IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY WATCHES OR TOY CLOCKS, AND IN TIMEKEEPERS AND MOTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Astley Paston Price, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY WATCHES
OR TOY CLOCKS, AND IN TIMEKEEPERS AND MOTORS." A communication
from abroad by John Coorge Powell, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Astley Paston Price at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1878.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY WATCHES OR TOY CLOCKS, AND IN TIMEKEEPERS AND
MOTORS." A communication from abroad by John George Powell, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The main object of this Invention is to so combine a duplex pallet wheel in a
toy watch, toy clock, timekeeper, or other motor with a pallet lever, that there
shall be a more determinate and certain action of the escapement than when a
single pallet wheel is used.
The Invention is also directed to improvements fully described herein-after in
toy watches.
In carrying out the said Invention as applied to the construction of toy watches,
the body of the watch consists of an outer casing having a glass in front of the
same, and of an inner casing, the opposite sides of which forms bearings for the
central spindle on which the pointer is secured.
On the front of the inner casing is made an internal fixed journal for a pinion by
partially severing the metal at three points, so as to form three tongues which aro
bent inwards, and together form the desired journal on which the pinion revolves,
the said pinion being retained in place by bending the ends of the tongues. This
pinion gears into a wheel which has a tubular projection made by forcing outwards

page_text: the central portion of the wheel, thus forming a journal which has its bearing in
the front of the inner casing. The wheel gears into a pinion on the stem of the
watch as described in the Specification to former Letters Patent, dated the 15
September 1877, No. 3479. A spiral pawl prevents the turning of the wheel in the
wrong direction.
One end of a coiled spring is secured to the pinion first mentioned, the other end
being attached to one of the projections on a pallet wheel secured to the spindle,
and to this wheel is secured a second pallet wheel larger in diameter than but
baving the same number of teeth as the first wheel.
The following is the method which it is preferred to adopt in making this duplex
pallet wheel for toy watches.
The wheel is struck out at one operation by a punch and die from a sheet of
ordinary tinned plate, and four seginental holes are cut in the wheel, & lip pro-
jecting into each hole.
The wheel consists of a ring of tinned plate with teeth on the outer edge, and a
raised rib on the inner edge. The lips of the one wheel are passed through the
ring of the other wheel, until the rib of the latter is in contact with the former
wheel.
By applying heat to the two wheels a union will be effected through the medium
of the tinned portions in contact with each other, and the duplex pallet wheel will
be complete; the projecting lips, to one of which one end of the coiled spring is
attached, serving to confine the said coiled spring within proper limits.
It will be understood that other modes of making the duplex pallet wheel may
be adopted when it has to be applied to timekeepers, but the plan described above
is preferred for toy watches on account of its economy.
The balance wheel is hung loosely on the central spindle, and carries a pinion
gearing into a toothed segment on the pallet lover which is hung to two pins
within the inner casing of the watch, one projecting inwardly from one side, and
the other from the opposite side of the said inner casing.
The node of cheaply making the rim of the balance wheel consists in first coiling
a wire round a mandrel of suitable diameter, and then severing the coil, thereby
separating it into as many rins as there are coils.
In constructing the balance wheel, a cross bar punched out of tinned plate is
clamped at its opposite ends to the rim, the bar having a central dished hub, to
which is soldered a pinion, the latter consisting in the first instance of a piece of
thin sheet metal with a number of radial arms which are bent at right angles to
form the teeth, the latter fitting snugly into the dished hub to which they are
soldered.
The pallet lever has two pallets, one of which is acted upon by the teeth of the
small pallet wheel, and the other by the teeth of the larger pallet wheel. This
arrangement admits of the employment of such pallets, that both wheels shall act
on the pallet lever through a more determined leverage than can be attained by a
single pallet wheel. This leverage is of especial importance in toy watches, in
making which at the necessary cheap rate, perfect exactitude in workmanship
cannot be attained, but the loverage exerted by the two pallet wheels to vibrate,
the pallet lever is such that the movement of the latter will be continued in spite of
slight defects in the pallets or teeth.
