Year: 1889

page_text: 1, SIEGMUND RIEFLER, Engineer and Manufacturer of Munich in the Empire of
Germany 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 statement :-
In all balance wheel escapements for watches or clocks known hitherto, the trans-
mission of power from the wheel train to the balance has been effected by the last
wheel of the train, the escapement wheel giving impulsions to a lever the fulcrum of
which is in the axis of the balance, either directly, or indirectly through an inter-
mediate lever; the chronometer escapement, duplex and verge escapements are
examples of the direct action the impulse pallets being the levers aforesaid. The lever
escapement is an example of the indirect action.
The improved escapement hereinafter described and claimed differs in principle
from the above. As the balance wheel moves or oscillates from its resting position
the spiral spring or recoil spring is brought into tension, the tension increasing with
the amplitude of oscillation If this tension is augmented at the suitable moment a
supply of power results-The present invention consists therefore, in not having the
end of the recoil spring fixed and stationary as heretofore, but making the same
movable and under control of the wheel train in such a manner that the impulsions
given by the wheel train are devoted to the moving back and forth at the proper
moment of the fixing point of the recoil spring.
This effect may be obtained in different ways, but the preferred method of carrying
the invention into practice is that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
hereinafter explained-Fig. 1a being an elevation of the improved escapement
Fig. 1b a partly broken plan view thereof Figs. 2, 3 and 4 detail views thereof
modified in construction the latter two views being on a larger scale. Figs. 5 and 6
illustrate a modification in the escapement.
Below the balance arbor a and in extension of the axis thereof is freely pivoted
the three-armed wheel B, one arm of which carries a pillar K to which the end of the
recoil spring P of the balance is fixed, and the other two arms are respectively provided

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with the impulse and detent pallets S, S₁ which may be cylindrical pillars projecting
above the level of the wheel B and having their upper portions cut away to be flat
upon one side. The cylindrical lower part of each acts as impulse pallet, the plane
upper part as detent. On the arbor e f of the wheel train is the escapement
wheel RH, which in Fig. 1 is formed of two superposed wheels R and H, the
lower wheel being the impulse wheel, the upper wheel the detent wheel-The under
wheel H is cut with inclined teeth 2 etc., the upper wheel R with teeth ¹² etc.
with radial faces or faces even slightly undercut.
This escapement operates as follows;-When the balance wheel U moves from rest.
in the direction of the arrow, the recoil spring carries the wheel B in the same direction
until the pallet S¹ arrives against the inclined face of the tooth h of the wheel H. A.
this moment the pallet S leaves the point of the wheel R, the escapement wheel-
then turn in the direction of the arrow and the inclined face of the tooth presses
back the pallet S¹ thus increasing the tension of the recoil spring-The balance in
returning will by reason of this augmentation of the tension of the recoil spring swing
with equal amplitude and at the moment when the wheel passes the position of rest.
the recoil spring being brought into contrary tension will move the wheel B in the
contrary direction, cause the pallet S to arrive on the inclined tooth ³, and the pallet S'
to leave the detent tooth r, thus permitting the escapement wheel to revolve and
augment the tension of the recoil spring by lifting the pallet S-Besides the two
wheels R and H a third wheel E is fixed on the arbor e; this wheel E moves a flying
pinion W in the usual way, so that the escapement operates without shock and the
escapement teeth touch the pallets very softly-The resistance to disengagement may
be adjusted by turning the pallets S and S¹ correspondingly in their sockets-The
resistance may be reduced to zero without fear of untimely disengagement since the
recoil spring always presses the pallets against the escapement wheel with its periodical
tension.
Instead of two separate wheels R and H of course, a single wheel may be used with
* its lift and detent teeth on different levels as shown by the cross section of part of such
a wheel in Fig. 2-Or for some purposes, for instance for travelling clocks and the
like, one wheel only may be used, with both lift and detent teeth on the same level,
the pallets being then either cylindrical along their whole length, or else cut down on one
side to a plane surface at a depth of ahout a fifth part of their diameter, so that the
resistance of disengagement may be regulated, as in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively.
In place of having cylindrical fixed pallets small rollers may be used for the impulse
pallets, and in such case it is preferably to make the detent pallets independent of
the impulse rollers, placing the detent pallets closer together or inside the distance of
the impulse rollers.
Satisfactory results may also be obtained by the arrangement shown in Figs. 5
and 6. The two pallets S S' on the wheel B are here only detent pallets, against
which lies the escapement tooth R¹. The impulse is not effected by a wheel but by an
excentric or untrue rotary body, for instance a crank wrist or excentric disc, on the
arbor ef of the wheel train, said body engaging in the fork g. securely fixed on the
arbor of the wheel B.
The operation of this escapement is as follows; When the balance wheel moves from
rest in the direction of the arrow, the nearer limb of the fork touches the excentric,
this movement also frees the pallet S and the escapement tooth R¹, and the escapement
is free to turn, until the tooth arrives on the pallet S1, the rotation of the arbor ef
moves the fork g and so supplies the impetus to the recoil spring-With this
construction of escapement also, a flying pinion W is preferably used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
In horological escapements with balance and recoil spring;
1. The method of transmitting power from the wheel train to the balance by means
of or through the recoil spring.

page_text: 2. The combination of the balance, the recoil spring fixed thereto in the usual
manner, a pivoted wheel or equivalent B fixed to the end of said recoil spring
substantially as set forth, and adapted to be oscillated by the wheel train.
3. The combination of the double escapement wheel R H having detent teeth r r¹ etc.
and impulse teeth h h¹ etc., or the equivalent thereof, a single wheel with said teeth;
with two pallets S and S¹, each being both impulse and detent pallets, and a pivoted
anchor B for said pallets, whereby an oscillating movement may be given by the wheel
train to the anchor B substantially as set forth, the detent teeth being beyond the
radius of the impulse teeth.
4. The combination with the recoil spring of the anchor or wheel B fastened thereto
detent pallets SS on said anchor, fork g and arbour ef with crank wrist or equivalent
and detent tooth R¹, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1889.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.