clocks of all description, and to watches, and as the
variations necessary to be made in each particular case to enable this
to be carried into effect will readily suggest themselves to the intelligent
workman, we do not think it necessary to give any further description
thereof.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim in respect thereof is,-
First. The construction of clocks and watches wherein the power
is applied direct to the 12 hour action, instead of the one hour action
as usual.
Second. The arrangements whereby the striking action is made to
keep the time keeping parts of the clock in motion, and whereby, also,
the winding up of the striking parts effects the winding up of the tinc
keeping parts, and the running down of the striking action is made to
keep the time keeping action wound up.
Third. The screw remontoir movement, herein-before described, for
regulating and governing the action of clocks, whether combined in the
same case with the striking and time keeping actions, or arranged in a
separate case in communication therewith.
Fourth. The arrangements whereby the fusee of clocks is dispensed
with. And,
Fifth. The employment of the said arrangements where applicable
in clock work generally.
In witness whereof, we, the said William James Matthias and
Thomas Bailey, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Fifteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
W. J. MATTHIAS. (L.S.)
THOS BAILEY.
(L.S.)