CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOMETERS, WATCHES, AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1839

page_text: PHILCOX'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PHILCOX, late of Southwark Square, but now of Wellington Street, London
Bridge, both in the Borough of Southwark and County of Surrey, Watch-
maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixth day of July, in the third year of Her reign, and in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Philcox,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said
George Philcox, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as
I, the said George Philcox, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHRONOMETERS,
WATCHES, AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, obliging me, the said George Philcox, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: 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
George Philcox, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
.
My Invention of certain improvements in chronometers, watches, and other
timekeepers relates to the method of constructing the escapements of
chronometers, watches, and other timekeepers, and consists in the novel
arrangement, construction, and adaptation of peculiarly formed levers or im-
pelling and detant pieces by means of which I construct a more simple and
less expensive escapement than those in present use; my improved escapement
is composed of two parts or levers, (viz.) the propelling lever, which receives its
power of action from the main spring of the timekeeper and the detant or
balance lever, which receives its impulse from the impelling lever. The latter
lever, from its peculiar form I call the "diamond lever," and to distinguish my
Patent escapement from others, I intend to denominate it "the patent dia-
mond lever escapement," and I will now refer to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, the better to illustrate my Invention.
Fig. 1 represents an elevation or diagram of my improved escapement upon
an enlarged scale as detached from the other parts of the mechanism of the
timekeeper, the balance and propelling levers being shewn in the Drawings as
separated or away from each other, in order better to exhibit the same; it
being understood that when in action they are in contact with each other.
Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view of Fig. 1. The same letters of reference
are used to denote correspondent parts in all the Figures. a is the balance
wheel mounted on the axle b; below this wheel is mounted the balance or
receiving impulse lever c. The propelling lever receiving its power of action
from the mainspring in the ordinary manner, is shewn at d, mounted on its
axle or shaft e, and on the lower part of this axle is placed the locking or
detant lever f, seen best in Fig. 2. As the axle turns on its centre, one
of the ends of the locking leverf is brought by the force of the mainspring
against or into coincidence with a ruby palate or stop piece g on the axle 6 of
the balance, see Fig. 1, whereby the locking of the escapement is effected.
But instead of the ruby palate a notch or groove may be formed on the axle b

page_text: itself; I do not, however, claim any part of the locking or its mechanism, as
my Invention for any other suitable arrangement of locking may be used or
applied with my improved escapement levers, therefore it is not necessary for
me to describe it more particularly. Below the locking lever f is mounted a
small pinion h (see Fig. 1), which is in communication with the ordinary train
of wheels leading from the first mover, as will be readily understood by watch
makers. The dotted lines i, j, k, in Fig. 2 are intended to shew the points of
contact between the two levers c and d, when in action in their motion through
an escapement. The first point of action is at i, where the balance lever first
receives the impulse of the impelling lever; the second point of action or
impulse is atj, and the third point at k. The escapement above described is
intended for chronometers and watches; it may, however, be adapted to clocks
and other timekeepers, but for these I prefer the arrangement shewn in
Figure 3. It will be seen in this modification of my improved escapement,
that there are two propelling levers and two locking levers. This arrangement
of double impelling levers is for the purpose of obtaining a sufficient number
of beats within an hour with the ordinary train of three wheels of a clock
movement. The arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2 may be employed
for clocks; but in order to gain the necessary number of beats, an additional
wheel and pinion must be used. I therefore prefer the arrangement shewn
in Fig. 3, as it is simple in its construction, and because it may be adapted
to the ordinary train of three wheels, as will be well understood by all clock
makers. Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent on an enlarged scale the balance and
propelling levers in the three different positions of motion or action, (that is to
say), at the three points of contact or striking in the course of escapement.
Fig. 4 shews the first point of action, Fig. 5 the second, and Fig. 6 the third
or last point, when the impelling or impulse lever leaves the balance lever.
Having thus described my improvements, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent the adapta-
tion and application to the escapements of timekeepers of the impulse or
propelling and balance or receiving levers constructed and arranged as herein
above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Philcox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.
GEORGE (L.B.) PHILCOX.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of January, in the third
year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said George Philcox
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of
the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Sirth day of January. One thousand eight hundred and