Expert: William J Perkins - 4/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: I hope you can help me.  I have just bought a Smiths Setric Westminster chiming mantel clock.  I received it this morning and,it seems to be keeping time perfectly.  My problem is that it has not chimed yet- not at the quarter, half or on the hour.  When I move the lever from silence to chime it chimes perfectly and different patterns of chimes can be heard, as expected.  

I'm not sure what I am doing wrong!  Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

ANSWER: I am sorry, I do not understand your question.  Could you please elaborate.  Regards WJP

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

QUESTION: There is a lever by the number 9 that can either be set to silence or chime.  I have the lever set to 'chime'.  When the minute hand passes the hour, quarter, half etc the clock does not chime.  However, when I test the clock by moving the lever from silence to chime then it immediately enters a chiming sequence and 4 different sequences can be heard; it even chimes the correct number of hours depending on where the hour hand is.

If the hands are manually moved round then the clock does not chime either.  

So, in short, the only way to currently get the clock to chime is to physically move the lever.  I can not get it to chime during normal running.  

Hope that is clearer; any advice welcomed.  

Thanks

Answer
I suggest you have the clock examined, most appropriately by the party who sold you the clock.  It sounds like something is hanging up in the time works.  The time works are the gears and levers mounted on the frontplate of the movement.  My guess something is bent or a pin is loose or missing.  I do not believe the problem to be serious.  Regards WJP