Captain Wauchope on regulating Chronoinctcrs. 5^91 



y w represents the disengaging lever secured on the table, 

 which is explained in the figure below, and so constructed, that 

 a slight movement of the hand at y disengages the halliards, 

 which are secured at x, so as to allow of an instantaneous se- 

 paration of the balls. The ball C (as above mentioned, having 

 a weight attached to it, at the end of the downhaul) instantly 

 falls to B, along the iron rod A B, which is kept at a distance 

 from the flag-staff by the two outriggers, and which prevents 

 the ball C from being affected by the wind. 



The ball C will take about four-tenths of a second to fall its 

 own diameter, five feet, which separation of the two balls con- 

 stitutes the signal. The halliards should, therefoi-e, be disen- 

 gaged four-tenths of a second before the true time. 



Five minutes before the signal is made, a red flag, with a 

 white ball, should be hoisted as a preparatory signal ; and, pre- 

 cisely one minute before the ball C drops, the flag should be 

 hauled down. The ball should drop thrice, at the interval of a 

 minute between each time, for the convenience of obscrvei's. 



Description of the disengaging Lever, as shewn in the Loxoer 

 Drawing. 



aa, aa represent two thin upright iron plates, one-eighth 

 of an inch apart, rivetted upon the plate m n. 6 is a thin 

 iron plate, with a hole in the lower end, as seen in the separate 

 drawing of it b .r; this i.-i inserted between the two plates 

 auy aa, and has a hook at the top, for a chain at the end of 

 the halliards to hook to ; the hole x, corresponds with a simi- 

 lar hole in each of the plates {aa, aa), and is secured in the po- 

 sition, as in the drawing, by the joint R, of the lever y, which 

 is here drawn out to shew it. The lever y traverses upon 

 the pivot P, having a joint at S, to allow it to play freely. A 

 slight motion of the hand at y, disengages the joint R from 

 the plates aa, aa, and sets b, to which the halliards are at- 

 tached, at liberty, and allows the ball C instantly to drop. 



The reason why a chain should be attached to the lower end 

 of the halliards, is to allow for their contraction and expansion 

 in dry or wet weather. 



T 2 



