Super Clock Calc
			       by John Shadle

		"Software for the clockmaker by a clockmaker."

Super Clock Calc is a calculator program for clockmakers and others who spend
time in the company of clocks. It runs on IBM PC's, PS/2's , Tandys and other
true compatibles having a color monitor and either a 5.25" or 3.5" drive .


	How often have you avoided using your electronic clock timer, just
because it was "Too much trouble!" to do the necessary arithmetic? (When you
do use it, do you blunder calculations?)

	Or perhaps you must know the decimal or metric equivalent of 5/64 of
an inch. And how many thousandths of an inch are there in 2.35 millimeters,
anyway? Super Clock Calc can convert any measurement into nine different
categories.

	Perhaps you must replace a missing wheel in an antique, and you don't
want to spend all day trying to compute how many teeth it should have--leave
the deriving to Super Clock Calc.

	Do you build clock movements from scratch? Super Clock Calc makes
complicated gear train calculations a cinch.

	Help is always on tap with Super Clock Calc.  At almost any time, you
can press the F1 key, and a context-sensitive help screen will appear. Now
here's an overview of main menu choices:

Selection 1 : A calculator which performs the arithmetic for an electronic
clock timer, such as TimeTrax or TickTech.

Selection 2 : A multi-dimensional length converter. It translates inches,
feet, yards, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and fractions of an inch.

Selection 3 : Contains several tables containing information useful for
clockmakers: wire size drill tables, key size tables, and tap-drill tables.
You'll no longer need that stack of charts.

Selection 4 : A calculator which calculates lengths of pendulums to achieve a
selected rate. Does that old clock lack a pendulum?

Selection 5 : Clock wheel module calculator for determining wheel modules,
pitch circles, tooth radii, addenda & dedenda, and so on. Does lots of
arithmetic for anyone who must cut a new wheel or repair one that's damaged.

Selection 6 : Clock train tables for determining wheel and pinion tooth-counts
for the center (minute), intermediate and escape arbors. While making my first
movement, I awoke in the small hours of the night to realize that the train
calculations I'd done by hand were WRONG. Had I finished the movement, it
would not have kept time, and I would have wasted weeks of work. Super Clock
Calc has put an end to that. Following are more detailed instructions for each
selection.
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Selection 1: Rate Calculator

This part of Super Clock Calc helps you to use your electronic timing
instrument to calculate the correct rate for a clock whose correct rate is
unknown. Here's how to use the rate calculator:

	Use a test period of several days. (The longer the test period, the
more accurate the calculated rate will be.) At the beginning of the test
period, record the time and date of the test period start on a piece of paper.
Use your instrument to obtain a rate for the clock, and record that, too. You
must also set the clock to the correct time. (Note that the more accurately
you record your data, the more accurate the calculated rate will be.)

	At the end of the test period, similarly record the end date and time,
and the time the clock read after running for the length of the test period.
Now you're ready to enter data into the program.

	First, enter the names of the clock and its owner--just type the
names, and press Enter. Names entry is optional, and you can skip it by
pressing Enter alone. Later, you'll be asked if want to print the data on your
printer; if names are used, you'll have a little certificate you can put with
your customer's clock which has his name and the correct rate on it.

	Then enter the data in the spaces provided in the program. Enter the
test period starting date and time on the left of the screen and the ending
date and time on the right side of the screen. Enter dates as month/day/year.
You must use leading zeros--01/08/93 for January 8, 1993, or 10/09/92 for
October 9, 1992, for example. Use the short version for years, such as 93 for
1993.

	Similarly enter times as hour:minute:second--03:15:00 for fifteen past
three, for example. You can correct typing errors with the BackSpace and
cursor keys; then press Enter when all is correct.

	You must enter time in 24-hour time: that is, add 12 to times after
noon. For example, 8:35 PM is 20:35:00, and 13:02:30 is two minutes, thirty
seconds past one PM. If you don't use 24-hour time, the program wont't know
whether 10 o'clock is 10 AM or 10 PM, for instance. For those who stay up
late, midnight is 00:00:00 in 24 hour time, while noon (when you get up) is
12:00:00.

