Compaignie
It has a verge escapement, and repeating was pushed from the pendant as was customary with all the earlier specimens; it has also the chain connection from the gathering rack at pendant passing around a roller A near the edge of plate, and attached to and passing around a smaller roller B, on the square of the repeating barrel arbor.
It will be seen that the quarter rack is minus a tooth at C, and has the two remaining teeth mutilated; it is also minus one of the quarter pallets, and the hook has disappeared from the square of the repeating barrel arbor by which the quarter rack should be gathered; all indications that it has been in the hands of the Philistines.
The hour rack is in a piece with the barrel arbor, and consequently between the plates as mentioned in a previous paragraph.
Another indication of the antiquity of this specimen is the fact of the winding or fusee square coming through the dial. It will also be observed that the "all-or-nothing" piece, D, is pierced to admit of the fusee square and key-pipe passing through for winding. One of the greatest difficulties met with in this type of repeater arises in the event of the breaking of the chain connecting the gathering rack for winding up the repeating mainspring, as great care is required in repairing the same to re-adjust to the proper length again, and can only be accomplished with great care and trouble, and probably with many failures; the endeavor should be to manage as near as possible to obtain links of chain to replace those spoiled, as near to size as you can to those remaining.
It will be seen that the star wheel, to which is attached the hour snail, is carried by the "all-or-nothing" piece, and when displaced by the gathering rack is capable of a small recoil which releases the quarter rack; this is modified in the more modern repeater by the star piece revolving on a stud fixed in the plate, and the "all-or-nothing" piece shown here is replaced by the spring "all-or-nothing," which we will endeavor to show and describe, as also we will endeavor to show the movement of a half-quarter repeater from which the rack and snail shown here in Figs. 261 and 262 are taken. The following figures show the movement from which rack and snail are taken. We have not replaced either the said rack or snail, as they would have hidden the other pieces which we wish to draw special attention to on this occasion. Our object is to show clearly firstly, the gathering rack A, and secondly, the intermediate wheel B which gears into the teeth of former, and also the smaller wheel on square of repeating barrel arbor, for winding up repeating mainspring, being more modern and a great improvement on the old system as represented in the ancient specimen, having chain connection, as previously shown. One point, subject to injury, (and which requires careful treatment to readjust), is the shoulder screw which secures the intermediate wheel, and very little reflection will convince the thoughtful that the careless fitting of a new screw here would soon lead to difficulty, as being a cross or double depth it complicates matters somewhat, and any roughness here would cause jerking in gathering or winding, and also cause strokes of the hammers to be given in a spasmodic manner, but of course this can all be avoided if care is exercised in retapping plate not to alter position; should the depths, however, get shifted, the best plan to adopt will be to repitch them, using the depth tool for that purpose. We should next like to call attention to the slidework of above figure, our reason being that having originally been pushed from the pendant, the winding up of repeating is now done on the modern principle, viz., with the slide (the movement having evidently been put into a new case at the same time). Our desire is to especially call attention to the manner in which the conversion has been accomplished, so as to enable any reader to adopt the same method in case of requirement, as although we have seen several which have at some time been transferred, we never saw one which had been done in so simple, and at the same time so thoroughly workmanlike style. Fig. 265 is somewhat of a snail-shaped piece introduced into the pillar plate below the gathering rack, and having a sink turned to receive it. It will be seen by referring to figure of movement, that we have pressed arm or tail of gathering rack on to hour snail in readiness to be released for striking the hour of five, this allows snail-shaped piece (Fig. 264) to be readily seen, showing outside extremity of same projecting beyond outer edge of movement (and which engages with slide in case), while the inner point is engaged in depressing gathering rack at C, where pressure originally came from pendant pushpiece, being in reality the reverse end of tail rack mentioned above, and being securely fixed to same by means of screw and steady pin on under side.
The hour rack, or ratchet D, being in this specimen (unlike the former one) separate from the barrel arbor, is seen above the plate; screwed on to it is a nut gearing with intermediate wheel for winding, surmounted by hook for gathering quarter rack, each of which are fitted on to square of barrel arbor, hook and square being drilled across with the pin passing through to secure them in position. Having fixed the whole in readiness, on being released to repeat the hour of five, as before mentioned, allows of the whole twelve teeth of the hour rack or ratchet D to be clearly seen, with the pallet engaged (when released) for raising hammer to give the five strokes required, and also gives a fair view of the star wheel, and likewise hour snail, with rack tail E pressed onto the fifth step or division of snail. The "all-or-nothing," being capable of a slight recoil, release the quarter rack, and after striking returns into position and remains locked until the slide is again drawn, and so on as often as desired, hence the name "Repeater." And now for a description of the more modern or spring "all-or-nothing," as shown in Fig. 266.
