The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-01-25
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Having thus explained the power and
the striking apparatus of a clock, let us
now inquire how it is that in every
twenty-four hours it comes back to the
same time of day? The sun varies al
most every day in the year, but good
clock never.
What regulates clock? The pendu-
1um. Howp By describing a given
arc of q circle in given time. Bat
some pendulums beat fast and some
slow? That is all owing to the size of
the wheels. Has the strength of the
power anything to do with the velocity
of the escape wheel? Nothing what
ever. To illustrate: A certa spring
has an expansive power Of one-tenth,
that is, when wound upon cylinder It's
recoil would lift one pound. Another
spring has an expansive power of one
fifth, or lift of one-ffth of a pound.
Apply each of these springs to the same
wheels and the same Length of pendu-
lum, which would run tie fastest? The
weakest. Why so? Because the strong
er one, through the escapement wheel,
would force the pendulum ball to de-
scribe the greater arc Of the circle,
hence travelling further and hence los
ing time in distance. And yet there
are hundreds of watch and clock
tinkers who do not understand
this simple proposition in physics.
So, then. to regulate a clock
you lengthen or shorten the pendu-
lum-sweep by raising or lowering
the bali. Yet, again, there are thousands
of clock-tinkers who can not perform
this simple duty. In the first place the
clock should be perfectly plumb. This
you accomplish by applying the metro
nome test Of the ear. It should say tic
as promptly and regularly as it says
tao. If the clock is uneven there will
be a pronounced difference in time
between tic-tac and tactic. Then wind
the clock so as to run eight hours, and
set it by some good watch or other cor
rect time. At the end of every hour
notice whether it gains or loses, and
screw up or lower the pendulum
ball accordingly, giving the set-screw
only half a turn each time No
clock repairer can regulate a clock at
full spring, because the power is too
irregular. Clocks are made with long
pendulums that beat seconds and are
used as regulators for railways and 9th
or purposes. The train is composed of
certain number of wheels with GER
tain number of teeth so arranged that
the pendulum, in describing an arc, al
lows one tooth to escape each second.
The American watch has eighteen thou
sand beats to the hour, while the old
English watch varies from eight thou
sand to ten thousand an hour. You
will see a peadulum-rod in these big
regulators composed of alternate strips
Of brass and steel with a ball of mer-
curry. These are supposed to counter
act the effects of contraction and ex-
pansion, as the weather is hot or cold.
But there is nothing in it. All the con-
traction OF expansion pendulum-rod
will experience would not affect its
time five seconds in twenty-four hours.
When you grow up, children, next to
the old family Bible, with the thumb
marks of the dear old mother on her
familiar page, will come to you in your
dreams that other familiar face of the
dollhouse clock, and its measured tic,
tao will sound on so sweetly, as of yore
May the enc that luHs yeu to sleep