The Conical Pendulum Clock
© 1986
21 feet high x 6 feet x 6 feet
Brief Description
The wire and plumb bob, which hang from the ceiling, make up the pendulum of this unusual clock. This pendulum navigates a circle around the clockwork mechanism in the same amount of time that an ordinary swinging pendulum of the same length would take to swing back and forth. Governed by the length of the pendulum, each circle takes precisely five seconds.
The pendulum restricts the movement of the weight-driven drive train which propels the yellow fishing rod. The rod pushes along the pendulum and tracks the number of five second revolutions.
Thus, this clock uses weights and a series of gears to propel an accurately oscillating body (the pendulum) and to record the number of oscillations and convert this calculation to our standard units of time measurement.
More Detailed Description
The pendulum of the Conical Pendulum Clock is a brass plumb bob which hangs from a 21 foot long wire. The bob orbits around the entire mechanical clockwork mechanism. The mechanism propels the plumb bob by gently tapping it with a fishing rod radiating from the final gear in a clockwork mechanism.
The clock is powered by weights hanging from a red, flexible belt which wraps around a verticle bicycle wheel. This wheel rotates once in 60 minutes. A red arrow mounted onto the wheel acts as the minute hand.
A series of gears and wheels connect the verticle wheel to the final drive gear. The fishing rod which taps the pendulum bob is attached to this final gear.
The length of the wire pendulum is precisely adjusted so that the bob encircles the clock at the rate of once every 5 seconds.
An electric motor rewinds the weight every 8 minutes. A sprocket with an hour hand attached, completes the mechanism.
The Conical Pendulum Clock is owned by the Artist and is currently in storage in San Francisco and is available for exhitition.