This is an example of a centrifugal governor, also called a "flyball governor" or a "lift tenter."
The centrifugal governor is a closed loop feedback control device. As depicted in the animation, it is being used to regulate a throttle based on the speed of rotation of an engine.

If the engine, controlled by this governor, is unloaded it will spin faster; this will cause the balls of the governor fly up due to centrifugal force. This action, in turn, reduces the throttle via a mechanical linkage to the fly balls, causing the engine to spin slower.

Feedback control devices date to antiquity but their widespread use came into play at the dawn of the industrial revolution as they were used to control steam engines. Christiaan Huygens, Matthew Boulton and James Watt are some of the names associated with the first application of this device during the industrial revolution.

Feedback control devices are used in almost all complex machines we operate in the 21st century. The device shown in this animation is still in widespread use and one current application in automatic governing of aircraft propellers.

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