Category
Escapements & Timing
3 articles in this category.
Escapements & Timing
The Flyball Governor: The First Machine That Controlled Itself
Two spinning balls on a shaft gave the industrial revolution its nervous system. See how the flyball governor held steam engines steady — and founded the science of feedback control.
Escapements & TimingThe Anchor Escapement: The Sound of Time Being Counted
Every tick of a pendulum clock is an escapement releasing exactly one tooth. See how the anchor converts swing into counted, audible time — and why it changed history twice.
Escapements & TimingThe Lever Escapement: Why Mechanical Watches Survived the Quartz Age
A watch ticks 20,000 times an hour for years on one winding. The lever escapement makes that possible — a jewel-tipped dance between balance wheel, fork and escape wheel.