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- Virgule Escapement is a frictional-rest escapement
- like cylinder, and as such the balance is never
- detached. The action of the escapement is that as
- the balance turns a tooth is resting on the circular
- body of the virgule, and as the balance continues to
- turn the wheel tooth drops off the body and into the
- inside, thus giving no impulse; the wheel tooth is
- resting on the inside and the virgule revolves round
- it. As the balance changes its direction at the end
- of its vibration the tooth reaches the end of the
- shell as it may be called, and drops on to the hook
- or impulse plane, proceeding to push the pallet round
- thus giving impulse. As the balance progresses the
- tooth drops on the body of the virgule, where it
- rests as the balance continues on its path. As soon
- as its momentum is exhausted the balance again reverses,
- and as the corner of the lip of the virgule is reached
- the wheel tooth drops inside and the sequence is
- again repeated.