It differs from the old considerably in form, and as it undoubtedly is much less complicated in construction, we must admit its superiority over the former, and though differing in form the action is very similar. The star wheel and hour snail, in place of being carried by the "all-or-nothing," is revolving on a fixed stud in the plate, and the quarter rack is released by pressure being transmitted from arm of gathering rack through a small finger being driven into contact with the "all-or-nothing" at its thickest part at the moment of the slide being drawn back to its full extent. The pressure given causes the "all-or-nothing" to give at its thinnest part which forms a spring, hence the term spring "all-or-nothing." The rack arm in this type is not made in a piece with the rack, but is made separate from it, and until recently was attached (as is also the finger) by means of a shouldered screw, and both rack and arm have an elongated slot in them, thus permitting of a slight backward and forward movement to the arm, so that when the arm comes in contact with the snail, being capable of this action, it is driven backwards, and having an upright stud at the reverse end, which immediately makes pressure on the small finger, which is also driven backwards, and its extreme point touches the "all-or-nothing" at its thickest part, causes it to recoil by means of its spring, thus releasing the quarter rack in the same manner as in the previous case. The latest method is to make the gathering rack and arm in two distinctly separate pieces, but both operating from a fixed stud in the plate and accomplishing the same result precisely, and in a very similar manner; the latter type is probably the outcome of necessity, in consequence of the repeater being required to strike the minutes in addition to the hours and quarters, as it permits of the various parts being made on a smaller scale, thus utilizing the room required for the increase of complications. The fault we will first call attention to is a troublesome one, though fortunately one not frequently met with; it is the two blows of the quarters following each other so rapidly as to appear almost as one blow. To remedy this it will be necessary to lengthen the three teeth of the quarter rack which raise the hammer giving the last blow to each quarter; or it may be that only one or two of the teeth will require lengthening. This must be accomplished by stretching, which can be done by laying the rack on a smooth steel stake, having the under side of the rack uppermost; and by using a rather sharp rounded punch (having someone to assist with the hammer), a very creditable job can be made of it; and as very little stretching will probably be required, there need be no disfigurement of the rack if care be exercised. In most cases there will be no fear of accident either, the only chance of this being where the watch is one of the good old sort, when there would be great risk of breakage, in consequence of the high temper of the steel; it will therefore be wise to first test the piece to see whether it be very hard, and if so, the temper must be lowered by bluing, and the color afterwards removed.
This fault is generally the outcome of wear at the points of action of the pallets and rack teeth, or the enlargement of the holes of the hammer pivots, and might be remedied by new holes or new pallets; but as the latter would be too long and costly a process in ordinary repairing, we must be satisfied to resort to the more rough and ready method mentioned, and stretch the teeth; but before doing this it will be advisable to make sure that the fault is not caused by the stud which carries the quarter rack being loose in plate, or having got bent, thereby throwing the rack out of position, as this of course would create the fault in question. It will be remembered that we have previously called attention to the liability of the studs getting bent in the process of cleaning, or putting together after the cleaning is done, so that these points should be looked to before making any alteration in the rack teeth.
It will now be our endeavor to give some details of the minute repeater, which in consequence of its additional complication is necessarily more puzzling, and when faulty, more difficult of correction than the others already passed in review, and before proceeding further we would impress upon our readers the desirability of giving special attention to end shakes, above all in respect to center wheel, as likewise proper fitting and smoothly revolving set arbor. It will be seen by consulting Fig. 267 that the quarter snail has secured to it a four-armed piece which would undoubtedly be properly called "the surprise piece," and which is actuated by a click in all respects similar to the star wheel click; this four-armed blank, or "surprise piece," together with the quarter snail attached to it, is keyed onto set arbor, but in such a manner as to act freely to and fro within proper limits, and above this, and secured to set arbor, beneath the canon pinion, is another four-armed piece, but very much differing from the "surprise piece," insomuch that it bears upon each of the four arms a set of fourteen teeth, and which we will call the minute snail, Fig. 268.
