Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 10/26/2007

Question
QUESTION: I have a Howard Miller Grandmother Floor Clock which is chain drive with with weights and a plendum.  The weights and chains have all been taken off.  How do I get them back on and wind the clock?  Can I get a manual?

ANSWER: bit of a challenge - but if you want to try ....
I hope you have two side access doors or panels on the left and right of the dial on the sides of the case? Remove them--if the chains have round wire rings NEAR the ends, bend and remove them. if you start the end of the (that you do NOT hook the weight on) over the top outside of the ratchet chain wheel (silver) you can then push the chain wheel and it will click and ratchet and allow you to push the chain over the wheel and eventually the end will appear below the movement where you can grab it.
 The middle ratchet wheel is a bear. Remove the non- hook end piece on the chain using pliers by bending open the last link. Using a suitable wire or pipe cleaner or such with a hook bent on the following end- using a flashlight bend and hook the wire up and over the shaft holding and nearest the silver ratchet chain wheel in the middle.Note first which way the wheel will ratchet for you like the side ones. Then with luck you can hook the wire over the shaft and down and hook the end of the chain onto the wire and pull the chain up and over the shaft so you have both ends and then with you finger start the chain on the ratchet wheel and pull on the non hook end of the chain to force it up and over the wheel itself. put the end back on the chain. Alternate plan is to remove the movement from the clock and feed the chain thru while the movement is upside down in your hand.

manual: http://www.howardmiller.com/uploaded/SupportMaterials/Manuals/FloorClockManual.p

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

QUESTION: Hello.  Thank you very much.  I believe I saw four ratchets on the wheel which chain goes where on the ratchet?  Do I wrap the entire length of chain around the ratchet so the weight hangs at a specific height?  Does it matter which chain gets what weight hung on it.  I did notice that the weights are labeled right, center and middle.  How do I correlate the weights to the chain position on the ratchet or do I?  Thanks

ANSWER: you can't see the whole wheel maybe you see 4 spokes in the track where the chain goes. make the ends even below the movement half way down the case to start- hang the weights as labled as facing the clock on the hook end then pull them up using only the free end of each chain till they reach the top and stop- a weeks run to the bottom or pull up when you want sooner.

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

QUESTION: Hello, Thanks again.  I looked at it last night and I can reach everything by removing the back panel.  Like you stated up top where is the top ratchet chain wheel(silver.) Everthing on the ratchet appears to be brass?  I am assuming the ratchet is what is rining the chimes or is the ratchet burried inside the whole mechanical mechinism?  If it is what is ringing the chimes my question how does the chain wrap around the ratchet?  Do I have to disconnect the springs that rest underneath the ratcher and are attach to the hammers(not sure of terminology) that ring the chimes?  I would like to attempt this by myself so I can not thank you enough for your input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer
You are fishing in the wrong place! 3 lowest gears in the clock movement--the left and right ones sitck out slightly beyond the plates on each side:  they look like this:

http://www.clock-keys.com/CART/images/20680.JPG

the silver part rotates independant of the brass gear - and you can see the spokes that the chain engages in the middle of the silver wheel.