IMPROVEMENTS IN TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Watkins, of No. 67, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Chronometer and Watch Maker, for the Invention. of
IMPROVEMENTS IN TIMEKEEPERS."
Sealed the 11th April 1860, and dated the 3rd February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Watkins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
February 1860.
:
1, ALEXANDER WATKINS, of No. 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Chronometer and Watch Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of watches, chronometers,
and clocks, in such a manner as to dispense with the use of several parts
hitherto employed therein, and thereby increasing the facility and cousequent
economy of their manufacture, as well as diminishing their tendency to get out
of order. And I accomplish this object by the means herein-after described
and referred to. In the first place the pillar plate to which the dial is fixed is
made solid, or so as to form a complete disc thereby obviating the necessity for
several separate parts required to carry the movement. Secondly, the power
isapplied direct to the centre wheel, thereby dispensingwith the ordinary chain
and barrel together with the fusee and its appurtenances. For this purpose
the mainspring is contained in a box which bas a toothed rim acting in the
pinion of the centre wheel, and is on a plain arbo:. On the periphery of the
box is cut a T-shaped opening through which the outer end of the spring is

page_text: passed and screwed to the box. The boss of the box is concave so as to give
an increased length of square for winding. The spring is tapered both as to
its depth and its thickness, so as to equalise the power communicated direct
to the centre wheel without the aid of any intermediate mechanism for the
purpose, thus making what is called an "adjustment," the smaller and thinner
or outer end of the spring being screwed to the outside of the box, and the
deeper and thicker or inner end being fixed to the arbor as usual. Thirdly,
there is, what I call, a safety click inserted in the solid pillar plate having a
very light spring action, the spring being continued in the form of a segmental
piece of steel with a head to receive the tooth of the spring click, so as to
admit of the latter resting against it. By this means the dependence on the
strength of the spring to bear the pressure during the winding of the watch is
obviated. Or this effect of relieving the spring by removing the pressure from
it may be produced by means of a pin or stud. Fourthly, the escapement,
including its pallets, is made in one piece, and is arranged with the centre of
the escapement wheel in a direct line with the pivot of the escapement and
the fork or notch thereof, which is acted on by the pin of the ordinary roller.
By this means the leverage of the two pallets exerted on the escapement wheel
is equal, and the distances from the pivot of the escapement to each pallet and
to the notch or fork are also equal. Lastly, the regulator is compound, and
consists of a toothed segment at the end of an arm on the balance cock, and a
lever or index with a pinion having a corresponding number of teeth on its
inner end. By this means the index is allowed to be moved over a greater
arc than at present and thereby increases the facility of timing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Watkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
WATKINS, of No. 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Chronometer and
Watch Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Watkins, Her special license that I, the said Alexander
Watkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the

page_text: said Alexander Watkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN TIMEKEEPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alexander Watkins, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Watkins, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in Time-keepers" has for its object the
construction of watches, chronometers, and clocks in such a manner as to
dispense with the use of several parts hitherto employed therein, and thereby
increasing the facility and consequent economy of their manufacture, as well
as diminishing their tendency to get out of order. And I accomplish this
object by the means herein-after described and referred to. In the first place
the pillar plate to which the dial is fixed is made solid, so as to form a com-
plete disc, as herein-after represented and described, thereby obviating the
necessity for several separate parts ordinarily required to carry the movement.
Secondly, the power is applied direct to the centre wheel or train by means of
a tapered or adjusted mainspring, thereby dispensing with the ordinary chain
and barrel, together with the fusee and its appurtenances. For this purpose
the mainspring is contained in a box or barrel, which has a toothed rimacting
in the pinion of the centre wheel, and is on a plain arbor. On the periphery
of the box or barrel is cut a kind of T-shaped opening through which the
outer end of the spring is passed and screwed to the barrel. The boss of the
barrel is concave so as to give an increased length of square for winding. The
spring is tapered both as to its depth and its thickness, so as to equalize the
power communicated direct to the centre wheel without the aid of any inter-
mediate mechanism for the purpose, thus making, what is called, an "adjust-
ment," the smaller and thinner or outer end of the spring being screwed to the
outside of the barrel, and the deeper and thicker or inner end being fixed to
the arbor as usual. Thirdly, there is what I call a safety click inserted in the

