Western Union self-winding clock

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue Sep 21 20:14:36 2004

>
> >>>>> "FaLLnAnGeL" == FaLLnAnGeL <FaLLnAnGeL889_at_aol.com> writes:
>
> FaLLnAnGeL> Hi, My dad has one of those self winding clocks, and i
> FaLLnAnGeL> was wondering if you could point me in the direction of
> FaLLnAnGeL> finding a wiring diagram for it? thanks for your time
>
> Self-winding? Do you mean an electrically powered pendulum clock?

It might also be a conventional mechanical clock, normally spring-driven,
with a soldenoid and switch to wind it when the spring runs down (smaller
clocks of this type were fitted to UK cars in the 1960s, I've had a few
across my bench. They used a tension spring (not a flat spiral spring
like most mainsprings) and rewound every couple of minutes or so).

> That could be a Synchronome or something analogous.
>
> Not much to it. It's basically a switch connected to a solenoid

If it is a syncronome, there are likely to be contacts for slave dials too

> If it's a Synchronome, a beautiful reference (if you can find it, I
> believe it's out of print) "Electrical Timekeeping" by Frank
> Hope-Jones, the inventor of that technology.
>

That book is moderately hard to find (I have) it, there's also 'Electric
Clocks' by the same author that I've not found yet. Other books including
'Amateur Telescope Making' (!) and a book on electric clocks in the
current Camden book lists give some information on making Synchronome
clocks, but assume you will buy the castings from the Synchronome company
(who are long gone, alas).

For the UK people here, Hope-Jones was the originator of the time signal
'pips' on BBC radio...

-tony
Received on Tue Sep 21 2004 - 20:14:36 BST