jtvision
14 March 2009, 05:54 PM
How does the escapement transmit its energy to the balance?
Vanessa
15 March 2009, 10:49 AM
By the force of the train powered by the mainspring.
jtvision
16 March 2009, 07:45 AM
Yes, from the diagrams I have been looking at I cannot understand by what means the force is transfered through the pallets.
Tools
16 March 2009, 09:28 AM
The mainspring is attached to the escapement wheel...... If you take out the pallet, it will just free-wheel and unwind.. So the pallet jewels lock and unlock the teeth where they ride..........that torque against each jewel, pushes the pallet side to side (as it is pushing on one jewel, the other jewel locks into the next tooth).
As the pallet swings, the forked tail at the other end imparts energy against the impulse jewel at the base of the hairspring, and the hairspring, because it is a coil spring, begins oscillating due to this pressure.
After a couple of oscillations, the escapement gets into rhythm, the hairspring swings back and forth at a known design frequency because of the pressure applied by the pallet tail, and the power side of the escapement wheel pushes back against the pallet jewels.
It's a symbiotic relationship........and the pallet, while not connected to either the hairspring or mainspring physically, it does translate the mainspring power into a known rate of "unwind" by way of the designed oscillations of the hairspring..
jtvision
16 March 2009, 06:46 PM
Took me a little while to work though on this terrible schematic - but I understand now. How intense is it reminiscing on the accomplices who contributed to what we wear on wrist today.