Merritt Burt
While Charles W. Fogg is generally credited with creating the first safety pinion in America, Merritt Burt actually secured a patent for his safety pinion design a few months before.
Merritt Burt's Patent Safety Pinion (Center Wheel and Pinion from National Watch Company Movement) On September 13, 1864, Merritt Burt was granted the first patent for a safety pinion design.