IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hector Auguste Dufrené, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité,
Paris, in the Republic of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS
WATCHES." A communication from Monsieur Vuillemin, of Ourchamp, in the
Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hector Auguste Dufrené at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April 1881..
HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in the
Republic of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES." [A communication from
Monsieur Vuillemin, of Ourchamp, in the Republic of France.]
The Invention communicated to me relates to improvements in keyless watches.
In carrying out the improvements a rod or arbor provided at its upper end with
the usual button gives motion to a bevil pinion, provided on its underside with
ratchet teeth. The bevil teeth of the said pinion drive a pinion having bevil teeth,
and provided on its periphery with spur teeth gearing with an intermediate wheel,
which gears with a wheel on the barrel arbor. A contrite ratchet pinion moved
by a spring operated by a push piece gears on one side with the ratchet teeth of
the motive pinion, and on the other side with a small intermediate wheel for setting
the hands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hector Auguste Dufrené in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th October 1881.
HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ, of 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, in the Republic
of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London; Civil Engineer and Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES." A communication from
Monsieur Vuillemin, of Ourchamp, in the Republic of France.
My Invention relates to improvements in keyless watches. In carrying out my
improvements I employ a rod or arbor giving motion to a bevil pinion, which

page_text: drives another pinion having bevil teeth, and provided at its periphery with spur
teeth gearing with an intermediate wheel, which gears with another spur wheel on
the barrel arbor. A contrite ratchet pinion, which may be made to gear at will
with a small spur wheel, allows of setting the hands.
'
But to enable the Invention to be better understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front
elevation of my improvements, and Figure 2 is a back elevation of the same;
Figures 3 and 4 are details.
Similar numbers in all the Figures represent similar parts.
1 is a flat wheel with two sets of teeth, viz., a set of bevil teeth gearing with the
motive pinion 8, and a set of spur teeth gearing with the intermediate wheel 3;
this thick wheel is fixed under the barrel by a screw nut 2; this screw nut is
provided with two holes, and screws in a right hand direction; 3 is the inter-
mediate wheel with spur teeth, and fixed by means of the screw nut 4; this screw
nut has also two holes, and screws in a left hand direction; 5 is the spur wheel
fixed on the barrel arbor, and held in position by the ordinary screw nut 6; 7 is
the rod or arbor for winding up the watch, the stop of which is formed by the
screw nut 2; 8 is the motive pinion provided with two sets of teeth, the bevil
teeth gearing with the bevil teeth on the spur wheel 1, and the spring click bevil
teeth gearing with the sliding pinion 9 for setting the hands, the said pinion
gearing with the minute hand; 10, spring of the setting mechanism; 12, push
piece of the setting mechanism fixed in a notch; 13, cannon of the push piece fixed
to the watch case; 14, barrel spring.
The intermediate wheel 3, which forms the most important part of my improved
arrangement, serves, firstly, to allow the placing of the pinion 8 between the centre
of the plate and the spur wheel 1, which permits of winding the watch by turning
from left to right; secondly, to allow the minute wheel (the rod or arbor 7 being
at a distance from the barrel) to be placed beside the barrel, in order that the
mechanism for setting the hands may act directly on the minute wheel; thirdly,
to render the improved mechanism completely independent of the movement of the
watch.
Having thus described my said Invention and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect, what I claim is,―
Firstly. The combination with the rod or arbor of the sliding pinion and the
three flat spur wheels, substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in
the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement. for setting the hands of the watch, substantially as
hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The employment, in combination with the hereinbefore described
arrangement of mechanism, of the intermediate wheel 3, as hereinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hector Auguste Dufrené, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
H. A. DUFRENÉ. (L.S.)