IMPROVEMENTS FOR TIMEKEEPERS' AND OTHER MOVEMENTS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Boehm James, of No. 40, Bible House, New York
City, United States, temporarily of 43, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C.,
Watchmaker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS FOR TIMEKEEPERS' AND
OTHER MOVEMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Boehm James at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th October 1881.
HENRY BOEHM JAMES, of 40, Bible House, New York City, United States, now
of 43, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C., Watchmaker. "IMPROVEMENTS FOR
TIMEKEEPERS' AND OTHER MOVEMENTS."
This Invention is to equalize and strengthen the power of coil-mainsprings for
timekeepers' and other mechanical movements, and to simplify, improve, and
cheapen the adjustment of timekeepers, whether governed by a balance or
pendulum.
1st. I equalize the power of coil-mainsprings for time and other mechanical
movements by having a part of the outer coil of such a pliable nature and thickness
as not to break but clasp and control the expanding coils, and thus reduce the force
in the strong turns, making them equal to the medium or weaker turns, and adjust
them by having that portion more or less pliable.
It also tends to check the sudden expansion of the spring in case it breaks.
I make a similar equal and substantial adjustment by riveting a pliable piece
to the end of a strong spring, and otherwise adjust the strength of springs, as
hereinafter more fully specified, according to the nature of the springs.
2nd. It consists also in attaching a short inflexible segment outside of the outer
end of a mainspring for a going barrel.
3rd. It consists also in the application of a similar short segment and hook for
the mainspring in a going barrel.
4th. I have within the mainspring coils a spring brace consisting of one, or more
than one, thickness of spring, commencing within the small coils, and extending
outward, but not to the outer end. I prefer to make that to clasp and equalize
Prine G1

page_text: the power as stated. The object of the spring brace is to give strength and
elasticity, like eliptic springs, without the liability of breaking, as a single spring
of the same substance.
5th. I adjust a compensation balance by having the brass lamina but little in
excess of the steel in the rim, with less thickness in the rim than it has ordinarily.
I divide the rim in two segments of about a third, and two about half a third in
length, the object being to make the segments effective without screws or weights,
or preferably with but few light screws, to be moved short distances and adjust
small differences, and preferably not at the extremities of the segments; thining
them makes them effective by being more active.
6th. I propose to use, in combination with such balance, a hairspring, made
tapering towards the inner end, a tempered spring being preferred to retard the
rate in the long vibrations in which it is commonly fast, and complete the adjust-
ment to isochronism by the usual mode of opening the outer coils if slow and the
contrary if fast, in the long vibrations.
7th. Having patented (Patent No. 1496, of 1872) and tested a laminated coil
of brass outside of steel, with the outer end projecting to connect with the end of
the hairspring and vibrate by it, the coils alternately opening and closing, and to
draw the hairspring back between the curls in heat, and the contrary in cold, and
tlus compensate with a plain balance or with an ordinary compensation balance.
I propose to combine my present balance with such vibrating compensation.
8th. A similar compensation coil and arm with a screw weight was also patented
for the pendulum ball of clocks, both of which patents have expired. propose
to improve the latter by substituting for the weight a thumb screw, and above it
to attach a flexible arm with a slide weight and tapering key, to adjust more
readily and accurately to temperature, and the same to mean time, by raising and
lowering the arm and weight with the thumb screw, the bob being difficult to
adjust for small differences.
9th. I propose also to apply said compensation coil to the pendulum ball at the
centre of oscillation, which is a little below the centre of the bob, to improve its
effect.
"
10th. Finally, I attach it and the vibrating support for the hairspring of a
watch or chronometer by means of a square spring stud.
I insert four pins to form the stud, and havo a corresponding socket at the
centre of the coil to remove and replace them without disturbing the adjustment.
The various parts of the Invention may be made by the quantity after a model
is adjusted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Bochm James in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th April 1882.
HENRY BOEHM JAMES, of 40, Bible House, New York City, United States,
temporarily of 43, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C., Watchmaker. "IMPROVEMENTS
FOR TIMEKEEPERS' AND OTHER MOVEMENTS."
