The clock face is constructed of three discs of clear glass or plastic, illuminated from the rear. The outer, hour disc has a smaller diameter, and between it and the minute disc is a thin, circular cavity filled with a light-hued liquid.
At noon, from the center towards “12”, point two dividers. A darker liquid is pumped in between the dividers causing the right divider to rotate clockwise as an hour hand. The dark sector slowly increases in size as the pale liquid is drained from the lighter sector. As soon as the whole circle is filled with one color (midnight), the dividers meet at the top and a pale sector starts to form, moving the new, right divider clockwise.
The minute function is accomplished in the same way, though its cavity lies behind the hour circle, it is wider and the minute divider hand moves faster. Seconds are shown by a bubble that follows a circular channel at the perimeter of the two bottom discs.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 11 2002 (?) To look something like this http://www.geocitie...nnie/aquaqlocq.html [FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] (?) rough schematic without timers, electronics, etc. http://www.geocitie...nie/aquaqlocq2.html [FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] most of the *time*, I don't comment on Farmer's clock ideas, as I'm left speechless. I agree with IVnick8or.-- thumbwax, Dec 11 2002 Can it go 'plip plop' instead of 'tick tock'?
Elegant as ever.-- Ludwig, Dec 11 2002 For no one else would I sit through a download that long :-) it was worth it. Croissant!-- Marassa, Dec 11 2002 I get the premise and would probably like to have one myself.
I'm skeptical about the mechanisms required to make it function. Since you're not asking me to build such a contraption (+).-- half, Dec 11 2002 If you build it, I'll buy it. But can I choose the colors of the liquids?-- Guncrazy, Dec 11 2002 half & reensure: Maybe if you think of two glass plates turned against each other containing a liquid and two water-tight dividers (each like a double-edged windshield wiper but much thinner) that rotate on a central axle. From an input hole high just to the right of the vertical, is pumped a dark liquid between the dividers. Since none can move left of the vertical, the right one moves to the right, the dark sector increases and the pale liquid is forced out an exit hole high just to the left of the vertical. When the whole circle is dark, the former right divider clicks in place at the vertical and the former left divider becomes the new right divider. Then pale liquid is pumped into the expanding sector…
Guncrazy: Why, sure.
blissmiss: That's the second (hand) bubble that is pumped around its own circular channel.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 11 2002 Your verbal description was sufficient for me to understand how it would work. I was thinking of the practical aspects of all of the seals and pumps and metering devices,etc. required to make it work. I was mentally going through the process of trying to actually build one. Fear not, I'm no engineer.-- half, Dec 11 2002 "Mesaures time in all but the coldest climates!"I like this. Form and function working together to make something lovely. (+)-- Pharaoh Mobius, Dec 11 2002 Love it. Want one. You selling?-- CheeseFilteredCigarette, Dec 11 2002 Naw, dreaming them up is much more fun.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 11 2002 8-o(wide-eyed and speechless)-- egbert, Dec 11 2002 A clockssant +-- skinflaps, Dec 11 2002 <Technical pedantry warning> How do you propose to pump a bubble?
Could this be called a 'liquid crystal display?'-- RayfordSteele, Dec 11 2002 I don't suppose you could draw us a side view or exploded orthogonal view of the mechanism.
Seems like it would be a total nightmare to keep it all sealed while rotating and pumping and whatnot. Liquid has a tendency to misbehave.-- egnor, Dec 11 2002 This is my favorite clock idea yet. And its not from lack of options. . .It might also be the best farmerjohn idea too, also not from lack of choices. You seem to have at least one idea for every letter. I could be wrong I looked through the list kind of quickly.-- notme, Dec 11 2002 Simply Marvellous. How on earth do you do it FJ?-- madradish, Dec 12 2002 //On further inspection, it appears to be closer to 4:20...//That's what you get for filling your aqua qlocq with bong water.-- Pharaoh Mobius, Dec 12 2002 Thanks for the encouragement.
RayfordSteele: First, either the liquid around the bubble should be quite viscose or the “bubble” and liquid should be of similar densities. The liquid with bubble could possibly be pumped around similar to a blood pump that “massages” a flexible tube. Getting liquid to and from the hour cavity is a challenge also; maybe via the central shaft.
Steve DeGroof & egnor: See link. I agree, easier to halfbake than bake.
notme: po mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was missing X and Z, so I added Xmas in Azure and Zoom Moons.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 12 2002 Absolutely exquisite!-- Isis, Dec 12 2002 I question whether or not it's suitable for use wall-mounted, but croissant anyway.-- phoenix, Dec 12 2002 You have a wonderful mind I'm just curious, why clocks? Why do you think about them so much?-- CherryKat, Feb 22 2003 <Styx music> Too much (clap! clap!) time on his hands </Styx music>-- Cedar Park, Feb 22 2003 Wonderful. What a conversation peice.-- bkornele, Feb 17 2004 could you please repeat that-- cornpad, Aug 07 2004 // Why clocks? //
I suspect because they're terribly versatile as a bakery topic. All you need is something that does something in regular intervals which can be displayed somehow, and there's oogles of ways to do that.-- RayfordSteele, Aug 08 2004 You took the words right out of my fingers.-- FarmerJohn, Aug 08 2004 The changeover at every hour / 12 hours would be hard to execute. Could I suggest cheating? Use a clock mechanism to drive the hands, and let the hands pump the liquid around. Easier to make, looks just as lovely. Have another croissant (you must have loads by now, doesn't it mess with your diet?).-- wagster, Aug 08 2004 random, halfbakery