	You can enter the clock's rate in several different ways, depending on
the type of data your instrument provides. It can be in Milliseconds per beat,
Beats per second, Beats per minute, or Beats per hour. After you've entered
the rate, a bar will appear which contains codes for the types of rate. Enter
the data type code shown on the screen (1,2,3 or 4). For example, if you typed
1000 for the rate and 1 (indicating milliseconds) for the code, you'd tell the
program that the rate is 1000 milliseconds per beat.

	After entering the date and time that the test period ended on the
right of the screen, space is provided to enter the incorrect time the clock
shows after the test period. (Remember to use 24-hr time!)
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	Then the program will ask you to check your data. If it's incorrect,
press N to cycle through the entry procedure again. You can press Enter to
skip correct entries, and the Backspace and cursor keys to overtype errors.
When the data is correct, press Y to go ahead to calculate the correct rate
for your clock.

	The program works by computing the time elapsed during the test
period, then compares that with the time the clock shows at the test period
end. It then uses this data to calculate the percentage of error and the
correct rate.

Selection 2: Length Translations

	Here the idea is that you can move to any one of the boxes, type an
entry, press Enter, and your entered value will be translated to the all the
types shown in the other boxes. Use the Tab key or cursor keys to move from
one box to another. (The active box is shown by the cursor and a double
border.) The left/right cursor keys move across a row, and the up/down cursor
keys move from one row to another. Use the Backspace and cursor keys to
overtype any errors, once you have begun an entry. Press Esc at any time to
exit to the main menu.

	For example, suppose you're making something on your Unimat lathe,
which is calibrated in tenths of a millimeter. How many millimeters must you
advance the cross feed to advance it .005 of an inch? Use the cursor keys to
move to the "Inches" box at the top left of the screen, type ".005" and press
Enter. The answer, .126998 mm. (0.13 mm rounded) appears in the "Millimeters"
box just below. Note that your data is simultaneously translated into all the
other types in the other boxes.

	Or, to learn how many thousandths of an inch there are in 3/64 inch,
cursor to the "1/64's" box, type 3, and press Enter. In the "Inches" box,
you'll see .046875, which you can see is also 1.19 mm. Other calculators in
Super Clock Calc follow the same plan.


Selection 3: Tables

This Selection contains three tables often used by clockmakers. The first is a
list of wiresize drills, with the equivalent measurement in thousandths of an
inch and in millimeters. Use the up/down cursor keys to scroll through the
table, PgUp and PgDn to page through it, Home to go to the top and End to go
to the bottom. If you want to reach a part of the table in a rush, type the
first number of the size: for example, "4" takes you immediately to the 40's,
"7" to the 70's, and so on.

	This Selection also includes a similar table of key sizes, containing
the numbers of keys and the equivalent sizes in both millimeters and fractions
of an inch.

	Also included is a table of smaller taps and the drills used to make
the correct sized holes for the taps. On the left side of the screen are the
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fractional inch American sizes, followed by the number of threads per inch
(TPI) and the correct drill size in both American and metric. American sizes
are listed in either wire gauge size or fraction of an inch.

	On the right side of the screen are the metric sizes, with the pitch
(thread spacing) and the correct size drill. All measurements are in
millimeters.



Selection 4: Pendulum Length Calculator

This calculator computes pendulum lengths from rates, or rates from pendulum
lengths. You can enter a rate, and the program will calculate the pendulum
length, or you can enter the length and the program will calculate its rate.
You can enter rates in either Beats per hour, Beats per minute, Beats per
second, or Milliseconds per beat. Enter lengths in either inches (use the
PenLen/inches box) or centimeters (use PenLen/cm).  This calculator operates
just like the Length calculator--use the Tab or cursor keys to move to the
selected box, type a number, then press Enter.

