IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES
Year: 1841

page_text: wit
MASSEY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO: WHOM THESE PRESENTS, SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MASSEY, of King Street, Clerkenwell, in; the County of Middlesex, Watch-
maker, send greeting.
..
WHEREAS: Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date, at West-
minster, the Fourteenth day of October, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and' successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Massey, Her especial licencè, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Edward Massey, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Massey, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantation's abroad, my Invention.
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCHES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a.
proviso that I, the said Edward Massey, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Massey, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto anuexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
In Figures 1 and 2, a is the balance; b, the balance cock; c, the curb (acting
on pivots placed over but not in connection with the verge). This curb cis
moved backwards and forwards on the pendulum spring by means of a small.
chain, one end of which passes round a pulley formed on the curb at c¹, the
other end being attached to the lever d, such lever d being acted upon by the
compensation piece e, as shown; two screws fasten the compensation piece to
the cock fat h, and to allow of latitude for adjustment there is a slide on the
compensation piece at the letter n, on the point of which there is a screw o
for regulating the position of the lever d. is a small spiral spring attached
to the curb pulley c¹ to keep the chain, which connects the curb c with the
lever d, always on the stretch. j is the pendulum spring fastened in the
stud at k.
Figures 3 and 4 shew another method of attaching compensation to the
pendulum spring. A straight spring. à being connected with it by means of
the curb c. The spring a is lengthened or shortened by means of a clamp b.
sliding in the frame 6', at each end of which clamp a small chain is fastened,
one connecting it with the lever e, which lever e is acted upon by a compen-
sation piece, as in Figure 1, the other chain connecting the clamp 6 with
the lever i, which lever is acted upon by the spiral spring in such a manner
as to keep the two chains always on the stretch, thereby causing a steady and
certain action of the clamp up and down the grooves of the frame b¹.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 and 8, are improvements in the escapement of a watch,
whereby the impulse is given to the balance, nearly free from the irregularities
of the main spring and train of wheels. Figure 5 represents two escape
wheels as they would stand in the frame. a is the upper or impulse wheel,
which is put on a collet or pipe moving freely on the pinion arbour, such
collet or pipe having a forked arm a¹ affixed to it. b is a spiral spring,
fastened at one end to the upper wheel, the other end to the lower wheel;
the lower wheel has a pin in one arm, as is shown at Figures 5 and 7, at c;
such pin passes into the forked arm of the collet; and the manner of action
of those wheels is, that the lower wheel is moved the distance of the space
between two teeth, and then is stopped by the pin coming against one side of
the forked arm a', by the power of the main spring on the train; by this means
the spiral spring b, Figure 5, is rewound, ready to carry the impulse wheel a,
to give the impulse, thus giving the impulse from the power of the spiral
spring b. Figure 6 shows, the manner of locking the impulse wheel by the

page_text: pallet e. One tooth of the wheel is resting on the pallet when unlocked by a
small pallet f, Figure 8, in the balance staff; it moves forward the space of
one. tooth. by the strength of the spiral spring, and the forked arm in the
collet moves with it till it comes in contact with the pin in the lower wheel,
and is there stopped. The lower wheel is unlocked on the return of the
balance, and runs the distance of one tooth, carrying the pin in its arm to the
other side of tlie fork in the forked arm of the collet, by which the spiral
spring is rewound ready for the next impulse. Figure 8 shows the connexion
between the pallets and balance staff, by. which means the escapement is
unlocked. g is a lever which acts between two pins, the same as in lever
watches generally; there is a small piece or pallet f, extending from the
verge or balance staff, and resting between the pins in the end of the lever
9, and the balance vibrating carries this piece first against one pin, unlocking
one pallet, then in returning carries the lever, by means of the opposite pin,
to unlock the other pallet; this piece should be circular at the end, and fit
easily between the pins. There is a small hollow cut out of the cylinder
in which the pallet f is fixed, to let the point of the lever g, which should be
long enough to prevent its getting out of action during the vibration of, the
balance.
Figure 9 is an improvement in winding up a watch by means of the
pendant or handle. The pendant or handle a is connected by means of a pin
joint 6 to the plate b, which is capable of sliding in a dovetail groove
formed in the pillar plate of the watch. This plate 6 carries the catch c,
which takes into the ratchet wheel d affixed on the barrel arbor; e is a click
to prevent the main spring running down. When it is desired to wind up
the watch, it will only be necessary to draw out and force in the pendant
a few times until the necessary winding motion is given. And the manner
of action of the alarm part is by means of a small wheel fixed on the upper
part of fourth or seconds wheel, such wheel having twelve teeth in it cut like
the pallet wheel of a lever watch. The hammer has a tail acted upon by
the small wheel i at i, consequently every tooth of the small wheel i
lifts the hammer in passing, and the hammer head j falls on the spring u in
returning to its place for the next tooth. The hammer is not in action when
the watch is in its ordinary position, but when inverted it immediately becomes
so. This will be found particularly useful to mariners when taking obser-
vations. The hammer strikes every fifth second, and the intermediate seconds,
when required, are easily calculated with a little practice.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself

page_text: to the precise details herein shown so long as the character of the Invention
be retained; but what I claim is,
First, the modes of compensation as shown and described in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4; and,
Secondly, I claim the arrangement of locking' pallets herein described and
shewn at Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8.
"
Thirdly, I claim the mode herein described of: winding up the watch by the
pendant, without the aid of a key, by attaching the pendant of. the part b by
means of a pin joint 6¹.
And lastly, I claim the: mode herein described of striking at every fifth
second by altering: the position of the watch..
In witness whereof, I, the said "Edward Massey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-two.
EDWD (Ls.), MASSEY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of April, in "the
year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid Edward Massey came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
2.
...
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
}