PERPETUAL POWER DRIVING THE MACHINERY OF CLOCKS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 January 1903, Page 4

PERPETUAL POWER DRIVING THE MACHINERY OF CLOCKS.

S Icing that turret docks Big Ben fotf iustmcc at Westmins-er requires heavy falling weights to keep the machinery going to indicate time, and power; and time expended in winding up ihu weights it has occurred to Mr Kao that as labor saving machinery is bonchcient. VV&y not utilise self acting machinery to drive the mechanism of clocks in order to keep correct time, strike hours, quarter of the hour, and actuate the chiming mechanism.'? The weight of water on an over shot wheel to do this presents several advantages. The weight is practically always the same as the buckets would throw off any surplus water, after being fall. While the weights of an ordinary turret clock varies considerably as they descend, adding extra weight by the ropes orchans supporting the weights but not shown when wound up, as the weight of Wire ropes or chains are balanced round the barrel, so the weight; at various times, having more orjless weight or power, causes a variation in tirno. I lie attraction of the oarth is also a drawback, 83 tho earth pulls more when the weig its are down than when they ara wound i|>. Another advantage the overshot wheel has no winding by manual or other power is required, and it requires no attention. "The clock-workroom of Big Ben is reached by a stair oE three hundred and Hixty s'eps, and there the winders must mount twice a week which requires twenty-five minutes oa each oceasion. But it is the striking and chiming mechanism that involves the real work of winding, for two men have to wind six hours at a stretch, and that three times a week."—Canterbury Times. The authorities in charge of Big Ben intend shortly to wind the clock by other than manual labor. Electricity is to be employed to convey the current from dynamo to dynamo. authorities must be conservative as th9y employed manual labor for so many years. A simple overshot wheel would ba constructed at a fraction of the cost of dynamos, steam engine and fuel. In order to prevent dampness from mjunng the works of the clock, the wheel would be placed in the basement and vertical shafts taken up to the works*and the clock above. If the bevel pinions were geared say one to six of the wheel. One sixth of the weight now used would be sufficient as the leverage would make up the weight. So that a small quantity of water from the str jet mains would be required ; the wheel revolving so slowly. No experiments as to the size of the wheel or capacity of the buckets are necessary, as the calculation of weight would at once be made. The wheel in the model we have seen revolve once in twelve hours and kejp ooirect time, is fed by drops of ( water from a small tank, which contains six days supply. When the water is laid on here rain water and tank will be dispensed with. !