Mark Frank | Astro-skeleton, Seconds buffer spring demonstration @MarkFrankclocks | Uploaded 2 years ago | Updated May 12 2024
This video shows the coil buffer spring that eliminates the erratic rotation of the center seconds arbor through this spring and provides rotational torque to the seconds escape wheel which is controlled by the existing pendulums.

What is being demonstrated is the safety/setting feature in this design. If the operator tries to spin the seconds hand around it will slip on the arbor or the inner spring barrel in either direction. But if left alone or turned slowly it grips in either direction. In practical use, it is important that it grips the seconds hand to follow the escapement wheel in a clockwise direction. It would have been easier to design and build and require far less imagination to have simply had the inner coil permanently attached to the original erratic seconds arbor and the endpoint of the outer coil to the escape wheel - however we would have lost the safety feature and it would have made setting this hand to time very difficult.

This is another example of the many safety features built into the clock to prevent damage from operator carelessness or ignorance and these features also make the machine more user-friendly. One hundred years from now the operator will have less knowledge than we do now! Although I hope to save as much information in both print and electronically to help the future operator correctly care for the machine but nothing can be guaranteed.