Towneley invents the dead-beat escapement Richard Towneley was a mathematician and astronomer who is credited with inventing the dead-beat escapement around 1675. Clockmaker Thomas Tompion was the first to implement Towneley's design. It is possible that Townley co-developed the mechanism with Tompion, but this cannot be confirmed. Antiquarian John Carter argues that the form of the dead-beat escapement developed by Towneley, which was used by Tompion for the observatory clocks at Greenwhich, ‘was specifically for scientific use and barely utilised elsewhere’.[1] The advantage of the dead-beat escapement is that it overcame the limitations of its predecessor, the anchor escapement, by removing the recoil. This allowed the pendulum to swing freely in a natural manner and thus greatly increased accuracy. End Note [1] Carter 2021, 199. Reference Carter, J. 2021. The John C Taylor Collection: Part I (Selling Exhibition Catalogue, Carter Marsh & Co). Winchester: Carter Marsh & Co. Image Credit Astronomer's clock; year-going clock; spring-driven clock. Made by Thomas Tompion, designed by Richard Towneley; 1676 (escapement 1678). Museum No: 1928,0607.1 © The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, astronomer's clock; year-going clock; spring-driven clock | British Museum
