US22305A - Escapement for timepieces - Google Patents

Description

G. P. REED.

Clock Escapement. No. 22,305. Patented Dec. 14, 1858.

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UNITED STATES IATENT OFFICE.

GEO. P. REED, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ESCAPEMENT FOR TIMEPIECES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,305, dated December 14, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen l). REED, of Roxbury, in the county of orfolli and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new or Improved Ilscapement for Timepieces; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which* .Figure l, denotes a top view, Fig. 2, a front elevation and Fig. 3, an end elevation of the 'said escapement including its escape wheel; Fig. fl, is an end view of the double impulse pallet; Fig. 5, is a side view of the lever and its double lifting pallet.

The nature of my invention consists in a combination of a double impulse pallet and a double detent lifting pallet applied respectively to the balance wheel axis and the detent lever of the escape wheel and to operate therewith so as to cause t-he balance wheel to receive impulse from the escape wheel during each vibration or swing of the i said balance wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, A, denotes the escape wheel while B, indicates the balance wheel of an ordinary time piece or watch. the said balance wheel or balance as usually termed being arranged with its axis, a, at rightl angles with the axis, l), of the escape wheel, and furnished with a hair spring, y. This arrangement, however may be changed so as to have t-he two axis parallel; my improvement by a slight change in construction, which a watchmaker would readily understand, being applicable to either of the said arrangements.

J, denotes the double impulse pallet extending from a hub, c, fixed to the axis, a. This impulse pallet is constructed triangular in cross section or with two inclined cams, d, e, as shown in t-he drawings. Operating in connection with the wheel, A, is a detent arm or lever, K, which is supported and so as to play vertically on a fulcrum D. At one end. the said lever, K, carries the detent pallet, C, which works in connection with the teeth, t, t, of the wheel A. At its opposite end the said lever carries a triangular lifting pallet, F, formed with two cams or faces, g, g, as shown in the drawings and so as to operate in connect-ion with a conical pointed lifting screw or cam S, carried by an arm, T. extending from the arbor of the balance wheel, such lifting screw being screwed vertically through the arm. delicate spring. G, is applied to the lever, K, such spring being made to rest against a stationary pin I. )t stop, E, projects underneath the rear arm of the lever K and is for the purpose of arresting the downward movement thereof.

The operation of the aforcdescribed escapement may be thus explained. As the balance turns from right to left, the lifting screw. S, will pass under one cam of the lifting pallet, F, and will raise such pallet upward so as to depress the detent pallet, C. until the tooth of the wheel A.) that may be resting against such pallet shall be disengaged from it. This having taken place, the wheel, A. will be advanced and will carry one of its teeth or pins against one cam of the double impulse pallet, J. and thereby give the balance impulse in a direction from right to left. In the meantime, the spring. G, has forced the detent arm or lever, K. down upon its banking pin, E, so as to cause the detent pallet C, to be again brought into a proper place to receive the next advancing` tooth of the wheel, A, and thereby hold the wheel stationary, until the reverse motion of the balance or that from left to right is caused to take place during which the lifting screw, S. will pass under the other 'am of the lifting pallet. F, and produce another movement of the lever, K, so as to disconnect its detent pallet from the wheel tooth held by it. This having taken place, the motive power of the wheel, A, will again advance the said wheel and carry another tooth of it against the opposite cam of the impulse pallet, J whereby motion will be imparted to the balance from left to right.

From the above it will be seen that the balance for each swing' or vibration receives impulse from the escape wheel A. It will also be perceived that the said balance and the operative parts supported by its axis are perfectly detached from the remainder of the mechanism and are not in contact with the same except at the periods of impulse, as above described. This is an important peculiarity of this escapement. The common detached lever l escapement gives impulse to the balance under each `vibration of it, but in this case, the impulse is not given directly from the wheel, but is accomplished through an intervening lever, which not only adds to the mechanism but serves to materially increase the friction of its operation. My improved escapement in vvhich the balance for each vibration or swing not only receives impulse directly from its escape Wheel or by the action thereof on one of the faces or cams of its impulse pallet, but at the same time with the parts carried by its axis or arbor is detached from and is independent of the rest of the escapement, presents important advantages; that is7 it is simple in construction, uniform in action, and operating` With little friction. Another important advantage is that the lifting or elevation of the detent lever by the balance may be accomplished very near the axis ot' the balance so as to disturb as little as possible the motion of the balance, the impulse being given at any desirable distance from the said axis. This as a matter of course operates greatly to reduce the amount ot' motive power required to operate the balance in comparison with what may be be necessary in Various other escapements.

I claim-- The improved escapement as constructed with its two impulse cams, or a double impulse pallet, J, applied to the balance Wheel axle and to operate with the escape Wheel, A, substantially as specied, in combination with the double detent, lever lifting reverse cams.v or pallet, l". applied to the detent lever of the escape Wheel, A, and operated by a cam screw, S. or its equivalentsupported by the axle ot' the balance essentially as hereinbefore explained.

GEO. P. REED. lVitnesses R. HEDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

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