AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH MOVEMENTS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfied Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
GG, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH MOVEMENTS"
A com-
munication from abroad by the Elgin National Watch Company (Incorporated),
of the City and State of New York United States of America
Sealed the 26th May 1877, and dated the 31st January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfied Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1877
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Diaughtsman "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH
MOVEMENTS"
A communication from abroad by the Elgin National Watch
Company (Incorporated), of the City and State of New York, United States of
America
In a hunting case stem-winding watch the pendant bow and consequently the
milled on roughened winding button connected to the stem is, or should be, opposite
the three o'clock point of the dial, while in an open face watch the bow and button
are or should be always placed opposite the twelve o'clock point of the dial, and a
watch movement intended to be used in an open face case is not adapted for a hunting
case without considerable reconstruction
Now the present Invention consists in so forming the movement as to adapt it
for either style of casing without reconstruction or making over any of its parts.
To effect this result it is preferred to place the barrel containing the spring with
the main winding wheel above it below the dial, and between the figures on the
dial indicating respectively twelve and three o'clock The bridge is continued
around the movement on both sides of the barrel to and beyond the positions
occupied by the twelve and three o'clock figures of the dial, and within this bridge
on both sides of the barrel cavities or openings are formed for receiving the
intermediate winding wheel, which wheel can be placed in either cavity on the
opposite sides of the barrel The intermediate wheel connects the main winding
wheel with the mitre wheel canied by the spindle which is evolved or oscillated
by the fingers in winding the watch Cavities are also formed in the budge, and
if desued in both the bridge and plate of the movement on either side of the barrel
Price Bd1

page_text: for receiving the initre wheel and spindle to which it is attached A. plate or other
suitable retaining device is used to keep the first intermediate wheel in position in
the cavity of the budge The two sets of cavities, openings, or holes are duplicates
of one another, and are placed one set on either side of the barrel, and in such
relation to the barrel as to admit of the intermediate wheels and the winding stem
being located at either the twelve on the thice o'clock position, thus adapting the
movement.for.an_open face or hunting face watch as may be desired
When the movement is arranged for an open face watch, and it-is-desired to
arrange it for a hunting case watch, the only change necessary is to transfer the
intermediate wheels and the winding stem to the unoccupied set of cavities on the
other side of the barrel, which transfer can be made by removing the bridge and
cap of securing device, requiring no special exercise of skill, no new parts, and no
change in the form of the various parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters- Patent filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
31st July 1877
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Diaughtsman "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH
MOVEMENTS
A communication from abroad by the Elgin National Watchi
Company (Incorporated), of the City and State of New York, United States of
America
In a hunting case stem-winding watch the pendant bow-and consequently the
milled or roughened winding button connected to the stem is, or should be, opposite
the three o'clock point of the dial, while in an open face watch the bow and button
are oi should be always placed opposite the twelve o'clock point of the dial, and a
watch movement intended to be used in an open face case is not adapted for a
hunting case without considerable reconstruction
Now the present Invention consists in so forming the movement as to adapt it
for either style of casing without reconstruction or making over any of its parts
To effect this result it is prefered to place the barrel containing the sping with
the main winding wheel above it below the dial, and between the figuies on the
dial indicating respectively twelve and three o'clock The budge is continued
around the movement on both sides of the barrel to and beyond the positions
occupied by the twelve and three o'clock figures of the dial, and within this budge
on both sides of the barrel cavities or openings are formed for receiving the
intermediate winding wheel, which wheel can be placed in either cavity ou the
opposite sides of the banel The intermediate wheel connects the main winding
wheel with the mitic wheel caired by the spindle which is revolved or oscillated
by the fingers in winding the watch Cavities are also formed in the bridge, and
if desued in both the bridge and plate of the movement on either side of the barrel
for receiving the mitie wheel and spindle to which it is attached A plate or other
suitable retaining device is used to keep the first intermediate wheel in position in
the cavity of the bridge The two sets of cavities, openings, or holes are duplicates
of one another, and are placed one set on either side of the bariel, and in such
relation to the barel as to admit of the intermediate wheels and the winding stem
being located at either the twelve or the three o clock position, thus adapting
the movement for an open face or hunting case watch, as may be desired
When the movement is arranged for an open face watch, and it is desired to
airange it for a hunting case watch, the only change necessary is to transfer the
intermediate wheels and the winding stem to the unoccupied set of cavities on the
other side of the banel, which transfer can be made by iemoving the budge and
cap of securing device, requuing no special exercise of skill, no new parts, and no
change in the form of the various parts.

