Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Arthur Osborne Jennings, of Southport in the County of Fairfield
and State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This Invention relates to sundry improvements in watches whereby the arrange-
ment of the wheels therein is greatly simplified, the winding of the works and the
setting of the hands accomplished with a less number of wheels than was heretofore
necessary and other important advantages attained.
The invention consists first in providing a stem winding watch with a separato
hand setting slide which when used or not used will in no wise interfere with the
connection between the stem and the winding drum.
The invention also consists in the employment of a frictional spring for holding
said hand setting slide in any desired position, also in a new arrangement of wheels
for revolving the sweep-second hand without the employment of what is known as
a cannon pinion on the minute arbor and in other details of improvement that are
hereinafter more fully specified.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification in which Figure 1 is a face view partly in section of the improved
watch. Figure 2 is a bottom view of the top plate of the watch case. Figure 3 is
a cross section on the line c, c figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross section of certain parts
of the watch the line k, k, figure 2, indicating the plane of section. Figure 5 is a
section on the line c, k figure 2. Figure 6 is a side view on an enlarged scale of
the main spring arbor before the hook is formed thereon. Figure 7 is a side view
of the main spring arbor when completed. Figure 8 is a top view of the same.
Figure 9 is a detail cross section of so much of the escapement as shows the con-
struction of the regulator. Figure 10 is a face view of the regulator before the
pins thereon are turned down. Figure 11 is a face view of the completed regulator
and Figure 12 a side view of the same. Figure 13 is a face view of the watch
without dial showing it in position for setting the hands. Figure 14 is an enlarged
section through the arbors of the hands of the watch.
In the drawing the letter A represents the watch case. B is the winding stem
which in this improvement is arranged to gear directly into the toothed wheel a

page_text: that is on the barrel arbor. In the arrangement of this watch the stem is used
simply for winding the main spring, and not in any wise for setting the hands.
The driving wheel b on the main drum gears into a pinion d the arbor of which
carries a toothed wheel e that meshes into a pinion f the arbor of which carries a
toothed wheel g.
The arbor of the pinion d and wheel e also carries frictionally the toothed wheel h
and pinion i which are clearly shown in figures 1 and 13. The pinion i gears into
a toothed wheel j that carries the hour hand D while the toothed wheel h meshes
into a toothed wheel that carries the minute hand C. The sleeves on the wheels j
and that carry the hands C and D are both tubular and embrace a fixed tube (2
figure 14 through which passes the stem or arbor m of the second sweep hand E
which arbor m below the outer plate n of the case A carries a toothed wheel o.
The arbor m is in figure 14 shown as made in two pieces, one piece carrying the
wheel the other the hand E both pieces being frictionally connected within the
fixed tube t². A spring presses this wheel o against the inner face of the plate n
as is shown in figures 2 and 4, and serves thus to hold the stem or arbor m in
position and bearing frictionally against the wheel o prevents the sweep second
hand from making irregular motions, which otherwise it might make under the
influence of the escapement with which it is geared together as will hereinafter
more fully appear.
The wheel o gears into a toothed wheel a the arbor of which carries another
toothed wheel that gears into a pinion which is mounted upon the arbor of the
escapement wheel 8. The wheel gears into a pinion t that is mounted upon the
arbor of the wheel a², q. Thus whenever the escapement wheel moves, it serves to
regulate the motion of the second hand by its connection r, q, a², o, and also that
of the minute hand by its connection r, q, t, g, f, e, h, z, and that of the hour hand
by its connection r, q, t, g, f, e, h, i, j, while meanwhile the main spring by its
connection b, d, e, f, g, t, q, and r, exerts its proper influence upon the escapement
and upon the hands of the watch.
