IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOMETER WATCHES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
October 1864. A communication from abroad' by Henry Rothfelder,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
J, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOMETER WATCHES," to be as
follows:
This Invention consists, first, in the employment of a secondary or assistant
lever to the locking lever of chronometer escapements, and also in the con-
struction and arrangement of the locking lever and the assistant lever with
the lifting pallet and escape wheel, whereby the same is caused to operate
with less friction and less power, hence with greater accuracy and durability,
and it can be manufactured to work well with greater facility than the present
construction and arrangement of a detached escapement for chronometers.
Second, it consists in constructing the compensation balance with one
circular uniform rim, to the inside diameter of which semicircular compen-
sating bars are attached, operating the balance weights arranged on the
exterior diameter of the rim, whereby the manufacture of this balance is
greatly facilitated, and whereby the same is caused to work with great pre-
cision and is easily regulated, and also a more durable compensating balance
obtained.

page_text: Third, it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts constituting
the connection of the main spring to the main gear when made to wind from
left to right, and arranged with a self-acting and maintaining click while
dispensing with the fusee and chain entirely. The maintaining click wheel
rests close upon the main gear and is connected to it by a circular spring
placed in a recess in the upper side of the main gear; one end of the spring.
is secured to the maintaining click wheel, and the other end has a stud resting
against the end of a slot formed in the main gear. The periphery of the
maintaining click wheel is attached in the usual-way, and-has-a strong.click_
pressed by a spring in one of its teeth to stop it from moving back while the
winding of the watch is progressing, and to allow the spring to operate the
movement while the main spring is being wound up. The upper side of
the maintaining click wheel is recessed to receive the ratchet wheel, and is
connected therewith by clicks.fixed. also in the same recess with the ratchet
wheel, and operating against the teeth of the ratchet wheel by means of other
springs. A large hub secured to the fusce arbor is provided with a hook,
which takes hold of the inner end of the main spring, the outer end of it
being secured to the spring case which is stationary, and secured to the upper
plate of the movement. The main spring is of the kind used a great deal in
French watches made to wind with nearly equal tendency, and wind from left
to right. By this arrangement and construction of the connection of the
main spring to the main gear, the same is allowed to wind from left to right,
the usual maintaining. click is had, and the chain and fusee dispensed with,
thus the main spring acting directly upon the main gear, a more durable and
simpler movement is obtained than with those now constructed to obtain the
same results.