Part 5
"In the diagram spaces between faint lines represent seconds; and the thicker faint lines represent the mean rate in each case: When the curve rises it shows that the watch was gaining on its previous rate, and when it falls the watch was losing on its previous rate. For example, in No. 4 curve the thicker line shows the position of a gaining rate of 3 sec. per day; on the 18th, watch No. 4 had a gaining rate of 2.7 sec., and is plotted below the thick line; on the 19th and 20th it was less than 3 sec., but on the 21st the rate increased to 4.8 sec., and the curve rises above the line. The same rule is followed with losing rates; and, therefore, each curve shows whether the watch was gaining or losing on its own rate.
"For convenient reference the barometer and temperature curves are plotted on the same sheet; although from the short time at command the watches could only be tested in one position, a glance at the diagram will show that in some degree at least the temperature adjustment and the isochronal properties of the balance springs were also tested; and I wish to call your attention to the fact that the whole of these show in a more or less degree a marked response to the change in temperature, some being over and others under corrected.
"This fact is important, because it adds another proof that the old form of compensation balance--even when combined with chronometer spring and escapement and all the refinements which the best modern workman can add to it--fails to yield a complete correction for temperature; and I much regret that the American Watch Company, who claim to have overcome this fault by means of a balance involving a new arrangement of the metals, did not send to be tested any of their first-class watches containing this important improvement.
"Several of the rate curves, especially Nos. 4, 10, 13, 16, 21, and 24, respond to the change in the barometer in a way that shows the isochronal properties of their balance springs are not quite perfect. _Looking down the curves it becomes at once evident that watch No. 5, which is No. 670068, second grade of the American Watch Company, is remarkably free from these defects, and presents the best rate of all the watches tested._ No. 9, which is No. 2526, Kullberg, is the nearest approach to No. 5; indeed, the difference between its highest and lowest rates is 0.1 sec. less than No. 5, but it has not such a steady rate. The timekeeping of both these watches is remarkably good, and shows that we have entered upon a new era in the manufacture of pocket chronometers; _for these rates are better than the majority of marine chronometers._
"_Among the cheaper watches tested, No. 6, which is No. 1221336, of the American Watch Company, is worthy of notice; it is a watch of the sixth grade, yet its performance has been better than that of many very expensive and otherwise first-class watches among those tested; such a watch speaks volumes in favor of the system under which it was made, and is the best comment upon the accuracy of the machines that produced it._
"There are several watches among those tested which have kept wonderfully steady rates, but their comparative merit is shown in the diagrams much better than it could be by any description. The daily rate of each watch will be found in a table attached.
"The changes in Nos. 1, 2, 3, 17, and 19 were too great to plot.
"H. C. RUSSELL,
"_Government Astronomer._"
* * * * *
CONCLUSION OF THE REPORT.
In consideration of the facts developed in this examination, and the preponderance of elements of inherent and comparative merit adjudged by the judges (each in independent judgment) being equal to nearly 70 per cent. more than the next highest exhibit, they have found it exceedingly difficult to make such a classification in degree as will give even-handed justice to all.
We adjudge to the
AMERICAN WATCH COMPANY, OF WALTHAM, MASS., U. S. A.,
a first-class award, and such other special distinction, diploma, medal, or award, as is consistent with the duties and obligations of the honorable Sydney International Commission, for the largest and most complete exhibit of horological instruments examined.
They also propose, as the only means by which their appreciation of the merits of the production of this company can be adequately or equitably recognized by the Committee on Judging and Awards, that a separate first-class award be given for the timekeeping qualities of all grades of these watches.
Also a separate first-class award for the perfection of this system of watchmaking and the improvements in the mechanical parts of the watch, being notably in the main spring and going barrel, the patent safety pinion, the perfect epicycloidal form of all the teeth of the train, in every grade of watch alike, and the isochronal adjustment of the balance spring.
Also to Charles V. Woerd, mechanical superintendent of the American Watch Company, Waltham, Mass., U. S. A., a first-class award for his new mode of compensating balances.
Also a separate first-class award for the improvements in cases, the number of artistic forms and designs used, the beauty and elegance of their finish, and for their new and indestructible method of enameling.
VICTOR KULLBERG
The display of marine chronometers by this maker, with the Observatory ratings, was of the very first order. Every part of those instruments was remarkably well made, and the modifications of some of the balance wheels worthy of special attention. Adjudged a first-class award.