A duplex pallet wheel may be constructed in other ways, as for example, by
securing an annular zig zag rib to a plate or disc on the central spindle, the external
projections formed by this rib being the teeth of the larger pallet wheel, and the
internal projections being the teeth of the smaller wheel.
Although in the above description the duplex pallet wheel has been referred to
as applied to a toy watch, it may be used with advantage in connection with time-
keepers, and may also constitute a motor or part of a motor for toys and other like
purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Astley Paston Price in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1878.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY WATCHES OR TOY CLOCKS, AND IN TIME-
KEEPERS AND MOTORS." A communication from abroad by John George Powell,
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The main object of the said Invention is to so combine a duplex pallet wheel in a
toy watch, toy clock, timekeeper, or other motor with a pallet lover, that there shall
be a more determinate and certain action of the escapement than when a single
pallet wheel is used.
The Invention is also directed to improvements fully described herein-after in toy
watches.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed to
particularly describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating.
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a sectional view of a toy watch, with a
duplex pallet wheel applied thereto, according to the said Invention; Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the same.
Figuro 3 is a perspective view of the pallet lever (shewn in Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the watch shewing a modified duplex pallet
wheel.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pallet lever (shown in Figure 4).
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating the mode of making the rim of
the balance wheel.
Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the action of the escapement in Figures
1 and 2.
Figures 10 and 11 are detached views of parts of the toy watch.
Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15, are views illustrating the mode which it is preferred
to adopt, of making the duplex pallet wheel.
Figures 16 and 17 are views illustrating the mode of constructing the balance
wheel.
And, Figure 18 is a sectional view of a toy watch with single pallet wheel.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18 are viows double the actual size of
the parts they represent.
Figures 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are of the actual size of the parts, and Figures 8
and 9 are exaggerated views.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the outer casing of the watch, and a the glass in front
of the same, B being the inner casing; D, the central spindle having its bearings
in the opposite sides of the inner casing; and b, the pointer secured to the spindle.
On the front d of the inner casing B is made an internal fixed journal for the
pinion E, by partially severing the metal at three points shewn in Figure 11, so as
to form three tongues e, e, e, which are bent inwards, and together form the desired
journal on which the pinion E revolves, the said pinion being retained in place by
bending the ends of the tongues. This pinion gears into a wheel F which has a
tubular projection made by forcing outwards the central portion of the wheel, thus
forming a journal which has its bearing in the front d of the inner casing. The
wheel F gears into a pinion on the stem of the watch, as described in the Specifi-
cation to former Letters Patent granted to me, dated the Fifteenth September,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, No. 3479. A spiral pawl r pre-
vents the turning of the wheel F in the wrong direction.
One end of a coiled spring G is secured to the pinion E, the other end being
attached to one of the projections ƒ on a pallet wheel H, secured to the spindle D,

page_text: and to this wheel is secured a second pallet wheel I, larger in diameter than, but
having the same number of teeth as, the first wheel.
The method which it is preferred to adopt in making this duplex pallet wheel
for toy watches will be best understood by reference to the detached views,
Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15.
The wheel H is struck out at one operation by a punch and a die from a sheet
of ordinary tinned plate, and four segmental holes h, of a shapo shewn in Figure 12,
and cut in the wheel, a lip projecting into each hole.
The wheel I consists of a ring of tinned plate with teeth on the outer edge, and
a raised ribj on the inner edge. The lipsf of the wheel H are passed through the
ring of the wheel I, until the rib j of the latter is in contact with the wheel H.
By applying heat to the two wheels, a union will be effected through the medium
of the tinned portions in contact with each other, and the duplex pallet wheel will
be complete; the projecting lips to one of which one ond of the coiled spring is
attached, as before stated, serving to confine the said coiled spring within proper
limits.
It will be understood that other modes of making the duplex pallet wheel which
may be adopted when it has to be applied to timekeepers, but the plan described
above is preferred for toy watches on account of its economy.
