National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc.

Horological Science Chapter #161

Issue 1996-4 August 1996

Ernie Martt, editor, 278 Bentleyville Rd., Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

Phone. 216-247-6712; Fax 216-247- 1104; E-mail: emartt@cybergate.net

Sec. & publisher, Bill Givens, PO Box 1337, Eugene, OR 97440 Phone: (H) 503-465-9311, (W)503-465-9311; E-Mail: ibanks@ix.netcom.com

Treasurer, Everett Jones, 11929 East Hill Drive, Chesterland, OH 44026 Phone: 216-729-4811

We had two excellent speakers on HSN topics at the June National: Prof. E. T. Hall described his phenomenal clock (see listing below), and Dr. Jerry Walker discussed many aspects of making a precision clock, with a number of new concepts. We will summarize his work in the next issue. Also, Gordon Uber was on line with the Internet, demonstrating clock Web sites, and he will give us an update in October.

There will be a Horological Science Chapter meeting at the Rockford NAWCC Seminar on October 24 from 5 to 6 pm. Members are welcome to bring topics.

Also, through the courtesy of the American Section of the Antiquarian Horological Society, attendees of the Seminar are invited to visit the extensive Shepro Collection of XVI thru XVIII Century French and European clocks on Thur. pm, Oct. 24 and Sun. pm, Oct. 26.

The next HSN issue will cover properties of quartz and methods used to attach the spring assembly and pendulum bob (summarized by Bob Matthys) as well as his expansion-correction design.

This is another large HSN issue, with three important articles:

Page Contents

1. The 1996 National, the Rockford Seminar, and the Internet.

2. Biographies of Professor E. T. Hall and Leslie Paton.

3-21 The Littlemore Clock by Professor E.T. Hall, Oxford, England. This is a seminal work which must be rated equal to that of Shortt. He shows that, with an invar pendulum and an electronic drive, a higher vacuum than previously attempted, knife-edge supports, and a very solid base, he can achieve a rate far exceeding that of any previous pendulum clock. He uses the GPS as his time reference.

22-28 The Fedchenko Isochronous Pendulum Suspension by Leslie Paton, London, England. Since the exact construction of the Fedchenko suspension has not been published, Mr. Paton has undertaken experiments and analysis to explain the most probable design.

29-34 Energy Analysis of Pendulum Perturbations - Part II by Ken Friedenthal. This continues his fine study in HSN 1996-1. For those whose math may be a bit rusty, he has given a number of written and tabular summaries in his "just for fun" work.

E.C Martt

Above: Drawing from Apians Cosmographicus Liber of 1533, showing how a nocturnal is used to tell the time at night from the Great Bear.

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