The display of watches by the same maker, although small, commanded attention from their very nice finish in all parts. As will be seen from the report and diagram of Professor Russell, they are good timekeepers, especially the one having the chronometer escapement. This style of watch, however, is of too delicate construction and too costly to fully meet the requirements of any considerable public want. The same objection will hold good as to the lever escapements as far as cost or economy is concerned, they being comparatively too high priced. Representing a certain class of manufacture, they are of the first order of merit, and adjudged a first-class award.
The "gas governor" exhibited by the same maker, an instrument for regulating the amount of heat in the testing of chronometers, is commended as a useful invention.
[Continued on page 10.]
RESUME OF THE JURY'S EXAMINATION [page 9]
* * * * *
+--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ | |AMERICAN| | | | | | NAMES | WATCH | | | Thos.| Castle-| | OF |COMPANY,| Victor |Nicole &|Russell| berg & | | EXHIBITORS. |WALTHAM.|Kullberg.|Nielsen.|& Sons.|Company.| +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Originality. | 98 | 0 | 28 | 8 | 0 | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Invention & | 95 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | | discovery. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Utility and | | | | | | |quality of | 95 | 73 | 47 | 25 | 29 | |material. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Skill in | 93 | 80 | 58 | 30 | 30 | |workmanship. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Fitness for | | | | | | |purposes | 100 | 89 | 70 | 36 | 36 | |intended. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Adaptation to | 100 | 53 | 60 | 34 | 41 | |public wants. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Economy. | 100 | 57 | 48 | 22 | 25 | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Cost. | 100 | 65 | 38 | 26 | 32 | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Finish and | | | | | | |elegance | 100 | 73 | 76 | 42 | 42 | |of cases. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ |Timekeeping | 100 | 96 | 80 | 44 | 53 | |qualities. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+ | | | | | | | |Totals | 981 | 586 | 527 | 267 | 288 | | | | | | | | +--------------+--------+---------+--------+-------+--------+
[_Cont._] +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ | | | | | | Inter- | | NAMES | | | | |national| | OF |S. Back-|A Lange| Louis |G. Tri- | Watch | | EXHIBITORS. | schmid.|& Sons.|Audemars.|bandeau.|Company.| +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Originality. | 0 | 45 | 98 | 0 | 0 | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Invention & | 0 | 33 | 24 | 0 | 0 | | discovery. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Utility and | | | | | | |quality of | 11 | 68 | 73 | 10 | 32 | |material. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Skill in | 11 | 83 | 85 | 19 | 31 | |workmanship. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Fitness for | | | | | | |purposes | 7 | 86 | 80 | 15 | 37 | |intended. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Adaptation to | 15 | 73 | 54 | 15 | 49 | |public wants. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Economy. | 12 | 59 | 44 | 18 | 41 | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Cost. | 10 | 79 | 58 | 19 | 63 | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Finish and | | | | | | |elegance | 10 | 71 | 76 | 20 | 0 | |of cases. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ |Timekeeping | 0 | 89 | 79 | 0 | 0 | |qualities. | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+ | | | | | | | |Totals | 76 | 686 | 671 | 116 | 287 | | | | | | | | +--------------+--------+-------+---------+--------+--------+
* * * * *
SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. [page 10]
[_Continued from page 8._]
NICOLE & NIELSEN.
This exhibit, made specially for the Exhibition, comprised a full line of plain levers, split seconds, chronographs, calendars, repeaters, etc., and was a representative display of their peculiar style of manufacture in all its details. The cost of these watches, compared with others of similar construction and finish, was excessive; and while they show good timekeeping qualities, they do not equal that of other exhibits.
As representing their own methods of construction they are of the first order of merit, and are adjudged a first-class award.
THOS. RUSSELL & SONS
exhibit a full line of their manufacture, which, upon comparison with other exhibits of the same general character and construction, places them in the third order of merit, and they are adjudged a third-class award.
S. BACKSCHMID
exhibits a class of cheap watches of very inferior workmanship and finish, of the last order of merit, and adjudged a fourth-class award.
N. CASTLEBERG & CO.
exhibit a meritorious line of watches in many respects, of good finish, and not excessively high priced for their performances; of the second order of merit, and adjudged a second class award.
