AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR SPRING CLOCKS AND WATCHES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine;
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR SPRING CLOCKS AND
WATCHES." A communication from abroad by Matthew Muchin,
of Riga, in the Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 9th October 1874, and dated the 9th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th July 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR SPRING
CLOCKS AND WATCHES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to a regulator for spring clocks and
watches, by which a continual and automatic regulation is obtained.
In all spring clocks and watches the motive power slackens as the
spring unwinds, consequently the clock goes slower and slower if it be

page_text: not provided with some appliance to counterbalance this loss of tension
of the spring. The variation of the length of the balance spring affords
a means which is generally employed for this purpose, the variation
being effected by displacing a special finger in order that the average
speed may be a normal one. Evidently, if the displacement of the
balance finger, that is to say, the regulation of the length of the spring
were continuous and proportionate to the loss of tension of the motive
spring, the clock or watch would go regularly if it were not modified by
irregularities of a different nature, and which do not coincide with the
present case.
The appliance herein described for continually regulating clocks and
watches is as follows :—The axle as usual carries the mainspring which
is wound up by turning this axle. One part of the axle is threaded
and has a screw nut on it. This screw nut is united to the barrel by
two pins, so that the barrel turns the screw nut on the axle, and
consequently forces it along the thread of the axle. The other extremity
of the said spring is fastened to the barrel, thus giving it a rotatory
motion determined by the oscilation of the balance while the axle
remains stationary. It follows that the said screw nut moves itself
farther and farther from the barrel as the mainspring unwinds. The
said screw nut is provided outside with circular grooves which work in
the teeth of a pinion of a second axle, so that the movement of the
screw nut along the first axle turns the second axle. This axle has
another pinion which works in a toothed segment fastened to a scale
plate, which automatically diminishes the length of the spring of the
balance by means of a short arm fastened to a finger.
Instead of two pinions wedged to the second axle I may use an axle
provided with longitudinal grooves or made of fluted wire.
The summary regulation of the working of the clock is produced as
usual by the finger, which may be turned either way independently of a
the said plate; but which is frictionally united to this plate.
If the various parts of this mechanism be proportionally made, it is
evident that the watch or clock cannot go too slowly.
When the mainspring of the watch or clock is wound up the said
screw nut moves back along the axle, and at the same time the arm
lengthens the spring of the balance.
=

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting..
any
time
agree
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the. year of.
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
license that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
with,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
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
"AN IMPROVED
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
REGULATOR FOR SPRING CLOCKS AND WATCHES," a communication to me from
abroad by Matthew Muchin, of Riga, in the Empire of Russia, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert. Lake,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification;-
The said Invention relates to a regulator for spring clocks and watches
by which a continual and automatic regulation is obtained.
In all spring clocks and watches the motive power slackens as the
spring unwinds, consequently, the clock goes slower and slower if it be
not provided with some appliance to counterbalance this loss of tension

page_text: of the spring. The variation of the length of the balance spring
affords a means which is generally employed for this purpose, the
variation being effected by displacing a special finger in order that the
average speed may be a normal one. Evidently, if the displacement of
the balance finger, that is to say, the regulation of the length of the
spring were continuous and proportianate to the loss of tension of the
motive spring the clock or watch would go regularly, if it were not
modified by irregularities of a different nature, and which do not coincide
with the present anca

page_text: When the spring t of the watch or clock is wound up the screw nut c
moves back along the axle a, and at the same time the arm lengthens
the spring n of the balance p.
It is obvious that the different parts of the above-described mechanism
can be modified without substantially altering the principal features of
my Invention. I can for instance employ a smooth axle a (Figure 4)
instead of a threaded one, and place in the centre of the side plate of
the spring barrel e a boss g¹ with a screw-threaded surface, upon which
the nut c is screwed by the rotation of the spring barrel e. To prevent
the turning of the nut c with the barrel e this nut is provided with two
grooves on the opposite ends of the same part, as in Figure 5, and into
these grooves enters a pin d firmly engaged in the axle a. In
consequence of this construction the nut c moves to or from the
barrel e as the axle a or the barrel e are turned exactly as in the first
case.
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 do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein-above described, and that I claim,-
First. The continual and automatical variation of the length of the
balance spring according to the diminution of the tension of the main-
spring of a clock, as above described and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination of the mechanism consisting of the screw b,
the screw nut c, the axle g with the pinions f, h, and the toothed
segment i, fixed on the movable plate k, as above described and shown
in the Drawing, and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here.
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
HY. JA. NOONE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)