Expert: Michael Radi - 5/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: I just purchase a Waltham 31 Day Chime Wall Clock at an estate sale. I can not find a model number anywhere on the clock.

The clock seems to work well and keeps accurate time. The questions I have is, the clock chimes one (1) time every hour. I was under the assumption that these types of clocks were suppose to chime the number times equal to the hour. I also thought they were suppose to chime on the 1/2 hours.

The clock has one brass bar attached to a chain on each side of the pendulum. Do I need to adjust these some way to get the clock to chime the hour?

Thank you in advanced for your reply.
Eric Reese

ANSWER: The clock should strike once on the half hour and count out the hours at the top. It sounds like the metal bars on the chains are fake weights and are only ornamental.
The strike system is a bit complicated. I can help you adjust it but you will have to remove the hands and clock face. Then I would need for you to take a digital photo of the clock movement so I can explain the strike system to you.
The adjustments will be on the front of the movement.
Michael

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

QUESTION: Attached is the picture of the clock movement. You were right, once I took the face off I can see that the brass bars and chains are ornamental.

Thanks,
Eric

Answer
Thanks for the great photos. Above the hand shaft just left of center is a piece called the rack. It has teeth on the that make it look like a saw. Each tooth represents a strike. At two o'clock it should drop down two teeth. It is raised back up one tooth at a time as the clock strikes.
In the photo the rack is in the stop position as indicated by the lever at the bottom of the rack. When the minute hand reaches either the top or bottom of the hour that lever is lifted away from the rack allowing the rack to drop. The half hour only lifts far enough to allow the clock to strike one time. On the hour the lever is lifted further allowing the rack to drop all the way down onto the snail (the snail is the cam on the hour shaft, it actually looks like a snail) and the clock should strike the correct number of times. The highest point of the snail is one o'clock. Each time the clock advances one hour the snail moves to its next position until it reaches 12:00 (lowest point), then 1:00 again.
That's the way everything is supposed to work. Now to figure out what is not working correctly. The most common cause of trouble is the lever not being lifted high enough. Behind the snail is another cam with two teeth. It lifts the levers. One tooth is shorter (for the half hour lift) than the other. Check the lever that it lifts and be sure that it is not bent and lifts correctly.
Put the minute hand on and advance it. Watch the lever holding the rack up. Check to see if it lifts far enough away to let the rack drop. You can also lift that lever away from the rack and see if the rack will drop down.
Let me know how it goes.
Michael
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