Accurate Clock Pendulums

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Robert J. Matthys (, Former Senior Research Engineer, Honeywell Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA)

Accurate Clock Pendulums

Robert J. Matthys (, Former Senior Research Engineer, Honeywell Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA)

$330

Hardback

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English

Oxford University Press
01 July 2004

History of science; Physics; Instruments & instrumentation engineering; Clocks, chronometers & watches (horology); Materials science

The Shortt clock, made in the 1920s, is the most famous accurate clock pendulum ever known, having an accuracy of one second per year when kept at nearly constant temperature. Almost all of a pendulum clock's accuracy resides in its pendulum. If the pendulum is accurate, the clock will be accurate. In this book, the author describes many scientific aspects of pendulum design and operation in simple terms with experimental data, and little mathematics. It has been written, looking at all the different parts and aspects of the pendulum in great detail, chapter by chapter, reflecting the degree of attention necessary for making a pendulum run accurately. The topics covered include the dimensional stability of different pendulum materials, good and poor suspension spring designs, the design of mechanical joints and clamps, effect of quartz on accuracy, temperature compensation, air drag of different bob shapes and making a sinusoidal electromagnetic drive. One whole chapter is devoted to simple ways of improving the accuracy of ordinary low-cost pendulum clocks, which have a different construction compared

to the more expensive designs of substantially well-made ones. This book will prove invaluable to anyone who wants to know how to make a more accurate pendulum or pendulum clock.

By: Robert J. Matthys ( Former Senior Research Engineer Honeywell Inc Minneapolis MN USA)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 256mm, Width: 196mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 733g
ISBN: 9780198529712
ISBN 10: 0198529716
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 01 July 2004
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

General 1: Better accuracy from simple pendulums 2: A short history of temperature compensation 3: Scaling the size of a pendulum 4: Finding a pendulum's axis of rotation 5: Does a pendulum's axis of rotation shift with amplitude? 6: Some practical properties of quartz 7: Putting Q in perspective 8: The Allan variance and the root mean square time error 9: Transient temperature effects in a pendulum 10: Transient response of a pendulum to temperature change 11: Dimensional stability of pendulum materials 12: Variations on a Riefler bob shape 13: Bob shape 14: Rate adjustment mechanisms Suspension spring 15: Spring suspensions for accurate pendulums 16: James' suspension spring equations 17: Barometric compensation with a crossed spring suspension? 18: Solid one-piece suspension springs 19: Stable connections to a suspension spring 20: Stability of suspension spring materials Pendulum rod 21: Pendulum rod materials 22: The heat treatment of invar 23: The instability of invar 24: Position sensitivity along the pendulum rod 25: Fasteners for quartz pendulum rods 26: Effect of the pendulum rod on Q Air and clock case effects 27: Correcting the pendulum's air pressure error 28: Pendulum air movement: a failed experiment 29: Pendulum air movement: a second try 30: Time error due to air pressure variations 31: Effect of the clock case walls on a pendulum Electronics 32: An electronically driven pendulum 33: Sinusoidal drive of a pendulum 34: Photoelectronics for pendulums 35: Check your clock against WWV 36: Electronic correction for air pressure variations

Robert J. Matthys was a Senior Research Engineer at Honeywell, Inc., from 1952 to 1987. He has spent thirty-seven years designing a wide variety of hardware and instrumentation in the fields of electronics, optics, acoustics, mechanics, and photography. In addition, he has spent nine years designing and testing pendulums of various kinds, along with their electronic drive systems and servos, both pulsed and continuous sine wave. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reviews for Accurate Clock Pendulums

... a much-needed 'materials and methods' handbook ... It gives the reader a staggering amount of factual details on materials, methods, and the results of scrupulous experiments. Horological Journal ... the constant effort to ensure that opinions which diverge from his own are duly and respectfully noted; punctiliousness in acknowledging sources, and ensuring that all contributions to the knowledge-base by even the most minor personages are given full recognition - those are the attributes of Bob Matthys' book which (even more than its wealth of information and ideas) will ensure that it becomes a classic. Horological Journal ... this book is an eye-opener ... wealth of information. Horological Journal