1853,] 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



215 



Extract from ilve Re-port of the Sixth Exhibition and Fair of the Massa- 

 chusetts C/iaritable Mechanics' Association. 

 647. William Bond ifc Sons, Bcstoi). One Astronomical Clock, and 

 a Spring Goveiiior. The object to be attained by this novel con- 

 trivance is that of regulating the movement of a rotating cylinder, so 

 that its motion may not only be steady and uniform, but that its revo- 

 lutions may be performed with accuracy in any given time desired. 



There are, doubless, many situations connected ■with science and the 

 ^rts, where rotary motions regulated with great accuracy, may be 

 applied with gr-eat advantage. The experimenters upon Hydraulics, 

 Hydrostatics, Ac, we think will find it a useful appendage to their 

 ah'eady very extensive apparatus. 



Within the past few years there have been several astronomical 

 observatories established in the United States, where observations are 

 now being made, not only with great care and ability, but with be- 

 coming zeal and regularity. And connected with these Astronomical 

 inquiries, are those of its kindred science Geodesia, which are now 

 being, and have been for some time past, vigorously prosecuted or 

 carried forward under the patronage ot the General Government. To 

 the combined observations and operations of these kindred sciences (if 

 it be proper to consider them as separated) are ■we indebted for a 

 knowledge of the figure and magnitude of not only our own planet, 

 but of all the other planets belonging to our system. Our planet 

 being a standard upon Avhich a great portion of the astronomical cal- 

 culations are based, the importance of ascertaining its magnitude with 

 as great a degree of accuracy as we well can, must be apparent to 

 -every one who has given any thought to the subject. Besides, the ac- 

 curacy of the charts of not only our own Coasts and the Oceans 

 adjacent, but the Coasts and Oceans of the whole world are more or 

 less dependent upon this element. 



The invention of the Magnetic Telegraph, and the construction of 

 Telegrapliic liue.s, as it were, from one end of our country to the other, 

 which by being connected with the several observatories, afford a 

 means of communicating the moment of time of any phenomena ob- 

 served at oje observatory to that of another and vice versa. By tliis 

 means the difference of time, between anj' two observatories, is de- 

 termined with a greater facility and degree of accuracy than by any 

 otlier method now practised ; and then having extended the Geodetic 

 survey's from one oDservatory to the other, we theieby obtain more 

 accurate data for solving the Grand Problem, viz., the magnitude and 

 figure of the earth, than we have been enabled to do by any other 

 known means. The great desire of making these communications 

 with as great a degree of accuracy as their nature will admit, was the 

 exciting cause of this invention. But the invention is not confined to 

 ■dist.-int communicatiorjs alone ; it is equally valuable and useful in re- 

 cording at the observatory where it is situated, the moment of time of 

 any observed phenomenon. 



This invention, properly considered, consists of what we shall terra 

 an Electro-Telegraphic Clock and the Spring Governor. The Clock 

 which in its general construction does not materially differ from otlier 

 Astronomical Clock.s, was not exhibited at the HalL It being some- 

 what difficult to give a complete description of this apparatus without 

 drawings, and as the association cannot well insert in their pubUcation 

 of notices, cuts representing the articles exhibited, we shall only en- 

 deavor to give such a general descriptiou as will convey an idea of the 

 invention and its application. 



First, The Clock: As before stated the several parts of the Clock are 

 not dissimilar in form to clocks heretofoi'e in existence. The novelty 

 of the Clock consists in insulating the axis or pivots of the escapement 

 wheel from the plates which sustain the other portion of the clock- 

 work by a ring of Shell Lac Gum, bushed with brass washers or 

 discs; — and the axis of the steel pallets is in like manner insulated 

 from the other parts of the clock-work. The pinion which connects 

 the escapement with the train of the clock is insulated from its axis 

 hj Shell Lac Gum ; — the Pendulum also is so contrived as to be in- 

 sulated from the arm of the pallets with which it comes in contact, by 

 an arrangement of Shell-Lac Gum. Electrical or circuit wires are 

 secured to portions of these insulated parts which sustain the axis or 

 arbors of the escapement and pallets, so that wlien either pallet comes 

 in contact witli an escapement tooth, the Galvanic circuit is closed, 

 and when the contact is broken, (as it must be at every oscillation of 

 the pendulum,) the Galvanic Circuit is opened, and thus pulsations of 

 Electricity corresponding to the oscillations of the pendulum success- 

 ively pass over the wires. Then, by the aid of the Spring Governor, 

 an intelligeut record of the electrical pulsations or beats of the clock is 

 made. 



Second, The Spring Governor. This part of the invention was on 

 exhibition in the Exhibition Hall, and consists of a double train of 

 Clock-work united into one upon an axis of a Fly-wheel. (We speak 

 of this machine as consisting of a double train of clock-work because 

 it receives motion from two weights.) The clock-work, consisting of 



small brass wheels and pinions, is arranged between two brass plates 

 some four inches apart, and probably twelve or fourteen inches long. 

