Unpacking

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In our last episode your local horologist was evaluating the Thomas Adams movement, a collaborative service effort with Jeff the retired clockmaker. 

In addition to the items reviewed with Jeff at his house, back at the shop this clock detective discovered more than a few things that were of additional concern. 

One significant example was the anchor arbor and crutch.

There it is out of the movement (for clarity's sake) but YLH saw something of concern while still in the assembled movement. 

The anchor is a central part of the clocks escapement. Its pallets regulate the power to the pendulum. A thorough summary of the escapement and how it powers the crutch and pendulum is here. Short version: The anchor rocks the arbor and the crutch which drives the pendulum. 

To have a pendulum run evenly is known as putting a clock in beat and to do so the crutch is adjusted (often gently bent). 

This clock has a very rigid steel crutch, a not uncommon design in some styles of movements, and adjustment of the crutch is made with a friction fitting of two or more brass disks at the intersection of the anchor/pallet arbor and the crutch.

There is an annotated example of a more modern version of the same style of of friction fitting from the NAWCC boards beat setting information page. It is noted as the friction "clutch".

© Copyright (the late and greatly missed) Bangs Tapscott

Again this design is such that the angle of the crutch (beat) can be adjusted relative to the anchor on the arbor. 

Back to our English friend... 

Its friction fit was... 

Soldered.


Yipes.

This clock has undergone many repairs in its life and that friction fit ain't moving.

OK so, uh... how do you adjust the beat on this thing?

Right! Enough examination. 

Time to start disassembling and see more about what's what.

Actually one of the first steps is to remove that crutch assembly. and... 

Well...

Yeah. 

Unlike Bart, YLH did not cause that injury. While removing the assembly this clock doc noticed some wiggle along the arbor and with a gentle turn the arbor shaft slid out of the friction fitting. Clearly this dingus had been broken before.

Welp. There's another one on the entertainment list for this clock.

Continuing the disassembly.

That "engagement problem" referred to in earlier posts involving the hour wheel meshing?

Well both the minute wheel cock and the hour wheel cock were... wiggly.

Perhaps a loose screw on the minute wheel cock but the hour wheel cock was definitely missing a pin that helped anchor it in place.


Note that there is a pin on the left side. Missing on the right.

Here's the mystery strip.


Still don't know what it's for.

Lest your plumber of horological depths comes across as carping it is very much worth noting that much of the works of the clock seem to be in quite robust condition.


Nothing out of the ordinary here. Except of course for the lack of weight cords on both of those grooved main wheels.

In Jeff's notes he mentions a missing "ratchet" on the Time side main wheel.

It's not the ratchet that is missing; it's the click that is missing.


But rotating that wheel reveals...


There are two clicks.

Interesting.

Here is the misaligned hammer spring. It is bent away from true vertical. 

That is causing the collision with the wheel.

The rest of the disassembly was largely uneventful.

Checking some of the ancillary parts...

Ah yes, and also as had been noted, here is the damage to one of the pulleys.


Whew!

Plenty to do!

Heck we don't even know if this thing will run.

We'll find out!

Soon.

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