The design of my present Invention is to produce an equalising and safety
adjustment for coil-mainsprings for time-keepers' and other movements, and to
simplify, facilitate, and improve the adjustment of the compensation balance and
pendulum of timekeepers, and correct in both well known errors.
The Invention consists of the following parts:-
First. I have part of the mainspring near the outer end, Fig. 1, a, b, made more
or less pliable, the design is to have the outer coil, restrain the expansive force in
the strong turns when uncoiling, I thereby equalise or adjust the spring power as
desired, and produce a simple substitute for the fusee, which is applicable to various
mechanical movements, and particularly to going-barrel watches, as it requires no
further safety, reversible, or stop-work.
Second. I have an inflexible brace c, d, at the outer end of a mainspring for a
going-barrel, the design is to make a ready and substantial hooking for the outer
end of the spring.
Third. I have within a going barrel rim, Fig. 5, a projecting brace and hook; the
design is to form a ready and substantial booking in the barrel.
Fourth. On the inner surface of some mainsprings I have a strengthening spring
brace consisting of one, or more than one, thickness of spring, cominencing within
the small coils e, Fig. 2, and extending out to f if required; the outer end may be
made pliable to equalise the power if needed; the design is to add strength and
elasticity, similar to eliptic springs, to any desired extent, with less liability to
break or loose the force than a single spring; brass mainsprings may be made
effective and applicable for many movements, and are not so liable to break as
steel.
Fifth. I improve the compensation balance, Fig. 3, by having the rim of less
than ordinary thickness for adjusting, and about equal parts of brass and steel, or
the brass but little in excess. I have a segment about one-third of the rim or less
if wide, and a shorter one each side of the steel cross bar. Inside of the long
segments I have screws or weights, and outside I have a screw, or more than one, in
each segment; the design is to produce a balance that will adjust readily and
answer truly in all variations of temperature, be they high, low, or intermediate.
Sixth. In combination with said balance I propose to use a hairspring slightly
tapering toward the centre, and preferably fire tempered; the design is to adjust
readily to isochronisin and maintain the rate.
Seventh. I propose to combine with said balance the coiled vibrating support for
the hairspring, patented in England by me May 16th, 1872, No. 1469 [sic.]; the
design is to produce and maintain uniformity in the rate, as therein set forth.
Eighth. I improve the compensation pendulum which was also patented as above
stated. I dispense with the sliding spring and weight, and the screw weights
heretofore used which are objectionable, and apply to the coil arm m, Fig. 4, a
raised arm 6 which rests on a vertical thumb screw o at the end of the coil arın.
On the raised arm I have a slide weight i secured by a tapering key h, the design
is to adjust small differences in temperature, and meantime more readily and
accurately than heretofore.
Ninth. I improve the action of the compensation pendulum in high, low, and
intermediate variations of temperature by placing the coil arm m at or near the

page_text: centre of oscillation, which is a little below the centre of the bob; the extra arın
is thus raised above that point sufficient to prevent the weight from decending in
extreme cold below the centre of oscillation, and raises it to a greater extent in
extreme heat, and thus counteracts errors in its rate as placed heretofore, which are
well known to experts.
Tenth. Finally, I attach the compensation coil to a clock, watch, or chronometer
by means of a square spring stud h, which is composed of four squaro projecting
pins, with a corresponding socket at the centre of the coil to be forced on spring
tight; the design is to remove and replace it without loosing the adjustment which
was impractical as attached heretofore.
To carry the Invention into effect,―
1st. A mainspring for a going barrel watch should be long, light, and smooth,
especially the inner surface and near the outer end; such a spring may readily be
equalised by heating red hot a half inch or so near the outer end, bend it to get
scales off and make it pliable, then rub it inside of the annealed part with a fine
glossy emery stick or oil stone to restore the gloss. It may be readily tested
before and after annealing with an adjusting rod used for fusee watches, screw it
on the square of the arbor, wind it up in the barrel, and with the weight on the
rod at the point which will allow it to uncoil slowly, and note the difference; some
springs require more annealing and filing outside if too unequal, if too much
reduced they restrain and weaken the power too much; a little taken off of the end
will strengthen the expansive force again, or a better way is to attach a short thin
pliable piece inside of the annealed end. An equal and substantial adjustment may
also be made by riveting a pliable piece to the outer end of a stronger spring; either
way they can be readily adjusted by the quantity after a model is produced.
