The artificial clock-maker a treatise of watch, and clock-work, wherein the art of calculating numbers for most sorts of movements is explained to the capacity of the unlearned : also, the history of clock-work, both ancient and modern, with other useful matters, never before published / by W.D.

CHAP. I. Of the Terms of Art, or Names by which the parts of an Automa∣ton are called. (Book 1)

IT is necessary that I should shew the meaning of those Terms which Clock-makers use, that Gentlemen and others, unskilful in the Art, may know how to express themselves properly, in speaking; and also understand what I shall say in the following Book.

I shall not trouble the Reader with a recital of every name that doth occur, but only such as I shall have occasion to

use in the following discourse, and some few others that offer themselves, upon a transient view of a piece of work.

I begin with the more general Terms: as, the Frame; which is that which con∣tains the Wheels, and the rest of the work. The Pillars, and Plates, are what it chiefly consists of.

Next for the Spring, and its appurte∣nances. That which the Spring lies in, is the Spring-box; that which the Spring laps about, in the middle of the Spring-box, is the Spring-Arbor; to which the Spring is hooked at one end. At the top of the Spring-Arbor, is the Endless-Screw, and its Wheel.

That which the Spring draweth, and about which the Chain or String is wrap∣ped, and which is commonly taper, is the Fusy. In larger work, going with weights, where it is cylindrical, it is cal∣led the Barrel. The small Teeth at the bottom of the Fusy, or Barrel, that stop it in winding up, is the Ratchet. That which stops it when wound up, and is for that end driven up by the String, is the Garde-caut, or Guard-Cock, as others; and Garde-du-Cord, and Gard-du-Gut, as others call it.

The parts of a Wheel are, the Hoop, or Rim: the Teeth: the Cross: and the Collet, or piece of Brass, soddered on the Arbor, or Spindle, on which the Wheel is rivetted.

A Pinion is that little Wheel, which plays in the teeth of the Wheel. Its teeth (which are commonly 4, 5, 6, 8, &c.) are called Leves, not Teeth.

The ends of the Spindle, are called Pevetts: the holes in which they run, Pevet-holes.

The guttered Wheel, with Iron spikes at the bottom, in which the line of or∣dinary House-Clocks doth run, is called the Pully.

I need not speak of the Dial-plate, the Hand, Screws, Wedges, Stops, &c.

Thus much for general Names, which are common to all parts of a Movement.

The parts of a Movement, which I shall consider, are the Watch, and Clock.

The Watch-part of a Movement is that which serveth to the measuring the hours. In which the first thing I shall consider is the Ballance: whose parts are, the Rim, which is the circular part of it: the Verge, is its Spindle: to which belong the two

Pallets, or Nuts, which play in the fangs of the Crown▪Wheel: in Pocket-Watches, that strong Stud in which the lower Pe∣vet of the Verge plays, and in the mid∣dle of which one Pevet of the Crown-Wheel runs, is called the Pottans: the wrought piece which covers the Ballance, and in which the upper Pevet of the Bal∣lance plays, is the Cock. The small Spring in the new Pocket-Watches is the Regu∣lator.

The parts of a Pendulum are, the Verge▪ Pallets and Cocks, as before. The Ball in long Pendulums, the Bob in short ones, is the Weight at the bottom. The Rod, or Wire is plain. The terms pe∣culiar to the Royal Swing, are the Pads, which are the Pallets in others, and are fixed on the Spindle. The Fork is also fixed on the Spindle, and about 6 inches below, catcheth hold on the Rod, at a flat piece of Brass, called the Flatt, in which the lower end of the Spring is fastened.

The names of the Wheels next follow. The Crown-Wheel in Small pieces, and Swing-Wheel in Royal Pendulums, is that Wheel which drives the▪ Ballance, or Pen∣dulum.

The Contrate-Wheel, is that Wheel in Pocket-Watches, which is next to the Crown-Wheel, whose Teeth and Hoop lye contrary to those of other Wheels.

The Great-Wheel, or First-Wheel, is that which the Fusy, &c. immediately driveth. Next it, are the Second-Wheel, Third-Wheel, &c.

Next followeth the Work between the Frame and Dial-Plate. And first, is the Pinion of Report; which is that Pinion which is commonly fixed on the Arbor of the Great-Wheel, and in old Watches used to have commonly but four Leaves; which driveth the Dial-Wheel, and this carrieth about the Hand.

The last Part which I shall speak of, is the Clock, which is that part which serveth to strike the Hours: In which I shall

First speak of the Great▪ or First-Wheel; which is that which the Weight or Spring first drives. In 16 or 30 hour Clocks, this is commonly the Pin-Wheel; in 8 Day pieces▪ the Second-Wheel is commonly the▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 This Wheel with Pins is sometimes called the Striking-Wheel, or Pin-Wheel.

Next to this Striking-Wheel, follow∣eth the Detent-Wheel, or Hoop-Wheel, having a Hoop almost round it, in whic•• is a vacancy, at which the Cloc•• locks.

The next is the Third, or Fourth▪Wheel (according as it is distant fro•• the First-Wheel) called also the Warning▪Wheel.

And lastly is the Flying-Pinion, with a Fly or Fan to gather Air, and so bridle the rapidity of the Clock's motion.

Besides these, there are the Pinion o•• Report, of which before; which driveth round the Locking-Wheel, called also the Count-Wheel, with 11 Notches in it com∣monly, unequally distant from one ano∣ther, to make the Clock strike the hour•• of 1, 2, 3, &c.

Thus much for the Wheels of the Clock part.

Besides which there are the Rash, or Ratch; which is that sort of Wheel, of twelve large Fangs, that runneth concen∣trical to the Dial-Wheel, and serveth to lift up the Detents every hour, and make the Clock strike.

The Detents are those Stops, which

by being lifted up, or let ••all down, do lock and unlock the Clock in striking.

The Hammers s••rike the Bell: The Hammer-tails are what the Striking∣pins draw back the Hammers by.

Latches are what li••t up, and unlock the Work.

Catches are what hold by hooking, or catching hold of.

The Lifting-pieces do lift up, and un∣lock the Detents, in the Clock part.