.

[Illustration: Fig. 11.]

[Illustration: Fig. 12.]

[Illustration: Fig. 13.]

Anyone who has closely followed our deductions must see that in so far
as the wheel is concerned the ratchet or English wheel has several
points in its favor. Such a wheel is inseparable from a wide pallet; but
we have seen that a narrower pallet is advisable; also as little drop
and lock as possible; clearly, we must effect a compromise. In other
words, so far the balance of our reasoning is in favor of the club tooth
escapement and to effect an intelligent division of angles for tooth,
pallet and lift is one of the great questions which confronts the
intelligent horologist.

Anyone who has ever taken the pains to draw pallet and tooth with
different angles, through every stage of the lift, with both wide and
narrow pallets and teeth, in circular and equidistant escapements, will
have received an eye-opener. We strongly advise all our readers who are
practical workmen to try it after studying what we have said. We are
certain it will repay them.

[Illustration: Fig. 2.]

_The Center Distance of Wheel and Pallets._ The direction of pressure of
the wheel teeth should be through the pallet center by drawing the
tangents AC and AD, Fig. 2 to the primitive circle GH, at the
intersection of the angle FBE. This condition is realized in the
equidistant pallet. In the circular pallet, Fig. 3, this condition
cannot exist, as in order _to lock_ on a tangent the center distance
should be _greater_ for the engaging and _less_ for the disengaging
pallet, therefore watchmakers aim to go between the two and plant them
as before specified at A.

When planted on the tangents the unlocking resistance will be less and
the impulse transmitted under favorable conditions, especially so in
the circular, as the direction of pressure coincides (close to the
center of the lift), with the law of the parallelogram of forces.

It is _impossible_ to plant pallets on the tangents in very small
escapements, as there would not be enough room for a pallet arbor of
proper strength, nor will they be found planted on the tangents in the
medium size escapement with a long pallet arbor, nor in such a one with
a very wide tooth (see Fig. 4) as the heel would come so close to the
center A, that the solidity of pallets and arbor would suffer. We will
give an actual example. For a medium sized escape wheel with a primitive
diameter of 7.5 mm., the center distance AB is 4