Mechanical Clock Research Articles

Noise-Induced Quantum Synchronization and Entanglement in a Quantum Analogue of Huygens' Clock.

We propose a quantum analogue of the Huygens clock, where the phases of two spins synchronize through their interaction with a shared environment. This environment acts like the escapement mechanism in a mechanical clock, regulating the gear train and allowing discrete timing advances. In our model, the relative phases of the two spins synchronize via a mutually correlated environment. We demonstrate that several arguments can significantly reduce the cardinality of the allowed measurements for a system of qubits, thus simplifying the problem. We present a numerically efficient method to calculate the degree of quantumness in the correlations of the final density matrix, providing a tight upper bound for rank 3 and rank 4 density matrices. We suggest a potential realization of noise-induced synchronization between two nuclear spins coupled to a common ancilla undergoing dynamical decoupling.

Early Renaissance Concepts of Time and the Invention of Mechanical Clocks

Mechanical clocks appeared in Europe at the end of the thirteenth century and became widespread during the fourteenth century. Clocks utilized a periodic process – the oscillation of a verge – for accurate time measurement, which is consistent with the Aristotelian concept of time defined by motion. The concept was at the center of debates among scholastics and theologians, which culminated in the Church's Condemnation of Aristotelian teaching in 1277. The debate also led to the discovery of Impetus (inertial motion) by Buridan and Oresme. Sand clocks became a popular device at about the same time. The pendulum clocks invented by Huygens in the 1650s utilized linear oscillations, which, unlike the earlier verge mechanism, had their natural frequency. Both mechanisms are analyzed to explain why the introduction of the linear oscillator led to a 30-times accuracy improvement of the clock.

Occultation records in the Royal Frankish Annals for A.D. 807: Knowledge transfer from Arabia to Frankia?

The Royal Frankish Annals (RFA) report under A.D. 807 three lunar and one solar eclipse (complete and dated correctly), a lunar occultation of Jupiter, and “a small spot” on the Sun interpreted as Mercury transit. This transmission is embedded between texts on the landing of diplomatic delegates from Baghdad and Jerusalem in Venice and on their meeting with Charlemagne. Technology transfer is explicitly mentioned (a mechanical water clock). The interpretation of a spot on the Sun as planetary transit is attested in Arabic reports since A.D. 840. The Jupiter occultation by the Moon is dated “Luna 17,” correctly counted in Muslim calendar practice since the first crescent detection. Eclipse predictions and records by astronomers from the cAbbasid caliphate using Ptolemy’s Almagest are extant from the early ninth century. There are time-spans of 6 months each between the three reported lunar eclipses (806 Sep 1/2, 807 Feb 25/26, Aug 21/22), a period of possible repetition given in the Almagest, but not known to the Carolingians. The 6-month rule for lunar eclipses might be preserved in the Carolingian Seven Book Computus. We present multiple evidence that visitors from Baghdad brought new insight and fostered the Carolingian progress in astronomy.

Solid-state continuous time crystal in a polariton condensate with a built-in mechanical clock.

Time crystals (TCs) are many-body systems that display spontaneous breaking of time translation symmetry. We demonstrate a TC by using driven-dissipative condensates of microcavity exciton-polaritons, spontaneously formed from an incoherent particle bath. The TC phases are controlled by the power of a continuous-wave nonresonant optical drive exciting the condensate and the interaction with cavity phonons. Those phases are, for increasing power, Larmor-like precession of the condensate pseudo-spins-a signature of continuous TC; locking of the frequency of precession to self-sustained coherent phonons-stabilized TC; and doubling of TC's period by phonons-a discrete TC with continuous excitation. These results establish microcavity polaritons as a platform for the investigation of time-broken symmetry in nonhermitian systems.

