Website designed and maintained by Microport © 2010 -20
The
earliest
known
example
of
a
clockwork
mechanism
is
the
Antikythera
mechanism,
a
geared
analogue
computer
from
1
st
C
BC,
for
calculating
astronomical
positions
and
eclipses,
recovered
from
a
Greek
shipwreck.
There
are
many
other
accounts
of
clockwork
devices
in
ancient
Greece,
including
in
its
mythology,
and
the
mechanism
itself
is
sophisticated
enough
to
indicate
a
significant
history
of
lesser
devices
leading
up
to
its
creation.
At
some
point,
this
level
of
sophistication
in
clockwork
technology
was
lost
or
forgotten
in
Europe,
and
only
returned
when
brought
from
the
Islamic
world
after
the
Crusades.
Clockwork
finally
recovered
the
equivalent
of
pre-Roman technological levels in the 14
th
century.
As
well
as
Archytas's
dove,
mentioned
by
Aulus
Gellius
(a
Roman
who
lived
in
Athens),
there
are
ambitious
automation claims in the legends of other cultures.
In
Jewish
legend,
Solomon
used
his
wisdom
to
design
a
throne
with
mechanical
animals
which
hailed
him
as
king
when
he
ascended
it.
When
King
Solomon
stepped
upon
the
throne,
a
mechanism
was
set
in
motion,
such
that
as
he
stepped
upon
the
first
step,
a
golden
ox
and
a
golden
lion
each
stretched
out
one
foot
to
support
him
and
help
him
rise
to
the
next
step.
On
each
side,
the
animals
helped
the
King
up
until
he
was
comfortably
seated
upon
the
throne.
Upon
sitting
down,
an
eagle
would
place
a
crown
upon
his
head,
and
a
dove
would
bring
him
a
Torah
scroll.
In
ancient
China,
a
curious
account
of
automation
is
found
in
the
Lie
Zi
text.
Within
it
there
is
a
description
of
a
much
earlier
encounter
between
King
Mu
of
Zhou
(1023-957
BC)
and
a
mechanical
engineer
known
as
Yan
Shi,
an
'artificer' who presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical handiwork.
There
are
similar
Chinese
accounts
of
flying
automata,
written
of
the
5
th
C
BC
Mohist
philosopher
Mozi
and
his
contemporary Lu Ban, who made artificial wooden birds (ma yuan) that could successfully fly.
By
11
th
C,
clockwork
was
used
for
both
timepieces
and
to
track
astronomical
events,
in
Europe.
The
clocks
did
not
keep
time
very
accurately
by
modern
standards,
but
the
astronomical
devices
were
carefully
used
to
predict
the
positions of planets and other movement.
Up
to
15
th
C,
clockwork
was
driven
by
water,
weights,
or
other
relatively
primitive
means,
but
in
1430
a
clock
was
presented
to
Philip
the
Good,
Duke
of
Burgundy,
that
was
driven
by
a
spring.
This
then
became
a
standard
technology
along
with
weight-driven
movements.
In
the
mid
16
th
C,
Christiaan
Huygens
took
an
idea
from
Galileo
Galilei
and
developed
it
into
the
first
modern
pendulum
mechanism.
However,
whereas
the
spring
or
the
weight
provided
the
motive
power,
the
pendulum
merely
controlled
the
rate
of
release
of
that
power
via
some
escape
mechanism (an escapement) at a regulated rate.
The
Smithsonian
Institution
has
in
its
collection
a
clockwork
monk,
about
15
in
(380
mm)
high,
possibly
dating
as
early
as
1560.
The
monk
is
driven
by
a
key-wound
spring
and
walks
the
path
of
a
square,
striking
his
chest
with
his
right
arm,
while
raising
and
lowering
a
small
wooden
cross
and
rosary
in
his
left
hand,
turning
and
nodding
his
head,
rolling
his
eyes,
and
mouthing
silent
obsequies.
From
time
to
time,
he
brings
the
cross
to
his
lips
and
kisses
it.
It
is
believed
that
the
monk
was
manufactured
by
Juanelo
Turriano,
mechanician
to
the
Holy
Roman
Emperor
Charles V.
THE CLOCKWORK
(S8x32)
Minnie Banninger My Inspirations (2015)
1- 4
1s+2s
petronella
into
centre,
set
advancing,
finishing
B-to-B
with
partners
5- 8
1L
&
2M
½
turn
RH
to
face
each
other
&
petronella
turn
to
1L
in
2
nd
place
&
2M
in
1
st
place
own
sides,
while
1M
&
2L
dance
round
clockwise to finish in new positions opposite partners
9-16
1s
cross
RH
down
between
3s,
cast
up,
cross
up
between
2s
&
cast
off to finish LSh/LSh in centre facing opposite sides
17-24
2s+1L,
1M+3s
dance
RH
across,
1s
pull
RSh
back
&
turn
1¾
2H
to
finish 2
nd
place own sides
25-32
2s,
1s
&
3s
dance
Corner
Pass
&
Turn,
1s
pass
RSh
from
sidelines
towards
1
st
corner,
corners
turn
2H,
1s
pass
RSh
&
repeat
with
2
nd
corners, 1s pass RSh to finish in 2
nd
place