The Borghesi Astronomical Clock in the Museum of History and Technology: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Paper 35Bedini, Silvio A.
History
The Borghesi Astronomical Clock in the Museum of History and Technology: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Paper 35
Bedini, Silvio A.
Astronomical clocks
When the sun has been moved around, Iris shows from six windows
the era, that is, the current year. Two winged youths take
their place next to Iris, carrying the Julian period: namely,
the Roman indiction, the cycle of the sun and the golden
number, on a leaf of paper held between them. The imperial
eagle stands out on top (as if added to the frontispiece)
carrying on its breast the dominating planet and in its talons
the ecclesiastical calends (that is, the dominical letter and
the epact).
ATTACHMENTS FOR ADJUSTMENT
Two attachments, in the form of small superimposed dials are situated at
the base of the dial plate, at either side and immediately below the
fourth chapter ring. In his second volume, Father Borghesi stated that
they "are not moved from inside the clock, but the one at the right
[inscribed _concitat_ and _retardat_] serves for loosening
[accelerating] and tightening [retarding] time; that is, the reins of
the perpendicular."
In other words, the purpose of this attachment is for adjusting the
pendulum to make the clock operate fast or slow. The second attachment,
which appears at the left, and which is inscribed "Claudit" (close) and
"Aperit" (open) serves the purpose of "... preparing the mechanism in a
moment, as swiftly as you wish, for sustaining the astronomical
experiments of which you will hear later; when these things have been
done, it restores the mechanism to its natural motion at the same
speed."
This adjustment relates to the final section of Father Borghesi's second
book, entitled "Chronologo-Astronomicus Usus Authomatis"
(Chronological-Astronomical Use of the Automaton), which is translated
from the Latin in its entirety:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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