Approaches to the development of river course cleaning systems from mechanical clocks

In this research, attention is focused on the removal of mechanical blockages in river ecosystems in order to eliminate the consequences of intensive anthropogenic impact on water bodies. The article proposes an automated system for separating mechanical blockages, which is a conveyor-type mechanical barrier. The specified system can be the first in a series of the following launch complexes: separation of mechanical blockages; sorting, drying and preparation; emission-free combustion in the innovative Univastum complex, as well as an independent separation system. As a result of the study, the main factors of the influence of river system cleaning systems on the environment were determined, aspects of the variability of such models were described and what they are related to, advantages and disadvantages were described in different cases of cleaning systems of different types, which allowed during further research to focus on finding ways solving local problems, taking into account the available approaches depending on the nature of anthropogenic influence. The group of systems proposed as the basis of effective variability was combined into systems with an average degree of impact on natural systems that, due to the diversity of approaches to different types of conditions, will be able to provide successful results in eliminating the effects of the impact on the water body. Tools for reducing anthropogenic impact, similar to the described systems, belong to the group that must be implemented in the shortest possible time, and will significantly lose their effectiveness over time due to the critical complexity of factors affecting the river system and limited access to information about the components of this impact in the post-war period. The research results will allow further development of recommendations for effective engineering protection of water resources from pollution and depletion in a particular region.

Weakly nonlinear analysis on synchronization and oscillation quenching of coupled mechanical oscillators

Various oscillatory phenomena occur in the world. Because some are associated with abnormal states (e.g. epilepsy), it is important to establish ways to terminate oscillations by external stimuli. However, despite the prior development of techniques for stabilizing unstable oscillations, relatively few studies address the transition from oscillatory to resting state in nonlinear dynamics. This study mainly analyzes the oscillation-quenching of metronomes on a platform as an example of such transitions. To facilitate the analysis, we describe the impulsive force (escapement mechanism) of a metronome by a fifth-order polynomial. By performing both averaging approximation and numerical simulation, we obtain a phase diagram for synchronization and oscillation quenching. We find that quenching occurs when the feedback to the oscillator increases, which will help explore the general principle regarding the state transition from oscillatory to resting state. We also numerically investigate the bifurcation of out-of-phase synchronization and beat-like solution. Despite the simplicity, our model successfully reproduces essential phenomena in interacting mechanical clocks, such as the bistability of in-phase and anti-phase synchrony and oscillation quenching occurring for a large mass ratio between the oscillator and the platform. We believe that our simple model will contribute to future analyses of other dynamics of mechanical clocks.

Batteryless implantable device with built-in mechanical clock for automated and precisely timed drug administration.

Adherence to medication plays a crucial role in the effective management of chronic diseases. However, patients often miss their scheduled drug administrations, resulting in suboptimal disease control. Therefore, we propose an implantable device enabled with automated and precisely timed drug administration. Our device incorporates a built-in mechanical clock movement to utilize a clockwork mechanism, i.e., a periodic turn of the hour axis, enabling automatic drug infusion at precise 12-h intervals. The actuation principle relies on the sophisticated design of the device, where the rotational movement of the hour axis is converted into potential mechanical energy and is abruptly released at the exact moment for drug administration. The clock movement can be charged either automatically by mechanical agitations or manually by winding the crown, while the device remains implanted, thereby enabling the device to be used permanently without the need for batteries. When tested using metoprolol, an antihypertensive drug, in a spontaneously hypertensive animal model, the implanted device can deliver drug automatically at precise 12-h intervals without the need for further attention, leading to similarly effective blood pressure control and ultimately, prevention of ventricular hypertrophy as compared with scheduled drug administrations. These findings suggest that our device is a promising alternative to conventional methods for complex drug administration.

Determination of the form of a spiral spring in a free state

The object of research. This article deals with a spiral spring made of tape material with a rectilinear cross-section.
 Investigated problem. If one end of a metal ruler is pinched, and a certain force is applied to the other end, it will bend under the action of the generated moment. The magnitude of the moment depends on the applied force and the length of the ruler. Therefore, the amount of deflection will increase with the increase of these parameters, and the shape of the ruler may take the spiral form. After the termination of the external load, the ruler will regain its original shape, that is, it will become straight. However, such spiral springs do not exist in practice. For compact sizes, the spring in its free state also has a spiral shape. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to find the elastic axis of a tape spiral spring in a free state, which under the action of a concentrated force takes a given shape.
 The main scientific results. The shape of the spiral spring in the free state is determined, which under the action of the applied force acquires the desired shape, which does not lead to the occurrence of frictional forces between adjacent coils.
 The area of practical use of research results. Spiral springs are widely used. One example is mechanical clock movements and measuring devices, in which the determination of indicators depends on the applied force that "unwinds" or "twists" the spring.
 Innovative technological product. The paper calculates the elastic axis of a spiral spring in a free state according to its given final shape, taking into account the moment that arises as a result of the applied force at the end of the spring. For this, the nonlinear theory of absolutely elastic bending using the methods of differential geometry of curved lines as a function of the own length of the arc of the spring axis is applied.
 The scope of application of the innovative technological product. The results obtained in the study can be used in the manufacture of spiral springs for various purposes, as well as for the accumulation of potential energy in the absence of other sources

