IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Son, of Shepherd's Court, Upper Brook Street,
Grosvenor Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KEYLESS WATCHES."
Sealed the 24th November 1865, and dated the 29th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Son at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th May
1865.
I, HENRI SON, of Shepherd's Court, Upper Brook Street, Grosvenor
Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KEYLESS WATCHES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
keyless watches of small dimensions, whereby they are rendered much less
liable to derangement or injury, and suitable for being worn by ladies attired
in evening dress as appendages to bracelets or other articles of jewellery or
otherwise. In this construction of miniature watch the winding part or .
instrument is the largest separate piece of mechanism in the combination.
The main spring in this arrangement being about six times higher, or broader

page_text: than in any other watches of similar diameter is thereby rendered much less
liable to break. The axes and pinions being much longer or deeper than in
miniature watches of ordinary construction, strength and regularity of action
is thus imparted to watches of small diameter constructed according to my
Invention; and as they are never required to be opened for winding or for
setting the hands they do not require such frequent cleaning.
And in order that the nature of my improvements may be readily understood
I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, which shows several
views on an enlarged scale of a watch constructed according to my Invention,
the nature of each view being written thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, four times the real size, of a watch of
this improved construction taken on the line 1, 2, of Figure 2, which shows
a horizontal section taken on the line 3, 4, of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an
under side view taken on the line 5, 6, of Figure 1. Figure 6 shows a
keyless miniature watch of actual dimensions appended to a ladies bracelet,
Figure 7 being part of a similar view of the bracelet and watch when
extended.
A is the case of the watch, which is of globular form, as shewn; B, main
spring barrel set on the plate C; C is the centre wheel; D, the "
pinion; E, the hour and minute wheel motion; F, crown wheel of the
winding part, fixed by screws to the upper part of the case a; G, the winding
wheel, fixed on the arbor, of the barrel B, and driven by the crown wheel F;
H is the dial; I shows the ordinary motion 'work wheels; J, the "balance;"
and K, a stud to push the pinion 'L'into gear with the "cannon" pinion D
when it is required to set the hands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henri Son in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI S
Son, of Shepherd's Court, Upper Brook Street, Grosvonor Square, in the
'County of Middlesex, 'send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord

page_text: 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 Henri Son, Her special license that I, the said: Henri Son, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the said. Henri
Son, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should. at any time agreer
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 "IMPROVEMENTS. IN' THE.
CONSTRUCTION OF KEYLESS WATCHES," upon the 'condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Henri Son, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands' and seals, should par--
ficularly describe-and-ascertain 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.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Son, do hereby declare the nature-
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,.
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement.
thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
keyless watches of small dimensions, whereby they are rendered less liable.
to derangement or injury, and suitable for being worn by ladies. attired
in evening' dress as appendages to bracelets or other articles of jewellery or
otherwise. In this construction of miniature watch the winding.ipart or
instrument is the largest separate piece of mechanism in the .combination..
The main spring in this arrangement being about six times.bigher or broader
than in any other watches of similar diameter is thereby rendered much less
liable to break. The axes and pinions being much longer or deeper than in
miniature watches of ordinary construction, strength.and regularity of action
is thus imparted to watches of small diameter constructed according to my.
Invention; and as they are never required to be opened ifor winding for.for
setting the hands they do not require such frequent cleanings.
And in order that the nature of my improvements may be readily under..:
stood I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, which.shows
several views on an enlarged scale of a watch constructed according to my.
Invention. T L
•

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the watch; Figure 2 shows a horizontal
section taken on the line 1, 2, of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan of the parts
taken on the line 5, 6, of Figure 1, the upper part of the case being removed;
and Figure 5 shows another horizontal section taken on the line 3, 4, of
Figure 1.
The mechanism of the watch is contained in the spherical case A, which
is divided into two parts, as seen in Figure 1, the upper part being fixed by
screws a* to the crown wheel a, the teeth of which are in a vertical plane, so
as to engage with the teeth of the wheel b, which turns freely on the arbor or
axis of the barrel B. The crown wheel a, which turns with the upper part,
is guided by the plate p fixed by the screws v, Figure 3. Under the wheel 6
there is a ratchet wheel d on the arbor c of the barrel, into the teeth of which
the click or catch d' fixed on the wheel 6 takes, as seen in the under side
view at Figure 4. Another ratchet e is placed immediately below the ratchet d
(the teeth being in same direction) for setting the hands, and the click e¹
which actuates the wheel e is fixed under the wheel b. The toothed wheel on
the barrel B communicates motion to the cannon pinion i means of the
pinion 1, the pinion k on the same axis communicating motion to the hands C.
The glass D is fixed in the moveable part of the spherical case A, and admits
of the hands C and dial m being clearly seen when required.
The horizontal section, Figure 5, shows the mechanism of the escapenient,
which I need not more particularly describe, as it will be readily understood
on examining this Figure. In order to wind up the barrel the lower part of
the case is firmly held whilst the upper part of the case attached to the crown
wheel is being turned, so as to give motion to the wheel b, which, by means
of the click d', drives the ratchet wheel d on the arbor c to wind up the main
spring. The click e' during the winding up escapes over the teeth of the
ratchet 6, which only serves for setting the hands. When it is desired to set
the hands the stud g¹ is pressed inwards, the upper part of the case being
turned round until the hands are properly set. By pressing the stud g¹
inwards the teeth of the pinion f (carried by the lever f¹ moving on the pin o)
are caused to engage with the teeth of the wheel b, and also with the teeth of
the cannon pinion i, which is of sufficient depth for this purpose, so that when
the upper part of the case A is turned in either direction the wheel 6 which
drives the pinion ƒ also gives motion to the cannon pinion i, in order to set
the hands. By ceasing to press on the stud g¹ the spring h, Figure 2, acts

page_text: to disengage the pinion f from the winding mechanism. A' is a screw socket
by which the bow E of the chain is attached to the case of the watch.
Figure 6 shows the chain extended with the watch at one end and a ring at
the other. Figure 7 shows the chain arranged as a bracelet with the watch
attached as a pendant thereto.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Son, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.
H. SON. (L.)