We have now come to the most intricate and important problems which relate to the lever escapement.  However, we promise our readers that if they will take the pains to follow closely our elucidations, to make these puzzles plain.  But we warn them that they are no easy problems to solve, but require good, hard thinking.  The readiest way to master this matter is by means of such a model escapement as we have described.  With such a model, and the pallets made to clamp with small set-screws, and roller constructed so the jewel pin could be set to or from the staff, this matter can be reduced to object lessons.  But study of the due relation of the parts in good drawings will also master the situation.

A FEW EXPERIMENTS WITH OUR ANGLE-MEASURING DEVICE.

In using the little instrument for determining angular motion that we have just described, care must be taken that the spring clamp which embraces the pallet staff does not slip.  In order to thoroughly understand the methods of using this angle-measuring device, let us take a further lesson or two.

We considered measuring the amount of lock on each pallet, and advised the removal of the balance, because if we left the balance in we could not readily tell exactly when the tooth passed on to the impulse plane; but if we touch the fork lightly with an oiling tool or a hair broach, moving it (the fork) carefully away from the bank and watching the arc indicated by the hand A, Fig. 72, we can determine with great exactness the angular extent of lock.  The diagram at Fig. 75 illustrates how this experiment is conducted.  We apply the hair broach to the end of the fork M, as shown at L, and gently move the fork in the direction of the arrow i, watching the hand A and note the number of degrees, or parts of degrees, indicated by the hand as passed over before the tooth is unlocked and passes on to the impulse plane and the fork flies forward to the opposite bank.  Now, the quick movement of the pallet and fork may make the hand mark more or less of an arc on the index than one of ten degrees, as the grasp may slip on the pallet staff; but the arc indicated by the slow movement in unlocking will be correct.

[Illustration:  Fig. 75]

By taking a piece of sharpened pegwood and placing the point in the slot of the fork, we can test the fork to see if the drop takes place much before the lever rests against the opposite bank.  As we have previously stated, the drop from the pallet should not take place until the lever almost rests on the banking pin.  What the reader should impress on his mind is that the lever should pass through about one and a half degrees arc to unlock, and the remainder (eight and a half degrees) of the ten degrees are to be devoted to impulse.  But, understand, if the impulse angle is only seven and a half degrees, and the jewel pin acts in accordance with the rules previously given, do not alter the pallet until you know for certain you will gain by it.  An observant workman will, after a little practice, be able to determine this matter.