IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONO- METERS, CLOCKS, AND WATCHES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young, of Knaresboro', in the County of
York, Watch Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONO-
METERS, CLOCKS, AND WATCHES."
Sealed the 17th September 1858, and dated the 19th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th March 1858.
I, JAMES YOUNG, of Knaresbro', in the County of York, Watch Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHRONOMETERS, CLOCKS, AND WATCHES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in the application of a ratchet wheel click and
spring to the fuzee arbor pivot, thus furnishing an improved means for
detaching and replacing the movements of chronometers, watches, clocks,
and other timekeepers, and also of an improvement in the construction of the
pallet fork of watches and other timekeepers.
The object of my first improvement is to give a more ready & safe means
of detaching and replacing various parts of the mechanism of clocks & time-
keepers, by which plan the top or loose plate bars & cocks can be taken off,
and any one or the whole of the smaller wheels, escapements, pallets, stop-
work, &c., can be taken out, repaired, and replaced without letting down the
spring when wound up, removing the spring from the fusee, or running the
movement down, and thus much time, trouble, and expense are saved in
repairing chronometers, watches, clocks, and other timekeepers. The fusee

page_text: arbor pivot end is passed through the pillar plate, this end being squared
close to the plate, yet kept free from it. On this squared pivot end is placed a
ratchet wheel with the teeth cut the contrary way from the spring which sets
up the ratchet wheel. To the outside of the pillar plate is attached a click
and spring with screws; when the mechanism is wound up and the click is
fitted to the ratchet wheel, which is on the square pivot, it instantly arrests
the power of the fusee on main wheel, detaches it from the rest of the wheel-
work, and leaves them at liberty to be taken out and repaired. One portion
of the click is made to project outside of the dial plate; on the opposite side
to this projection is a tooth or nose on the click, which fits into grooves or
notches made in the spring, one notch in the spring keeping the click from
the ratchet wheel, and the other notch keeping it firm against or in gear
with the ratchet wheel. This arrangement is applicable to all kinds of
chronometers, clocks, watches, and other timekeepers; but in those which
are not supplied with fusees I place the ratchet wheel click and spring on the
spring barrel, & thus detach the power of the spring from the other portion
of the wheelwork. In those cases where left-handed movements occur, I
place the ratchet whoel, click, &c., on the winding-up square or shaft, and
thus effect the same objects as are attained in the other arrangements.
My improvement in the construction of the watch pallet fork is to prevent
the escapement from locking or getting out of action at the fork which so
often occurs with the present lever escapement. I remove the brass pin
which is on the upper surface of the fork, and place there in its stead two
segments of brass or other metal, which meet in the centre of the fork, their
apices or points of junction being inserted in the hollow part of the roller.
When the ruby pin, which is on the under side of the balance wheel roller
leaves the fork, the roller fits into one of the segments, such segment being at
that time concentric or nearly so with the roller; when the ruby pin takes
the fork back and leaves the fork, the roller advances into the other segment;
the hollow part of the roller allowing the point of junction of the segments
to pass, in the same manner as it allows the pin to pass in the old arrange-
ment; this pin I dispense with. Even should the breaking pins, which are
pins fixed at each side of the pallet fork, be altogether wanting, the fork will
not lock, and thus perfect immunity is obtained from the escapement locking
without forcible rupture of the parts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YOUNG, of Knaresboro', in the County of York, Watch Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Young, Her special licence that I, the said James
Young, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Young, 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 Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHRONOMETERS, CLOCKS, AND WATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Young, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Young, do hereby 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:-
My said improvements consist, first, in the application of a ratchet wheel,
click, or pawl and spring to the pivot of the fusee of watches and chrono-
meters, and the barrel (or its axis) of clocks and other timekeepers, in order
to give facility for detaching and replacing the movements or parts of the said
watches, chronometers, clocks, and other timekeepers.
Secondly, in a peculiar construction of pallet fork or lever escapement for
chronometers, watches, and other timekeepers, which by the locking or
getting out of action of the escapement is prevented.
Having thus briefly described the nature of the Invention, I will now
proceed to describe the mode of carrying the same into effect, reference being
had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a plan of

