Elephant clock

The Elefantenuhr of al - Dschazarī (1136-1206) was a medieval machine in the form of a life-size replica of an elephant, which indicated the time by means of a water meter. The mechanical elements and characters of the machines were in the howdah, a palanquin on the back of the elephant housed. The clock was designed so that every half hour moving the characters and sounds were heard.

Fully functional replicas of the clock can be found in the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai and in the outdoor area of Watch Museum Musée d' Horlogerie in Le Locle in Switzerland.

Mechanism

The mechanism of the machine is controlled by a water meter in the interior of the elephant.

In a large, water-filled cavity located in a bowl that continuously fills up through a small opening in the floor with water to drop. The bowl is connected by a wire with a basket in the canopy of the litter, in which there are metal balls. After half an hour of the container is decreased to the extent that it triggers a lever mechanism and a metal ball is released from the basket. The ball falls into the mouth of a serpent, and brings them to tilt.

The rotary motion of the snake, the figures of the machine by means of wires now be operated. The seated at the head of the elephant mahout opens a pool, a mechanical bird begins to sing and another figure moves the hands. At the same time the sunken bowl is pulled from the water and emptied. Then swing back the snake and the process is repeated, so long as balls are present in the basket.

The Elefantenuhr was the first clock with a vending machine which was running again after a certain time interval.