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John Muir's Clock Design
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Sketch of John Muir's clock design.The built clock was a combination of scythes, wheels and arrows. A rough bough of burr oak was set upon a base incrusted with moss. In one of the branches is hanging a miniature scythe with a regularly fashioned snathe and handles. At the place of union were attached two wooden scythes, swelling slightly from each other, but united at the points. Filling the space between the scythes from heels to points was a succession of wooden cog-wheels and small wooden dials. Depending from the scythe points was a wooden pendulum in the shape of an arrow, hanging point down. At its lower end forming the ball of the pendulum, was a cluster of six copper cents in use at that day. To the uppper end of the arrow pedulum was attached two tin copper scythes (also formed out of coins) which, as the pendulum swung, would move as in mowing, the points of the scythes at each swing catching a cog in the little wheel placed there, thus setting in motion the whole machinery. In addition to the records of the larger clock, this one told also the month and the year, and could be attached to the bed alarm.
1863
Muir, John, 1838-1914
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W0133MG
WHi 4949
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John Muir's Desk Clock
Drawing of John Muir's invention, the student desk clock, scale 3 inches per foot. The clock lighted his lamp and fire and opened the right book for him to study. At the end of half an hour it chan...
John Muir Clock
1863
Muir's illustration of a means to record time by use of a star. He titled the drawing "The star hand rising and setting with the sun all the year".
John Muir's famous desk-clock restored
Jan 29, 1928
Wisconsin State Journal
John Muir's Drawing of a Table Saw
1863
A diagram of a table saw, designed and drawn by John Muir.
John Muir Clock
1940
Photograph of clock made by John Muir while a student at the University of Wisconsin in 1860. Children are looking at the John Muir clock in the museum at The State Historical Society. John Muir (1...
