An Improved Chronograph.
Year: 1898

page_text: An Improved Chronograph.
CHARLES WILLIAM CROYDON, 50 & 52, Tavern Street, Ipswich, England, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
That of a keyless or key winding chronograph with or without a minute re-
cording dial & hand, it is started and stopped alternately by pressing down the
keyless button at the top of the pendant, or by pressing in a projecting piece
from the outside of the case; and can be set to zero at will, by the shifting or
pressing in, of a small independant projection on the edge of the case.
The chief object of my invention is to provide a chronograph that will accurately
record the time of play in a water polo match; where intervals for fouls, goals
&c. are to be allowed for, & in such a manner as to render timing simple &
accurate.
Hitherto a chronograph has been unsuitable for the purpose on account of its
actions being that of starting, stopping, & back to zero, and so on continuously:
while what is known as a stop watch is devoid of a simple & immediate con
trivance for setting at once to zero.
My invention although having this advantage, does not in any way distract
from its usefulness for timing any kind of race, sport or actions that require
fine & accurately recorded intervals of time.
The construction consists of an alternate starting and stopping action by press-
ing in the ordinary keyless button which acts upon a lever at the end of which
is a click moving a ratchet to which is attatched a locking plate: the use of this
being to simultaneously raise or let fall an arm to which is attatched a fine spring
acting upon the balance edge. A separate push piece at the side of the case acts
upon a lever which in turn acts upon the heart shape cams to which are attatched
the hands, capable of being thus brought back to zero at will. On the minute
recording circle is a special attractive mark at the seven minutes applicable for
water polo.
Toted this 10th dow of Ontahan 1000
I, CHARLES WILLIAM CROYDON, of 50 & 52, Tavern Street, Ipswich, England,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
[Price Sd.]

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
-
That of a keyless or key winding chronograph with or without a minute re-
cording dial and hand, it is started and stopped alternately by pressing down the
keyless button at the top of the pendant or by pressing in a projecting piece
from the outside of the case, and can be set to zero at will by the shifting or
pressing in of a small independant projection on the edge of the case.
The chief object of my invention is to provide a chronograph that will accurately
record the time of play in water polo match, where intervals for fouls, goals
&c. are to be allowed for, and in such a manner as to render timing simple and
accurate.
Hitherto a chronograph has been unsuitable for the purpose on account of its
actions being that of a starting, stopping, and back to zero and so on continuously;
while what is known as a stop watch is devoid of a simple and immediate con-
trivance for setting at once to zero.
My invention although having this advantage does not in any way distract
from its usefulness for timing any kind of race, sport or actions that require
fine and accurate intervals of time.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 shows a portion of the dial with the whole minute recording circle, and
the arrow mark to indicate more distinctly 7 minutes; being the time needed
in timing water polo.
Fig. 2 & 3 show the chronograph with the dial removed; in Fig. 2 the
chronograph is shown in action and in Fig. 3 the chronograph is out of action
and the heart shaped cams are in the zero position and the spring pressing on
the edge of the balance.
The centre arbor A travels at one revolution per minute and the arbor B
travels at one, revolution in thirty minutes, each of these are fitted with a heart
shaped cam mounted on a tube to which the hands are attatched, these are
rendered friction tight by means of a spring pressing on the arbor.
Stopping and starting is alternately accomplished by pressing down the
button C and with it shaft P the latter having a collar at the lower end which
is solid with the shaft P. The shaft serves the double purpose of communicating
motion in a vertical direction and is also used for winding up. When the shaft
is pressed down the collar comes in contact with pin Q (this pin passes through
a clear hole in the frame and the pin is rivetted to end of lever D) causing the
lever to move on fulcrum R: to the opposite end of lever D) a pawl E, is attatched
by a shouldered screw, being kept in position by the pressure of spring G, the
pawl E advances the ratchet wheel Fone tooth at a time corresponding to each
pressure on the button C on the underside of ratchet F' is a locking plate H
which is rivetted to ratchet wheel F both being free to turn simultaneously on
centre pin S. The locking plate has only half the number of teeth of ratchet
wheel F.
presses
To
When the ratchet wheel and locking plate is turned, the latch T (which presses
on the edge of locking plate H and is pivotted at U) is raised and lowered alter-
nately, moving with it pin V which presses upon it, the pin V passes through a
clear hole in the frame and is rivetted to lever J this lever has a fulcrum at W
and the lever is prolonged into a loop to form a spring, the end of which
against pillar X this causes a constant pressure of pin V on top of latch T.
the lower end of lever J is firmly fixed a fine spring wire K thus when the latch T
is raised by the locking plate it moves the lever J and with it the spring K
causing it to come in contact with balance edge thus preventing it from rotating.
Fig. 3 shows it in this position. It is released by the next pressure of the
button C which moves the ratchet wheel another tooth allowing the latch T to
drop into the next notch in locking plate H the lever J and with it spring K
which then being clear of the balance allows it again to rotate.
The hands are brought to zero by pressing in push-piece L (in the protected

page_text: cover) against the resistence of the spring M causing the lever N to press on
the side of both the heart shaped cams bringing them into the zero position as
shown in Fig. 3, on removing the pressure on the pushpiece L, the lever is at
once forced back by spring M into the position shown in Fig. 2 and clear of
the heart shaped cams which are free to revolve and record time.
When applied to a key winding chronograph a pushpiece is inserted in the
edge of the case by the side of the pendant to operate the lever D, the arrange-
ment for returning the hands to zero remaining the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in the manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is:-
1. The arrow mark on the dial face to indicate 7 minutes.
2. Alternate action on the balance (by the method shown in drawing).
3. And the returning of the hands to the zero position (by the method shown
in drawing). All substantially and for the purposes described.
loted this 4th day of Mar 1800