F. A. GILES,

Watch-Barrels.

N0. 145 939, Patented Dec. 30,1873.

FIG. FIG. 2

Fish

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. GILES, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWV JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH-BARRELS.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 145,939, dated December 30, 1873; application filed December 1, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. Guns,

'of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Mainspring-Barrel of latches and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to construct the mainspring-barrel in such a manner that, in case the mainspring breaks or becomes otherwise detached when wound up, the recoil produced by the giving away will reverse the barrel independent of the train of wheels with which it is engaged, thereby relieving the train of wheels from the action of the spring upon them in its recoil, thus prevent ing damage to the train.

The nature of my invention consists in making the main wheel of a watch separate and independent from the mainspringbarrel, it consisting simply of a rim provided with teeth upon its periphery. The inner side or edge of said wheel is provided with a slot inclined onone side, while the other side of said slot is made perpendicular, which said perpendicular side engages with a tonguespring which is bent out from one end of a slot cut in the outer face or periphery of the barrel, which said engagement causes motion to be imparted from the action of the mainspring to the train of wheels and the whole mechanism of the watch. It also consists in forming a hook from a tongue bent inward from the other end of said slot in the periphery of the barrel, to which said hook the mainspringis secured at its outer end.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the main wheel of a watch made after my invention, showing only a portion of the teeth. Fig. 2 shows the mainspring-barrel, alsothe mainspring. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main wheel, barrel, and mainspring, with the cap removed and a portion of the main wheel, so as to show the spring in the periphery oi the barrel. Fig. 4is avertical elevation of the barrel, showing the face of the main wheel. Fig. 5 is the cap of the mainspring-barrel. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of Fig. 4, show ing the hook by which the mainspring is secured to the barrel, also a short section of the m ainspring; also the spring which engages with the main wheel.

Letters of like name and kind indicate like parts in each of the figures.

A represents the main wheel of a watch, made of any suitable metal and dimensions, and, as shown in the figure, consists simply of a rim provided with teeth that connect with the train of wheels. On the inner side of the rim of the said main wheel A is a slot or notch, a. One side of the said slot or notch is made to incline to the bottom of the slot for some distance, while the other side of the slot is vertical. This side of the slot is made to engage with the spring B, which spring is made by cutting two parallel lines through the rim or periphery of the barrel at a suitable distance apart, and a transverse cut at one end of these lines, which forms the spring out of the rim or periphery of the barrel D. One end of the spring D is elevated above the surface of the periphery of the barrel, so as to fit into the notch a on the inside of the main wheel A. At the loose end of the spring B is a small hook, 0, turned inward, which, like the spring 13, is formed out of the solid metal of the barrel, for the purpose of securing the outer end of the mainspring, thus avoiding the necessity of drilling a hole through the barrel and inserting a lug or pin for the same pur pose, which are liable to become loose and insecure. a, Fig. 5, shows a small recess which is made for the reception of the flange i, made on the outer edge of the periphery of the bar rel, for the purpose of holding the cap 0 in its position on the barrel. 0 represents the arbor,

' to which the inner end of the mainspring I is secured. a, in Fig. 6, represents a small section of the mainspring, showing its connection with the barrel.

The operation of my invention is simple, effective, and easily understood. When the mainspring is wound up, the main wheel be ing fitted closely, but loosely, upon the peripln cry of the barrel, the spring B, being elevated a little out or above the surface of the barrel, fits into the slot a, so that the end of the spring B engages with the perpendicular side of the slot; thus, by the action of the inainspring, the watch is put in motion for time-keeping. In case the mainspring breaks, or otherwise becomes detached from its fastenings, the recoil of the inainspring reverses the motion of the barrel, which is loose within the main wheel, so that when the recoil commences the spring B is drawn out of the notch or slot to by way of the incline side, so that the barrel is allowed to fly around within the main wheel, thus subjecting the train to no strain or resistance.

In many kinds of watches the main wheel is made rigid to the barrel, and in all such, or where no provision is made for an independent reverse motion to relieve the train from the recoil when the spring breaks, the train in such cases is obliged to resist the whole force of such recoil, and it is so sudden that many of the teeth or pivots are liable to be broken and the watch greatly damaged.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The barrel D, having in one side the slot (1, from which the tongue-spring B is bent outward to form the satety-spring engaging with the main wheel, while the short tongue 0 at the other end of the said slot is bent inwardly to form the fastening for the outer end of the mainsprin g, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

F. A. GILES.

Witnesses:

CHARLES G. 0012, (J. Roenns.