IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING KEYLESS WATCHES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to August Guyc, of No. 13, Northampton Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Watchmaker, for the Invention of * IMPROVED
MECHANISM FOR WINDING KEYLESS WATCHES."
Sealed the 8th June 1866, and dated the 14th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said August Guye at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th December 1865.
I, AUGUST GUYE, of No. 13, Northampton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR WINDING KEYLESS WATCHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the winding apparatus of what
are called "remontoir" or "keyless" watches, in which the apparatus for
winding the watch is attached to, and in fact forms part of the watch itself,
the object being to afford great facility for removing the movement from the
case and replacing it, which according to this Invention is as easily effected
as with ordinary watches. Economy and greater simplicity of construction
are also effected, and the parts are not so liable to get out of order as with the
ordinary arrangements.

page_text: To effect these objects a short rod of steel or other suitable metal is passed
through a hole made for that purpose in the centre of the pendant. To the
outer end of this rod is adapted a milled head for actuating (by the finger and
thumb) the winding apparatus. The other end of this rod, which is inside
the watch case (and which may be of larger diameter than that part which
passes through the pendant and furnished with a shoulder to prevent it from
being withdrawn outwards) fits on to the head of a shaft carrying a pinion,
which communicates motion to a wheel on the spring axle, so that on turning
the shaft or rod passing through the pendant by means of the milled head
this will communicate motion to the pinion shaft in the same direction, and
by that means through the gearing wind up the spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said August Guye in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUST
GUYE, of 13, Northampton Square, in the County of Middlesex, Watchmaker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said August Guye, Her special licence that 1, the said August Guye,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said August
Guye, 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 "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR
WINDING KEYLESS WATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said August Guye, 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said August Guye, do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
This Invention relates to improvements in the winding apparatus of what
are called "remontoir" or "keyless" watches, in which the apparatus for
winding the watch is attached to and in fact forms part of the watch itself, the
object being to afford great facility for removing the movement from the
case and replacing it, which according to this Invention is as easily effected as
with ordinary watches. Economy and greater simplicity of construction are
also effected, and the parts are not so liable to get out of order as with the
ordinary arrangements.
To effect these objects a short rod of steel or other suitable metal t is
passed through a hole made for that purpose in the centre of the pendant p, p,
which is welded or soldered fast to the case of the watch at y. To the
outer end of this rod is adapted a milled head b, b, for actuating (by the
finger and thumb) the winding apparatus in the body of the watch. The
other end of this rod, which is inside the watch case (and which may be of
larger diameter than that part which passes through the pendant, and is
furnished with a shoulder to prevent it from being withdrawn outwards), is
provided with a slit or nick at f, which fits on to the head of a shaft t¹ carrying
a pinion t which communicates motion to a wheel on the spring axle, so that
on turning the shaft or rod t by means of the milled head b screwed into it, as
shewn by dotted lines, motion will be communicated to the pinion shaft t',
which will through suitable gearing actuate the axle of the main spring and
wind it up. I have not thought it necessary to show this gearing in the
Drawing, as it is of the ordinary kind. The shaft is supported by a
bridle bearing b¹, and its lower end r turns in a step in the bearing C; d, d,
is a short tube fitted into the rod t, t, and which serves to open the locking
spring when the apparatus is applied to a hunter, a little play being also left
between the rods and t¹ for that purpose; a, a, is the ring of the pendant to
which it is attached by its pivots x, 2.
I would here observe that although I have shewn and described the con-
nection between the rods t and t' as being effected by means of a nick after
the manner of a screw and screwdriver, any other arrangement (a square and
socket, for instance,) which will allow of their easy connection and disconnection
may be adopted. The mode shewn is however to be preferred.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, I desire it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of mechanism
for winding keyless watches above shewn and described, or any mere modi-
fication thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said August Guye, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
AUGUST GUYE. (L.S.)