IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CASES OF WATCHES, CLOCKS, TIMEPIECES, LOCKETS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jephcott, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Watchmaker, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CASES OF WATCHES, CLOCKS, TIMEPIECES, LOCKETS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 19th April 1876, and dated the 21st October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jephcott at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st October 1875.
I, WILLIAM JEPHCOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CASES OF WATCHES, CLOCKS, TIMEPIECES, LOCKETS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to improvements in the cases of watches, clocks,
timepieces, lockets, and other similar articles, and it consists in making
them air and water tight as well as dust proof by the employment in a
peculiar manner of washers or packings of any soft or resilient substance

page_text: interposed between the mecting edges of the case, and also in watches
where a push piece is used for opening the case by a washer, collar, or
packing round such push piece.
The material I prefer for this purpose is pure india-rubber, either
uncovered or covered, and this is to be fixed in the form of a ring in a
groove cut in each of the meeting edges of the case, or it may be on
one only of such edges of each pair, and the corresponding edge of the
case may be made with a slight annular rib or sharp edge to bear when
the case is closed accurately upon or pressing on to the soft packing of
the outer meeting edge, and thus keep the article air, dust, and water
tight. In the same manner watch protectors or outer cases may also be
hermetically sealed from air, dust, or water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Jephcott in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JEPHCOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Watchmaker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Jephcott, Her
special licence, that I, the said William Jephcott, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Jephcott,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
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 CASES OF WATCHES, CLOCKS, TIMEPIECES, LOCKETS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Jephcott, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: 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 William Jephcott, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention refers to improvements in the cases of watches, clocks,
timepieces, lockets, and other similar articles, and it consists in making
them air and water tight, as well as dust proof, by the employ-
ment in a peculiar manner of washers or packings of any soft or
resilient substance interposed between the meeting edges of the case and
also in watches where a push piece is used for opening the case by a
washer, collar, or packing round such push piece.
The material I prefer for this purpose is pure india-rubber, either
uncovered or covered, and this is to be fixed in the form of a ring in a
groove cut in each of the meeting edges of the case, or it may be on
one only of such edges of each pair, and the corresponding edge of the
case may be made with a slight annular rib or sharp edge to bear when
the case is closed accurately upon or pressing into the soft packing of
the outer meeting edge, and thus keep the article air, dust, and water-
tight. In the same manner the watch protectors or outer cases may also
be hermetically sealed from air, dust, or water.
In addition thereto I may employ the india-rubber or other packing
as before described to the fusee square in the form of a washer, and to
the pillar plate identical as applied to the case, so that when the cap is
applied the movement is in this case likewise protected from dirt or
injury.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.

page_text: Figure 2 represents the upper and lower pillar plate, the lower con-
taining the ring of india-rubber.
Figure 3 represents the cap.
st
"a" is the packing or ring; "6" is the annular rib or edge when
closed compressing upon "a;" "c" is the push piece for opening the
case, at the base of which is a washer or collar of india-rubber; d is the
fusee square, likewise fitted with a washer or collar;
has a sharp
edge, identical in size, and fitting upon "a" in Figure 2.
** "
e
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention, the improvements in the cases of watches,
clocks, timepieces, lockets, and other similar articles hercin-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
the application of india-rubber or other resilient substance into grooves
for the prevention of air, dust, or water, substantially as described and 1
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jephcott, have hereunto
cot my hond
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jephcott, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM JEPHCOTT. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS KENDRICK.