US1454473A - Compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches - Google Patents

Description

' 1,106,207, dated August Patented May 8, 1923.

U I j 1,454,473" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

CHARLES EDOUARD GUILLAUME, OF SEVRES, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR '10 SOCIETE DES FABRIQ'QES DE SPIRAUX REUNIES, OF PETIT-SACONNEX, SWITZERLAND.

COMPENSATING BALANGE SPRING FOR CHRONOMETERS AND WATCHES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern 5 Be it known that I, CHAnLns EDoUAnD GUILLAUME, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and resident of Sevres, Seine-et-Oise, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Compensating Balance Springs for Chronometers and Watches, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

In the specification of my United States Letters Patent No. 1,106,206 and No.

4, 1914, I have described a compensating balance or hairspring which,.when associated with a continuous or unsplit balance, give to watches fitted therewith a partialcompensation for variations of temperature to the extent that,

in the case of successful castings or tappings, such watches possess the same rate of move ment at two temperatures, for example 0 and 30, but at intermediate temperatures gain to a degree which may attain from 20 to 25 seconds perday. Furthermore, in the specification of my United States Letters Patent v No. 1,313,291, dated August 19, 1919, it is shewn that it is possible, by using an alloy sensibly different from that described in the earlier specification, to obtain balance springs which ensure that watches fitted therewith shall have the same rate ofmovement not only at two temperatures, but at all temperatures comprised within considerable limits, thereby eliminating the so-called secondary error inherent in chronometers.

The alloys which enable these two results to be obtained belongto the same category of products of which the base consists of iron and nickel admixed, in the first case, with foreign bodies (manganese, chromium, tungisten, vanadium, carbon, etci), indispensable both for their metallurgical treatment and for obtaining an elastic limit sufficient to ensure that balance springs made therefrom shall remain, during use, within the limits of their elastic deformation. In the second case the basic metals are admixed with heavy proportions 10 to 20%) of at least one metal capable of a loying in all proportions with the ferro-nickels.

Now it has been found, that it is possible to adapt the compensating capacity of balance hair springs to the range of temperatures principally available in practice, and to reduce sufiiciently the secondary error of watches andchronon'ieters, within the said range of temperatures, when the addition of Application filed December 22, 1920. Serial No. 432,608.

chromium to the alloys of iron and nickel employed to the manufacture of hair springs (balance springs) and containing 27 to 415% nickel is reduced to 4 to 8%. The said alloys contain advantageously small additions of substances capable of raising their limits of elasticity, as for instance, tungsten, carbon,

manganese, silicium and vanadium.

For example the alloy of a balance spring may have the following composition:

Pa ts. Iron 45 to 65, Nickel 30 to 38 Chromium 4 to 8 Tungsten 1 to 3 Carbon 0.5 to 1 Manganese and silicon together 0.5 to 2 Parts. Nickel i 33 to 35 Iron 53 to 61 Chromium 4to 5 Tungsten 1 to 3 Carbon 0.5 to 1 Manganese and silicon 0.5 to 2 What I claim is 1. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which has a compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principally available in practice and reduces sufiiciently the secondary error within the said range of temperatures, when employed with a co-ntinous balance, and is composed of an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter in the proportion of from 25 to 415 per cent) containing from 4 to 8 per cent of chromium.

2. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which has a compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principally available in practice and reduces sufficiently the secondary error, within the said range of temperatures, when employed with a J continuous balance, and is composedof an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter in the proportion of from 2510 45' per cent} containingfrom 4 to. 8 per cent of chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per cent of carbon and 0.5 to 2 per cent of manganese and silicon (taken together).

3. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which has a compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principally available in practice and reduces sufiiciently the secondary error, within'the said range of temperatures, when employed with acontinuous balance, and is composed of an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter in the proportion of from 25m 45 per cent) containing from 1 to 8 per cent of chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per-cent of carbon and 0.2 to 2 per cent of vanadium.

4. A compensating balance spring for chronometers and watches which has a compensating capacity adapted to the range of temperatures principally available in practice and reduces sufliciently the secondary error within the said range of temperatures, when employed with a continuous balance, and is composed of an alloy of iron and nickel (the latter in the proportion of from 25 to 45 per cent) containing from 4 to 8 per cent of chromium, 1 to 3 per cent of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 per cent of carbon and 0.5 to 3 per cent of manganese, vanadium and silicon (taken together).

5. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of from 45 to 65 parts of iron, 30 to 38 parts of nickel, a to 8 parts of chromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.5 to 2 parts of manganese and silicon (taken together).

6. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of. from 45 to 65 parts of iron, .30 to 38 parts of nickel, 4 to 8 parts of chromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.2 to 2 parts of vanadium.

7..A compensating balance spring com posed of an alloy consisting of: from 45 to 65 parts of iron, 30 to 38 parts of nickel, 1 to 8 parts of chromium, 1 to 3 parts of tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.5 to 3 parts of (manganese, vanadium and silicon (taken together).

8. A compensating balance spring composed of an alloy consisting of from 33 to 35 parts of nickel, 53 to 61 parts of iron,

4;" to 5 parts of chromium, 1 to 3 parts of" tungsten, 0.5 to 1 part of carbon and 0.5 to 2 parts of manganese and silicon (taken together).

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 1st day of December, 1920, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES EDOUARD GUILLAUME.

Witnesses:

JEAN BAPTISTE AMAND Rrrrnn, J OSEPII Hiirrnnnr.