"PERPETUAL MOTION."

Shannon News, 18 May 1928, Page 2

"PERPETUAL MOTION."

CLOCK THAT GOES FOREVER.

A perpetual motion clock invented by a young engineer, Jean Louis Reutter, of Neuchatel, appears to have fulfilled the wildest hopes and dreams of past scientists (writes the Geneva correspondent of the "Morning Post.") Reutter, who has been patiently pursuing his experiments for over ten years, started by postulating the feasibility of harnessing to clockwork the energy produced by perpetual motion ever to hand in the varying differences of the atmospheric pressure and the temperature. . There is, in fact, a certain kind of barometer already in. existence which is a metal box, the surface of which has a system of concentric undulations in relief. ihe air rubbing against thus irregular surface exercises pressure which, connected up with a needle, indicates on the dial face the value of the varying pressure. The barometric variations thus produce a continuous working movement, by which it is theoretically possible to make a clock work. Under analogous conditions the daily variations of temperature should provide a similar source of energy. \ But, the energy produced is very minute, and insufficient, to propel ordinary clockwork. Reutter's idea of applying this energy to clockwork admittedly is not new. Others have tried to invent a clock 'whiclfWd not be wound up and is driven by energy derived from atmospheric pressure. The attempts, however, have been made to apply the principle to ordinary clocks. Reutter perceived that he must reduce the amount of energy required by clocks if he was to succeed in inventing one that would go perpetually. His two new clocks, which have now been running without stopping and without rewinding for some months, require only one-thousandth part of the amount of energy ordinarily necessary to drive a clock. The smallest daily variations of temperature and atmospheric pressure are sufficient to keep these clocks in motion till fresh energy is stored in a spring so that freakish uon-varialiility of temperature is provided for. The new invention may truly be described as perpetual motion, for'the only factor which would make the clock cease going would be an accident or the wearing out of the parts. Reutter claims that the friction in the clock work is so slight that the life of his new clock should be at least ten thousand years. There is eve./ reason to believe that, apart from the great scientific value of this invention, it will be a commercial proposition, «for these perpetual clocks can be made in any form and size. It is believed in olbckmakiijg circles in iGeneva that the present invention heralds a complete revolution in the clock-making industry, and may lead to very important developments in other branches of sciVnee.