page_text: pillar plate having a very light spring action, the spring being continued in
the form of a segmental piece of steel with a stop to receive the tooth of the
spring click, so as to admit of the head of the click resting against it. By
this means the dependence on the strength of the spring to bear the pressure
during the winding of the watch is obviated. Or this effect of relieving the
spring by removing the pressure from it may be produced by means of a
pin or stud. Fourthly, the escapement, including its pallets, is made in one
piece, and is arranged with the centre of the escapement wheel in a direct line
with the pivot of the escapement and the centre of the balance staff. By this
means the leverage exerted by the escapement wheel on the two pallets is
equal, and the distances from the pivot of the escapement to each pallet and
to the notch or fork are also equal. Lastly, the regulator is compound, and
consists of a toothed segment at the end of an arm on the balance cock, and
an index lever with a pinion having a corresponding number of teeth on its
inner end. By this means the index is allowed to be moved over a greater
arc than at present, and thereby increases the facility of timing.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the
aid of the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. is a plan or horizontal view of a watch looking on the top plate;
Fig. 2 represents the pillar plate with the safety click inserted therein; Fig. 3
is a section, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the box or barrel which contains the
mainspring; Fig. 5 shews the mainspring opened out; Fig. 6 is a perspective
view; and Fig. 7 an edge view of the same; Fig. 8 represents the safety click
on an enlarged scale; Fig. 9 represents the escapement wheel, escapement,
and balance, also on an enlarged scale. In these several Figures the same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
a is the ordinary top plate; b, the balance cock; c, the improved solid pillar
plate. This plate is solid throughout, with only a slightly hollowed rim to
receive the dial. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 2, that this plate carries
several of the pivots or arbors of the movement which have hitherto been
carried by separate cocks or pieces of metal. It also dispenses with the
necessity for any cavities beyond that shewn, and one for the minute wheel,
d is the box or bariel which contains the tapered or adjusted mainspring e,
In Fig. 3 is shewn the collar fon the winding arbor, to which the inner or
deeper, and thicker end of the spring is fixed; and in Fig. 4 is shewn the
outer or smaller, and thinner end of the spring screwed to the outside of the

page_text: box or barrel. In Fig. 3 is also shewn the concavity of the boss of the box or
barrel, giving increased length for winding.
The degree of narrowing of the spring which I prefer, is to about one half
of its depth in the whole length as represented in Fig. 5, and the decrease in
its thickness from the larger to the smaller end is gradual throughout the
whole length; g, Fig. 8 is the safety click for the ordinary ratchet on the
winding arbor. It will be seen on reference to the figure that this click is
composed of a slight spring continued in the form of a stronger segment of
metal, which is screwed to the pillar plate c, and terminates in a fixed stop
for the head of the click to rest against. The spring has a ratchet tooth or
teeth on the end of it; which when disengaged from the tooth or teeth of the
ratchet wheel rests against this stop, by which means the spring is relieved
from the pressure caused by the action of the mainspring, to which it would
be otherwise exposed, and is not required to be stronger than is sufficient to
carry it into the spaces of the ratchet wheel after it has been pushed outwards
by the teeth thereof. The form of the click may be varied from that shewn,
provided it be arranged so that the head thereof may rest against a fixed
stop, and thus relieve the spring. h, Fig. 9 is the escapement wheel; i is the
escapement. On reference to this Figure it will be seen that the centre of
the wheel h, the pivot of the escapement i, and the centre of the balance
staff are in a direct line. By this means the leverage with which the pallets
and mare acted on by the wheel will be equal, the distance from the roller
pin or from the notch of the fork to the pivot of the escapement i is also
equal or nearly equal to the distance from the said pivot to each pallet. This
form of the escapement i in one piece, admits of the watch being made flatter.
n, Fig. 10, is the regulating toothed segment acting in a pinion o, to which is
connected the index lever p, which has a long range over the arc q. By this
means much facility will be given for timing, as by moving the index p over
the arc q, the pinion o will be caused to move the toothed segment n through
a much smaller space than that traversed by the index lever.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I do hereby declare that what I claim as of my
Invention is,
First, the combination or arrangement of parts in the construction of time-
keepers as described.
Secondly, the use of solid pillar plates in the construction of timekeepers
in the manner herein-before described, for the purpose of simplifying the
construction of such timekeepers by dispensing with several parts generally
used in the construction thereof.

page_text: Thirdly, the application of a tapered main spring combined with and fixed
within a barrel having a toothed rim around it as herein-before described, for
the purpose of equalizing the force communicated to the train by the spring
without the aid of the ordinary chain and fusee.
Fourthly, a safety click, in which the head of the click rests against a fixed
stop so as to relieve the spring of the click from the pressure caused by the
action of the mainspring as herein-before described.
Fifthly, the use of an escapement, the two pallets and the other arm of
which are of equal lengths; and also the arrangement of the escapement in
connection with the balance and the escapement wheel, so that the pivot of
the escapement, and the axles of the balance and of the escape:ment wheel
shall be in one straight or direct line as herein-before described.
And, lastly, the compound regulator, in which a toothed pinion moved by
an index lever acts upon a toothed segment fixed at the end of the arm of an
ordinary regulator, so as to obtain greater nicety in the adjustment of the
regulator as herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Alexander Watkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
A. WATKINS. (L.S.)