Stem-winding Mechanism.—Although the manufacture of key-winding watches has been discontinued entirely, and only stem-winding watches are now made, these attachments are still much in demand, in connection with American watches such as the Waltham, Elgin, Hampden, Illinois, Rockford, Cornell, Howard, etc. English, Swiss, and other foreign watches, being largely made by hand instead of machinery, the parts are not interchange able, and consequently cannot be converted ordinarily by the same devices.
A novel stem-winding attachment for watches has been devised by 11Ir. Henry Abbott, of New York City. It is designed to be applied to key-winding watches already in use, so as to convert them into stem-winders. The attachment is manufactured by the same kind of machinery and in the same manner as stem-winding watches, and when properly fitted, the watch is to all external appearances, and to all intents and purposes, the same as if made originally as a stem-winder.
Fig. 5 shows the attachment itself, and Fig. 6 presents it combined with a Waltham movement.
The pendant of the watch is usually removed, and one suitable for the new winding stem and crown substituted. The stem projects with in the case, and carries on its end a small beveled winding pinion,which meshes with a crown wheel pivoted between two plates, one called the main plate and the other the yoke ; the upper or yoke plate is of an elongated shape, and mounted so that it may be rocked upon a pivot. On either side of the central screw or pivot the yoke carries pinions or gear wheels, both meshing with the crown wheel, one (called the inter mediate winding wheel) being some what larger than the other, on account of its having heavier work to do, viz.: the winding of the watch through its engagement with the main winding wheel.
The other wheel, carried by the pivoted plate, is called the intermediate setting wheel, and this is thrown into contact with a hub wheel by means of the setting lever acting upon a cam edge of the pivoted yoke ; the hub wheel is in mesh with the pinion on the hand spindle or central arbor. A V-spring acts against the yoke to keep the intermediate winding wheel in contact primarily with the main i winding wheel. The same spring forms the ratchet when the winding crown is turned backwards.
The Abbott stem-winding attachment for Howard watches, while necessarily somewhat different in construction from that used in Waltham watches, embodies the same essential characteristics, viz.: that it is complete in itself, and is assembled and fitted with its several parts connected in their combined operative position, ready to be placed in the watch by the watchmakers to whom the attachments are sold. Fig. 7 is a view of this attachment look ing at its underside, and Fig. 8 represents a Howard watch embodying the same. Upon the winding stem. in addition to the winding pinion which meshes with the crown wheel, is carried (upon a square portion) a sliding double-clutch wheel, acted upon by a spring to keep it normally up to engagement with a clutch on the lower side of the above winding pinion. This is the normal position, and the one occupied by the parts for winding the watch. The movement of the setting lever causes the spring to act in the reverse direction, thus throwing the sliding clutch downward so that the lower teeth of the letter will mesh with one of two intermediate setting wheels, the latter of which meshes with the first and engages also with the usual min ute wheel, which ni 'ales with the ordinary cannon pinion, on the end of which is mounted the minute hand. Over the can
non pillion is placed the limr wheel, carrying the hour hand as usual. The parts being in this position, the hands can he moved.
Marking ingenious invention of Mr. Abbott is the new method of Marking the numerals, divisions, letters, and ornamentations upon watch dials, which is controlled and largely used by the Elgin Watch Co. The process does away with all painting or marking by haml upon the dial itself. [le blank dial plate is made rep as usual of :1 copper base coated with enamel. and the design for the face is first engraved upon it steel or c/qq)?.1. platc. This is coaled with the ordinary vitrifiable pigment, and allowed to dry ; then the surface of the plate is brushed off, leaving the filling intact. A layer or coating composed of a preparation of collodion is now laid upon the entire surface of the late, and this periniates and goes down through the filling of pigment, and practically covers the underside of the pattern. Evaporation causes the formation of a film on both sides, with the pigment lying between, and by this means the complete pattern intended for the dial plate may he cleared from the engraved matrix. preserving even the very finest fines intact. This is accomplished by inunersing the engraved plate in a bath of acid and alkali. The Olin floats off, and, being somewhat soft, it readily sticks to the dial plate upon which it is now placed, and after baking as is usual with enameled plates, it is found that the collodion film has been burned off, leaving the pigment (1 he whole pat tern) permanently incorporated with the dial plate.
The Waterbury Watch has probably taken first place in the category of cheap time pieces. It is extremely simple, being made up of less than one half of the number of parts usual in a watch, and these are so ar ranged as to be easily clea-ned or repaired. The great differences between this movement and others are that it has a long, thin main spring (nearly four times the length of an ordinary watch spring), and that the entire move ment revolves in the case once every hour. and thus regulates or adjusts itself to varying positions. The use of the long mainspring is consequent upon the reduction in number of parts ; there is no barrel used, and two wheels and their pinions are also dis pensed with in the train, which places the power direct upon the escapement. The latter is of the duplex pattern, and is very light running ; it has only two pieces, the balance and escape-wheel. There is a stop work to prevent damage from overwinding at the stem, and all the parts are made interchangeable.
The case of this " long-wind " watch is stamped out in only two pieces. and nickeled. To set the hands, it is necessary to remove the bezel entirely, and use a point, or the finger, in this operation, as well as in adjusting the regulator, which is approached from the front.
Fig. 9 is a view of this watch with the bezel off, and Fig. 10 represents the regulator and part of the movement.
The Waterbury Watch Co. is also making cheap short-wind " watches, with cases of nickel, coin silver, oxidized silver. and gold filled, and of several sizes and various designs. Fig. 11 shows the working parts of this " short-wind" watch, the balance wheel, the independent bridge, the tempered hairspring, back ratchet, etc., as well as the winding parts. The " wind " is simple, being composed of only five pieces. Both the pillar and to plates are made double, which arrangement holds the winding work and jewels in position, and takes the place of the ordinary bridges, screws, etc.