Time Image De-Noising Method Based on Sparse Regularization

The blurring of texture edges often occurs during image data transmission and acquisition. To ensure the detailed clarity of the drag-time images, we propose a time image de-noising method based on sparse regularization. First, the image pixel sparsity index is set, and then an image de-noising model is established based on sparse regularization processing to obtain the neighborhood weights of similar image blocks. Second, a time image de-noising algorithm is designed to determine whether the coding coefficient reaches the standard value, and a new image de-noising method is obtained. Finally, the images of electronic clocks and mechanical clocks are used as two kinds of time images to compare different image de-noising methods, respectively. The results show that the sparsity regularization method has the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio among the six compared methods for different noise standard deviations and two time images. The image structure similarity is always above which shows that the proposed method is better than the other five image de-noising methods.

The Artistic Complexity of the Antikythera Mechanism: A Comprehensive Tutorial

Recovered in 1901, from a first-century BC shipwreck, the Antikythera Mechanism is considered to be the oldest extant complex geared device. It was constructed in ~150 BCE and was essentially an analog computer, an astronomical and calendrical device, designed to predict astronomical phenomena, such as lunar and solar eclipses, to maintain calendar accuracy and to predict the dates of Panhellenic Games. The device was operated manually by a user, setting a date in a dial. All necessary calculations were made using a set of gears (at least 39), while the results were displayed on several scientific scales. The Mechanism’s miniature size, the elaborate gear trains, the use of eccentrical gears and the employment of a pin–and–slot gear system to calculate the anomalous orbit of the Moon, demonstrate that the Greek mechanicians of the Hellenistic period had become far more skillful in designing geared devices than the surviving written sources imply. Geared devices matching the complexity of the Antikythera Mechanism would not appear again in Europe until the mechanical clocks of the thirteenth century. The aim of this paper is to present this ancient elaborate device in the most comprehensible way.

The artistic complexity of the Antikythera Mechanism: a comprehensive tutorial

Recovered in 1901, from a first-century BC shipwreck, the Antikythera Mechanism is considered to be the oldest extant complex geared device. It was constructed in ~150 BCE and was essentially an analog computer, an astronomical and calendrical device, designed to predict astronomical phenomena, such as lunar and solar eclipses, to maintain calendar accuracy and to predict the dates of Panhellenic Games. The device was operated manually by a user, setting a date in a dial. All necessary calculations were made using a set of gears (at least 39), while the results were displayed on several scientific scales. The Mechanism’s miniature size, the elaborate gear trains, the use of eccentrical gears and the employment of a pin–and–slot gear system to calculate the anomalous orbit of the Moon, demonstrate that the Greek mechanicians of the Hellenistic period had become far more skillful in designing geared devices than the surviving written sources imply. Geared devices matching the complexity of the Antikythera Mechanism would not appear again in Europe until the mechanical clocks of the thirteenth century. The aim of this paper is to present this ancient elaborate device in the most comprehensible way.

Traditional Mechanical Clock Craftsmanship (History of Qing Dynasty Clocks)

Traditional Mechanical Clock Craftsmanship (History of Qing Dynasty Clocks)

African Gowns and Turkish Buttons: Global Horizons of Material Expertise in a German Town

Abstract This article enquires into how townspeople in early modern Germany invested objects of foreign origin with meaning in the context of urban material culture. The basis of the argument are two interconnected case studies from Ulm in south-west Germany. The first part analyses how the seventeenth-century merchant Christoph Weickmann made sense of African artefacts which he displayed to visitors in his cabinet of curiosities, showing that his appreciation of them was closely linked to contemporary urban notions, regimes and practices of sartorial distinction. The second part zooms in on another object from Weickmann’s collection, a prayer chain with ‘Turkish’ buttons, the actual origin of which he kept secret. The biography of this object can, however, be reconstructed from the surviving narrative of its maker, Hans Ulrich Krafft, a patrician from Ulm who learned the craft of button-making and besides excelled at repairing mechanical clocks during his captivity in Tripoli in the 1570s. In his narrative, Krafft boasted about his skills as an artisan, but the manuscript was kept in the family. Nor did Weickmann, who later acquired some of the buttons made by Krafft, disclose their story, which would not have befitted a member of the patriciate. The two case studies thus demonstrate how the ‘foreignness’ of such artefacts was just one of several layers of meaning and value that were produced by the local urban community in interaction with the material qualities of the objects.

