Improvements in Watches.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Watches.
I, ALEXANDER EDWARDS of 88 & 89, Craven Street, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Watch Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in watches which are designed to
prevent the breakage of any delicate parts of the mechanism in case the main spring
breaks at any time. It is well known that in the case of an accidental breakage of
the main spring in overwinding or from any other cause the watch runs down very
rapidly indeed and some of the faster running wheels are frequently seriously injured
by their pivots or other parts being broken off or otherwise injured. Various attempts
have been made to rectify this, but hitherto without great success.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into
practice 1 have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings shewing its application in
one form, that is, to the centre wheel A but it may just as easily be applied to any
other of the train of wheels in a watch and with similar effect.
Figure 1 is a plan shewing a watch case Z with various wheels mounted therein
sufficient to illustrate the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the centre wheel A removed so as to shew the various parts
connected therewith.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the wheel A with its arbor e¹ on the line 1, 2,
Figure 2.
I have shewn upon the drawing the watch case Z in which the barrel C is mounted
gearing into the intermediate wheel B which in its turn is geared into the centre
pinion E which forms a part when the watch is working and under ordinary conditions
of the centre wheel A which again transmits power to the various trains of wheels
contained in various kinds of watches. Now it is evident that if the spring breaks
and supposing the centre wheel A and pinion E to be fast together as is ordinarily
the case upon the arbor e¹ the whole power will be transmitted through this wheel to
the various trains of wheels geared therein until the momentum has been exhausted.
Now I prevent this transmission by mounting upon the arbor e¹ (see Figure 3) the

page_text: pinion E and ratchet D so as to run loosely when necessary without the arbor el
turning but when the watch is working in the ordinary way the ratchet a¹ which is
held in its position by the spring a² carries round the centre wheel A in regular
revolution but immediately the spring breaks the ratchet D and pinion E simply
revolve upon the arbor loosely without having any effect upon the other parts of the
watch.
It will thus be seen that this simple device adds no complication to the mechanism
and yet is perfectly effective and there can be no danger of its ever getting out of
order so that however long it may be in disuse it is ready in case of emergency for
instantly protecting the delicate parts of the mechanism as before explained. It will
be evident that the device is equally applicable to any other wheels or portions of
the watch to which it may be desired to apply it as I do not confine myself to the
application to the centre wheel only.
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 :-
The improvements in watches consisting of the introduction of a ratchet wheel D
so as to run either loose or fast for the purpose of preventing accidental breakage
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shewn upon the drawings.
Dated the oth 1
T1
1000
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.