The necessity for each of these fourteen teeth or steps of the snail are obviously for the minute-rack tail to fall upon and so control the number of minutes to be struck in addition to the hours and quarters, the four-armed or "surprise piece" acting, as in the case of the corresponding piece previously described, as "loose piece or quarter snail," this surprise piece of course giving or withholding the minutes as required. Figs. 269 and 270 show the quarter and minute racks respectively, the former differs considerably from the ordinary quarter rack, having in addition to the six teeth for raising the hammers, three at each extremity, an internal set of teeth, and for gathering this quarter rack by means of these internal teeth is a disc with a corresponding number of teeth. This disc, revolving freely on the arbor of repeating barrel, has an upright pin fixed about midway of the teeth, and surmounting this disc on the square or barrel arbor is the rack hook, the point of which on completion of the striking of the hour engages with the upright pin and so gathers the quarter-rack.
Attached to and working freely by means of a shouldered screw is what we will call the minute "all-or-nothing," Fig. 271, as without it the minute rack would not be released to fall into position on the minute snail; but besides acting as the "all-or-nothing," it also does duty in another capacity, viz., to gather the minute rack, this being accomplished by the lower extremity, which in shape is not unlike an ordinary side click to a Geneva barrel, or hook-shaped, and is in reality the minute rack hook, and is controlled by means of a slight spring, which at the proper moment brings its point or hook into one of the six small teeth at A according to the number of minutes required to be struck. The upper portion of this piece, Fig. 271, is really the minute "all-or-nothing," as on the falling of the two racks, the point of this minute "all-or-nothing" in its descent strikes on the hammer pivot, or arbor, which stands above the pallet, and so raises or displaces it from the teeth at A, thus allowing the tail of rack to fall upon the minute snail (according to position of the latter), then on returning, the hour and quarters having struck, this upper portion, or "all-or-nothing" disconnecting from contact with pivot or arbor of hammer allows the front or lower click, or hook-shape portion, to fall into one of the teeth at A, and so gather the minute rack.
It will be seen that this rack, besides the teeth at A, has fourteen other teeth at another extremity, this being the necessary number to correspond with the number of blows required between each quarter of an hour, and of course have the same action of raising the hammer as in the case of the hours and quarters.
The amount of work to be accomplished with precision by a minute repeater will show how soon inaccuracies can occur if due regard be not paid to important points; for instance, we will suppose that either of the center pivots are cut, and require the wear polished out, and new hole or holes put in; a little thought will clearly convince one of the necessity of exercising the utmost care in the operation, as to throw the wheel out of upright, in ever so slight a degree, means mischief, and to leave a large hole is out of the question, especially with the pivot cut, which, of course, increases the friction, causing a loss of power, and consequently bad time-keeping, besides the speedy failure of the oil.
A good method of putting in a new hole is by means of a turned bushing, and for this purpose avoid the use of the drilled brass, which invariably splits either in turning or riveting, and brings about the very trouble you wish to avoid; the solid drawn wire is the thing for the purpose. Cut the required length, drill as near central as possible, and open tightly on to pivot, (which has first had the wear polished out). A word here will not be out of place about repairing the pivot, as though the primary object is to polish out the wear, there are other points to be observed; in the first place, be sure to keep it straight, as, to get a pivot tapering either backwards or forwards, makes it impossible to get a good fitting hole, which at the same time will allow the wheel to act with perfect freedom, both as regards the running and endshakes. At the same time avoid forming a lump at the root or shoulder; should this by chance transpire, however, matters can soon be set right again by means of the lathe and polisher in a few minutes, and having polished out the wear, take a sharp graver and catch the merest shaving from the extremity of the pivot, to prevent the possibility of a burr remaining, as this would cause the pivot to stick in the hole.
In broaching out the old hole before putting in new bushing, revolve the plate and broach together, of course, in opposite directions, as this will materially assist in opening out true and flat. In fact, by occasionally spinning the broach in the fingers, it can readily be seen whether you are keeping a straight or upright hole; this applies more forcibly, when finally opening the hole for the pivot.
In fitting a bushing into a plate, before removing from the arbor on which it has been turned, be careful to catch each end perfectly true, the back quite flat, and the front slightly hollow for riveting. Do not turn it tapering forward too much, and, above all, do not have it longer than just sufficient for riveting, and fitting so tightly as to necessitate knocking into plate preparatory to riveting, and before knocking in give the broach a slight wriggle to rough the hole, or it can be roughed with the edge of a three-cornered file.
The bushing, or plug, must, in all cases, be put in from the inside of plate, giving a slight chamfer to outer side to allow rivet to grip more firmly. Having made the bushings secure by carefully riveting, without too violent use of the hammer, and opened the hole to pivot, it only remains to give endshake, and to do this properly requires a lathe, and either the use of a hand-cutter or the slide rest; though if a lathe is not available, good sinking tools make a fair job.--C. T. Etchells.