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2013 | Buch

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The Mechanics of Mechanical Watches and Clocks

verfasst von: Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : History of Mechanism and Machine Science

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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Über dieses Buch

"The Mechanics of Mechanical Watches and Clocks" presents historical views and mathematical models of mechanical watches and clocks. Although now over six hundred years old, mechanical watches and clocks are still popular luxury items that fascinate many people around the world. However few have examined the theory of how they work as presented in this book. The illustrations and computer animations are unique and have never been published before.
It will be of significant interest to researchers in mechanical engineering, watchmakers and clockmakers, as well as people who have an engineering background and are interested in mechanical watches and clocks. It will also inspire people in other fields of science and technology, such as mechanical engineering and electronics engineering, to advance their designs.
Professor Ruxu Du works at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China. Assistant Professor Longhan Xie works at the South China University of Technology, China.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

Keeping time is an essential activity for our daily life; and it is almost as old as human civilization. Throughout history, people have invented many ways to keep time, from analemmatic sundial to atomic clock. The invention of mechanical watch and clock is a milestone of technology advancement.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 2. A Brief Review of the Mechanics of Watch and Clock

Abstract

According to literature, the first mechanical clock appeared in the middle of the fourteenth century. For more than 600 years, it had been worked on by many people, including Galileo, Hooke and Huygens. Needless to say, there have been many ingenious inventions that transcend time. This chapter gives a virtual tour of the development of mechanical watch and clock.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 3. The Mechanics of the Swiss Lever Escapement

Abstract

As presented in the previous chapter, there have been many different kinds of escapements. Though, at least 98% of the commercial mechanical watches today use the Swiss lever escapement. In this chapter, the Swiss lever escapement is studied in detail. Its working principle is illustrated and its dynamical model is derived. Experimental validation is also briefly discussed.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 4. The Mechanics of the Spiral Spring

Abstract

When working with the English watch master Thomas Thompin in 1678, Robert Hook (1635–1703) observed that when an elastic body is subjected to stress, its dimension or shape changes in proportion to the applied stress over a range of stresses. On the basis of his experiments with springs, stretching wires and coils, he discovered a relationship between the force and the extension of the spring. This is the so-called Hooke’s law, which we learnt in high school. Using the Hooke's law, in this chapter, we studied the hairspring of the mechanical watch movement. The study also extends to include the case of Tourbillon.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 5. Automatic Winding Device

Abstract

The automatic winding device (often called the automatic device in the watch and clock industry) is another fascinating device that is found only in the mechanical watch movement. Its first appearance can be dated back to 1770. In this chapter, we discussed two types of automatic winding device: the ETA automatic winding device and the Seiko automatic winding device. In 1930, Rolex Company improved this design and used in its Oyster Perpetual. Due in part to this invention, the company raised to become a leader in the watch industry.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 6. Gear and Power Transmission

Abstract

The gear is a symbol of engineering. Dating back to 100 B.C., the Greeks already had a good understanding of the gear (Wikipedia 2002). The gears are used to transmit motion and power. There are many kinds of gears: spur gears, helical gears, bevel gears, hypoid gears, crown gears, worm gears, non-circular gears, gear racks, sun and planet gears, harmonic gears, etc. The teeth of a gear may follow different profiles, such as involute, cycloidal, spline, etc. Mechanical watch movement usually uses a spur cycloidal gear. This chapter studies the gear induced errors, including the gear tooth deformation error and gear assembly error.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Chapter 7. Concluding Remarks

Abstract

Mechanical watches and clocks are arguably the most complex of “pure” mechanical devices. Making a mechanical watch involves the following aspects: (a) design, (b) design analysis, (c) materials and processing (d) manufacturing, (e) assembly and (f) quality control. This monograph covers only a portion of part (b). This chapter presents some of our thoughts on the other aspects.

Ruxu Du, Longhan Xie

Backmatter

Titel: The Mechanics of Mechanical Watches and Clocks
verfasst von: Ruxu Du
Longhan Xie
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-29308-5
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-29307-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29308-5

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