page_text: Fig 2 is a detail Drawing of the bridge.
Fig 3 is a detail Drawing of the budge, showing the gear wheels and cavities
thei cin
Fig 4 is a side view of a portion of the movement
Fig 5 is a view of the winding stem and bevilled goa
Fig 6 is a back view of the movement with the stem, as in Fig 1, at the twelve
o'clock mark with the cap or plate in position
Fig 7 is a similar view with the plate or cap removed, Fig 8 is a section on the
line x, x, of Fig 7
Like letters in all the Figures indicate like parts
The barrel or that part of the movement which contains the mainspring is shown
at B, and its centre is located midway between the two positions in which it may
be desired to place the winding stem S, here shown, as occupying the twelve o'clock
or open face position The bridge R is continued a considerable distance around
the circumference of the bottom pillar plate, and on each side of the barrel to and
beyond either of the positions which may be occupied by the winding stem S in
hunting case and open face watches Through this bridge are made the openings
or holes for the winding stem, as at O and at O¹ of Fig 3, which latter is occupied
by the stem S, such openings are situated one at the position necessary for an
open face case and one at the position necessary for a hunting case Within the
bidge R and in the proper relative position to the holes for the winding stem aio
two cavities N and N¹, formed wholly in the budge or partly in the plate P of the
movement Within one of these cavities when the stem S is in position the
bevilled pinion D attached to the stem may revolve Above these last-mentioned
cavities others are made communicating with the former, being shown at C and C³,
within either of which the intermediate toothed wheel T may be placed, being
tuined or revolved on a stud This wheel T connects by its teethed faces the
pinion D'carried by the stem, and the main winding wheel M which is connected to
the sping within the banel B by a peculiar device The main winding wheel M is
loose on its spindle and can rise and fall thereon, and could also turn in either
direction were it not that when turned in one direction it comes in contact with a
series of depressions, or rather a horizontal ratchet attached to the spindle, another
horizontal ratchet the reverse of the one last mentioned is formed in the bottom of
the main winding wheel, and therefore when the wheel is turned or evolved in one
dnection it turns or carries with it the lower ratchet device which is rigidly con-
nected to the spindle which coils the spring when turned When the main
winding wheel is turned backward it will communicate no motion to the spindle,
but will simply rise and fall, the inclines of the two ratchet devices slipping past
one another
Some other form of ratchet or connecting device might be used if desired, the one
here mentioned however is considered the best Over the cavities and over the
wheel T which occupies one of them, a plate L is fastened simply as a guard or
cover to close up the unoccupied cavities, and to keep the intermediate wheel T in
position This plate or cover is made only large enough to protect the cavity
unoccupied, holding the intermediate wheel T in position by a screw-headed arbor
screwed into the bridge or in any other well known way. The movement being in
the position shown in the Drawings, and adapted for an open face, on turning the
stem S the bevilled pinion D will drive the intermediate wheel T, which gearing
into the main winding wheel will transmit the effect of the operator's fingers from
the button on the winding stem to the spring The movement being in this
condition and it being desired to place it in a hunting case, the plate L is removed,
and the intermediate wheel T and also be taken out; the bridge R can then be
readily removed by taking off the main winding wheel M and the stem, and its
toothed wheel is then transferred from the twelve o'clock position it occupied to the
cavity at the three o'clock position, the two cavities being alike. The budge R. is

page_text: then replaced, also the main winding wheel and the intermediate toothed wheel T
is transfered into the cavity C of the bridge R, which is substantially similar to
the cavity C¹ from which it was taken, and gears into the pinion D on the stem,
and into the main winding wheel M in the same manner as before the transfer,
except that it is on the opposite side of the wheel M The plate or cap L is now
put on, covering the budge, as shown in the Drawing, or covering only the cavity
left vacant by the transfer of the intermediate wheel T from the cavity C to the
other cavity C This is all that is necessary to complete the change, and the
movement is thus adapted for a hunting case having the stem opposite three o'clock
of the dial Of course the reverse of this operation could be performed with equal
facility
By the construction here shown and described a movement is produced which
simply by the change in the location of certain parts is adapted for either style of
casing making it unnecessary to keep on hand two styles of movements for the two
styles of cases
By locating the barrel B and winding wheel inidway between the two positions
which may be given to the stem S, the intermediate wheel T may be used
indifferently on either side of the main winding wheel-M It is however possible
that this advantage might be gained without the barrel being placed exactly
midway between the two positions of the winding stem, for example, a small pinion
fitted to the budge on one side of the main winding wheel M might be used (when
the stem occupied one of the two positions) to effect the union between the
intermediate wheel T and the main winding wheel M This would allow of the
banel being placed out of the midway position a distance equivalent to the diameter
of the pinion and still permit of the intermediate wheel T operating indifferently
on either side of the main winding wheel M
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improvement in Watch
Movements," as communicated to me by my foreign corespondent and explained
the manner of canying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
Fust A watch movement having the barrel placed midway between the figures
denoting twelve and three o'clock on the dial, with a budge projecting from the
banel on either side to and beyond the two figures, respectively for the purpose
herein set forth
Second In a watch movement two sets of cavities and holes, counterparts one of
the other, arranged on opposite sides of the barrel for the purposes herein stated
Thud In a watch movement a barrel and main winding wheel combined with
a bridge having openings on opposite sides of the banel and winding wheel with a
single operative intermediate wheel as described
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfied Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven