IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR WINDING THE MAIN SPRINGS, ALSO FOR SETTING THE HANDS THEREOF
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Wilson, Watchmaker, in the
Employ of the Firm of H. W. and L. Dee, of Sherwood Street,
Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR WINDING THE
MAIN SPRINGS, ALSO FOR SETTING THE HANDS THEREOF.”
Sealed the 24th July 1874, and dated the 29th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th January 1874.
I, GEORGE HENRY WILSON, Watchmaker, in the Employ of the Firm
of H. W. and L. Dee, of Sherwood Street, Golden square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR WINDING
THE MAIN SPRINGS, ALSO FOR SETTING THE HANDS THEREOF," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in keyless watches and in
appliances for winding the main springs, also for setting the hands

page_text: '
thereof, whereby the setting of the hands can be effected by or through
the same mechanism as that which effects the winding of the main
spring. This may be accomplished direct by a disc or by gearing.
The Invention consists, firstly, of a moveable plate centred within the
pillar plate in such a manner that it can move, say to the right or to the
left under the action of the "bow," when turned transversely to the edge
of the watch by the hand to put a pinion into gear with the teeth of a
wheel on the fusee arbor or an equivalent device, and so that it can be
turned thereby and the spring be wound up when the usual button of a
keyless watch is turned by the fingers.
The movable plate carrying the pinion before-mentioned also carries a
disc of rather larger or of smaller diameter to engage against the edge of
another disc upon the central arbor, or the wheel which carries the
hands, so that the hands can be turned by revolving the button within
the bow.
The Invention consists, secondly, in giving a rotative motion to the
bow and forming a wave or inclined (double or single) surface under the
shoulder of the bow piece to bear upon and to press in a pin so that the
winding pinion may be thrown into and out of gear with the wheel
which winds the main spring, or into and out of gear with inter-
mediate gearing as the case may be.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in giving a rotative motion to the bow,
so that it can be set transversely to the edge of a watch to enable the
button to be turned for winding the spring, and also to free a stop to
allow of moving the hands by means of the same button after depressing
the usual pin to push the plate over and the pinion or disc into contact
or gear with the pinion or disc upon the central arbor, the moveable
bow and the moveable plate being arranged so that the pinion in its
normal condition is between the fusee wheel and the hand pinions, so as
not to touch either of them, thus leaving when the bow is turned into
the usual position the fusee to unwind without imparting a corresponding
motion to the button.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in forming the plate and the
onvince in one nien
and with the from and hearing naainst the inner

page_text: The fifth part of my Invention consists of the disc before referred to
upon a moveable plate within a watch, which disc can be put into gear
(frictional) in any manner from the outside for turning or setting the
hands, and whether such disc is used alone or with a pinion by which
the spring barrel can be wound up.
The sixth part of my Invention consists in fitting one or more pinions,
or one or more wheels, or wheels and pinions combined, on or to a
moveable plate within a watch when such is or are used in conjunction
with a moveable plate, and a rotative bow for the purposes of winding
up the main spring and for setting the hands.
The seventh and last part of my Invention consists in fitting a rotative
bow piece to a watch, and causing its inclined surface to act upon and
free a stop and to push a moveable plate over towards the central arbor,
so that a pinion upon the plate may be taken out of gear with the main
barrel and be put into gear either by frictional gearing or wheel gearing
with a pinion upon the central arbor for setting the hands, the usual
push-in picco of a keyless watch to be pushed in by the finger boing
dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Henry Wilson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY WILSON, Watchmaker, in the Employ of the Firm of H. W. and
L. Dee, of Sherwood Street, Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex,
sendgreeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Henry Wilson, Her
special licence that I, the said George Henry Wilson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Henry

page_text: Wilson, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYLESS WATCHES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR WINDING
THE MAIN SPRINGS, ALSO FOR SETTING THE HANDS THEREOF," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Henry Wilson, 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 1
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 Henry Wilson, do hereby 1
declare the nature of my 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 relates to improvements in keyless watches and in
appliances for winding the main springs, also for setting the hands thereof,
whereby the setting of the hands can be effected by or through the same
mechanism as that which effects the winding of the main spring. This
may be accomplished direct by a disc or by gearing.
The Invention will be fully understood by reference to the annexed
Sheet of Drawings, and to the following detailed description thereof :-
Figure 1 is a face view, and Figure 2 an edge view of a moveable
plate a to be pivotted or centred within or upon the pillar plate. This
moveable plate a has a tail piece b as a spring whose free end is intended
to bear against the inner edge of the ring or the band as desired to keep
the lower end c of the plate a to one side of the central line, and so that
a pinion which is to be fitted upon a pin d can be maintained in gear
with the teeth of the barrel, thus forming a train connection between the
button of a keyless watch and the barrel by or through which it can be
turned and the main spring wound up. The pin din some cases also
carries a disc, so that when the plate is pushed in the reverse direction by
a depressing pin or stud when acted upon by a wave or protuberance on

page_text: the under side of a bow that can be rotated upon the pendant stem
outside the watch case, the disc on the moveable plate can be thrown into
contact with another disc on the hand's arbor, to move the hands for
setting them the button being employed for the purpose. This is clearly
shown in Figure 3, where a is the moveable plate; b, the spring tail
piece; c, the lower end of the plate, and d the pin on which the pinion ƒ
is mounted to take into the teeth of the barrel G. Beneath the plate a
is a wheel and a centre piece upon which it moves, and this wheel as an
idle one is geared into by the pinion fand also by the teeth of a bevelled
pinion i, as seen moro particularly in the part sectional view Figure 4,
the pinion i being at right angles and its stem or spindle secured to the
button j to be turned by it.
The bow ¼ of my watch is sprung through a socket or collar 1,
Figure 5, and the ends take into apertures in a steel lining, as in Figure
6, this lining being used to prevent wear of the pendant bow, and by
means of the holes or aperture in its periphery to secure the bow in its
proper positions. The botton or under surface of the socket is undulated
or formed with two projecting waves or curved protuberances m, m,
Figure 7, and one or other of these, when the bow is turned to a position
at right angles to the case, as in dotted lines Figure 3, and in full lines
Figure 6, forces a pin 1, Figure 6, down, and causes it to press upon a
springy strip of metal p, and thus in its turn to force the moveable plate
a over to put the disc q into frictional contact with the disc r (Figure 4)
upon the hand's spindle, so that the hands can be sett by the same
button j.
When the hand setting operation has been performed the bow can be
turned a quarter round with the socket in the same direction, or in the
reverse direction to move the wave or curved protuberance from the pin
n, and then the spring tail piece b will cause plate a to move its lower
end a back to its first position, and put the pinion finto gear again with
the teeth of the barrel wheel. According to this arrangement of the
waves or protuberances upon the under side of the socket piece a quarter
turn of the bow and socket in either direction will cause the pin n to be
depressed or be released according to its first position, but such waves or
protuberances can be otherwise arranged. For example, that shown in
Figure 8 has the two waves or curved projections m, m, close together or
within the same half circle or diameter, in which case the bow and socket

page_text: would be fitted to move only a fixed distance, like the cock or plug of an
ordinary gas tube or burner, and then be moved back again after the
hands had been set ready for the winding operation.
Figure 9 shows a socket with a single wave m. In this case the bow
could be turned in any direction, as in the first instance specified, only a
mark would have to be made upon the bands and upon the socket to
indicate when the wave m is upon the pin n.
Figure 10 is a view of a socket with three "projecting waves or pro-
tuberances m, m, m, by which a third of a turn will be sufficient to bring
a wave into contact with the pin n.
Figure 11 shows a notch or recess in the shoulder of a rotative socket
piece into which a pin n projecting through the band of the watch case
can drop or spring into, and thus cause a depression or circular move-
ment of the plate a for the purpose before explained, or the pin n can be
forced away by a wave or projection on the shoulder of the socket for
putting the hands mechanism into gear, frictional or otherwise, with the
button by which it can be turned and the hands sett.
It will be understood that by my Invention the usual push pin pro-
jecting from the outside of the band of the watch case to "sett" the
hands is dispensed with in going barrelled watches.
The above refers more particularly to going barrel movements of the
ordinary kind, but I do not limit myself to the special combination of
parts as shown in the Drawings since other arrangements or com-
binations can be made, and as would be necessary in many instances to
suit the construction of the watch, my Invention consisting of the
moveable plate a which I claim when in combination with a spring tail
piece from one piece of metal, such plate capable of being acted upon
by a rotative movement of the bow of the watch to cause the gearing to
be put out of connection with the spring winding appliance, and be put
into gear with the hand setting appliance, and vice versa; and so that the
button of a keyless watch can be employed for setting the hands as well
as for winding up the watch as set forth.
I also claim as part of my Invention the production and employment
of undulations, waves, or projections in on or upon sockets or their
cquivalents, which can be turned by the rotative bow of a keyless watch

page_text: and be caused to throw a plate having gearing (tooth or frictional)
attached over from the winding mechanism to the hand setting
mechanism, and thus enable the same button to operate either as herein-
before explained.
Further I claim as part of my Invention in connection with going
barrelled keyless watches the employment of frictional or surface gearing
by which the hands can be moved and sett, whether such frictional
gearing be arranged in combination with toothed gearing by which the
winding up can be effected in the manner set forth and shown, or in any
other manner or by other appliances.
The next part of my Invention which relates to combinations of
appliances by which a rotative bow or collar of a keyless watch fitted
with a fusee movement can permit the plate a to move over to throw its
pinion into gear with the winding mechanism as shown, this being effected
by turning the bow and collar athwart the case as before explained. This
will be understood by reference to Figures 12 and 13 where the pin n is
released to allow the plate a to move over under the action of the tail
piece b to put the pinion q into gear with the intermediate wheel t, or
fusee wheel, the pinion when in a normal position being between the
fusee wheel and the hand moving pinion u, so as not to be in
contact with either of them while the watch is going. The plate a in
this instance is provided with a stud at v, and this is borne upon by a
plate or strip of metal p affixed to the pillar plate so that its free end
can, when the push pin wis acted upon by the bow in the manner
shown or by pushing it in by the finger cause the plate a to go over and
put its pinion or disc into contact with the hand movement pinion u,
for it to be turned by the button and the hands be sett thereby.
Figure 13 represents a piece of mechanism connected with a keyless
fusce action watch in which a stop piece x is arranged to hold the plate
and strip secure against any action of the push-in pin, when the plate a
occupies a position intermediate of the winding wheel and of the hands
moving wheel, but which stop piece can be acted upon by the pin n
when the bow and collar is turned to a position athwart the watch
case.
The stop piece x is a kind of rock lever, and one end takes into or
against the strip p and holds it firmly, but when the bow is turned as
just explained the plate a is free to move over for setting the hands, by

page_text: depressing the pin w by means of the bow or by the finger. The spring
tail piece is also free to carry the plate a over and put the pinion q into
gear with the fusee wheel or intermediate winding wheel t, so that it, i.e.,
the wheel, can be turned and the main spring wound up on the button j
being turned. The protuberance or wave in this instance is extended to
nearly one half of the diameter of the socket or collar as in Figure 14, so
that in order to permit of the plate a being shifted over to the hand's
pinion another quarter turn of the bow in the same direction must
take place, and this causes the protuberance to act upon a second pin n
to push the plate a over towards the hand's pinion, the remainder of the
movement being effected by the push-in piece w when it is pressed upon
by the bow after folding it down or by the finger. The pinions or the
frictional gearing are thus put into contact, and then by turning the
buttons the hands can be moved round the dial and sett.
1
n¹
Figure 15 shows a modification in which pin n instead of acting
directly upon the pin v of the plate a, acts upon one arm of a steel picce y
of bell crank shape pivoted upon the pillar plate, the other arm having
a bevilled face which is caused to act upon the pin v of the plate a to
impart to it the necessary movement. The bow and socket have then only
to be turned another half round to bring them into their first position to
release the pins n, n¹, when the springs will cause the catch to lock the
strip and the plate a, and pinion g to occupy the position intermediate
of the fusee and of the hand's wheel as before.
Other modifications or arrangements of appliances can be devised by
which the same button can be turned for winding a keyless watch with
fusee action and also for setting the hands of the same, and these would
all be within the scope of my Invention, since I claim, the appliances
substantially as set forth and shown through or by which the winding
and hand setting pinion or pinions, toothed or frictional, can be operated
by the one button of a keyless fusce going watch.
I further claim in connection with keyless fusce going watches
forming one or more waves or protuberances in, on, or upon the pendant
socket or collar, such waves or protuberances, or one of them only, to act
upon a pin or stud to release a catch to permit the usual push pin to be
acted upon, and cause the connections of the gearing for the hands to be
turned and sett by turning the same button as that which winds up the

page_text: main spring as described and shown in Figure 13. In this last Figure I
have shown a plate a of smaller size than the previously described plate,
and this enables me to insert an extra pair of wheels by which I gain
power in the winding operation, the fusee wheel being wound up by the
smaller of the pair whose leverage is taken from the teeth of the larger
one, when the pinion q is put into gear with it for the purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
TT
TTSON