Kis the balance wheel hung loosely on the central spindle and having a pinion L
gearing.into a toothed segment k on the pallet lever A, which is of the form best
observed in Figure 3, and is hung to two pins x, x, within tho inner casing B of
the watch, one projecting inwardly from one side, and the other from the opposite
side of the said inner casing. The operation of this pallet lever in connection
with the duplex pallet wheel will be herein-after explained.
The mode of cheaply making the rim of the balance wheel is shewn in Figures G
and 7, and consists in first coiling a wire m round a mandrel of suitable diameter,
and then severing the coil along the dotted line, Figure 0, thereby separating it
into as many rims as there are coils, an enlarged view of the balance wheel, and
mode of constructing the same, as shown in Figures 16 and 17.
A cross bar punched out of tinned plate is clamped at its opposite ends to the
rim m, the bar having a central dished hub n', to which is soldered the pinion L,
which latter consists in the first instance of a piece of thin sheet metal of the form
shewn in Figure 17, with a number of radial arms which are bent at right angles to
form the teeth, the latter fitting snugly into the dished bub to which they are
soldered.
The action of the pallet lover and duplex pallet wheel may be best explained in
connection with the diagrams, Figures 8 and 9, on reference to which it will be
observed that the pallet lever M has two pallets p and pl, the former being acted
upon by the teeth q of the small pallet wheel H, and the pallet p¹ by the teeth t of
the larger pallet wheel I. This arrangement adınits of the employment of such
pallets p and pl, that both wheels shall act on the pallet lever through a more
determined leverage than can be obtained by a single pallet wheel.
Thus, in Figuro 8, the duplex pallet wheel being turned in the direction of its
arrow by the spring, and a tooth q of the wheel H acting on the end of the pallot p,
forco will be exerted through a leverage to move the pallet lever M in the direction
of its arrow. In Figure 9, the same lever is being moved in tho contrary direction
by a tooth t of the larger wheel I acting on the pallet p¹; this movement is also
effected through a leverage, owing to the relation of the centre of the pivot pin and
of the pallet wheel to the teeth of the wheel; this centre being at a point between
the bases of the teeth q of the wheel H, and the points of the teeth of the wheel I.
No such leverage can be obtained for the two movements by a single pallet
wheel. This leverage is of especial importance in toy watches, in making which at
the necessary cheap rate, perfect exactitude in workmanship cannot be attained,
but the leverage exerted by the two pallet wheels to vibrate the pallot lever is such
that the movement of the latter will be combined, notwithstanding slight defects, in
the pallets or teeth.

page_text: The effect of the duplex pallet wheel may be still further understood by com-
paring it with the arrangement shewn in Figure 18, in which a single pallet wheel
is used, substantially in the manner described in the Specification to the said
former Letters Patent.
A duplex pallet wheel may be made in the manner shewn in Figure 4, whore an
annular zig zag rib is secured to a plate or disc on the central spindle, the external
projection formed by this rib being the teeth of the larger pallet wheel, and thọ
internal projections being the teeth of the smaller wheel.
In using a duplex wheel of this kind, the pallets of the pallet lever should be
arranged substantially in the manner shewn in Figure 5.
Although in the above description the main feature of the said Invention, that
is to say, the duplex pallet wheel, has been referred to as applied to a toy watch, it
may be used with advantage in connection with timekeepers, and may also con-
stitute a moter or part of a motor for toys and other like purposes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. In a toy watch, toy clock, timekeeper, or other motor, an escapement
motion consisting of two pallet wheels, one of less diameter than the other, and a
pallet lever, one pallet of which is acted on by the teeth of one wheel, and the other
by the teeth of the other wheel, all substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Second. The combination of the duplex pallet wheel and the pallet lever with
the inner case B of the toy watch, toy clock, or other motor, and the pivot pins x, x,
for the said lever, the said pins projecting inwards from the opposite sides of the
case, all substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The within-described duplex pallet wheel consisting of the wheel H with
its bent lips, and the toothed ring I, the two being secured together, all substan-
tially as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, T, tho said Astley Paston Price, have to this my Specifica-
tion set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE. (L.S.)