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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.
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.
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 ...
Tourbillon, a mechanical refinement to an escapement that mitigates the effects of gravity on the operation of a timepiece Retrograde indication (hands sweep through an arc of a circle instead of the full circle, usually 90°, they spring back to 0° when they reach the 90° point and start sweeping again)
Riefler escapement; V. Verge escapement; Media in category "Escapements" This category contains only the following file. Figure 6.tif 1,220 × 908; 1.68 MB
Of course, the truth of this depends on what is meant by "widespread" - but I am quite sure that the number of "important" (my word) escapements is higher. For example, Riefler's free escapement (which even has its own article here in the English WP) and Riefler's gravity escapement are definitely worth mentioning as the climax of mechanical ...