Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 2/21/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi  Please help!!  I have a wall pendulum clock made I think by AMS Germany Which has stopped working. Last year I took the  clock down to  decorate and when I returned it to the wall the chimes  had stopped chiming, the hammers were moving  but not hitting the  bars. Last month  my wife  removed the pendulum  to clean the inside.  However, since it was returned it  will now  only run for about  3-5 minutes at a time. The  three winders are all fully wound.  
The clock has a brass face with a small globe at the top with the letters AMS on it  The clock used to strike all the quarters building up to it striking the  hour.

The back of the clock mechanism   has the figures  85 at the top,  then FHS  and an engraving of a clock face,  underneath this face  it has the word Germany  then under this 351-030,  under that  52cm, then a horizontal line & below the line 92.625. Is there anything I can do to restore it  to working order…


ANSWER: made by Franz Hermle & Sons in 1985 #351-030 is the Hermle movement number and 52cm is the pendulum length from the suspension post to the bottom of the disk--92.625 is the mumber of beats in an hour it does if keeping perfect time.
  Being 22 years old it may need overhaul or replacement but it the hammers were moving but not hitting-- the chime rods are held in a cast block bolted to the case with two bolts and they may have come loose and allowed the rods to slip away from the hammers.
  Probably out of beat - or the mechanism is not level--check here:
-The pendulum assembly begins at the top with a 1" two legged suspension spring pinned to a brass post sticking out of the back of the rear movement plate.
  Next a silver(probably) suspension leader about 5" long that hooks onto the bottom of the suspension spring and passes through the "foot" shaped forked brass piece (and must be in the center of the fork slot and not be rubbing front or back) that connects into the inside of the movement.
  Lastly the top of the pendulum hooks onto the bottom of this suspension leader. NOW if all is correctly assembled, swinging the pendulum will get it ticking. The sound of the ticking must sound even or balanced on either side. Not over-swinging one side or the other.
  If it is not sounding even, then push with your hand the top third of the pendulum over to the side that has the excessive overswing. You may feel some resistance but gently push a bit more then try the sound of the ticking after swinging the pendulum freely.
  If the sound is not improved in the balance then do more pushing -if it is now sounding like excessive swing in the opposite direction then push the pendulum to the other side till it sounds a pretty even tick. Clock should run then. .(There is a little slip clutch that you are adjusting when you push the "L" shaped foot to either side.)
  There are a hundred things that could be wrong- you have just taken a tour through the repair of what is wrong 98% of the time!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Can I do all that you have said with the clock  mechanism in place?? If not How do I remove it from the casing.. etc...

The bars all appear to be firmly held it is the hammers that  stop short about  an eith of an inch before hitting them.
Thanks a lot.. your have been really informative  Jack

Answer
yes-in place is the only way - hang on wall, level case and then try the beat adjustment.

OK loosen the two screws and move the bar assembly closer till they all hit properly and retighten the screws-- you can do this off the wall easier before trying to fix the beat above.