IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention'
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Thomas
Coke Comstock, of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America, Jeweller.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
. Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st January 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES." A commu-
nication from abroad by Thomas Coke Comstock, of Indianapolis, Indiana,
United States of America, Jeweller.
This Invention relates to improvements in watches in which a worm and spur
wheel operate in conjunction with a pitman or crank and the regulating point, and
the works are all enclosed in a dust proof case, springs being used for guiding
certain levers into their respective sockets on the stems of the watch; and the
objects of the said Invention are:-
First. To provide a dust proof inner case with glass or metal panels at the top
and bottom for receiving and holding the works of the watch.
Second. To provide the outer case of the watch with a stationary bezel on one
side, against which one edge of the inner case rests, and to afford means for securing
the inner case inside of the outer case, and at the same time to secure the two
sections of the inner case firmly together.
Third. To provide means for regulating the watch from the outside without
exposing the works to dust and dirt.
Fourth. To provide means for holding the L-shaped lever in position, so that
when the stem for winding the watch is inserted in the case the lever is always in
position to enter a retaining groove formed in the said stem.
.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is an enlarged view of one side of the works of a watch shewing the
arrangement for adjusting the regulator.

page_text: Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the other side of the works, showing the spring
for holding the L-shaped lever in position.
Figure 3 represents a portion of the works in section, and affords an edge view
of the L-shaped lever, and the spring for holding the said lever in place.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the inner cases.
Figure 5 is a section of the watch case.
Figure 6 represents a portion of the outer case, partially broken away to show
the position of the worm and milled head for operating the regulator from the
outside of the inner case, as hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the spring employed to hold the L-shaped lever
in position to be adjusted in an annular groove formed in the winding stem.
Figure 8 is a view showing a modified form of my device for operating the
regulator, and
Figure 9 represents a side view of a portion of the inner cases with the milled
head of the regulator let into the side of one of the said cases.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents the base of the movement; B is the milled knob used in winding
the watch; C is the winding stem; d is an L-shaped lever for bolding the winding
stem in position and connecting or disconnecting the winding and setting apparatus,
the whole of which parts are common to all watches.
The end of the lever d is made thin and wide, and fits into the fork n of a
very delicate spring m. The spring m is adjusted so that when it stands in its
normal position it will hold the lever d so that the lug g (Figure 3) will be
immediately over the ordinary groove formed in the stem C when said stem is
inserted in its place; then by rotating the screw i the lever d is moved down onto
the base A, and the lug g enters the said groove, preventing the stem being pulled
out until the lever d is again raised by the screw . The spring m holds the
lever d always in position.
The lever d being loosely pivotted on its stud i is liable to move one way or the
other, and is very difficult to adjust so as to get the lug g into its groove in the
stem, but with the spring m this difficulty is obviated.
The indicator or regulating arm E of the regulator (Figure 1) is pivoted to one
end of the pitman G, and the other end of the pitman is pivoted to the disc H
which is secured to the top of the worm-wheel L. The worm K on the shaft P
gears with the worm or gear wheel L, as shewn in Figures 1 and 6.
The shaft P is inserted in the hole p of the case M, and the outer end of the
shaft is provided with a milled head F which fits in a recess formed in the case A'
or case M, as shewn in Figures 6 and 9; by means of the worm and its connection
with the arm E of the regulator the watch can be regulated to the utmost nicety.
The two cases M and M¹ are cylinders united at the joint k perfectly tight;
c represents a small hole through the cylinders at the joint k, into which the
shaft C is inserted. The upper case M is provided with a hole p, as above stated,
for the shaft P. The top and bottom edges h, h', are formed with bezels for holding
and retaining crystals or metal panels, thus forming a tight box. The outer
case A is similar to ordinary cases, with the exception that one side is provided
with a stationary bezel, in which the case M¹ is set. That portion of the case A¹
marked 2 is provided with a hole p¹ to correspond with the hole p in the case M,
into which the stem P is inserted; w represents a point on a block w¹ which enters
a groove at y in the stem P, and prevents the said stem being pulled out in the
same manner as the winding stem is held in place. The block w operates in a
bole formed in the case, and is supported by the spring w² which is attached to
the adjustable block w³, and the said block w is raised by the screw w* to remove
the point w from the groove at y in the shaft P, or is depressed by the said screw
to secure the said shaft.
The case A¹ is provided with two screws at r, in the rim v², one on each side,
the heads of which serve for securing the cases M, M', together, and inside of
the rims u, v, of the case A¹. The movement is first inserted in the case M', and

page_text: then in the case A¹ with the end h¹ resting on the bezel v³; the stem C is then
inserted and the lever d depressed until the lug g is in its proper groove; the other
case M is then placed over the case M' and the stem P inserted through the holes p, p',
and the worm K is adjusted to gear with the wheel L. The milled head F is then
inserted in the recess 8 and secured, to the shaft P by a screw 8¹. The screws at r
are then turned so as to secure the two cases M, M³, together, and in the case A¹,
between the bezel v¹ and said screw heads. Thus the movement is securely enclosed
in a perfectly tight case, and can be wound and set by the stem, as in ordinary stem
winding watches. The regulating of the watch, however, is effected from the
outside by simply moving the head F of the screw to the right or left, as
the case may require; thus, when the shaft P is revolved the worm K. turns the
wheel L and the pitman G moves the indicator point, and also the arm E³ for
lengthening or shortening the hair spring (not shown); thus the watch can be
regulated to the utmost nicety without exposing the works to dust or dirt of any
kind.
Figure 8 represents a modified form of the regulator; in this modification the
regulator arm E' is provided with a short arm 82 which projects from one side.
The wheel L is provided with a cam or excentric H¹ on its top, the periphery of
which operates against the arm 8², and the arm 82 is held in contact therewith by
the spring S¹, as shewn. The cam H' is operated by the pin wheel L¹ on the
shaft P provided with a milled head F³, as shewn. When it is desired to have the
movement and regulation all complete to fit into various styles and weights of
cases, then the blocks w³, w¹, spring w², and milled head F of the regulation are
inserted in suitable recesses formed in the cases M, M', as shewn in Figure 9.
It is obvious that when the wheel L¹ is turned the wheel L is also moved,
carrying with it the cam H³, and the cam moves the regulator arm E¹ one way,
while on the reverse movement the spring S¹ causes the arm E¹ to follow the
cam.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim, in a watch,-
First. The spring m with the fork n in combination with the L-shaped lever for
the purpose set forth.
Second. The inner box composed of the two cases M, M³, with holes p and c
combined with the movement A, and stems or shafts P and C for the purpose
specified.
Third. The case 'A' provided with a stationary immovable bezel, the binding
screws, and the hole p¹ combined with the block w, w¹, spring w², adjustable
block w³, and screw w, all as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination of the case A¹, the spring block, the inner cases M, M¹,
and movement A provided with the regulating device, as and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. The regulating apparatus, consisting of the shaft P, milled head F,
worm K, wheel L, pitman G, and indicator or regulator arm E, all arranged and
combined for regulating a watch without exposing its works to dust or dirt,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Twenty first day of January, in the year of our Lord