Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-04
The Century Clock.


While visiting the Centennial Ex-
position last summer, we entered the
Kansas building. and in the reception
rom, in u prominent position, saw
an invention bearing the title OF this
article invented, anil also the handi
work OF Mr.. J. w. lille OF Watervill,.,
Marshall county. Kansas. The PEE
culi lriry OF this Theological novelty
5 that il reqnires winding but once
in a hundred years. The inventor
gave us the following Gas near as we
can remember), description OF it: The
means for accomplishing "a long con-
tinued run without excessively heavy
weights, are novel devices for re-
ducing TO u minimum the friction OF
pendulum and escapement.
The pendulum is heavy horizon
tai brass ring .spended by thin
compound bow of brass aud steel,
and so split as to be susceptible TO
variations OF temperature, and remain
perfectly is ochronous. The bow and
wheel are hung by a torsion spring OF
steel, and make about n revolutions
ut each torsional vibration, occupying
one minute OF time. As this bow con-
stantly rotates in "a fixed spot, there
Is little ur no atmospheric friction:
aud that little is produced merely by
the suspeuding compound bow.
The weight and density OF tine at
mosphcr. are constantly changing,
rs shown by the barometer. This
causes an ever varying weight of all
penduluus. and an ever-varying re-
sistance to motion from this cause; rs
- s-------- -i----~-~. -sssrtsf, oifs."6tn5
density OF the atmospheric medium
This pendulum having the minimum
Ut atmospheric Resistance from the
mode of its construction and op 'ra-
ton. has consequently the minimum
Of variation from these disturbing
causes. In addition IL can be adjust
eel To chan ;cs or temperature, which
is another cause oi variation, mt much
less cost than any other At each
toriional vibration the escapemrut
receives its Impulse. differing Ia this
from all others yet constructed. in
that the impulse IL received on one
side only. This escapenirnt may be
made to beat any interval OF time,
from one second 10 two aud a half
minutes. The beats are instantane-
Gus, and between them the train re-
mains firmly locked. AMI the pendu
lum rotates entirely independent Of
the train. thus obviating the varia-
tons caused by the gum or the irrcg-
ularity OF the train. The momentum
OF the pendulum weight impaired by
the scapewhecl, through the medium
Of the torsion spring, locks aud un-
locks the scapewheel. BY using u
watch hair-spriny for torsion spring,
u clock can DC made that will Indicate
minutes. aud run one year. with
watch maiu spring. by once winding
Mr.. Hiie claims that, while this clock
requires winding but once in LOO
years, and keeps the most accurate
time, telling the month Of the year,
the ,loy OF ne month. the day OF the
week, the hour of the day, and the
minute OF the hour, il does this with
fro n ten to one hundred times less
power than is required with any other
clock escapement ever invented.
This result, he says. is accomplished
from the fact: First, that it requires
less power than one third the usual
power TO operate the pendulum and
escapement. Second, the power is
not exhausted so rapidly. rhiri, "A
clock with this escapement is less
complicated, and consequently has
less friction.
This Century Clock" Is the only
one yet made; and had been running
eight week.. This new escapement,
Mr. Hile claims, demonstrates that
clocks may be greatly improved as
regards their accuracy OF action, aud
the amount OF power required TO
dive them, and OF making them to
run from eight days to one year. as
they can be manufactured much
cheaper than common clocks, by
means OF requiring less machinery.
A Fine Library.