IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS MECHANISM FOR WINDING UP, AND REGULATING THE HANDS OF WATCHES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Adam Burdess at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December 1881.
ADAM BURDESS of Coventry in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN KEYLESS MECHANISM FOR WINDING UP, AND REGULATING THE HANDS OF
WATCHES."
This Invention has for its object an improved construction of keyless mechanism
for winding up and regulating the hands of watches at once simple and effective
and which may be readily applied at a trifling cost to any ordinary watch, thereby
dispensing with all necessity for loose keys or other similar equivalents and
entirely obviating the various inconveniences and disadvantages attendant upon
their use.
My improved keyless mechanism for winding up a watch consists of a small
ratchet wheel fixed on the square end of the pivot whereon the fusec or barrel
arbor is pivotted. Such ratchet wheel is operated by a lever winder which is like-
wise carried on the pivot of the fusee or barrel arbor and to which pivot it is
attached in such a manner as to allow of its moving freely to and fro in a suitable
slot formed in the dome for that purpose, such lever winder has a suitable stud or
projection formed on its outer end to allow of its being readily manipulated either
by the thumb or finger or by both while its inner extremity terminates in two
small arms in each of which a small circular hole is made to allow the lever to
turn freely upon the before mentioned pivot. In the space between such two
inner arms the ratchet wheel revolves while a double click carried upon a pin also
oscillates to and fro therein.-This double click serves to control and assist the
proper operation of the ratchet wheel in the following manner. When the lever is
pushed forwards the upper limb of the click is held in contact with the teeth of the
ratchet wheel by a spring thereby turning it and also the fusee as far as the range
of the lever permits but when the lever is reversed the backward motion allows
such upper limb to ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel while the lower limb
coming in lateral contact either with a pin or with the cock which covers the
balance wheel throws the upper limb out of gear with the ratchet and allows it to
run free.

page_text: In order to wind up a watch fitted with my improved keyless winding mechanism
it is only necessary to move the lever to and fro in the slot wherein it works until
the watch is completely wound.-When wound the lever is drawn back to its
normal position and the upper limb of the click being thrown out of gear as just
described the lever and click are held in position by a spring fixed on the top
plate of the watch which spring presses against the under side of the inner
extremity of the lever.
-Such spring is prevented pressing the lever head
against the pivot by a pin or stop so that the other moving parts of the
watch run perfectly free and are not liable to friction or interruption therefrom.
-
-
In order to regulate the position of the hands I fit a small rotary wheel
and pinion hereafter termed the regulator wheel beneath the dial. This
regulator has a milled edge and a portion of the face plate is cut away to
allow of such milled edge projecting beyond it and of its being readily
manipulated by the thumb nail.
The teeth of the pinion of such regulator take into the teeth of the minute
wheel which latter gears into the pinion of the minute hand while the
pinion of the minute wheel gears with and operates the wheel of the hour
hand.
When it is required to set the hands of the watch it is only necessary to
turn the regulator backwards or forwards when the train of wheels being
operated as already mentioned the hands are set forwards or backwards as
described.
It will be obvious from the foregoing description that my improved keyless
mechanism for winding up and regulating the hands of watches is not only simple
effective and inexpensive but may be readily adapted to existing watches at a
trifling cost thus rendering it of great commercial value.