Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 8/21/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi hope you can help.
I have a small one weight cuckoo clock that uses one lift for both bellows. How do you run the wire to stagger the bellows. now they both go tighter. on the works has the name J. Encstle.

ANSWER: in the photo --there is a "Z" shaped wire hanging from the right hand bellows top. That wire should dangle over the horizontal wire so that when the horizontal wire is lifted it lifts the "knee" of the Z wire first until it drops and kicks the knee out from under it on the way down. been years since I saw one but the action is remarkably simple.

the Z wire may be facing the wrong way (in vs. out)hard to see

let me know if I helped

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

QUESTION: Hi I'm not seeing something.On the left bellows there is a wirer that comes from the movement and it lifts the left bellows. on the left bellow is a lift wire that lifts the right bellows. The z wire is not long enough to lift the movement. When I put the z wire over the top it lifts the right bellows to high. Does the z wire lift from the movement.
Thank You Fro the help
Roger

Answer
ok here goes: the horizontal wire lifts the top of the right hand bellows by catching somehow (not shown in the photo) the top of the bellows. Then you are missing a pin or small tack, brad or nail horizontal into the right wall of the "U" cutout in the wood that the lift wire goes through. "When lifted, the lower back right edge of the "U" notch kicks the "Z" wire to the rear and up and over the pin, holding the right bellows up until the left bellows with its' horizontal wire is released down and the Horizontal wire hits and kicks back the "Z" wire off the pin and drops the right bellows with enough delay to give you the "coo-coo" you are looking for.

see my drawing attached: