US872994A - Watch-barrel. - Google Patents

Description

No. 872,994. PATLNTLD DEG. s, 1907. L. A. FALLER.

WATCH BARREL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS ALBERT FALLER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO WEBSTER C. BALL.

WATCH-B ARREL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907'.

Application filed October 25. 1906. Serial No. 340.429.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwis ALBERT FALLER, a citizen of the United States, resident of Nashville, county of Davidson, and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in I/Vatch- Barrels, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to improvements in time keeping instruments and has particular regard to the manner of mounting the main springs of watches and to the construction of the winding mechanism for such springs.

The object of such invention is to entirely relieve the main or driving arbor' and its bearings of the strain incidental tol winding up such main spring where the present construction obtaiiis as also to do away with the unequal end thrusts in such arbors bearings occasioned by the dishing of the spring first on the one side then on the other, as it uncoils in the process of ruiming the watch.

To the accomplishment of these and other related objects, my invention consists of means hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting butV one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing, Figure l represents a transverse cross section of a watch movement taken on the axis of the main or driving arbol' of such movement; and Fig. 2, is a plan view of a bridge plate and winding arbor mounted therein which form features of my invention.

The refinements of modern watch and chronometer making, aside from attempting the construction of balance mechanism that will be unaffected by temperature changes, have been largely concerned with the elimination of friction, so far as that is possible, in the numerous pivotal bearings found in the watch movement. To this end j eweled bearings have been from time to time introduced at additional points as is well known by those familiar with the art. It has, however, long been recognized that one troublesome source of variation in the rate of running of the watch mechanism is not removed by mere perfection of the bearings. i have rel'- erence to the construction of the watch barrel or inainspring-winding mechanism whereby the dishing or humping action of the spring, such as is always more or less and quite irregularly present, is allowed to produce a variable end thrust in the bearings of the driving arbor. The harmful effects of this element of friction are in fact, so great as to effectually nullify any good otherwise secured by jeweliiig the bearings in question. Indeed, candid watch makers have always recognized that the superior merits of a nineteen or higher jeweled movement are open to serious question on this account.

In my invention I seek to provide, in the first place, an independent arbor and bearing to sustain the strain accompanying the winding of the inaiiispring which is always severe owing to the necessarily irregular and more or less jerky actuation of the winding gear whether turned by key or stem winding mechanism. By this construction I am enabled in the second place, to entirely inclose the main-spring in the barrel, laterally, as well as peripherally. Thus the dishing of such spring has no more harmful eilect than that accompanying the slight friction between tlie edges of its coils and the walls of the barrel; it exerts no action whatever directly upon the driving arbor.

The construction whereby I attain the several results above outlined quite clearly appears in Fig. l of the drawing. In such figure the movement foundation, shown in broken section only, is assumed to be that characterizing a full plate watch. The pillar plate of this movement foundation is designated by A. Above this, on suitable pillars (not shown), is supported the top plate A. In the particular movement here chosen for the purpose of illustration, an aperture is formed in the top plate into which the barrel B of the main spring winding mechanism is designed to project. Plate Al rests immediately upon top plate A and. so is in effect integral therewith, the object of this construction being to render the barrel and main-spring winding mechanism accessible without removing the entire top plate. This however, is not a feature of my present invention and is merely alluded to in order to fully explain the structure shown. As an element of such invention, I would first direct attention to a bridge plate A3 sup- A and over the recess a in such pillar plate that is designed to receive the winding or ratchet wheel C of the winding mechanism. In such bridge plate A3, I rotatably mount a hollow winding arbor C, formed on its upper end with a collet c of the form shown in the cross sectional view Fig. 1, and on its lower end with a left-hand screw-thread. A ratchet or winding wheel C is threaded upon such lower end; and, as will be evident, this wheel together with collet c serves to retain the hollow arbor in bridge plate A3 as shown in the figure in question g the winding wheel and collet, however, are so positioned on the arbor as to allow the latter a limited amount of endwise movement in its bearing in the bridge plate. The train or other mechanism whereby motion is communicated to winding wheel C is not shown although the pawl c, that retains such wheel against rotation in the reverse direction, appears in the lower left-hand corner of Fig. 1.

Collet c of hollow arbor C is provided on its periphery with means of any approved form for engaging the inner end of the main spring 5 such means preferably consist as here shown, in a centrally located projection c2 formed by cutting away a portion of the peripheral surface of the collet, the spring being formed near its end with an aperture b2 adapted to' fit over such projection. The outer end of the spring, designated by b3, is of the T-shape clearly shown in Fig. 1 and is attached to the aforementioned barrel B, which barrel, as has been indicated, is formed so as to laterally inclose the spring. The two side members '1) b of the barrel, being made in effect an integral structure, enable me to utilize the superior T or double-end brace method of engagement for securing the outer end of the spring thereto. In actual construction, of course, one side member of the barrel, here member b, is made detachable to admit of the introduction and removal of the spring; this side member is furthermore formed at its center with an aperture sufficiently large to permit of the ready introduction therethrough of collet c on winding arbor C. The other sidemember of the barrel is mounted upon the main or driving arbor B so as to be substantially integral therewith and for the purpose of this description is in fact so shown.

