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The Riefler escapement is a mechanical escapement for precision pendulum clocks invented and patented [1] by German instrument maker Sigmund Riefler in 1889. [2] It was used in the astronomical regulator clocks made by his German firm Clemens Riefler from 1890 to 1965, [ 3 ] which were perhaps the most accurate all-mechanical pendulum clocks made.
Sigmund worked mainly on new developments in the area of drawing instruments and precision clocks, while his brothers handled the technical, sales and management of the company. In 1878 he settled in Munich, to be in contact with the local scientific community. [4] He invented the Riefler escapement which was patented in 1889. [5]
Gravity escapements were used in tower clocks. By the end of the 19th century specialized escapements were used in the most accurate clocks, called astronomical regulators, which were employed in naval observatories and for scientific research. The Riefler escapement, used in Clemens-Riefler regulator clocks was accurate to 10 milliseconds per day.
Sigmand Riefler (1847–1912), German clockmaker, Munich, Riefler precision pendulum clocks. Webster Clay Ball (1847–1922), American jeweller and watchmaker, Cleveland, railroad chronometer, Hamilton Watch Company. Henri Lioret (1848–1938), French watchmaker and inventor, Paris, automatons, first useful audio recordings.
The escapement was never mass produced, and no examples are known to exist. It might be relevent to the Sigmund Reifler biographical article but not here, as the watch escapement was necessarily different from his pendulum clock escapement. There is a more important problem with this article. Riefler invented two pendulum clock escapements.
It's interesting how wide the claims of accuracy differ: For the Riefler escapement, we find claims of 0,0004 s/d (German WP) = 1/7 s/y to 10 ms/d = 4 s/y (English WP). Here, we read about 1 s/y to 1/12 s/y. Interestingly, the NIST used a Riefler clock, and Riefler outnumbered Synchronome by about 7:1 at observatories.
Galileo's escapement is a design for a clock escapement, invented around 1637 by Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642). It was the earliest design of a pendulum clock. Since he was by then blind, Galileo described the device to his son, who drew a sketch of it. The son began construction of a prototype, but both he and Galileo died ...
An astronomer would press a button every time a star appeared to cross one of the wires, which would send an impulse to the clock. This was compared with the solar time observed on the Riefler Clock No. 224 and results published by the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. The result was a clock that was accurate to the hundredth of a second.