 Near either end of these plates is a strong axis to which an apparatus 

 is applied for receiving a cord, upon which weights are suspended to 

 give motion to the trains; — tliese axes and pulleys we shall call prime 

 movers. A few wheels of the train distant from one of these prime 

 movers, is situated an escapement wheel, into the teeth of which pal- 

 lets are operated by the oscillations of a pendulum, as in ordinary 

 clocks, the escapement wheel is so connected with its axis by a spring, 

 as to allow the axis to move while the wheel is detained by the pallets. 

 Frorn the pinion upon the arbor of the escapement wheel, the train is 

 continued through several wheels and pinions, to a Fly wheel. From 

 the prime mover at tlie other end of the plates a train of wheels and 

 pinions extends also to, and connects with the Fly. IS^ear this prime 

 mover is situated a long shaft or a^bor which extends through one 

 of the plates some twelve or fourteen inches, its end being sustained by 

 a proper support attached to the table upon which the whole apparatus 

 rests. Upon this shaft a cylinder of some five or six inches in diame- 

 ter and some ten inches iu length, is firmly fixed, and of course revolves 

 regularly with it. When the machine is in order to operate, this 

 cylinder is covered with blank paper. A slide apparatus is attached 

 to the table near to and parallel with the cylinder, upon which an 

 Electro-magnet, in the U form, is fixed ; and the slide is so connected 

 with the clock-work, that it receives a regular motion therefi'om, and 

 is thereby moved from one end of the cylinder to the other. The 

 magnet with its armature is so arranged that it gives a lateral or 

 horizontal motion to a lever to whicli a pencil or pen is attached, which 

 rests upon the paper with which the cylinder is covered. The instru- 

 ment is also provided with a finger key, by which the circuit may be 

 opened at the instant of any observed phenomenon, and thereby the 

 regular flow of the electrical current will be broken; — at this instant 

 the U magnet releases its hold upon its armature, and it moves lateral- 

 ly and thereby records the pulsation by a mark, in the form of a saw 

 tooth upon the paper which covers the cylinder. 



Having thus briefly described the apparatus and its uses, let us 

 now, for the purpose of illustration, consider .ihe whole apparatus to 

 have been properly adjusted and in a condition for operation, with 

 the Battery connected with the insulated portions of the Clock-work. 

 The clock being then put in motion, its beats may be distinguished at 

 tlie distant station by the clicking noise of the armature upon its mag- 

 net, Avhile the pencil attached to the lever which bears the armature, 

 will, by its lateral motion occasioned by the opening of the circuit, re- 

 cord the beats or oscillations upon the cj'linder, — and these phenomena 

 will be repeated for every oscillation of the pendulum. 



To render our description plainer, let us suppose one of the observa- 

 tories to be situated at Cambridge and the other at Washington, and 

 the Astronomers to have agreed to observe the transit of a particular 

 star over their respective meridians. The star of course makes its 

 transit across the Cambridge meridian first; and at the moment of its 

 culmination the observer places his finger upon the finger key, and 

 thereby causes an electrical pulsation, which is transmitted to Wash- 

 ington, and is there recorded upon the cylinder of the Spring Gov- 

 ernor. After the lapse of the difference of time between the two ob- 

 ser\-atories, the Astronomer at Washington observes the transit of the 

 same star, and at the moment of its culmination he touches the finger 

 key and thereby causes an electrical pulsation, which is transmitted to 

 Cambridge, and is there recorded upon the cylinder of the Spring 

 Governor. Then, by an examination of the records upon the cylinders, 

 the difference in time can be readily ascertained, and by a mean of 

 many operations of a like character, not only the difference iu time 

 between the places may be ascertained, but the actual time, which 

 should be allowed for the ti'ansmission of the electrical pulsation in 

 connection with the movement of the armature, may be determined. 



This method of recording the instant of an observed phenomenon, 

 whether to be transmitted to a distant observatory, or to be used at 

 the observatory where the observation is made, possesses this peculiar 

 advantage over any other with which we have any acquaintance, viz : 

 the observer observes the phenomenon without being embarrassed 

 with the trouble and anxiety of counting the beats of the clock or 

 chronometer, or estimating the fractions of the interval between the 

 beats at the instant of observation. In a practical sense his mind may 

 be fully concenti'ated upon the phenomenon of observation. ; the touch 

 upon the finger key being mostly mechanical, requires no mental ex- 

 ertion ; and further, the beats of the clock being recorded upon the 

 paper attached to the cylinder by equi-distant marks upon a spiral 

 line, furnishes a scale by which the fractional interval of the beat may 

 be measured with great accuracy. Since the exhibition, the apparatus 

 has been tested, and is found to more than equal the expectations of 

 all who have seen it. The Committee, therefore, in consideration of 

 the great aid which this invention promises to a great variety of scien- 

 tific investigations, cheerfully recommend that there be presented to 

 the inventor, by the Association, as a token of their approbation, a 

 Gold Medal. 