Main or driving arbor B lies within hollow winding arbor C but is mounted at each end entirely independently thereof in the movement foundation; the lower end being journaled in a suitable bearing in pillar plate A and the upper end in top plate A, or what amounts to the same thing in the section A2, of such top plate that has been already mentioned as lying over the aperture in such top plate in which is received the upper portion of the barrel. The bearings in pillar plate A and top plate A in which the ends of arbor BEare journaled are preferably jeweled in the usual manner. Such arbor, of course, in addition to bearing the barrel B has mounted upon it the great wheel B2 whereby the motion imparted to such barrel and arbor by the main spring is communicated to the driving train of the watch movement, and, as is preferably the construction such great wheel is here shown as integral with the main spring barrel.

Having thus described in sufficient detail an approved form of watch movement construction embodying my invention7 it will not be necessary to indicate more than in a brief fashion by way of summary the manner of operation of the parts involved, such opertion being fairly evident from the description. In winding the watch it will be evident that all the strain incidental to such operation will be borne by winding arbor C and the bearing in bridge plate A3 wherein it is journaled. None of this strain whatever is received by the main arbor B, for, while the latter lies within the winding arbor, it will be remembered that it is journaled wholly independently thereof. Furthermore, and it is to this that I desire to call particular attention, any lateral movement of the spring incidental to its uncoiling after being thus wound reacts against the fiXed walls of the barrel B whereby itV is laterally contained. Such side-walls of the barrel being a part of the barrel structure, and not as heretofore mounted one on the main arbor and the other on the winding arbor, are unaffected by such movement on the part of the spring and there is hence no end thrust in the bearings of main or driving arbor B. The latter is thus permitted to rotate unaffected entirely by the humping action of the spring, and this cause of inaccurate timekeeping on the part of the instrument successfully eliminated. It should be also noted that by confining the spring in this manner in a closed barrel the danger of broken jewels and distorted parts, that now accompanies the breaking of a mainspring, is done away. Furthermore it will be seen that by reason of the construction above set forth whereby the hollow winding arbor is wholly supported in the third or bridge plate A3, being secured thereto as well, by winding wheel C acting in conjunction with the collet c on the upper end of said arbor, the whole device, winding arbor, main arbor, and barrel is rendered removable from the watch along with said bridge plate. Inasmuch as the winding mechanism of the watch is perhaps the one most frequently requiring repair and attention, the advantage of this construction whereby the whole of the mechanism in question can be bodily removed from the watch movement for the purpose of examination and repair will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described my invention in detail, that which I particularly point out and distinctly claim, is

1. In a watch, the combination with the pillar plate and top plate of such watch, of a third plate mounted upon said pillar plate between the same and said top plate, a hollow winding arbor journaled intermediately between its ends in said third plate and wholly supported thereby, a winding wheel mounted upon the lower end of said winding arbor and lying between said pillar and third plates, a main arbor lying within said wind.- ing arbor and having its ends journaled in said pillar and top plates respectively, a barrel and a great wheel borne by said main arbor, and a main spring attached at its inner end to said winding arbor and at its outer end to said drum, said winding arbor, main arbor and barrel being removable from the watch along with said third plate, substanti ally as described.

2. In a watch, the combination with the pillar plate and top plate ol said watch, said pillar plate having a recess on its upper side, of a third plate mounted upon said pillar plate and bridging such recess, a hollow winding arbor iournaled intermediately be- Itween its ends in said bridge plate and wholly supported thereby, a winding wheel screw# threaded upon the lower end of saidv winding arbor and lying in such recess, a main arbor lying within said winding arbor and having its ends journaled in said pillar and top plates respectively, a barrel and a great wheel borne by said main arbor, and a main spring attached at its inner end to the upper end of said winding arbor and at its outer end to said drum, said winding arbor, main arbor and barrel being removable Afrom the watch along with said bridge plate, substantially as described. y

3. In a lull plate watch, the combination with the pillar plate and top plate of such watch, said pillar plate having a recess on its upper side, ol' a third plate bridgingI such recess, a hollow winding arbor journaled intermediately between its ends in said bridge plate and wholly supported thereby, a winding wheel screw-threaded upon the lower end of said winding arbor and lying in such recess, a main arbor lying within said winding arbor and having its ends journaled in said pillar and top plates respectively, a barrel integral with said main arbor, said barrel being open on one side, a main spring attached at its inner end to the upper end of said winding arbor and at its outer end to said barrel, and a detachable member adapted to close the open side of said barrel to wholly inclose said spring therein, said winding arbor, main arbor and barrel being removable frein the watch along with said third plate, substantially as described.

4. In a lull plate watch, the combination with the pillar plate and top plate of such watch, said pillar plate having a recess on its upper side, of a third plate bridging such recess, a hollow winding arbor journaled intermediately of its ends in said bridge plate, the upper end thereof being formed with a collet, a winding wheel screw-threaded upon the lower end of said winding arbor said wheel lying in such recess and serving in conjunction with such collet to secure said winding arbor to said bridge plate, a main arbor lying within said winding arbor and having its ends journaled in said pillar and top plates respectively, a barrel integral with said main arbor the side of said barrel disposed toward said bridge plate being open, a great wheel integral with said barrel, a main spring attached at its inner end to the upper end o'l said winding arbor and at its outer end to said barrel, and a detachable plate adapted to close the open side ot said barrel to wholly inclose said spring therein, said winding arbor, main arbor and barrel being removable from the watch along with said third plate, substantially as described.

Signed by me, this 15th day of October,

LEVIS ALBERT FALLER. Attested by- J. W. DUTTON, CORDELIA CUzzoR'r.

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