IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Reymond, of No. 448, Sirvette, and 10, Rue
Bonivard, Geneva, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 27th June 1865, and dated the 6th January 1865.
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Reymond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
January 1865.
I, GEORGE REYMOND, of No. 448, Sirvette, and 10, Rue Bonivard, Geneva,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS," to be
as follows:-
:
This Invention has for its object the so constructing the escapements of
watches and other timekeepers in which balance or swing wheels are employed
as to render the overturning of the, balance impossible. For this purpose the
impelling pallet which receives the impulse from the teeth of the escapement
wheel is carried on the axis of the balance or swing wheel, as is usual; the
unlocking or discharging pallet, is not carried on this axis, but a pinion on
the axis gives motion to, a second and larger pinion, which is by preference
formed with three times as many teeth as the pinion on the axis of the balance
or swing wheel. The unlocking or discharging pallet is either carried on the
axis of this larger pinion, or motion is transmitted to it from this pinion.

page_text: By this means the balance wheel must make three complete revolutions before
it can overturn.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I have on the
Drawings hereunto annexed shown two examples of escapements constructed
in the manner above described, but other arrangements may be resorted to in
carrying out this Invention.
Figure 1 of the Drawings shows a Diagram of one example. a is the
escapement wheel; b, the axis of the balance or swing wheel which carries
the impelling pallet; c is the small pinion on this axis, which gears into the
pinion d; the axis of this pinion carries the unlocking or discharging pallet e;
this pallet acts on one end of the lever f, which at its opposite end carries the
locking pallet g, which locks the teeth of the escapement wheel; the end of
the lever that carries the pallet g is constantly pressed by the small spring h
towards the stop i.
Figure 2 shows another description of escapement arranged in the manner
above described. a is the escapement wheel; b, the axis of the balance or
swing wheel; c, the impelling pallet; d, the pinion on the axis of the balance
wheel. In this arrangement this wheel gears with an intermediate wheel e,
which gears with a wheel f having a like number of teeth; on the axis of
this wheel is fixed a small roller having a small notch formed in it, which
allows the teeth of the escapement wheel to pass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Reymond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
REYMOND, of No. 448, Sirvette, and 10, Rue Bonivard, Geneva, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth 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 George Reymond, Her special licence that I, the said George
Reymond, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Reymond, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ESCAPEMENTS FOR WATCHES AND OTHER TIME-
KEEPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Reymond, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 George Reymond, 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 the so constructing the escapements of
watches and other timekeepers in which balance or swing wheels are employed
as to render the overturning of the balance impossible. For this purpose the
impelling pallet which receives the impulse from the teeth of the escapement
wheel is carried on the axis of the balance or swing wheel, as is usual; the
unlocking or discharging pallet is not carried on this axis, but a pinion on the
axis gives motion to a second and larger pinion, which is by preference
formed with three times as many teeth as the pinion on the axis of the
balance or swing wheel. The unlocking or discharging pallet is either
carried on the axis of this larger pinion, or motion is transmitted to it from
this pinion. By this means the balance wheel must make three complete
revolutions before it can trip or overturn.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I have in the
Drawings hereunto annexed shewn one example of an escapement con-
structed as above described, the arrangement there shewn being the one
which I prefer to employ in carrying out my Invention, other arrangements
for carrying out my Invention may, however, as before stated, be resorted to.
Figure 1 shews a plan view of a watch escapement, the balance wheel and
some other parts being removed to shew the escapement more clearly;
Figure 2 shews a complete plan view of the escapement.
In each of these Figures a is the escapement wheel; b, the axis of the
balance or swing wheel; this axis carries the impelling pallet and also a
small pinion c, which gears with an intermediate wheel d; the axis of this
wheel carries the unlocking or discharging pallet e, which acts on one end of
a lover f; the opposite end of this lever carries the locking pallet g which

page_text: locks the teeth of the escapement wheel; i is a spring, which by pressing
against the pink on the lever presses the lever constantly towards the stop 7.
The Drawings shew the parts of the escapement in the positions they occupy
when the balance wheel is turning in the direction shewn by the arrow; when
the balance wheel turns in this direction the unlocking pallet e catches against
the end of the spring f¹ carried by the lever f, and turns the lever on its axis,
so as to withdraw the locking pallet away from the escapement wheel, and so
allows the escapement wheel to revolve; a tooth of the escapement wheel then
comes against the impelling pallet on the axis of the balance wheel, and
imparts to it the necessary impulse; as soon as the pallet e has passed beyond
the end of the spring f¹ the lever is pressed back by the spring i, so that the
locking pallet catches the next tooth of the escapement wheel to that which
it previously retained, when the balance wheel turns back in the opposito
direction to that shewn by the arrow; the unlocking pallet e moves back to its
former position, the spring i by giving way allowing the pallet to pass freely
in this direction without altering the position of the lever. The lower ends of
the axes upon which the lever and also the balance and the escapement and
intermediate wheels turn are carried by a bottom plate, which is screwed to
the under side of the front plate m; the upper ends of the axis are carried by
bars o, o, screwed to the top of the plate, as is shewn.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the arrangement shewn in the Drawings; but that what I claim is, the
employing an intermediate wheel to give motion to the locking and unlocking
pallet, as herein described, the intermediate wheel receiving motion from a
pinion on the balance or swing wheel, and being of larger diameter than this
pinion.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Reymond, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEORGE REYMOND. (L.S.)