Expert: Martin Meyer - 6/19/2007

Question
I recently bought this clock for my mother from an estate sale.  The chimes were working when I bought it and now they are not.  I unhooked the weights and pendlehum to haul it in the back of the truck.  When I got the clock to moms I hooked it back up, pulled all the chains and reset the time. This clock does not have a key.  It only has the weights on chains.  Did I mess something up?  It is keeping time.  But not chiming.

Answer
Hi Dawn,
  There is a number of things which can cause a clock not to chime. But first, I am assuming that you are referring the quarter-hour musical chime, not just the hour strike. Let me know if this is not the case.
  Chimes can malfunction due to wear in the movement or need of lubrication, but it's a good sign (but not definite) that they were working before you moved it. So I will deal with causes related to setup rather than with wear.
  First, move the minute hand backwards about 5 to 7 minutes, then move it slowly forward to the next chime point (any quarter), and see if it chimes. Next, check the weights. The heaviest weight should be on the RIGHT as you look at the clock. The light weight in this position will stop chiming. Next, check that the chime is not turned off. If your clock has a chime shutoff, it is most likely a lever sticking through a slot in the dial near the number "3". It instead may be over the "12", or could be a brass wire hanging down from behind the dial on the right side. Now remove the side panels (if the clock has them) and look in at the movement through the right-side opening. There may be an L-shaped steel lever mounted to the back of the movement at the top corner. This lever can be pivoted so it rests against the chime hammer wires (a row of four or eight brass wires sticking up vertically from the back of the movement, with brass "hammers" at their tops). If it is present and touching the chime wires, pivot it away from the wires so it does not touch them. Now look at the row of chime wires. They should be in a straight row, none of them lifted back out of line from the rest. If one or more wires is lifted back, gently reach into the movement compartment and lift back (toward you) all 4 or 8 wires at the same time. If you see the pinwheel (long cylinder with pins on it like in a music box) slip forward (toward the front of the clock), that was your problem, and when you let go of the hammer wires they should line up in a straight row. Finally,  place two fingers on the top of the right-hand weight and press down on the weight, while you turn the minute hand slowly to the next chime point. If the clock chimes, the chime was stalled and should now be corrected.
  Other than more serious internal problems, this should cover all possibilities that I can think of. If one of these methods repairs the chime, but the chiming stops again later, the clock either needs lubrication or the movement is worn out. In either of these cases you should have a professional clock repairer service the clock.
 I hope this information solves your problem.  Thanks for your question.   Martin