A. LANGE & SONS
exhibit a class of watches possessing many elements of merit, and of superior finish in many respects and at a cost which is quite reasonable. That the watches are constructed upon scientific principles and are intended as reliable timepieces, is shown from Observatory tests. The variations show that care has been taken to approximate a perfect adjustment, and that a partial success has been attained. A peculiarity in the construction of the balance wheel--having a horizontal split from the timing second holes each way--is noticeable, which we fail to understand. This exhibit was made expressly for this Exhibition, and Observatory rates sent with each watch, and, as a representative exhibit, although small, was the second best examined, and is, in its class, of the first order of merit, and adjudged a first-class award.
* * * * *
LOUIS AUDEMARS
exhibits a wonderful class of complicated watches, calendars, repeaters, chronographs, etc., etc., combined in one watch, and elaborately cased and artistically finished. The great element of merit in this exhibit is in the combination of the great number of unusual functions for a watch, and by skill in workmanship and mechanical science securing a correct performance.
The enormous cost of these watches is an effectual embargo on their use to any except the very few, and their utility is, therefore, very limited. In their class they are, however, of the first order of merit, and adjudged a first-class award.
G. TRIBANDEAU
exhibits a considerable collection of watches in a great variety of cases, of a class of workmanship, finish, and performance calling for the fourth order of merit, and are adjudged a fourth-class award.
A. H. RODANET
exhibits two marine chronometers only, one of which was broken and the other out of order; commended.
INTERNATIONAL WATCH COMPANY
exhibit a collection of watches of the third order of merit, and adjudged a third-class award.
In concluding this report, the judges very much regret the limitation in time which has prevented them securing position tests of this very interesting exhibit in horology, as much on account of the exhibitors as on their own account. Such advances have in the last few years been made in this science that, in the interest of the public as well as of the manufacturers, a sufficiency of time is desirable to make tests in five or six positions, and fourteen days should be allowed to each position. Tests for heat and cold, and an opportunity to carefully note barometric and thermometric influences upon the various systems of adjustment, would be very valuable and interesting.
Respectfully, etc.,
GREGORY P. HARTE, _Chairman_, United States. H. C. RUSSELL, B.A., F.R.A.S., Great Britain. J. McGARVIE SMITH, New South Wales. P. E. BOUND, Switzerland. E. BECKMANN, Germany.
* * * * *
CORN MAGNETS.
Every kind of salve or lotion that is supposed to remove or relieve corns meets with a large sale. Corn files and pencils are getting stale, and an enterprising inhabitant of Dresden has lately brought out what he calls a "corn magnet." It is evident that it is as unlike a magnet as possible, for an examination shows that it is made of sulphur colored with graphite. The directions are to set fire to one end, and let a drop of the melted sulphur fall upon the corn. A convenient and agreeable operation, especially if the corn is on the bottom of the foot. It is needless to say that the corn usually survives the slight burn and lives to torment the owner again. All burns, whether by caustic or otherwise, should be avoided.
* * * * *
EXPERIMENTS ON THE RESISTANCE OF MATERIALS.
Prof. J. Burkitt Webb, C.E., now in Europe, writes as follows:
On the invitation of Prof. Spangenberg we visited the "Versuchsstation," at the Gewerbe-Akademie, where the important experiments upon materials for engineering purposes are being made. These tests are of two kinds--trials of strength and trials of endurance. The first are made by means of very heavy and accurate machinery, mostly new within the last two or three years; the latter are the celebrated "Dauer-Versuche," a description of which we will reserve for another letter.
