Improvements in Chronograph Watches.
Year: 1889

page_text: "
Complete specification Left, and rev., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chronograph Watches.
I, AMI LECOULTRE-PIGUET, of Brassus, in Switzerland, Watch Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the mechanism described in the Speci-
fication of my British patent No. 13625, dated October 25th, 1886, and employed for
moving the hand marking the quarter seconds in chronograph-watches.
The accompanying drawing is a section through the train of gearing of said
mechanism, completed by the addition of the new elements forming the subject of the
present application for patent, and the object of which is to combine the stopping
mechanism of the hand marking the quarter seconds with the pinion acting upon the
centre wheel which carries the seconds wheel, so that the latter may be stopped with
great accuracy at the very moment that the hand of the quarter seconds is stopped.
The mechanism intended to move the hand marking the quarter seconds referred
to, is as follows:-The rotation of the main-spring wheel is transmitted by any inter-
mediate wheel to the pinion of axis Cupon which turns, with slight friction, a wheel c³.
The wheel c¹ is fixed to the axis C, and the wheel c² is provided with a circular
projection c³, in which I place a spiral spring whose inner end is fixed to the axis C.
This spiral spring presses its coils against the inner edge of c³. The friction of the
spring against the ring c³ causes the wheel c³ to turn with the wheel c¹ so long as no
obstacle is opposed to it. The teeth of 2 drive the pinion of h which drives the
pinion of the wheel i. The latter engages in the pinion d¹ of a winged wheel d,
provided with four wings. The latter is affixed to a lever which is intended to bring
the wheel d either into the position shewn in the drawing, in which its wings are in reach
of the teeth of e², or into a position in which the wheel d may turn without striking
the teeth of e; in the first case c¹ turns without c², in the second case c² turns with c².
The axis of wheel d carries the hand D marking the quarter seconds.
The wheel e is provided with 30 teeth and is fixed on the axis of the escapement-
wheel'e, the pinion e' of which is acted upon, as usual, by the ordinary train of the
works.
At every quarter second marked by the oscillation of the balance-wheel the wheel e²
turns for the distance of one of its teeth and thereby allows the winged-wheel d to
turn for the distance of one of its wings, the hand D making, at one jump, a quarter
of a revolution.
The stopping of the quarter seconds hand D is effected by means of a lever, which,
at the right moment, is thrown in reach of the wings of d.
Now, for the purpose of having this stopping acting at the same time upon the
hand E marking the seconds, I prolong the axis of the wheel i, as shewn in the
drawing, so as to have it passing through the plate of the works, and I place it, with-
out changing any part of the train described, so as to have its pinion n, having
36 teeth, brought into gear with the central wheel m, having 240 teeth, the axis of
which carries the seconds-hand E. I place the upper pivot of the prolonged axis
of i in an oscillating lever k which is acted upon by any usual chronograph mechanism
so as to cause the pinion n to be thrown out of gear with the wheel m when the seconds
hand is to be set to O, but to maintain the pinion n in gear with the wheel m when

page_text: the chronograph is stopped so as to ensure the stopping of the wheel i stopping also
the wheel m, and the starting of the wheel i causing at the same time the starting of the
wheel m.
This stopping and starting arrangement acts with greater precision than
all other arrangements heretofore adopted for the same purpose.
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chronograph Watches.
I, AMI LECOULTRE-PIGUET, of Brassus, in Switzerland, Watch Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, reference being had to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in the mechanism described in the speci-
fication of my British patent No. 13,625 dated October 25th 1886, and employed for
moving the hand marking the quarter seconds in chronograph watches.
In the drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification, the figure represents
a section through the train of gearing of said mechanism, completed by the addition
of the new elements forming the subject of the present application for patent, and the
object of which is to combine the stopping mechanism of the hand marking the quarter
seconds with the pinion acting upon the centre wheel which carries the seconds wheel,
so that the latter may be stopped with great accuracy at the very moment that the
hand of the quarter seconds is stopped.
The mechanism intended to move the hand marking the quarter seconds referred
to, is as follows:-The rotation of the main spring wheel is transmitted by any inter-
mediate wheel to the pinion of axis C upon which turns, with slight friction, a
wheel c. The wheel c¹ is fixed to the axis C, and the wheel c³ is provided with a
circular projection c³ in which I place a spiral spring whose inner end is fixed to the
axis C. The spiral spring presses its coils against the inner edge of c³. The friction
of the spring against the ring c³ causes the wheel c² to turn with the wheel c¹ so long
as no obstacle is opposed to it. The teeth of c² drive the pinion of h which drives the
pinion of the wheel i. The latter engages in the pinion d¹ of a winged wheel d
provided with four wings. The latter is affixed to a lever which is intended to bring
the wheel d either into the position shewn in the drawing, in which its wings are in
reach of the teeth of e², or into a position in which the wheel d may turn without
striking the teeth of e'; in the first case c' turns without c³, in the second case c² turns
with c. The axis of wheel d carries the hand D marking the quarter seconds.
The wheel e is provided with 30 teeth and is fixed on the axis of the escapement
wheel e, the pinion e' of which is acted upon, as usual, by the ordinary train of the
works.
At every quarter second, marked by the oscillation of the balance wheel, the
wheel turns for the distance of one of its teeth and thereby allows the winged
wheel d to turn for the distance of one of its wings, the hand D making at one jump
a quarter of a revolution.
The stopping of the quarter seconds hand D is effected by means of a lever which,
at the right moment, is thrown in reach of the wings of d.
Now, for the purpose of having this stopping acting at the same time upon the
hand E marking the seconds, I prolong the axis of the wheel i, as shewn in the
drawing, so as to have it passing through the plate of the works, and place it,
without changing any part of the train described, so as to ensure its pinion n, having
36 teeth, being brought into gear with the central wheel m having 240 teeth, the axis
of which carries the seconds hand E. I place the upper pivot of the prolonged axis
of i in an oscillating lever k which is acted upon by any usual chronograph mechanism,
so as to cause the pinion n to be thrown out of gear with the wheel m when the

page_text: seconds hand is to be set to O, but to maintain the pinion n in gear with the wheel m
when the chronograph is stopped, so as to ensure the stopping of the wheel i stopping
also the wheel m, and the starting of the wheel i causing, at the same time, the starting
of the wheel m. This stopping and starting arrangement acts with greater precision
than all other arrangements heretofore adopted for the same purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :
In chronograph watches, the combination of the axis of wheel i of the mechanism
described, with pinion n, and lever k, and with wheel m, so as to bring the pinion n
into gear with the wheel m and cause it to act upon and stop the latter, substantially
as shewn and described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1900.
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.