An Introduction to the Gravity-driven Clocks in the Forbidden City

10.6567/IFToMM.14TH.WC.OS6.007

Y.-H. Chen；K.-H. Hsiao；T.-Y. Lin；H.-S. Yan

Clocks and watches ； Forbidden City ； Structural analysis ； History of machinery

Proceedings of the 14th IFToMM World Congress

14th-2（2015 / 10 / 27）

179 - 184

英文

Ancient timepieces are combinative products of science and technology, and they were communicated to China through importation during the 17 to 19 centuries. Clocks collected by Chinese emperors are elegant works and show the highest manufacture level. Regarding the gravity-driven clocks, the methods to apply gravity as a power source are ingenious. The development of power sources in timepieces and the communication of technology from Europe to China are introduced briefly. Four typical gravity-driven clocks are presented and divided into two types, driven by an outer force and by its own weight. Furthermore, structural analyses regarding the mechanisms of typical gravity-driven clocks are provided.