2nd. The inflexible braco inay be of brass, of greater thickness than a spring, or
two thickness of spring made of a proper curve and riveted with an oblong rivet
or two small rivets, and shaped like a fish tail at the inner end to engage readily
with the barrel hook, or if preferable, to engage with the end of the brace without
the hook; or the hook may bo used without the inflexible brace; or any ordinary
hooking may be used.
3d. Tho barrel brace is fitted in the rim and soft soldered, the hook is screwed
through both at a proper angle to make it more hooking and substantial than if
straight.
4th. The spring brace has the temper drawn at the inner end and tapered to
avoid breaking the main spring, and it is riveted to the main spring, the outer end
is also annealed and tapered, and if more than one is used the ends should be
tapered and not placed together, to avoid breaking the main spring when wound
tightly over them.
5th. Screws or weights extending more inside of any compensation segment, as
I have illustrated in Figure 3, is a new and very useful and important feature that
could be readily carried out to correct or avoid the heretofore unconquerable and
well known temperature error which exists in the balance of all pocket and marine
chronometers, and I propose to apply it to the inner surface of such balances. It
is very important where business and meeting a train depend upon it, and life and
property at sea, and in most cases could be readily applied by reversing the head
of a screw or two in each long segment, which consists of half the rim in most
cases, and in reversing the greater part of the weight on each segment of one-third
of the rim, by reversing the groove of the weight and by avoiding screws at or
near the ends of the cross bar of the balance, which causes an error by its variations
in length, in heat and cold, and to counteract it another error is produced by
weighting the periphery of the long compensation segments,
"two wrongs
never make a right." The weight being increased inside of the long segments acts
as a secondary compensation which changes the momentum, small differences may
be adjusted as usual in temperature, mean-time, and isochronism, by adding or
dispencing with screws, and exchanging light and heavy screws.
6th. 1 taper a flat spiral hairspring toward the centre by rubing it gently with

page_text: a rounded cork and dry oilstone dust on ground glass; further adjustment may then
be effected by varying the action of the outer spires as stated.
7th. To make the coils I hard solder brass twice as thick as steel, and they roll
out equal. I find that proportion best.
8th. The pendulum coils are made in the same way, and the application of both
are fully described in the aforesaid Patent.
9th. The extra arm attached to the compensation coil for adjusting to mean time
may be dispenced with, and the slide weight may be placed on the coil arm which
would still be an improvement on the screw weights, in that case the coil and arın
should be placed rather higher, some regard must also be paid to the nature of the
pendulum rod and bob and to the point of their attachment, and the compensator
should be made and placed accordingly. The generality of compensation pendulums
require it to make them complete as well as those which have no compensation, as
they all raise and drop their own centre of oscillation more or less.
10th. The mode of attaching the coil as specified herein will be more fully under-
stood and appreciated by reference to the Patent alluded to, and to another English
Patent obtained by me Nov. 22nd, 1859, No. 2644, on both of which this is an
improvement.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, partly by reference to aforesaid Patents, I wish it to bo
distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein
described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my Invention, but I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid,―
First. A mainspring made quite pliable near the outer end, as and for the
purposes set forth.
Second. The inflexible brace at the outer end of a main spring for a going-barrel,
as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The barrel brace with or without the projecting hook, as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fourth. The strengthening spring brace, as and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The application of screws or weights to compensation balances, and the
compensation with or without screws or weights, as and for the purposes set
forth.
Sixth. The combination of said balance and hairspring, as and. for the purposes
set forth.
Seventh. The combination of said balance with the hairspring support, as and
for the purposes set forth.
Eighth. The compensation coil for the pendulum, in combination with the slide
weight, or the extra arm, or both, as and for the purposes set forth.
Ninth. The application of the compensation coil with the extended arm above
the centro of oscillation, as and for the purposes set forth.
Tenth. The square spring stud and corresponding socket for attaching the
compensation coil to the pendulum of a clock, and to watch and chronometer
movements, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Boehm James, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.