Here goes. What is the relationship between balance wheel diameter, balance wheel weight, spring length and spring strength, frequency and amplitude of balance wheel rotation. I know that all four of these elements work together but I can't find anyone who can explain how they all affect each other

Guy,
The way I think about your question is also the way I trouble shoot a problem with the group of parts. You know that when you have a working balance everything works nicely together to deliver the BPM to drive your time train to the correct hour and minute. If you then start thinking about keeping all things steady state and modifing one thing you can see how it all fits together. For example: What would happen if the balance wheel increased in weight? The mechanisim would slow. If it lost weight the mechinism would speed up. You can also pose these same scenarios for all the other key componet parts to see how they all fit together.
I'm sure there are folks that can design a movement or balance in their head using simple math but that would not be me. It is enough for me if I can figure out what is wrong and then take the appropriate action to correct it. I am then delighted that my theory of the malfunction and my proposed correction translates in to a repaired mechanisim.

Larry

LArry,

Thanks for your reply. so far. as the weight of the balance wheel increases the frequency of osscilation decreases. as the length of spring increases the frequency decreases. what about amplitude and spring strength? COme on folks, there must be an answer out there.

Larry,
It was great to see your response. It is the same approach I would take to "get it working".

Welcome to Ch. 185 it is great to have you here.

I don't know about the mathematics of it all. I have always wondered if a larger diameter balace wheel, or a longer pendulum would make a clock more accurate or not. I guess everything involved would have to be taken into account. I expected a ships chronometer to have a very large balace wheel, but they are usually as small as on a watch. Maybe a smaller one is more accurate?

On a torsion clock, you can move the weights of the pendulum in or out to adjust the timing. On an Atmos, you change the length of the suspension spring (I believe) to adjust it's timing. Strange. Both are torsion clocks.


Andy

You should read the book The Modern Clock by Ward L. Goodrich. He has many very detailed and scholarly definitions of how and why the clock works. It is a 'bible' of information and well worth the price.
Moses