“They are Faithful, Precise, Relentless”. Clock Metaphor in Modern European Thought

The clock metaphor, which began to spread in European literature in the fourteenth century, at first became an expression of certain Christian virtues, most notably temperantia. By the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the function of this metaphor had expanded considerably, and the mechanical clock also became a symbol of the orderliness and harmony of the Universe, the wisdom of the Creator, and the image of an ideal monarchical state. In early modern times, the metaphor of the clock was associated with mechanical philosophy, most prominently in the writings of R. Boyle and R. Descartes. A distinctive feature of the new natural philosophy was its approach to understanding natural phenomena as if they were the result of the action of machines, and the mechanical clock was most often chosen as the machine-analog of the world. The structure and functioning of the clock mechanism served as an analogue of the structure and functioning not only of the Universe, but also of an ideal state in which everything emanated from a single center. The political connotations of chorological metaphors clearly correlated with the idea of a strong central authority with its desire for all-encompassing control and a unidirectional (top-down, no feedback) system of communication with non-central elements. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the metaphor of the clock gradually lost its popularity, especially in England. By the end of the Age of Enlightenment, the relationship between the laws of nature, rather than the coherence of the wheels of a clockwork mechanism, was seen as the best evidence in favor of a Higher Intelligence behind the “system of the world”. Clocks, on the other hand, have come to symbolize regimentation and oppression, an unfree, dull, repetitive mode of operation, rigid determinism, and the denial of free will (including the will of God). The mechanical clock, itself a worthy and useful device, symbolized all that was rejected by English intellectuals of the second half of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, primarily in the subjects of theology and politics.

Temperature and attendance displaying digital wall clock

Time is the most valuable thing in life. From the very ancient era, People used to measure time through the movement of sun and stars. With the ages, the evolution of time measuring devices came into sight. People start using sundials, hour-glass/sand glass, pendulum, Quartz etc to measure the particular length of time. Pendulum is widely known for its accuracy of time. The first mechanical clock came into existence in the early 14th century. After that different kinds of analog clocks were introduced like alarm clocks, wrist watches etc. Nowadays, people are fully dependent on digital clocks to keep track of time. It makes it easy and quite efficient to read the time on the basis of 24 hours. Every national and international time schedule is described in 24 hours format. Digital clocks are installed on every Railway station, government offices, banks etc. for the convenience of citizens. Because of their elegant look and small size, it can be incorporated with various electronic devices like televisions, computers, mobile phones further leading to enhance the features of those devices.

Compression force induces transient actomyosin activation and compression-time dependent stiffening in cells.

Cells are subject to a broad spectrum of mechanical stimuli, such as shear, tension and compression, which arise from their extracellular matrix and neighboring cells. As for today, we are still lacking a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which mechanical stimuli are sensed by cells and translated to adjust specific changes in their mechanical properties. Thus, the effect of transient compression on the mechanical properties of cells is systematically investigated in this work. Two fundamental questions are addressed: whether cells exhibit different mechanical responses depending on the time or force of compression and which cellular compartments are involved in the response to static compression. Consequently, we quantify the Young's modulus of cells before and after compression using beaded microcantilevers mounted on an atomic force microscope. Our experiments suggest that cells respond differently according to the time of compression. Compressing cells for short periods of time (10s) results in a significant but reversible stiffening of cells, whereas for long compression time (300s), cells do not show any significant response or in some cases soften slightly. Neither the force nor the depth of mechanical compression influences the compression-stiffening effect of the cell. Instead, the mechanical response of the cell seems to mainly depend on their initial mechanical state, as stiffer cells resulted to undergo less compression-stiffening compared to softer cells. By performing inhibitory assays, we find the actomyosin cortex to be mainly responsible for the compression-stiffening effect of the cell, whereas the osmotic pressure was not involved in the response. In conclusion, cells seem to have an internal mechanical clock which regulates different reorganizations of the actomyosin cortex in order to trigger different kind of mechanical responses to compression.

