—The lift is composed of the actual lift on the teeth and pallets and the lock and run. We will suppose that from drop to drop we allow 10°; if the lock is 1½° then the actual lift by means of the inclined planes on teeth and pallets will be 8½°. We have seen that a small lifting angle is advisable, so that the vibrations of the balance will be as free as possible. There are other reasons as well. Fig.7 shows two inclined planes; we desire to lift the weight 2 a distance equal to the angle at which the planes are inclined; it will be seen at a glance that we will have less friction by employing the smaller incline, whereas with the larger one the motive power is employed through a greater distance on the object to be moved. The smaller the angle the more energetic will the movement be; the grinding of the angles and fit of the pivots, etc., also increases in importance. An actual lift of 8½° satisfies the conditions imposed very well. We have before seen that both on account of the unlocking and the lifting leverage of the pallet arms, it would be advisable to make them narrow both in the equidistant and circular escapement. We will now study the question from the standpoint of the lift, in so far as the wheel is concerned.

It is self-evident that a narrow pallet requires a wide tooth, and a wide pallet a narrow or thin tooth wheel; in the ratchet wheel we have a metal point passing over a jeweled plane. The friction is at its minimum, because there is less adhesion than with the club tooth, but we must emphasize the fact that we require a greater angle in proportion on the pallets in this escapement than with the narrow pallets and wider tooth. This seems to be a point which many do not thoroughly comprehend, and we would advise a close study of Fig.8, which will make it perfectly clear, as we show both a wide and a narrow pallet. GH, represents the primitive, which in this figure is also the real diameter of the escape wheel. In measuring the lifting angles for the pallets, our starting point is always from the tangents AC and AD. The tangents are straight lines, but the wheel describes the circle GH, therefore they must deviate from one another, and the closer to the center A the discharging edge of the engaging pallet reaches, the greater does this difference become; and in the same manner the further the discharging edge of the disengaging pallet is from the center A the greater it is. This shows that the loss is greater in the equidistant than in the circular escapement. After this we will designate this difference as the “loss.” In order to illustrate it more plainly we show the widest pallet—the English—in equidistant form. This gives another reason why the English lever should only be made with circular pallets, as we have seen that the wider the pallet the greater the loss. The loss is measured at the intersection of the path of the discharging edge OO, with the circle G H, and is shown through AC2, which intersects these circles at that point. In the case of the disengaging pallet, PP illustrates the path of the discharging edge; the loss is measured as in the preceding case where GH is intersected as shown by AD2. It amounts to a different value on each pallet. Notice the loss between C and C2, on the engaging, and D and D2 on the disengaging pallet; it is greater on the engaging pallet, so much so that it amounts to 2°, which is equal to the entire lock; therefore if 8½° of work is to be accomplished through this pallet, the lifting plane requires an angle of 10½° struck from AC.

Let us now consider the lifting action of the club tooth wheel. This is decidedly a complicated action, and requires some study to comprehend. In action with the engaging pallet the wheel moves up, or in the direction of the motion of the pallets, but on the disengaging pallet it moves down, and in a direction opposite to the pallets, and the heel of the tooth moves with greater velocity than the locking edge; also in the case of the engaging pallet, the locking edge moves with greater velocity than the discharging edge; in the disengaging pallet the opposite is the case, as the discharging edge moves with greater velocity than the locking. These points involve factors which must be considered, and the drafting of a correct action is of paramount importance; we therefore show the lift as it is accomplished in four different stages in a good action. Fig.9 illustrates the engaging, and Fig.10 the disengaging pallet; by comparing the figures it will be noticed that the lift takes place on the point of the tooth similar to the English, until the discharging edge of the pallet has been passed, when the heel gradually comes into play on the engaging, but more quickly on the disengaging pallet.

We will also notice that during the first part of the lift the tooth moves faster along the engaging lifting plane than on the disengaging; on pallets 2 and 3 this difference is quite large; towards the latter part of the lift the action becomes quicker on the disengaging pallet and slower on the engaging.

To obviate this difficulty some fine watches, notably those of A. Lange & Sons, have convex lifting planes on the engaging and concave on the disengaging pallets; the lifting planes on the teeth are also curved. See Fig.11. This is decidedly an ingenious arrangement, and is in strict accordance with scientific investigation. We should see many fine watches made with such escapements if the means for producing them could fully satisfy the requirements of the scientific principles involved.

The distribution of the lift on tooth and pallet is a very important matter; the lifting angle on the tooth must be less in proportion to its width than it is on the pallet. For the sake of making it perfectly plain, we illustrate what should not be made; if we have 10½° for width of tooth and pallet, and take half of it for a tooth, and the other half for the pallet, making each of them 5¼° in width, and suppose we have a lifting of 8½° to distribute between them, by allowing 4¼° on each, the lift would take place as shown in Fig.12, which is a very unfavorable action. The edge of the engaging pallet scrapes on the lifting plane of the tooth, yet it is astonishing to find some otherwise very fine watches being manufactured right along which contain this fault; such watches can be stopped with the ruby pin in the fork and the engaging pallet in action, nor would they start when run down as soon as the crown is touched, no matter how well they were finished and fitted.

The lever lengths of the club tooth are variable, while with the ratchet they are constant, which is in its favor; in the latter it would always be as SB, Fig.13. This is a shorter lever than QB, consequently more powerful, although the greater velocity is at Q, which only comes into action after the inertia of wheel and pallets has been overcome, and when the greatest momentum during contact is reached. SB is the primitive radius of the club tooth wheel, but both primitive and real radius of the ratchet wheel. The distance of centers of wheel and pallet will be alike in both cases; also the lockings will be the same distance apart on both pallets; therefore, when horologists, even if they have worldwide reputations, claim that the club tooth has an advantage over the ratchet because it begins the lift with a shorter lever than the latter, it does not make it so. We are treating the subject from a purely horological standpoint, and neither patriotism or prejudice has anything to do with it. We wish to sift the matter thoroughly and arrive at a just conception of the merits and defects of each form of escapement, and show reasons for our conclusions.

Anyone who has closely followed our deductions must see that in so far as the wheel is concerned the ratchet or English wheel has several points in its favor. Such a wheel is inseparable from a wide pallet; but we have seen that a narrower pallet is advisable; also as little drop and lock as possible; clearly, we must effect a compromise. In other words, so far the balance of our reasoning is in favor of the club tooth escapement and to effect an intelligent division of angles for tooth, pallet and lift is one of the great questions which confronts the intelligent horologist.

Anyone who has ever taken the pains to draw pallet and tooth with different angles, through every stage of the lift, with both wide and narrow pallets and teeth, in circular and equidistant escapements, will have received an eye-opener. We strongly advise all our readers who are practical workmen to try it after studying what we have said. We are certain it will repay them.