US34978A - Improvement in watches - Google Patents

Description

A RLPBABODY. 4 WATCH.

No. 34,978'. Patented Apr. 15, mz.

Dave/1, on

' UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

ROSWELL L. PEABODY, NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,978, dated April 15, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that L'RoswELL L. PEABODY,

of the city, county', and State of New York,`

, constructing the stud in which the fixed `or outer end of thejx'air-spring is held; thirdly, in an improved construction of the statt of the balanc'e,and, fourthlyi`n a manner of setting the hands. y Y

.The firstv part of my invention is a method of giving a longer arc of vibration'tothe balance as well as of giving an impulse in each direction. y

Figure I is a top orplan view showing the balance and the lever ofthe escapement, and Fig. II isan elevation showing the same with other parts 'partly in section.

.At 'a .is the axis or stal of the balance.

is the roller, and c the lever-arm.

At d is a pin rising vertically from thearm c, and whenl that arm is in such position that ifspin d is in line with the axes a and f of the balance andthe lever the pin should be within' the periphery ofthe rollerb. To per-v ymit'this two notches z' and z'" are cut in the edge of the roller.- The lever-arm terminates in two prongs, as shown in Fig. I, and'on the lower side of the roller is a single pin e, placed midway between the notches and projecting downward far enough to engage the prongs.` The notches in the `edge of the roller are toA be cut at such distance from each other as will permit the pin on the llever to enter one of them when the pin on the roller, by striking against the inside of that one of vthe prongs which will be in the line of the axes a and f, ,or nearly so;l has moved the lever far enough toleffect the unlocking of the palletsl of the escapement. Hence the distance must be governed by the length of the head of the lever-arm and that length by the throw of the lever. v v n The operation of this part will be that when the balance is returning in the direction iudicated in Fig. I its pin e will on reaching the prong c move the lever to commence a return-throw. The pin d on the lever then enters the notch z', and as by that time the pallets will have lbeen unlocked this pin then gives the impulse, throwing the balance onward to 'complete its arc of vibration. On the return of the balance the lever will beat rest onl the opposite side at the extent of its throw.4 The pin e will therefore strike the other prong c of the lever and thepn d will consequently enter the other notch i of the roller, thus giving an impulse in the opposite direction. l

The second. part of my invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1I and III. In Athis the. outer coil of `the hair-spring is seen at g, the arm of the regulator at h, and a stud at k. As usually constructed, there are upon the arm h two small pins pro- `'ectinuf'downward one on. each side of and near to the hair-spring, the regulating being effected by moving the arm which carries those pins nearer to or farther from the stud in which the outer end of the spring is secured. As is well known, there is a degree of vibration'in that portion of the spring ly ing between the stud and the pis, and this vibration is to be avoided if extreme 'accuracy is desired. I prevent it by making, in= stead of the pins, a permanent and compara; tively-bread rest onv the arm, side of which next the spring is 'to have the proper curve due to the shape of the spring, and placing a broad sliding piece n om-the arm, the inner end of which is also. curved to t against the spring. This sliding piece is secured in close contact with the hairspring byia set-screw (seen in dotted line at n) clamping it against the permanent rest,-

m, an'd when the position of the regulator is to be changed the set-screw must be started and the slide moved out a little, to be again setup close when the regulator is in the desired position. The spring is thus held between surfaces4 which finclose an arc or portion Y of several degrees of the spring, and hence no motion will take place between this as at m, thel point and the stud. Instead of the iixed stud, in which it is very difficult to drill the the hole so that the hair-spring will not bc deflected, out of the proper. position due to its' curve, I employ a small shortv cylinder having the proper hole drilled through from side to side and parallel with its ends, to receive the endl ofthe hair-spring and the locking-pin. This cylinder is seen at k, Figs. II and III, and separately in Fig. VI, which is an enlarged view in. perspective of thecylinder or stud, and is held in place by making a shallow countersink in the cock. of the balance and 4placin g another smaller cocky o against the lower end to retain it inl position, as clearly shown in Fig. II. Thestud is thus free to turn around, so as toV adapt it-selt"A to the proper position which should be taken by the spring, andwhen the hair-spring is put in place and the'studl has taken its due position it will be retained there by screwing the piece o irmly into place. If the upper cockie too thin to admit of being eountersunk, as in some kinds of watches lit will be, a pin may be made on theupper end of the stud,vwhich pin, in-

, serted into a hole in the cock, will be suffi cient' Ito holdthe stud in place when o is screwed tightly down.

The third part of my invention is an improvement in the manner of constructingthe staff of the balance, whereby it maybe more readily repaired when a pin is broken, as well as have the several parts which are attached toit more accurately fitted. Heret-o- -fore this staff has been a single piece of steelupon which was fitted, first, the balance, above that the collet," and below the balance the roller. When all of these have been duly adjusted, the pivots on the ends are to be turned 0E; and as these are very delicate they are frequently broken, particularly if the watch is dropped. To be properly repaired an entire new staff should be put in, though, as is well known to the trade, the repairing is often done with much less work. I construct it by making a short tube of steel, .as seen at p, Figs. I and II, and thisis to have the balance fitted upon it, although I prefer to make it and the balance from one piece of met-al. The collet and the roller are then to be iitted on'. The bore of the tube should be slight-ly tapering, and in this is' to be inserted a rod of steel r, made to iit closely, uponthe ends of which the pivots can then be turned. It one of thesebecome broken the piece Ir maylreadily be removed, a new one inserted, and pins turned on it, without requiring any new adjustment of the' other parts. l

The fourth part of my invention is a method of sett-ing the hands whereby I am enabled to make the center shaft solid and yet to set them from the back. I place at. one side an additional shaft s, Figs. IV and V, which passes through both plates of the watch, and having at the back a square to take on a key, as at t, and on the other end a toothedwheel u, of such size that .it willbe capable of gear- `ing into the wheel fuof theusual train, which reduces theA motionxfromthe minute to the `hour hand.- i Thusby turning the shaft Sthe motion will be communicated to the handys.

I .claiml. The combination of the unlocking-pin eA with the prongs of the lever, and of the im# pulse-pin d with the notches in the roller, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth.

2. The manner of securing the hair-spring to the regulator by means of the iixed and sliding pieces lm and n, between which it may be firmlyA clamped, as set forth.

3. The use or employment of the cylindrical and self-adjusting stud la, when said stud is secured upon the under side of the cock of the balance, in the' manner substantially as .set forth.

.4. Constructing the stai by making Ait in two parts, upon ,one of which the roller, &c.,

is iitted, and upon the other the pins areturned, for the purposes and in the manner substantially as described.

5. 'ihesupplementary shaft s, in combination with the gear of the center shaft for setting` the hands, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RoswELL L. PEABODY.

W it-ucsscs:

J. P. PrRssoN, S. ll. MAYNARD.

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