	For example: To find out the beat time of pendulum which is 40
centimeters long, use the cursor or Tab keys to move to the "PenLen/cm" box,
type 40, and press Enter. Another example: to discover the length of a
pendulum which beats 60 times per minute, cursor to the "Beats/min box", type
60 and press Enter. It is 39.15 inches or 99.44 centimeters long.

	Here's how to use this featur of Super Clock Calc to calculate the
length of a missing pendulum. First, rig a makeshift pendulum from wire and a
rather hefty bob (for smaller clocks, a lead mantel clock bob will do.) You
can guess at a tentative length from case measurements, etc.  Then, if you
have an electronic timer, use the Rate calculator (main menu selection 1) to
determine a correct rate for the movement. When the Rate calculator calculates
a corrected rate, it also calculates a pendulum length.

	If you don't have an electronic timer, do this: First measure the
length of your makeshift pendulum from the bend in the suspension spring to
the center of the bob.  Enter this length into a length box in the Pendulum
length calculator.  This will provide you with an approximate rate which you
can use in the Rate Calc.

	For example, if your makeshift pendulum is 25 inches long, enter 25 in
the PenLen/inches box. Super Clock Calc will calculate that this pendulum
beats at 800 milliseconds per beat.  Now switch to the Rate calculator (main
menu selection 1) and when Super Clock Calc prompts for the rate, enter this
figure. When the Rate Calc calculate a rate it will also compute a pendulum
length which will be fairly close to the correct length for the clock.

	All calculated pendulum lengths are only approximate, since the weight
of the pendulum rod, the weight and shape of the pendulum bob and the
suspension spring all influence a pendulum's rate. Generally, calculated
lengths are more accurate if condsidered as a measurement from the point where
the suspension spring bends to somewhat above the center of the pendulum bob.
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Selection 5: Wheel Module Calculator

	This feature helps you calculate wheel modules and wheel and tooth
sizes.  It uses the Module system, which calculates a "module" as:  Module =
Pitch diameter (in Mm.) divided by the Number of teeth.

	You must enter any two values, and the program will calculate the
unknown third value. For example, suppose you want to know the diameter of a
wheel which is 0.6 module and has 56 teeth. Simply type ".6" in the Module
box, cursor to the Num Teeth box and enter 56.  The program will calculate the
pitch diameter as well as the outside diameter and the various measurements of
the correct sized tooth.

	Or suppose you must cut a wheel which has a pitch diameter of 2.25"
and has 84 teeth.  Which cutter should you use? Simply enter 2.25 in the
"Pitch Dia inches" box and "84" in the "Num teeth" box.  The module computes
to be .68, so you'd probably use a 0.7 cutter.  If you make your own cutters,
tooth dimensions appear at the bottom of the screen. You may enter the pitch
diameter in either millimeters or inches, but not both.

	The data at the bottom of the screen can appear in either inches or
millimeters. To switch, press either I or M before you begin to type a number.
The current data type appears in a box at the bottom of the screen. The data
includes:

 Outside diameter: The size used for the wheel blank. It is the size of the
addendum doubled plus the pitch diameter.

 Root diameter: The diameter of the wheel measured from the bottom of the
teeth. Useful to know to determine whether the wheel fits on a pre-cut blank.

 Tooth pitch: The distance from one tooth to another.

 Tooth gap: The empty space between two teeth.

 Tooth tip radius: The radius of the curve at the end of the tooth.

 Addendum: size of the tooth outside the pitch circle.

 Dedendum: size of the tooth inside the pitch circle.

 To view similar data for matching pinions, press "Y" when prompted.

Selection 6: Gear Trains

This feature of Super Clock Calc calculates trains of clocks wheels and
pinions. It can help you design a new movement, or replace missing wheels or
pinions in an existing movement.

