The internal mechanisms that are used in timepieces have always been fascinating to watch, and are often works of art in their own right. You don’t have to live in the Watch Valley in Switzerland to appreciate this art form. The mechanism highlighted here (from Mechanistic on YouTube) is a two-way to one-way geared coupler (video, embedded below) which can be found at the drive spring winding end of a typical mechanical wristwatch. It is often attached to a heavily eccentrically mounted mass which drives the input gear in either direction, depending upon the motion of the wearer. Just a little regular movement is all that is needed to keep the spring nicely wound, so no forgetting to wind it in the morning hustle!
The idea is beautifully simple; A small sized input gear is driven by the mass, or winder, which drives a larger gear,
the centre of which has a one-way clutch, which transmits the torque onwards to the output gear. The input side of the clutch also drives an identical unit, which picks up rotations in the opposite direct, and also drives the same larger output gear. So simple, and watching this super-sized device in operation really gives you an appreciation of how elegant such mechanisms are. Could it be useful in other applications? How about converting wind power to mechanically pump water in remote locations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
If you want to play with this yourselves, the source is downloadable from cults3d. Do check out some of the author’s other work!
We do like these super-sized mechanism demonstrators around here, like this 3D printed tourbillon, and here’s a little thing about the escapement mechanism that enables all this timekeeping with any accuracy.
I was late getting up this morning, because my “automatic” watch didn’t automatically correct for daylight savings time! Then nerve!
It’s also worth checking out Seiko’s “magic lever” winding mechanism..
In a way, self-winding watches were the first fitbits. If your watch runs down you need more exercise!
Great job! That’s a beautiful assembly. What a genius mechanism. I tried to do it justice a long time ago, but I think yours takes the cake.
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/03/the-mechanical-diode/
it’s like an analog full bridge rectifier :D
My dad gave me one of his self-winding watches when I was a teenager. A day at Six Flags was too much for it.
“How about converting wind power to mechanically pump water in remote locations?”, I don’t see how this is any use in that situation. Most wind turbines only spin one direction anyway and usually go through a gearbox, there isn’t really any need to have a two way to one way mechanism when the wind turbine itself only turns one way.
Wave power seems like much better problem for this solution