ht-Watch Time-Annunciating Systems for the King Sejong's Striking Clepsydra

세종 자격루의 경점보시 시스템의 복원

King Sejong's Striking Clepsydra was an elaborate timekeeping and annunciating system incorporating biological automata capable of annunciating hours, intervals and night-watches based on Shou-shih calindrical systems automatically. In this paper the author has studied the original manuscripts on the Striking Clepsydra [Sejong sillock, 65: 1a-3b ff` 16th year, 7th month(1434)] from the technical point of view undertaking a close analysis of this monumental clock and aiming to our modern understanding of the full degree of delicate mechanisms and sophisticated controls built into the night-watch and division announcing clockwork(jackwork). Based on the input/output model, timekeeping, ball-rack, ball-relay, and audible time-indicating mechanisms were synthesized reconstructing night-watch annunciating systems. It revealed that the night-watch and division announcing processes were entirely renewed automatically. Historical and philological data concerning the improvements of the proposed model were discussed.