Chapter XV: Part 15

The cock of the pendulum should be firmly fixed either to the wall or to the case of the clock, and not to the clock itself, as is sometimes done, and which has occasioned much irregularity in its rate, from the motion communicated to the point of suspension. We prefer a bracket or shelf of cast iron or brass, upon which the clock may be fixed, and the cock carrying the pendulum attached to its perpendicular back. This bracket may either be screwed to the back of the clock-case, or, which is the better mode, securely fixed to the wall; and if the latter be adopted, the whole may be defended from the atmosphere, or from dust, by the clock-case, which thus has no connection either with the clock or with the pendulum.

The point of suspension should be distinctly defined and immovable. This may be readily effected, after the pendulum shall have taken the direction of gravity, by means of a strong screw entering the cock (which should be very stout) on one side, and pressing a flat piece of brass into firm contact with the spring.

The impulse should be given in that plane of the rod which coincides with the plane of vibration passing through the axis of the rod. If the impulse be given at any point either before or behind this plane, the probable result will be a tremulous unsteady motion of the pendulum.

A few rough trials, and moving the weight, will bring the pendulum near its intended time of vibration, which should be left a little too slow; when the bob should be firmly fixed to the rod, if the form of the pendulum will admit of it, by a pin or screw passing through its centre.

The more delicate adjustment may be completed by shifting the place of the slider with which the pendulum is supposed to be furnished on the rod.

Mr. Browne (of whom we have before spoken) practises the following very delicate mode of adjustment for rate, which will be found extremely convenient, as it is not necessary to stop the pendulum in order to make the required alteration. Having ascertained, by experiment, the effect produced on the rate of the clock, by placing a weight upon the bob equal to a given number of grains, he prepares certain smaller weights of sheet-lead, which are turned up at the corners, that they may be conveniently laid hold of by a pair of forceps, and the effect of these small weights on the rate of the clock will be, of course, known by proportion. The rate being supposed to be in defect, the weights necessary to correct this may be deposited, without difficulty, upon the bob of the pendulum, or upon some convenient plane surface, placed in order to receive them: and should it be necessary to remove any one of the weights, this may readily be done by employing a delicate pair of forceps, without producing the slightest disturbance in the motion of the pendulum.

INDEX.

A.

Action and reaction, 34.

Aeriform fluids, 26.

Animalcules, 12.

Atmosphere, impenetrability of, 22.
Compressibility and elasticity of, 23.

Atoms, 6.
Coherence of, 7.

Attraction, magnetic, of gravitation, 8, 50, 64.
Molecular or atomic, 69.
Cohesion, 70.

Attwood, machine of, 92.

Axes, principal, 138.

Axis, mechanical properties of, 128.

B.

Balance, 279.
Of Bates, 288.
Use of, 289.
Danish, 299.
Bent-lever of Brady, 301.

Bodies, 2.
Lines, surfaces, edges, area, length of, 4.
Figure, volume, shape of, 5.
Porosity of, 17.
Compressibility of, 18.
Elasticity, dilatibility of, 19.
Inertia of, 27.
Rule for determining velocity of; motion of two bodies after
impact, 38.

C.

Capillary attraction, 73.

Capstan, 179.

Cause and effect, 7.

Circle of curvature, 99.

Cog, hunting, 191.

Components, 51.

Cord, 163.

Cordage, friction and rigidity of, 260.

Crank, 241.

Crystallisation, 14.

Cycloid, 158.

D.

Damper, self-acting, 234.

Deparcieux’s compensation pendulum, 319.

Diagonal, 51.

Dynamics, 160.

Dynamometer, 305.

E.

Electricity, 76.

Electro-magnetism, 76.

Equilibrium, neutral, instable, and stable, 118.

F.

Figure, 5.

Fly-wheel, 239.

Force, 6.
Composition and resolution of, 49.
Centrifugal, 98.
Moment of; leverage of, 135.
Regulation and accumulation of, 224.

Friction, effects of, 96.
Laws of, 264.

G.

Governor, 227.

Gravitation, attraction of, 77.
Terrestrial, 84.

