Greg's Clock

[docclock]

(11-08-2015, 08:57 PM)Vinny Wrote: Lew, you mentioned the wrong way to start an auto-beat but not the right way.  What is the right way?

  It's a little tricky at first but simple. Grab the pendulum down low on one edge of the bob. Being careful not to twist the pendulum pull the pendulum, trying to keep it in line with where it will swing, as close to the inside sidewall of the case as you can get. Release. CAUTION: If your case has glass in the lower section side panels use your other hand on the opposite side from the release to prevent the pendulum from possibly striking the glass on it's first swing. This is what should happen. The pendulum will swing far in excess of its normal travel for about a minute. As the inertia from the release decreases and the power from the clock begins to actually drive the pendulum it will stabilize to it's normal arc. The autobeat mechanism is built into the verge where the crutch is staked to the verges pinion. It allows the crutch to slip when you induce the overswing and the pallets bottom out between the escape wheel teeth. This allows it to self center. The whole idea is to make the escapement run in an isocronos state. Simplified the time between the tic and the toc should be equal to the time between the toc and the tic. It"s called being in beat. In this state the clock runs as stable as possible and requires the least amount of power. To prove the start worked after about 5 minutes listen carefully to the ticking. It should be even as mentioned above. If not, stop the clock and repeat the procedure. If after several attempts it refuses to run in beat it is most likely that the tension of the staking of the crutch has lessened over time allowing too much slippage. CAUTION: Starting a non autobeat clock in this way will damage the escape wheel.