(...) It is called the balance oscillation system.
So far so good. Now we have got two pretty oscillation systems. One is for portable clocks/watches and the other is for stationary clocks; balance and pendulum. But do they swing by themselves? Surely they don't. It's like swinging on a swing. There is a person on top of the swing wanting to be pushed (that is only, when he/she is lazy), just like our oscillation system that will not do anything without a constant push. At least, it will not swing on its own and causing the time to divide. But who is in charge of this job? Who is giving the oscillation system a push to supply it with energy? It is the so called escapement! A prefabricated part that can almost be heard better than it can be seen. That is, if it works. Every time it does its duty, it makes a noise - it īticks` and it ītocks`. So it is the escapement that is causing the noise in a mechanical clock/watch, and it is the moment of the energy supply to the oscillation system that is running away so noisily. Why is this prefabricated part called escapement and not energy distributor or something else? Because apart from passing on the energy it also has a second job to fulfil. The escapement is also in charge of ensuring, that the teeth of the clock/watch are blocked at times. So the escapement locks the gear train of the clock/watch. It is something like a floodgate. When it is shut, energy will not flow towards the oscillation system, when it is open, than the energy will flow (...) |
