The marine chronometer : its history and development : incorporating Gould's own amendments and additions from his original annotated manuscripts / Rupert T. Gould ; with new illustrations and a foreword to this edition by Jonathan Betts ; [editor: Susannah Hecht]
Difficulties of the early navigators -- proposals to find longitude by variation, by the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites, by lunar transits, and by lunar distances -- establishment of the "Nautical Almanac" -- offer of various Government rewards -- formation of the Board of Longitude -- its work and methods. -- ch. I The "Nuremberg Egg" -- The basis of time measurement -- mechanism of the early "Nuremberg Eggs "the "stackfreed" and "fusee" -- Hooke's work in connection with horology -- introduction of the balance spring. -- ch. II Early efforts to construct a marine timekeeper, 1660-1760 -- Huyghens' timekeepers, and their trials at sea -- machines and methods proposed by Leibnitz, Hutchinson, Hall, Plank, Hobbs, and Palmer -- Thacker's "chronometer" -- Hautefeuille's plan -- Sully's marine clock and watch -- their trials and failure -- projects of Dutertre, Rivaz, and Jenkins. -- ch. III John Harrison (Part I.) -- Harrison's parentage and early years -- invention of the "gridiron" parentag pendulum and "grasshopper" escapement -- construction of his first timekeeper -- his voyage to Lisbon -- construction of his second, third, and fourth machines -- mechanical details of No. 4. -- ch. IV John Harrison (Part II.) -- Trial of No. 4 by voyage to Jamaica -- inconclusive result of this trial -- modification of No. 4's mechanism -- second trial of No. 4 -- disputes between Harrison and the Board of Longitude -- payment of first half of reward -- trial of No. 4 at Greenwich -- construction of No. 5 -- intervention of H.M. King George III. -- payment of second half of reward -- Harrison's last pamphlet -- his death and burial. -- Chpater V Kendall and Mudge -- Kendall constructs duplicate of No. 4 -- its performance during Cook's voyage -- later timekeepers made by Kendall -- history of the "Bounty's" timekeeper -- Mudge invents the lever escapement -- examines No. 4 -- mechanism of his first timekeeper -- its trials at Greenwich -- constructs his "Blue" and "Green" -- petitions Parliament and receives £2,500 -- his death. -- Postscript. -- Coombe's timekeeper and its trial at Greenwich. -- ch. VI Le Roy and Berthoud -- Le Roy's first "detached" escapement -- his early timekeeper -- produces the prototype of the modern chronometer -- invention of the compensation balance -- his chronometer escapement -- trials of his machines at sea -- wins double prize offered by Academic des Sciences -- list of his published works. -- Berthoud's early machines -- their gradual evolution -- performance of his No. 8 at sea -- mechanism of his No. 37 -- his controversy with Le Roy -- his literary activity -- Louis Berthoud and his work. -- Postscript. -- The Spanish school of chronometer -- making work of Sanchez, Albino, Munoz and others -- abandonment of the enterprise. -- ch. VII John Arnold -- His early life -- makes very small watch for King George III. -- his early timekeepers unsuccessful -- his pocket chronometers -- invents spring -- detent escapement and several forms of compensation balance -- establishes a manufactory of chronometers -- succeeded in business by his son. -- ch. VIII Thomas Earnshaw -- His autobiography, "Longitude" -- invention of his springdetent escapement, and improved compensation balance -- competes for the £10,000 reward -- the three trials of his chronometers at Greenwich -- award of £3,000 -- opposition to this award by other makers, and by Sir Joseph Banks -- his unsuccessful petition to Parliament. -- Postscript. -- The chronometer assumes its modern form. -- Preliminary Note -- The chronometer gradually comes into general use -- opposition and indifference evinced in various quarters -- progress during the last century. -- ch. IX The escapement -- The modern escapement -- pivoted detent versus spring detent -- "tripping" "constant force" "escapements" free balance "escapements" -- the lever escapement -- "half chronometer" escapement -- the tourbillon. -- ch. X The balance spring -- Its fundamental importance -- materials employed: steel, gold, palladium, glass, elinvar -- terminal curves -- form of the spring: flat, helical, conical spherical, etc. -- double springs acceleration -- effect of heat and cold -- the compensation curb. -- ch. XI The compensation balance (Part 1.) -- Earnshaw's balance the starting point of further improvements -- middle temperature error -- "discontinuous" auxiliary compensations: Poole's, Eiffe's, Molyncux Kullberg's. Mercer's -- Dent's "prismatic" balance -- Kullberg's "hollow-rim" balance. -- ch. XII The compensation balance (Part II.) -- "Continuous" auxiliary compensations -- balances with laminated cross-bars: Hardy's, Massey's, Arnold's, Dent's, Hartnup's, Kullberg's, Frodsham's -- Ulrich's balances -- Barraud's compensating weights -- Hutton's auxiliary -- mercurial balances -- Loseby's mercurial auxiliary -- trials of his chronometers -- the "integral" balance -- Airy's bar -- nonmagnetic balances -- barometric error -- variation of gravity. -- ch. XIII Miscellaneous mechanical developments -- "Up-and-down indicator" -- "make-and-break" attachments -- attempts to abolish the fusee -- banking devices -- balance locking mechanisms -- chronometers going more than eight days -- winding gear -- winding keys -- weight driven chronometers -- reversed fusee -- 24 hour dials -- chronometers showing sidereal and mean time -- chronometers indicating difference of longitude -- attached thermometers -- airtight cases -- oil -- jewelling -- plans for keeping chronometers at a uniform temperature -- gimbals -- anti-magnetic suspensions. -- Postscript New chronometer by Paul Ditisheim. -- ch. XIV The modern chronometer -- Detailed description: framework, driving power, fusee, train, up and down indicator, motion work -- how to set the hands -- stowage of chronometers -- winding -- starting -- transporting -- wedging the balance -- comparing -- cleaning -- purchasing -- the future of the chronometer. -- Necessity for shore trials -- methods of rating -- early, "premium," and modern trials -- statistics of each
Summary
This new edition of Gould's seminal text on the development of the marine chronometer reproduces the original also includes the author's own extensive notes, made in preparation for a second edition. These amendments, additions and sketches are carefully placed to clearly distinguish them from the original text. --
An Foreword by Jonathan Betts, Gould's biographer and the Senior Curator of Horology at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, outlines the significance of this new edition, whilst placing the book and its author into context. A new gallery of 65 images comprises portraits, up-to-date photographs and black and white images from Gould's collection. --
First published in 1923, The Marine Chronometer comprehensively outlines the earliest attempts to measure longitude. The definitive work of reference on the subject, it includes exhaustive discussions and diagrams of the important mechanisms, as well as details of their inventors. --
The first machines capable of accurately determining a ship's longitude - a measurement the great Sir Isaac Newton considered to be a mechanical impossibility - were invented by Yorkshire carpenter John Harrison (1693-1776). Astonishingly, the craftsman was self-educated and had never served a day's apprenticeship to a clockmaker. This tome outlines the remarkable story of Harrison's marine timekeepers, which eventually won him a ú20,000 reward (offered in 1714 by the British Government for any means of determining a ship's longitude to within 30 geographical miles at the end of a six week voyage). --
Gould also discussed in detail the inventions of other important scientists and pioneers such as Huygens, Thacker, Sully and Leibnitz, as well as the work of professional watchmakers including Ditisheim, Ulrich, Earnshaw, Arnold, Berthoud, Mudge and Le Roy. His fluent style and expertise allow the reader to understand technical matters that, in the hands of another writer, might prove less than clear. This greatly enhanced version of a horological classic will prove invaluable to experts, novices, and historians alike. --
Jonathan Betts-As Senior Curator of Horology at the Royal Observatory (part of Royal Museums Greenwich), Jonathan Betts oversees the work of the department, including research into the history of clocks, watches and chronometers; he specialises in precision timekeeping and its use in navigation and determining longitude at sea. Betts is responsible for creating a complete catalogue of the marine chronometers in the National Maritime Museum collection, and is the published author of various articles and books, including Time Restored: The Harrison Timekeepers and R.T. Gould (2006) and Harrison (2007). He was made an MBE in 2012 for his services to Horology. --Book Jacket
Notes
"Although this is not a facsimile, wherever possible the text, pagination, footnotes etc. are identical to the original edition, including typographical errors and the sometimes rather idiosyncratic page numbering (although the last page number is 287, this is in fact a 496-page book)."--Publisher's note, p. [v], 1st group