Beam (clock industry)

Beam of a clock

The beam of a clock is a Pendule, consisted of a vertical stem, being able to oscillate around a horizontal axis, and comprising a weight at its low end. This weight is generally appeared as a convex disc, usually of an heavy metal (such as steel), in order to reduce the forces of resistance of the Air.

The movement of the beam is controlled and perpetuated by a mechanism called exhaust, generally of type “with anchor”; the exhaust provides the impulses of counting to the wheel of exhaust, which involves by Engrenage S the wheel of the seconds, then those of the minutes and the hours.

The maintenance of the movement was assured, in the old clocks, by the descent of a counterweight related to a drum via a chain or of a cord. It was necessary periodically to go up this counterweight.

The drive by relaxation of a arises is currently preferred because of its least obstruction; this spring “is also gone up” with a key.

Causes of error

The period of the beam is related to the length of the stem. During a change of temperature, this one changes, modifying the measurement of time. To counter this disadvantage, certain sophisticated clocks use a beam with mercury tanks, whose dilation cancels that of the stem of the beam.

Beam of a watch

In the watch S, or the Stop watch S, the beam is a flying of inertia, generally circular, which swivels around an axis of rotation. A spiral Ressort is coupled to him and makes it possible the beam to oscillate of a regular movement.

This movement is entrenu by the anchor, which prints with the beam an impulse with each of two alternations of an oscillation. The exhaust functions like an arm of lever, and forces it principal spring, transmitted by the wheels is exerted on surfaces of friction of the anchor. In the first exhausts of the Roskoff type, the arbor of the hollow balance wheel acted as exhaust.

Each alternation of the oscillations of the beam produces a light noise responsible for the “tick-tock” characteristic of the watches.

Surfaces of friction of the exhaust, or those receiving the arbor of the balance wheel are generally out of stone (Rubis) synthetic to avoid their wear.

The majority of the watches are known as “shock-proof” thanks to a protective system of the axes by means of very fine steel springs (gone up in end of axes).

In the keyless watches with quartz, the movement is ensured, either by the relaxation of a Ressort, but by a Electrical motor supplied with a pile whose impulses are controlled by an electronic circuit called oscillator with quartz, because the precision of its frequency of Résonance is ensured by a quartz (Electronics component).

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