For setting the hands I have placed under the plate na sliding rod F which
hangs in bearings u, u, that are attached to the plate n and which carries a toothed
wheel that projects through a slot in the plate n, as is more clearly shown in
figure 3. A spring w which is fastened to the inner side of the plate n bears
against the rod F and serves to hold it in any desired position. Normally the
slide F with its wheel will be in the position shown in figures 2 and 3 and by
full lines in figure 1; that is to say, with the wheel v at quite a distance from the
toothed wheel h. But when it is desired to set the hands of the watch, the rod F
is drawn outwardly, as shown in figure 13 and by dotted lines in figure 1 until the
toothed wheel meshes into the teeth of the wheel h, whereupon the rod F is
revolved by hand and the wheel h thereby turned until the hands have been set
in the desired position. After this the rod F is pushed in again to assume once
more the position represented by full lines in figure 1. thus allowing the springs of
the watch movement to automatically move the bands in the proper manner.
It will be seen that by means of this arrangement the connection between the
stem and main drum can be left permanent as the stem will only serve to wind the
main spring, while in all other stem winding contrivances heretofore used in
watches which also had a stem setting attachment, a separate toothed wheel was
interposed between the stem and the drum which toothed wheel had to be shifted
out of gear when the hands were to be set.
A further special advantage that flows from the arrangement of the train of
wheels as constructed by me is that by the use of the wheel and pinion h. i, out of
the centre of the movement as it is in all other watches I drive the minute hand
wheel and the hour hand wheel directly from the arbor of the pinion d which
enables me to set the hands by meaus of the wheel v directly whenever that gears
with the wheel h. This does away with the cannon pinion on the minute arbor,
which is a difficult and expensive arrangement of ordinary watches and enables me

page_text: to use the simple sliding attachment F, v for setting the hands. And I save one
arbor by driving the minute hand from the same shaft that drives the hour hand.
I employ, as will be seen the same barrel, centre wheel third and fourth escape-
ment wheel pallet G and balance H as in other watches, but the train is so arranged
as to admit of attaching and using the winding the hand setting and the sweep
second hand with a less number of parts than is at present employed thereby
saving considerable expense. The main spring arbor which is shown enlarged in.
figures 6. 7 and 8 is so constructed that the hook a to which the spring is fastened
is a projection integral with the body of the arbor, and is produced by first forming
a shoulder on said arbor as in figure 6 and then cutting away so much of the
shoulder as is necessary to leave the projecting hook x. This leaves the hook much
stronger than when produced by driving a pin into the arbor and much simpler
than the notched rim or collar which is frequently employed in watches.
The regulator I of the balance H (see figure 9) is also of an improved construction.
Its two projecting pins y, y, which at present are secured as separate pins to the
body of the regulator are according to this invention obtained as follows: I first
strike the regulator out from a plate of sheet metal, so that it has the form shown
in figure 10, that is, with the two pins y, y projecting from the side of the stem M
I then bend the pins y, y, at right angles, as in figures 11 and 12 thereby bringing
them into the proper position for use in the watch. By this construction con-
siderable expense in making the regulator is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
1. In a watch movement the hand setting slide F carrying the hand setting
wheel and combined with the perforated plate n with which the slide F is
parallel and with the frictional spring w substantially as described.
"
2. In a stem winding watch the stem B gearing directly into the wheel a on the
barrel arbor in combination with the train of wheels from said winding drum to
the wheels j, that carry the hands and to the escapement, and with the perforated
plate n lugs u, u slide F having the toothed hand setting wheel v and frictional
spring w, the wheel being adapted to turn said wheels j, z, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of the winding drum and its wheel b with the train of
wheels d, e, f, g, h, i, j, z, t, q, r, and escapement wheels as specified.
4. The combination of the winding drum and its wheel b with the train of
wheels d, e, f, g, h, i, j, z, t, q, r, and escapement wheel 8, and with the slide F
having toothed wheel substantially as described.
5. The sweep second hand E combined by its arbor with the toothed wheel o
plate n and spring support p the spring pressing said wheel o against the plate n
substantially as specified.
6. The combination of the winding drum and its wheel b with the train of
wheels d, e, f, g, h, i, j, z, t, q, r, and escapement wheels and with the toothed
wheels o a² and sweep second hand E as described.
7. The regulator I constructed out of one piece with the projecting pins y, y, as
and for the purpose specified.