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Pendulum Clocks

Clocks are fairly complicated. Its technology is quite intimidating if you do not have the slightest idea of how its mechanisms work. Let’s take a peak on the insides of a clock, particularly that of a pendulum clock

Pendulum clocks were said to be the first “accurate” clocks ever made. Looking at its exterior, we will see different parts such as the clock face, the weights, and the pendulum. The clock face shows the hour and minute hands. Pendulum clocks are driven by weight. A more modern version is moved by springs, with keyholes used to wind the springs. In most clocks, pendulum swings at a rate of one per second. This may not be case in some clocks such as the cuckoo clocks; these types swing twice a second. Grandfather clocks swing once every two seconds. How they keep the clock ticking lies on several devices inside the pendulum clock. First, the weights; weights are used as devices to store energy. These allow the clock to run for a long period of time while maintaining its accuracy. What happens when you wind a weight-driven clock is you pull the strings attached to the weights to be able to lift them, thus, giving the weights potential energy.

Dutch astronomer Christian Huygens was credited as the first person to invent and patent a pendulum clock in 1956. This creation was said to be inspired by Galileo Galilei’s investigation of a pendulum. Isochronism, is the fundamental property that makes pendulums as suitable timekeepers. Simply defined, isochronism means the period of the sway of a pendulum is just about the same as other sized swings.

With the introduction of a pendulum, said to be the first homogeneous vacillator in history, the precision of these dials improved to a large degree. A difference of 15 seconds per day from the 15-minute per day variance makes pendulum clocks indispensable in that era. Eventually, earlier clocks were retrofitted with the pendulum.

Early clocks display inaccuracy in timekeeping due to wide pendulum swings that were caused by constraint escapements. An escapement provides the pendulum with accurate, calculated force to keep it swinging and unleash the gear chain in a steady fashion. Wide swings cause the rate of the clocks to vary as the driving force alters. It was discovered that only pendulums with small swings could maintain harmonic oscillation. This led to the invention of anchor escapements in 1670. Through this, longer, slower pendulums were accommodated in clock cases. This needs less energy and caused less wear on the movement.

The “seconds” pendulum also known as Royal Pendulum became was used. This gave way to the introduction of the grandfather clocks. These developments led further to the making of the minute hand.

These clocks became very expensive and sought after by the affluent class as they became status symbol for the rich. They were products of months of labors by skilled artisans.

1800’s saw the influx of factory produced clocks parts and segments enabled the middle class and the masses to get hold of quality pendulum clocks.