IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATCHES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton-
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Eugéne Deroche, of
Moutier Granval, in the Republic of Switzerland.
Sealed the 7th April 1865, and dated the 19th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th January 1865.
. I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
WATCHES," to be as follows:-
These improvements have reference to mechanism for winding up and
setting watches without a key, and have for their object a simplification of
the mechanism heretofore employed, as also the rendering of such mechanism
easily accessible.

page_text: For this purpose a spindle passes through the pendant, and is made to
fit with a square bead into a corresponding recess in a moveable knob attached
to the pendant. Inside the watch this spindle is of an enlarged cylindrical
form, and fits into a corresponding cylindrical cavity or chamber formed partly
in the back face of the pallet plate and partly in a removeable bracket fixed
to the latter. To the end of the spindle is attached a spur pinion and a
crown pinion, formed in one or fixed together. The spur pinion is in gear
with a crown wheel attached to a spur wheel carried by the before-mentioned
bracket, which spur wheel is in gear with another wheel upon the arbor of
the fusee, so that by turning the spindle by means of the knob of the pendant,
the spur pinion upon the same causes the wheel of the fusee to revolve, and
thus effects the winding up of the watch. The crown pinion can, by pressing
the spindle inwards, be put in gear with one of the minute wheels, by which
motion the spur pinion is at the same time put out of gear with the winding
up movement, whereupon, by turning the spindle by means of the knob in
one direction or the other, the rotation of the minute wheels, and consequently
the setting of the hands forward or backward, may be effected.
In order to
afford the requisite motion of the spindle for the above purpose, a spring
attached by one end inside the rim of the watch takes with its other end into
a circular groove formed in the spindle. This spring is so arranged that
unless acted upon it keeps the spindle in the position first. described, namely,
with the spur pinion in gear with the winding, up movement. In order to
cause the spring to move the spindle into the position for setting the watch, a
pin connected to a stud on the spring passes through the rim of the watch,
and is provided outside with a small knob, which pin, upon being pressed
inwards, consequently depresses the spring, which in its turn moves the spindle
into the required position. Thus it will be seen that for winding the watch it
is only necessary to turn the knob of the pendant in the required direction,
whilst to set the hands the pin that projects through the rim is first depressed
by the thumb of the hand that holds the watch, and the knob is then turned
by the other hand in one direction or the other as may be required. The
readily accessible by simply removing the bracket
spindle with the pinions is
from the pallet plate, and the other parts of the movement before described
are all visible, which is one great advantage of this arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATCHES" (a communication to me from
abroad by Eugéne Deroche, of Moutier Granval, in the Republic of Switzer-
land, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Denton Abel,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, 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.
1
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
These improvements have reference to mechanism for winding up and
setting watches without a key, and have for their object a simplification of the
mechanism beretofore employed, as also the rendering of such mechanism
easily accessible.
For this purpose a spindle A, Figure 5, on the accompanying Drawing,
passes through the pendant B', and is inade to fit with a square head into a
corresponding recess in a moveable knob B' attached to the pendant. Inside

page_text: the watch this spindle is of an enlarged cylindrical form, as shewn, and fits
nto a corresponding cylindrical cavity or chamber b, b, formed partly in [the
back face of the pallet plate C, shewn at Figure 2, and partly in a removeable
bracket D fixed to the latter, and of which detached front and back views are
shewn at Figures 3 and 4. To the end of the spindle A is attached a spur
pinion d and a crown pinion d', formed in one or fixed together. The spur
pinion d is in gear with a crown wheel 7, attached to a spur wheel L, carried
by the bracket D, which spur wheel is in gear with another wheel M upon
the arbor of the fusee or main spring, so that by turning the spindle A by
means of the knob B of the pendant the spur pinion d causes the wheel of the
fusee to revolve, and thus effects the winding up of the watch. The crown
pinion d can, by pressing the spindle A inwards, be put in gear with one of
the minute wheels N, shewn at Figure 1, which is a front view of the pallet
plate C, by which motion the spur pinion is at the same time put out of gear
with the winding up. movement, whereupon, by turning the spindle by means
of the knob B in one direction or the other, the rotation of the minute wheels,
and consequently the setting of the hands forward or backward, may be
effected. For putting the pinion d in gear with the minute wheel N, the
latter is sunk into the front face of the pallet plate, so that a portion of its
circumference enters the groove 6 formed on the back face of the pallet plate
in which the spindle A is situated, as shewn at Figure 2. In order to afford
the requisite motion of the spindle A for the before-mentioned purpose, a
spring rattached by one end inside the rim of the watch, takes with its other
end into a circular groove c formed in the spindle A, a slot e being formed in
the pallet plate C for this purpose. This spring is so arranged that, unless
acted upon, it keeps the spindle in the position shewn, namely, with the spur
pinion d in gear with the winding up movement. In order to cause the spring
to move the spindle into the position for setting the watch, a pin g, (shewn
detached at Figure 6,) connected to a stud k on the spring r, passes
through the rim of the watch, and is provided outside with a small knob, which
pin, upon being pressed inwards, consequently depresses the spring r, which
in its turn moves the spindle A into the required position. Thus it will be
seen that for winding the watch it is only necessary to turn the knob B of
the pendant in the required direction, whilst, to set the hands, the pin g that
projects through the rim is first depressed by the thumb of the hand that
holds the watcb, and the knob B is then turned by the other hand in one
direction or the other as may be required. The spindle A with the pinions is
readily accessible by simply removing the bracket D from the pallet plate, and
the other parts of the movement, before described, are all visible, which is one

page_text: great advantage of this arrangement over those heretofore employed. In
addition to this, the before described improved arrangement is much simpler,
occupies less space, and requires no additional minute wheel for setting the
hands as was heretofore necessary, as in this arrangement the minute wheel N
at the same time serves for setting the hands.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, what I claim is, the arrangement of mechanism
for winding up and setting watches, in which such winding up and setting is
effected by means of a sliding and rotating spindle carrying a spur pinion for
winding up, and a crown pinion for setting, arranged and operating sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described with reference to the accom-
panying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHARLES D. ABEL. (LS.)