page_text: the improved ratchet click and spring, and Fig. 2 the fusee to which they
are applied. The same letters refer to corresponding parts of the Drawings.
The pivot (A) of the fusee is passed through the pillar plate B, the end
being squared close to the plate, yet free to turn on it. On this squared pivot
end is keyed or otherwise fixed a ratchet wheel C with the teeth cut the
contrary direction to the spring setting-up ratchet wheel. To the outside of
the pillar plate is attached a click or pawl D and spring E, fastened with
screws to the plate. When the mechanism is wound up and the click or
pawl is fitted to the ratchet wheel, which is on the squared pivot, it instantly
arrests the power of the fusee on the main wheel, and detaches it from the
rest of the wheelwork, and thus allows the escapement and smaller wheels to
be taken out and repaired. One part F of the click is made to project
outside the dial plate. On the opposite side to this projection is a tooth or
nose G, formed on the click, which fits in two grooves or notches made in the
spring, one notch keeping the click from the ratchet wheel, and the other
notch keeping it firm against or in gear with the ratchet wheel. This arrange-
ment is applicable to all kinds of chronometers, clocks, watches, and other time-
keepers; but in those which are not supplied with fusees, I place the ratchet
wheel on the mainspring barrel, and the click and spring on the plate, and
thus detach the power of the spring from the other portion of the wheelwork.
In those cases where left-handed movements occur, I place the ratchet wheel
on the winding up square axis, and click and spring or the plate, and thus
effect the same objects as are attained in the other arrangement.
By the adoption of this improvement the upper or loose plate, bars, and
cocks can be taken off, and one wheel or the whole of the smaller wheels,
escapement, and other parts can be taken out, repaired, and replaced without
letting the spring down when wound up, or taking the chain from the fusee,
or running the movement down, and thus much time and labor are saved.
To all large clocks I apply the ratchet wheel to the barrel (or its axis) with
the teeth cut the contrary direction to the winding ratchet wheel, and attach
one or more clicks or pawls to the frame, so that they may gear with the
ratchet wheel on the axis or barrel. By these means the whole of the wheels,
except those fixed to the winding axis, can be removed for cleaning or
repairing, and be replaced without removing or letting the weights down
when wound up.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a plan and edge view on an enlarged scale of
my improved pallet fork or lever escapement. I remove the brass pin called
the safety pin, which is on the upper surface of the pallet fork or lever, and
place there in its stead two segments of steel or other metal, which meet in.

page_text: roller.
the centre of the fork, their apices or points of junction being inserted in the
hollow part of the roller. When the ruby pin, which is on the under side of
the balance wheel roller, leaves the fork, the roller fits into one of the quad-
rants, such quadrant being at that time concentric, or nearly so, with the
When the ruby pin takes the fork back and leaves the fork, the
roller advances into the other quadrant, the hollow part of the roller allowing
the apex of the segment to pass in the same manner as it allows the pin,
which I dispense with, to pass. Even should the break or stop pin, fitted.
each side of the pallet fork or lever, be altogether wanting, the fork will not
lock, and in this manner the locking of the escapement is prevented.
Figures 5 and 6 shew plans of a modified chronometer lever escapement
which shew the two positions the pallet fork or rocking lever I takes in
forming a dead beat without locking. This improved chronometer escape-
ment is formed as follows:-A is the escape wheel, composed of brass or
other metal, and fixed to the arbor or pivot B. As this wheel rotates, the
teeth C come in contact with the face of the pallet D, formed of a jewel, and
attached to the side of the recess E made in the cylinder F, which is fixed to
the pivot G of the balance wheel. To this pivot a verge is attached, the
tooth or vibrating pallet H formed of a jewel, which is represented in the act
of unlocking the lever I from the teeth J of the escape wheel, and the tooth
C will immediately begin to give an impulse to the pallet D set a little out.
The locking pallet K is composed of a jewel fixed in the side of the lever I,
and is undercut a little for safety. The locking or gearing of this pallet with
the tooth of the escape wheel A is effected by means of a long thin steel or
other metallic spring L, termed the locking spring, which is fixed to a small
bracket M screwed to the plate of the chronometer or other timekeeper.
The end N of this spring rests against a jewel O countersunk in the side of
the lever, which is thus kept in position ready to receive the next tooth of the
escape wheel A. As soon as the tooth or pallet H passes the end of the lever.
I working on the pivot P, the locking spring L causes the lever to be pressed
against the stop or banking pin Q fixed to the chronometer plate; when the
balance wheel makes its return stroke, the vibrating pallet H must pass the
end of the lever I without disturbing it. This object is accomplished by
means of a small gold or other metallic spring R, termed the passing spring,
attached by screws or other means to the lever L near to the pallet K.
The passing spring projects a little beyond the end of the lever, so that in the
back vibration the tooth or pallet H only takes the passing spring with it till,
it passes it, when it falls in position again. When the balance returns it
takes with it the passing spring and lever which unlocks the pallet- K from

page_text: the escape wheel A, and when the tooth H leaves the pass spring the lever
is caused to rest against the banking or stop pin Q by the locking spring L
and kept in position until unlocked again, and so on. The back vibratum
of the balance wheel receives no impulse, but has only to overcome the slight
resistance of the pass spring R. The balance wheel is free from the action
of the escape wheel the whole time except when it receives the impulse
or beat.
Figure 6 represents the same escapement with the lever I resting against
the stop or banking pin Q. The locking pallet K is locked or in gear with
the tooth T of the escape wheel A, and the balance wheel is free making its
return stroke. The escape wheel and lever axis or pivots I prefer attaching
to the loose or top plate of the watch or chronometer with one or more cocks
or bars screwed to the plate, so that the whole escapement can be taken from
the other portion of wheelwork, and allow of the movements to be easily
examined or repaired.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the mode of performing the same, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the exact mode of carrying out the improve-
ments as herein-before described, reserving to myself the right of modifying
the same; what I claim as new and useful, and desire to be secured by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the construction and application of a ratchet wheel (C), click (D),
and spring (E) to the fusee of watches and chronometers and to the barrel
(or its axis) of clocks and other timekeepers, in order to give facility for
detaching and replacing the movements or parts of the said watches, clocks,
chronometers, and other timekeepers, as herein-before described, and repre-
sented in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly, the mode or method of preventing the locking or getting out of
action of the lever escapement of watches, chronometers, and other time-
keepers, by the application of the improved lever and pallet escapement, as
herein before described, and shewn in the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Young, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES YOUNG. (L.s.)