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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]
The first mechanical escapement, the verge escapement, was invented in medieval Europe during the 13th century and was the crucial innovation that led to the development of the mechanical clock. The design of the escapement has a large effect on a timepiece's accuracy, and improvements in escapement design drove improvements in time measurement ...
A balance wheel, or balance, is the timekeeping device used in mechanical watches and small clocks, analogous to the pendulum in a pendulum clock.It is a weighted wheel that rotates back and forth, being returned toward its center position by a spiral torsion spring, known as the balance spring or hairspring.
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.
The verge escapement caused the foliot to oscillate back and forth about its vertical axis. [12] The rate of the clock could be adjusted by moving the weights in or out on the foliot. The verge escapement probably evolved from an alarm mechanism to ring a bell which had appeared centuries earlier.
Anchor escapement clocks driven by a mainspring required a fusee to even out the force of the mainspring. It is a recoil escapement as mentioned above; the momentum of the pendulum pushes the escape wheel backward during part of the cycle. This causes extra wear to the movement, and applies varying force to the pendulum, causing inaccuracy.
Another escapement also called a "pin pallet escapement", unrelated to the Roskopf above, is the Brocot escapement, invented in 1823 by Louis-Gabriel Brocot [7] and improved by his son Achille, and used in 19th century French pendulum clocks. It is a variation of the anchor escapement in which the pallets are semicircular pins. The escapement ...