Filum Temporum in the Lives of Sailors (On Materials of Latin Romania in the 14th — 15th Centuries)

In the article on the basis of an analysis of the preserved astronomical calendars in Latin-speaking marine atlas, chronometric data of notebooks, rhythmic sailor’s songs as well as astronomical and chronometrical instruments from the 14th — 15th centuries are being reconstructed a special practice for the timing in the navigating conditions far from the temple which fixed time, who has publicly on the coming of the liturgical hours. The sailors was also one of the first to use the system of equal hours not dependent from season, from shifting duration of day and night by using initially the sandglass and later the mechanical clock. It was sailors earlier only have come to the discovery of the fast time in minutes and even seconds.

Impact of correlated colour temperature on user's time perception and emotional state: an experimental study with reference to fast-food outlets

Time is one of the most valuable resources in the world and is one of the most controversial concepts that can be discussed at experiential, conceptual, and philosophical levels. Concepts of time were recognizable even before the 19th century and most of the time its’ importance de- pends on the uniqueness of the moment or the irreversible factor of its perceptible nature. Keep- ing track of time in space is a key component of living beings, which intentionally or unintention- ally contributes to maintaining and concentrating attention, health, and well-being [1]- [4]. Due to rapid development and globalization, people are used to relying on mechanical clocks and clock time rather than brain time. These behavioral patterns and global movements influence people to deviate from their natural senses. Discouraging sensory stimuli to function at their full capacity can cause a range of diseases and impairments. Therefore, encouraging human senses is essen- tial for health and good performance. Studies have shown that the deliberate use of sensory cues can influence the brain’s timing mechanism to encourage or discourage its processing [5]-[8]. Accordingly, it is vital to recognize these brain time manipulative factors for their conducive incor- poration in an intuitively constructed environment. Even if time influences individuals’ emotions and behavior in built spaces, this notion has not been thoroughly discussed in the Architectural research domain. The sensory cues are mainly dominated by the visual cues of the contemporary world [9]. Among those visual cues, colour and lighting hold significant value in both natural and built environments [2]. This research primarily builds upon four well-structured research ques- tions given below.

Multi-Objective Optimization and Tradespace Analysis of a Mechanical Clock Movement Design

Abstract Pendulum clocks were the prevalent time keeping standard for centuries to regulate commerce and public activities. These mechanical movements were the most accurate timekeepers globally until replaced by electric clocks. Although mainly used for decorative purposes today, the pendulum clock's working principles and mechanical behavior can serve to demonstrate fundamental science and engineering concepts. The tradeoff between a clock's quality factor, pendulum properties, and period can best be explored with multiple objective optimization and tradespace analysis methods. In this project, a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA-II) and a Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing (MOSA) optimization approaches are applied to evaluate a Graham escapement street clock for pendulum mass and time accuracy with a range of the period. These clock designs vary the pendulum length, pendulum bob radius, and bob thickness. Horological concepts are used to calculate the overall performance and general utility. The numerical results show a 0.7% increase in the quality factor, and a 0.56% reduction in the mass, while maintaining the designed period by modifying the clock parameters. More importantly, these changes can provide material cost savings in a mass production scenario. Overall, the study highlights the tradeoff designer engineers have considered for decades which can now be visualized using computer tools for greater insight.

Clocks, Automata and the Mechanization of Nature (1300–1600)

This paper aims at tracking down, by looking at late medieval and early modern discussions over the ontological status of artifacts, the main steps of the process through which nature became theorized on a mechanistic model in the early 17th century. The adopted methodology consists in examining how inventions such as mechanical clocks and automata forced philosophers to modify traditional criteria based on an intrinsic principle of motion and rest for defining natural beings. The paper studies different strategies designed in the transitional period 1300–1600 for making these inventions compatible with classical definitions of nature and artifacts. In the first part of the paper, it is shown that, even if virtually all medieval philosophers acknowledged an ontological distinction between artifacts and natural beings, these different strategies demonstrate a growing concern about the consistency of the art/nature distinction. The next part of the paper studies how mechanical clocks, even before the Scientific Revolution, served as theoretical models for applying mechanistic views to different objects (be they cosmological, physical or biological). The epistemological function of clocks appears to stem from different factors (like the specific manufacturing of late medieval clocks as well as the evolution of 16th-century mechanics) that are listed in this second part of the paper. These factors, combined with the definitional issues raised by automata, explain that clocks became the symbol of a new approach to natural philosophy, characterized by the collapse of the art/nature distinction and the “mechanization of nature”.