Novelty regulator using a ball rolling down a zigzag tilting track as the escapement's timekeeping element · England
Congreve Rolling-Ball Clock (type)
Partially verifiedAn unusual escapement type in which a ball rolls along a grooved, tilting plate; when the ball reaches one end, the plate tilts the other way (driven by the clock's going train) and the ball rolls back, each traverse taking a set time.
Technical facts
- Regulator
- Ball rolling on a tilting zigzag-grooved plate
- Typical period per traverse
- Often around 30 seconds, varying by individual example
Historical significance
- An unusual escapement type in which a ball rolls along a grooved, tilting plate; when the ball reaches one end, the plate tilts the other way (driven by the clock's going train) and the ball rolls back, each traverse taking a set time.
- More a horological curiosity and engineering demonstration than a precision standard — accuracy is markedly inferior to a good pendulum clock, and this should be stated plainly rather than presented as a serious rival timekeeper.
Sources & references
- Antiquarian Horological Society, articles on Congreve's rolling-ball clock
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.