Kater's Pendulum
A good friend, Professor Tom Greenslade at Kenyon College, suggested the I look up the Kater's Pendulum in the Science Museum in London. I was in London and was able to take a number of photographs of the pendulum that was on display at that time. It was designed to make gravity surveys in the field so that it is packed in a fitted mahogany case to protect it in its travels. The copy of the display card gives a very brief description of the travels of this particular pendulum.
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The suspension knife edge is similar to the design we use. They use the semiprecious stone, agate, as a polished support surface. shown in the upper part of the picture. This would give less damping than our steel surface. |
| The bob is very large in this pendulum so that the swinging pendulum has a lot of energy. The amplitude of the swing would be damped very slowly allowing a great many periods to be measured before the pendulum damps to rest. Our pendulum will swing for about six hours but this one would last even longer. |  |
Text of the Display Card in the Imperial Science Museum
London February 1999
Kater's invariable pendulum No 10, by Thomas Jones, 1827
This pendulum and its accessories required careful packing to prevent them from being damaged in transport. This pendulum was taken together with No 11, which was identical, and two convertible pendulums made of brass arid one of iron, on a voyage lasting from 1828-1831. During this time Captain Henry Foster swung it at twelve locations on the coasts and islands of the South Atlantic. Subsequently it was used the Euphrates Expedition, of 1835-6, then taken to the Antarctic by James Ross in 1840.
No 1914. 587
Neg No 575/61