Gravity, centre of, 107.

Gyration, radius of, centre of, 137.

H.

Hooke’s universal joint, 252.

Hydrophane, porosity of, 18.

I.

Impact, 39.

Impulse, 65.

Inclined plane, 163–209.

Inclined roads, 211.

Inertia, 27.
Laws of, 32.
Moment of, 137.

J.

Julien le Roy, compensation tube of, 319.

L.

Lever, 163.
Fulcrum of; three kinds of, 167.
Equivalent, 176.

Line of direction, 110.

Liquids, compressibility of, 24.

Loadstone, 68.

M.

Machines, simple, 160.
Power of, 175.
Regulation of, 225.

Magnet, 68.

Magnetic attraction, 8.

Magnetism, 76.

Magnitude, 4.

Marriott’s patent weighing machine, 305.

Materials, strength of, 272.

Matter, properties of, 2.
Impenetrability of, 4.
Atoms of; molecules of, 6.
Divisibility of, 9.
Examples of the subtilty of, 12.
Limit to the divisibility of, 13.
Porosity of; density of, 17.
Compressibility of, 18.
Elasticity and dilatability of, 19.
Impenetrability of, 22.
Inertia of, 27.

Mechanical science, foundation of, 16.

Metronomes, principles of, 153.

Molecules, 6.

Motion, laws of, 46.
Uniformly accelerated, 87.
Table illustrative of, 90.
Retarded; of bodies on inclined planes and curves, 94.
Rotary and progressive, 127.
Mechanical contrivances for the modification of, 245.
Continued rectilinear; reciprocatory rectilinear; continued
circular; reciprocating circular, 246.

N.

Newton, method of, for determining the thickness of transparent
substances, 10.
Laws of motion of, 46.

O.

Oscillation, 129.
Of the pendulum, 145.
Centre of, 152.

P.

Parallelogram, 51.

Particle, 6.

Pendulum, oscillation or vibration of, 145.
Isochronism of, 147.
Centre of oscillation of, 152.
Of Troughton, 284.
Compensation, 307.
Of Harrison, 313.
Tubular, of Troughton, 314.
Of Benzenberg, 316.
Ward’s compensation, 318.
Captain Kater’s compensation, 320.
Reid’s; Ellicott’s compensation, 322.
Steel and brass compensation, 324.
Mercurial, 326.
Graham’s mercurial, 329.
Wood and lead, 334.
Smeaton’s, 335.

Percussion, 130.
Centre of, 144.

Planes of cleavage, 15.

Porosity, 17.

Power, 161.

Properties, 2.

Projectiles, curvilinear path of, 82.

Pulley, 164.
Tackle; fixed, 198.
Single moveable, 200.
Called a runner; Spanish bartons, 205.

R.

Rail-roads, 213.

Regulating damper, 233.

Regulators, 227.

Repulsion, 8.
Molecular, 74.

Resultant, 51.

Rose-engine, 250.

S.

Salters, spring balance of, 305.

Screw, 209.
Concave, 217.
Micrometer, 223.

Shape, 5.

Siphon, capillary, 73.

Spring, 304.

Statics, 160.

Steelyard, 294.
C. Paul’s, 296.
Chinese, 299.

T.

Table, whirling, 99.

Tachometer, 234.

Tread-mill, 179.

V.

Velocity, angular, 99.

Vibration, 129.
Of the pendulum, 145.
Centre of, 152.

Volume, 5–17.

W.

Watch, mainspring of; balance wheel of, 195.

Water regulator, 229.

Wedge, 209.
Use of, 215.

Weight, 161–291.

Weighing machines, 278.
For turnpike roads, 302.
By means of a spring, 303.

Wheels, spur, crown, bevelled, 189.
Escapement, 194.

Wheel and axle, 177.

Wheel-work, 176.

Winch, 179.

Windlass, 178.

Wollaston’s wire, 10.

Z.

Zureda, apparatus of; Leupold’s application of, 251.

END OF MECHANICS.

LONDON:
SPOTTISWOODES and SHAW
New-street-Square.