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Isochronous (horology)
A balance spring, or hairspring, is a spring attached to the balance wheel in mechanical timepieces. It causes the balance wheel to oscillate with a resonant frequency when the timepiece is running, which controls the speed at which the wheels of the timepiece turn, thus the rate of movement of the hands. A regulator lever is often fitted, which can be used to alter the free length of the spring and thereby adjust the rate of the timepiece. The balance spring is a fine spiral or helical torsion spring used in mechanical watches, alarm clocks, kitchen timers, marine chronometers, and other timekeeping mechanisms to control the rate of oscillation of the balance wheel. The balance spring is an essential adjunct to the balance wheel, causing it to oscillate back and forth. The balance spring and balance wheel together form a harmonic oscillator, which oscillates with a precise period or "beat" resisting external disturbances, and is responsible for timekeeping accuracy. The additio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alarm Clock Balance Wheel
An alarm device is a mechanism that gives an audible, visual or other kind of alarm signal to alert someone to a problem or condition that requires urgent attention. Alphabetical musical instruments Etymology The word ''alarm'' comes from the Old French ''a l'arme'' meaning "to the arms", or "to the weapons", telling armed men to pick up their weapons and get ready for action because an enemy may have suddenly appeared. The word ''alarum'' is an archaic form of ''alarm''. It was sometimes used as a call to arms in the stage directions of Elizabethan dramas. The term comes from the Italian ''all'armi'' and appears 89 times in Shakespeare's first folio. Often explained as the off-stage sounds of conflict or disturbance, recent research suggests a bell or drum may have been used to rouse soldiers from sleep. History and development Early alarm devices were often bells, drums, other musical instruments, or any items which made unusual loud noises that attracted the attention ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
