Pulsynetic Waiting Train Slave in Motion

[Eckmill]

The so-called "waiting train" tower or turret slave movements were used in Europe where a powerful but reliable movement is needed. They are impulsed every 30 seconds from the remote master clock. The robust Hipp-Toggle advances the out-of-doors clock hands just a little faster than the master, then disengages from the motion works ratchet, waiting for the impulse from the master clock.

So here we have a massive Hipp toggle pendulum being impulsed mechanically only when the span of the pendulum motion decreases to the point where the toggle catches. The toggle closes a battery circuit energizing two large electromagnets that attract a pivoted armature. A roller on the armature engages a ramp "palet" extending from the pendulum rod thus giving impulse to the pendulum.

Motion from the heavy pendulum, through a pawl, advances a ratchet wheel that drives the hands through the motion-works gears. But the motion works to the hands is stopped just short of the 30 second period by a cam that lifts the pawl. Thus the hands "wait" a few seconds for the impulse from the master clock to arrive. The master clock impulse energizes an electromagnet releasing the driving pawl to continue moving the motion works and the clock's hands for another (almost) half second.

See a working example (less the hands) in motion on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AtEB_xkSPc&fmt=18

[Eckmill]

In the previous post, the last word should be minute not second. The most popular English master clocks impulse slave dials every half-minute.