The main machine, of which there are three or four duplicates at work at various points in Germany, is housed in a special building in the interior court of the academy. It consists of heavy iron "ways," some fifty feet long, accurately planed and secured to a stone foundation, with a hydraulic pump and scales at one end, and a number of massive attachments for subjecting the piece of iron or other material to various kinds of strains. There are also other instruments which belong to the machine as delicate as it is heavy, and which are used for adjusting the parts of the apparatus, reading the results of a test, or making calculations. This machine differs from others in the way of measuring the force used. It has been the custom to take the pressure on the liquid in the hydraulic cylinder, as shown by a manometer, as the basis of calculation. This introduces an inaccuracy, as part of this is due to the friction on the piston packing, and the true pressure is less than that shown by this irregular quantity. To avoid this difficulty a massive lever is introduced between the hydraulic press and the point where its pressure is applied. One arm of this lever is one-eighth inch long, and the other five hundred times as long, so that to measure a pressure of one hundred tons, four hundred pounds must be placed on the scale pan which hangs from the end of the long end of the lever. The fulcrum rests against the piston, and the short end of the lever is connected by heavy links with the apparatus by means of which the strain is applied. Technically speaking the fulcra of scales are "knife edges," but to convey a pressure of one hundred tons and remain free to move, these edges must be very obtuse, perhaps 160° to 170°; they must be as long as possible, some fifteen inches, of the best hardened steel, accurately ground, and must rest against a hardened plate of steel. Made with the greatest care the sharp edge under such a pressure will sometimes make a dent in the plate and the scales are clogged. As it is very difficult to measure the one-eighth inch with accuracy, another lever is provided with a ratio of one to ten, and with a short arm long enough to be made of a certain length with but a small percentage of error. To test the main lever this occupies essentially the same place as a sample of iron to be stretched; it is loaded with, say, two hundred pounds, which it multiplies to a ton; this pressure is then weighed by placing four pounds upon the main scale pan, and the fulcrum of the main lever is adjusted until the two weights balance.
The attachments consist of: I. Jaws for holding round, square, and flat bars to be submitted to tension. II. Arrangements for holding beams and columns in various ways at their ends, and compressing them until they are crushed or "buckle." III. Two massive graduated iron beams, which are placed crosswise on the "ways," and used for twisting shafts, railroad axles, etc. IV. A face plate, about four feet square, for holding plates of boiler iron nearly as large by the perimeter, and crushing in the middle by forcing various shaped pieces against it. V. Apparatus for bending a beam by crushing an angular piece into it; and in the same connection, VI. Shears for cutting off bars of metal and measuring the force required.
In connection with this main machine were some, quite old, which had been used in the infancy of the subject by a former professor, and a new special machine for the same purpose as attachment V., and which seemed to "kink" a piece of railroad iron as if it were only lead. In this the pressure was obtained by screws.
Among the instruments used for the adjustment of the parts of the main machine we saw the finest cathetometer we had ever seen. This instrument, by Breithaupt, in Cassel, has two telescopes, with micrometer screws with more than one hundred and twenty-five threads per inch, and scales graduated on glass with more than six hundred and twenty five divisions to the inch. Another instrument for measuring the deflection, in two directions at once, of a column under pressure, has micrometer screws with more than two hundred and fifty threads per inch. We saw also a planimeter, which not only calculated mechanically the area of a figure, but gave also its center of gravity, moment of inertia, etc. We saw also a French calculating machine; the other apparatus is, we believe, all German. If one is, however, critical, it will be found in many lines of business that all the fine goods here are imported, though naturally the Germans are slow to acknowledge it.
We witnessed the experiments on a sample of round iron over an inch in diameter, and on a piece of iron plate three inches wide by half an inch thick. It is perhaps needless to say that they seemed to stretch like putty and to break like thread. The pressure is put on a few hundred pounds at a time, and the elongation is read by two telescopes and a scale, which multiply the distance five hundred times. At the same time the first "elastic limit" is watched for. Before this is arrived at the piece will return to its original length when the tension is removed; after this the stretching is in part permanent. One of the facts brought out is that there are _several_ elastic limits, in copper seven or eight. The appearance of the surface after the elastic limit is passed and the iron stretches is peculiar. A wavy appearance is seen, and longitudinal ridges begin to form, due to the changes going on in the crystals, by which they adapt themselves to the increased length. After a further general adaptation of structure becomes impossible, these appearances culminate in the weakest part. The apparatus for measuring the increase in length has long since been removed, and the places where it was attached have been filed smooth to avoid introducing the weak point artificially. The diameter of this part now reduces rapidly, and the surface becomes rough and the iron hot--you can see it stretch. When it has reduced twenty-five or more per cent. it gives way suddenly with a sharp crack. The percentage of reduction before breaking is now recorded with the observations on the elasticity and the breaking strain, and the experiment is at an end. It suggested itself to see if the work done in pulling the iron apart was fully accounted for by the heat generated. We could easily calculate the work up to the point of maximum tension, but after this the force required was not measured; however, a rough calculation showed that the iron was as hot as required, or at least that the data would require to be quite complete if any residual was to be found.
Berlin, May 13, 1880.
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ENGINEERING INVENTIONS.