Escapement
Verge escapement
How it works
A crown wheel's teeth push alternately on two pallets set on a vertical staff (the verge), oscillating a foliot or balance.
Why it was invented
The first mechanical means of releasing a weight's energy in equal steps; it made the mechanical clock possible.
- Invented
- c. late 13th century
- Credited to
- Unknown
- Period
- Medieval Period