	The program produces tooth-counts for the final three arbors of a
European-style train, where the Center arbor is a part of the main power train
and acts as the minute hand arbor. The center arbor drives an intermediate
arbor which in turn drives the escape wheel arbor.
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	Super Clock Calc cannot do calculations for American antique-style
movements, where the minute arbor is not part of the main power train, but is
rather part of a side train driven by the 2nd arbor.  Also, no tooth-counts
are provided for the Main or Second arbors, since these are not directly
involved with timekeeping. Approximate pendulum lengths are calculated.

	After you've made a choice from the trains menu, you'll be asked to
input data.  Simply type the data. You can correct your entry with the
Backspace and cursor keys, but once you've pressed Enter, there's no way to
circle back to make corrections.

	After data entry, the Train box appears. It displays sequential
screens, each containing a different possible train--simply press a key to
view the next train. It usually provides abundant possible trains for any
given pendulum length and escape wheel tooth-count.

	For each train, Super Clock Calc calculates a pendulum length and its
beat in beats per second.  It also lists the number of escape wheel teeth, and
the number of seconds the escape wheel use to rotate once.

	Also calculated for each train is the ratio between the Center
(minute) arbor and the escape wheel arbor.  This is the period of rotation of
the minute arbor (3600 seconds or one hour) divided by the rotation of the
escape arbor shown above.  Super Clock Calc factors this number into two
factors, each of which is the ratio of a set of pinion/wheel combinations. One
factor or ratio appears in the left half of the Train box, the other in the
right.

	For example, an escape wheel which revolves in 60 seconds is divided
into 3600 seconds (one hour) to form a ratio of 60, which can be factored into
5 and 12, or ratios of 1:5 and 1:12. These ratios are met by pinion/wheel
combinations of 8 and 40 teeth, and 8 and 96; also by combinations of 12 and
60 teeth and 9 and 108 teeth, and so on.

	You can match any wheel/pinion tooth-count combination from the left
half of the Train box together with any wheel/pinion combination from the
right half. Note that the two combinations needn't be on the same line; but
don't use combinations from other Train box screens, however, since these
belong to different trains.

	Since the possible trains are almost endless,  Super Clock Calc
provides several different ways to access the tables which limit the number of
possible trains viewed at any one time.  Which option you should choose
depends on what you expect to do with the data.  Following is a discussion of
the options on the Trains menu:


Selection 1:  Enter a  maximum and a minimum pendulum length and a single
escape wheel tooth-count. Enter pendulum lengths in inches and fractions of an
inch; no metrics permitted here. You'll save time by entering only an inch or
so difference between the maximum and minimum pendulum lengths--otherwise the
generated tables will be huge. The program first uses the maximum length, then
progressively decreases it. It may also slightly adjust entered length values.
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	Use this Selection when you're designing a new movement and want to
limit the length of the pendulum to that of a certain type of clock. For
example, a range of 20 or so inches for a wall clock, 5 inches or so for a
mantel clock, or 30 inches or so for a grand clock, and so on.

	This selection can also help when you must replace a missing wheel or
pinion in an existing train. Use it when you know the escape wheel tooth-count
and you have an estimate of the pendulum length. Look through the tables until
you find one that fits your movement.


Selection 2:  To use this choice, enter a maximum and minimum number of escape
wheel tooth-counts and a single pendulum length, in inches. (The pendulum
length value need not be exact--pendulum length values are only approximations
anyway.) The program will progressively vary the tooth-count from screen to
screen in the Train box.

Selection 3:  This Selection displays trains for a traditional regulator which
has a 30-tooth escape wheel, a second hand which is attached to the escape
wheel, and a pendulum which beats once per second. Since all parameters are
built in, you don't need to enter data.

Selection 4:  Use this Selection to calculate trains for movements which have
a second hand attached to the escape wheel shaft. This shaft, of course, must
revolve once per minute. You must enter an escape wheel tooth-count--the
program will calculate the required pendulum length.



John's Clocks
PO Box 385
Minatare, NE 69356

Copyright 1991 John Shadle
All rights reserved.