AN IMPROVED WATCH CASE SPRING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Horace Brandon, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED WATCH CASE SPRING."-A communication from
Charles William Mav, residing at 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris.
Sealed the 25th March 1869, and dated the 29th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Horace
Brandon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th September 1868.
I, ALEXANDER HORACE BRANDON, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WATCH CASE SPRING," a communication
from Charles William May, a person resident at 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris,
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to employ one spring both for the
catch and the hinge of a watch case, which will dispense with the use of
screws of any kind in fitting it into the case; its own elasticity retaining
it in place and serving the double purpose of a spring for opening the

page_text: case and retaining the catch of the case. I employ a thin piece of steel
which can be sprung into the watch case and which will occupy about
four-fifths of its interior circumference, and in nearly the same place
occupied by the two springs usually employed. In this position the
catch of the watch case is acted upon as by an ordinary spring. In the 5
same way the opening hinge is also acted upon, so that when the catch
is released by the pressure of the thumb as usual the lid of the watch
acted upon by the spring flies open.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Horace Brandon in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HORACE BRANDON, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the Empire of France,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Horace Brandon,
Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexander Horace Brandon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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 "AN IMPROVED WATCH CASE SPRING," a com-
munication from Charles William May, a person resident at 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Horace Brandon, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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

page_text: Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained;
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):-
The improvements that I have made in the springs employed in watch
<cases consist in replacing the two springs usually employed for the
catch and springing of the cover by one spring, which said spring fits
into the case by its own elasticity and does not require, as in the use of
two springs, to be fitted into the case and fastened by screws screwed
into the case. There is thus an economy in the first cost and in after
repairs.
In the Drawing annexed, in conjunction with which I will describe the
Invention, Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan of the spring in position in the case;
Fig. 2 a sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a view of the spring un-
rolled or extended; Fig. 4, an end view of the spring, as shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5, a modification of the spring, combining with it the catch of the
lid; Fig. 6, an end view of the spring, as shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7,
a view of this last spring in position inserted into a case partly in
section. The same letters indicate the same parts throughout all the
Figures.
The spring a, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, is furnished underneath with two
little studs b, c, which serve to regulate the position of the spring within
the case, and the only adjustment required is the filing down of these
studs, according to the thickness of the case, or the width or rather
depth of the space within which the spring is to lie, and wherein it is
retained by its own elasticity pressing against the sides by virtue of its
expansion force. In the manufacture of new watches this adjustment
would not be necessary, the relative sizes of the case and spring could be
made to correspond. One end of this spring is made with the small
projection d similar to the projection or stud which acts upon the
customary form of hinge of the watch lid, as shown at Fig. 7, and by
means of which the lid is thrown open on back when it is released from
the catch f, by pressure upon the stud g which passes through the stem
of the watch, as shown, Figs. 1 and 7. The part of the spring at i,
Fig. 3, bearing upon the catch f, keeps the catch in action and the lid

page_text: closed after it is shut till pressure upon the stud g overcomes the force of
the spring acting upon the catch f. The catch may either be in-
dependent or form part of the stud g; in either case the end of the
spring may project beyond the catch and will lie in the case without
inconvenience; or the catch may be made a part of the spring itself, as
is shown in Figures 5 and 6, in which case the spring must be mode of
the exact size required for the various watches, and so that one end shall
form the stud acting upon the hinge, and the other the catch to hold the
case shut, and the stud g is then a simple pin with a slot in it for the
passage of the screw holding the ring of the watch.
Having now fully described my Invention, I claim,―
Firstly. The spring, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, serving
the double purpose of retaining the catch in position to hold the lid of
the watch case closed and to press upon the hinge for the purpose of
opening.
Secondly. The spring, as described, retained in place by its own elastic
force and not requiring to be screwed into the case.
And, thirdly. The spring, as illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7, forming.
also the catch for retaining the watch lid closed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March
1869.
Witness,
W. MORGAN BROWN,
13, Rue Gaillon, Paris.
A. H. BRANDON. (L.S.)