How to unscrew winding knob when click spring is shot?

[saskjoe]

I just got this nice old Bradley - Rogers travel alarm. Very nice in original box and apart from a slightly loose lens and a loose minute hand and a click spring issue it seems okay (it runs when you turn and hold the winding knob). Then while I was driving home I thought 'how will the winding knob unthread with nothing stopping the arbor from turning?'. I feel like I'm locked out of my car....lol. So far I've tried wrapping a twist tie around the winding stem below the knob tournequet(sp?) style, tilting and tapping in case the unsprung click might engage, and simply staring at it. Any thoughts appreciated. Joe. By the way, any ideas as to this clocks vintage?

[shutterbug]

You'll have to get the movement out of the case if you can, and try to engage the click or hold the wheel while unscrewing the key. If it won't come out of the case enough to do that, I'm not sure what advise to offer You could try tipping the clock different directions to see if the click will fall into the wheel with gravity.

[bangster]

Show us a pic of the back.

[saskjoe]

Here it is....thanks for now

[David S]

Saskjoe how much space do you have between the back of the key and the can?
David

[Watchfixer]

Usually these small travel type clocks have click under the winding key. Other designs had them on bottom of movement, the really cheap movements have harder to access plate fingers in holes clicks.

Otherwise cut handle off and find another winding key? These handle is kind of common.

Cheers, Watchfixer

[shutterbug]

Hmmm. Not so bad an idea. Maybe a nut cutter would fit on there.

[saskjoe]

I popped the wire loop off the winder and am going to file the remaining round disc perimeter until it clears the hole in the can. I mananged to look inside from under the opposite side and the top gear even if stopped didnt help. Unless this thing is too hard to file I think I'll be okay for now. Thanks guys. Joe.

[dAz57]

I popped the wire loop off the winder and am going to file the remaining round disc perimeter until it clears the hole in the can. I mananged to look inside from under the opposite side and the top gear even if stopped didnt help. Unless this thing is too hard to file I think I'll be okay for now. Thanks guys. Joe.

probably an idea to get a piece of wide mainspring and cut a slot in it then slide it under the knob to protect the back from the file or dremel wheel.

I have got around this problem by pulling the clock apart from the front to back, so if you can get the hands and dial off you may be able to get to the lower part of the barrel arbour to grip it.

[Willie X]

sask,

Sometimes you can force a pair of side cutters (dykes) behind the winding knob to grip the shaft and unscrew the knob. This will mark the shaft but this might be the lesser of the evils.

Good luck, Willie X

[bangster]

I popped the wire loop off the winder and am going to file the remaining round disc perimeter until it clears the hole in the can. I mananged to look inside from under the opposite side and the top gear even if stopped didnt help. Unless this thing is too hard to file I think I'll be okay for now. Thanks guys. Joe.

I was going to have a different suggestion. But getting the can off past the stub of the key sounds best. A replacement key can always be got.

[saskjoe]

I was going to have a different suggestion. But getting the can off past the stub of the key sounds best. A replacement key can always be got.

After taping the shiny brass of the can I filed the key hub and slid the can off only to be met by another steel can! Since it doesn't show I decided to open it up for access to the mainspring assembly. I got the key hub unscrewed by prying against the various parts in the area. It is a bad design as the winding arbor is poorly attached to the click spring hub. Also the alarm gets it's power from the mainspring but how it does this is unclear as of yet. It was getting late so more study as to how it works is in order. It almost looks like there is missing parts. At the very least a new click will have to be fabricated or adapted to to make it be a time only clock. The original click was a brass spring lever that was part of the gear face attached (poorly IMHO ) to the winding arbor. Is there a source of " springy" brass I could look for? Thanks for now, Joe. P.s. The movement is marked " Gilbert ".

[saskjoe]

Okay, I figured out how the alarm drive works. The gear that appeared to be an idler gear is cracked and freewheeling on its shaft and it should be locked to the shaft and meshing with the wheel on top of the mainspring assembly. The wheel on the other end of the alarm gear driveshaft has an interesting one way clutching device...or possibly its a shock absorbing device as well. This clock has been worked on before judging by loose and dented parts and a couple big sweaty thumb prints burned into the clockplates. This clock is proving to be far too much trouble than its worth in dollars and cents but I'm going to see it through for the practice and educational value to be had. Once the repairs are done I'll have to drill the winding key hub for a cross pin finger grip..... or better yet could someone tell me where to get a new key? It needs to be quite flat so as not to rub the inside of the folding fabric case like the old key did. Also I made a new post in this forum about todays staking misadventure.... Joe.

[shutterbug]

You can fit the cracked pinion with a bushing small enough to allow the crack to close. Solder the bushing in and you'll have a nice solid repair. Then ream the bushing to nearly fit the arbor and press it on.