Swiss Lever Escapement Mechanism

The introduction of electronic amplification to the piano, which began as an innocent bluff by a teenage composer living in the Arctic Circle, had a devastating consequence for Tudor’s virtuosity on the keyboard instrument: it dissolved his control of escapement mechanism, opening up instead the world of feedback where a sound once activated could potentially never end. A detailed examination of Tudor’s idiosyncratic realization of John Cage’s Variations II in 1962 shows what previous scholars, as well as the composer himself, have failed to see: the specific nature of the amplified piano that was altogether a different instrument from the piano. What the new instrument presented was not simply more complexity and indeterminacy but a specific kind of complexity and indeterminacy which is reflected in how Tudor actually performed the music.

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Friction and Dynamics of Verge and Foliot: How the Invention of the Pendulum Made Clocks Much More Accurate

Applied Mechanics ◽

10.3390/applmech1020008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 111-122

Author(s):

Aaron S. Blumenthal ◽

Michael Nosonovsky

Keyword(s):

Time Measurement ◽

13Th Century ◽

Mathematical Pendulum ◽

Accuracy Improvement ◽

Christiaan Huygens ◽

The Coefficient Of Friction ◽

Linear Vibrations ◽

History Of ◽

Clock Mechanism ◽

Escapement Mechanism

The tower clocks designed and built in Europe starting from the end of the 13th century employed the “verge and foliot escapement” mechanism. This mechanism provided a relatively low accuracy of time measurement. The introduction of the pendulum into the clock mechanism by Christiaan Huygens in 1658–1673 improved the accuracy by about 30 times. The improvement is attributed to the isochronicity of small linear vibrations of a mathematical pendulum. We develop a mathematical model of both mechanisms. Using scaling arguments, we show that the introduction of the pendulum resulted in accuracy improvement by approximately π/μ ≈ 30 times, where μ ≈ 0.1 is the coefficient of friction. Several historic clocks are discussed, as well as the implications of both mechanisms to the history of science and technology.

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The IBM SELECTRIC Composer: Proportional Escapement Mechanism

IBM Journal of Research and Development ◽

10.1147/rd.121.0048 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 48-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

B. W. Miles ◽

C. C. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Escapement Mechanism

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Dynamics of Periodic Impulsive Collision in Escapement Mechanism

Shock and Vibration ◽

10.1155/2013/350429 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 1001-1010

Author(s):

Jian Mao ◽

Yu Fu ◽

Peichao Li

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Systems ◽

Impulsive Differential Equation ◽

Forced Oscillation ◽

Simplified Model ◽

Oscillation System ◽

Dynamical Study ◽

Numerical Examples ◽

The Stability ◽

The Impact ◽

Escapement Mechanism

Among various non-smooth dynamic systems, the periodically forced oscillation system with impact is perhaps the most common in engineering applications. The dynamical study becomes complicated due to the impact. This paper presents a systematic study on the periodically forced oscillation system with impact. A simplified model of the escapement mechanism is introduced. Impulsive differential equation and Poincare map are applied to describe the model and study the stability of the system. Numerical examples are given and the results show that the model is highly accurate in describing/predicting their dynamics.

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The potential which may lie in discarded, undeveloped or overlooked ideas

Journal of Management History ◽

10.1108/jmh-10-2014-0166 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 328-344

Author(s):

Tony Proctor

Keyword(s):

Eighteenth Century ◽

Historical Context ◽

Entrepreneurial Activity ◽

Market Place ◽

Content Type ◽

Goods And Services ◽

Temporary Solution ◽

New Ideas ◽

The Times ◽

Escapement Mechanism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a particular aspect of the history of the watchmaking industry during the eighteenth century. Attention is drawn to overlooked ideas and inventions and how years later they may become profitable business opportunities for entrepreneurs. The approach adopted allows examination of the development and commercialisation of a watch escapement mechanism, the rack lever, within the context of the development of other escapements. The rack lever was an escapement which was initially overlooked in the early part of the eighteenth century but which many decades later was reinvented and became a commercial success in the early nineteenth century. Design/methodology/approach Reference is made to the literature on entrepreneurship and acquisition of knowledge in the eighteenth century and the nature of watchmaking in the same epoch. The literature on entrepreneurship produces a framework for examining the actions that were taken to bring the rack lever escapement to market. The historical context within which the innovations occurred was examined to establish the events and circumstances surrounding the times when commercialisation took place. An account of the commercialisation of the rack lever escapement is presented. Findings The entrepreneurial opportunity examined in this article relates to a need to satisfy consumers with a reasonably accurate and reliable portable time piece. The historical context within which commercialisation took place was found to be significant. Attention to the escapement mechanism in watches was identified as the key to improving performance, and the focus of the paper is placed upon how this opportunity was satisfied through the means provided by the rack lever escapement. Alertness to the potential of already discovered but undeveloped ideas appears to be an additional feature behind the entrepreneurial activity. The paper shows that innovation can be a discontinuous process. It also indicates the relevance of modern-day knowledge brokers in facilitating the process of new product innovation. Originality/value Entrepreneurship and innovation along with research and development are all intrinsically linked in producing goods and services to satisfy customer wants and needs. Together, they represent a cornerstone which helps to establish a business and maintain its continued survival. Importantly, the development of new products is a key contributor to this end and innovation and entrepreneurship play their part in bringing this about. The paper suggests that new ideas can occur which may be deemed unsuitable for commercialisation at one period in time but which can at a future time be considered a temporary solution to meet an unfulfilled need in the market place. It argues for the case for reserving judgement on new ideas that are not commercialised and ensuring that knowledge of them is kept for posterity and made accessible to future generations.

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Kinematic Analysis of Swiss Lever Escapement

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.945-949.684 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 945-949 ◽

pp. 684-689

Author(s):

Jie Pan ◽

Yu Fu ◽

Ru Xu Du

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Models ◽

Kinematic Analysis ◽

Critical Role ◽

Half Cycle ◽

Depth Study ◽

Almost All ◽

Escapement Mechanism

The escapement mechanism in a mechanical watch movement plays a critical role. Its purpose is to maintain and count the oscillations of the balance wheel. The timekeeping accuracy is therefore regulated. The motion of the escapement mechanism is highly complicated and no in-depth study on its kinematics has been done by now. This paper investigates the kinematics of the Swiss lever escapement which is used in almost all mechanical watches. One half cycle of the motion is described in different phases. Mathematical models for each key component are developed. Simulation result shows that the model is precise in describing and predicting the motion of the escapement. This method is essential for improving and optimizing the design.

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