Canada Clock Co. cottage clock does not go into warning

[Rockin Ronnie]

I can't figure out how to put the strike side in warning. I feel it is missing something or the levers are bent incorrectly. So far I have done nothing to the levers.

It is a Canada Clock Co. Hamilton Cottage Extra 30 hour time and strike, circa 1883. The time side runs fine but it would be nice to have the strike side function correctly.

Ron

 

[POWERSTROKE]

I’ve never worked in one of these is the cam lifting the lever on the front of the movement? Or falling short of doing so?

 

[Vernon]

There should be a cam or two on the center arbor. I think that the lever against the pillar post needs to be on the other side of the post so that it can catch a pin on the wheel that drives the fan for warn. On the other set of levers, the one that interacts with the center arbor might be missing the end. It looks like you have plenty of bushing work to do.

 

[Jim Hartog]

Hello Ron,

Your second photo shows a lever coming off the top one of the two strike levers and it appears to be bent up to the movement post. That just looks wrong. It is pretty useless up there. Strike levers typically come straight out of the arbor and then do some graceful bending if so required to do their thing or avoid another arbor. The one that goes straight up is suspicious. However, if it come straight out, it is going in the wrong direction.

Jim

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

I’ve never worked in one of these is the cam lifting the lever on the front of the movement? Or falling short of doing so?

Here is a shot of the cam wheel.

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

Hello Ron,

Your second photo shows a lever coming off the top one of the two strike levers and it appears to be bent up to the movement post. That just looks wrong. It is pretty useless up there. Strike levers typically come straight out of the arbor and then do some graceful bending if so required to do their thing or avoid another arbor. The one that goes straight up is suspicious. However, if it come straight out, it is going in the wrong direction.

Jim

Yes Jim, it looks wrong to me as well. Where do I bend it?

 

[Dick C]

Perhaps Allan Symons can help you. He has a photo of the same movement in the museum:

http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/gallery/CANADA_CLOCK_COMPANY_(HAMILTON).html

 

[Jim Hartog]

Hello Ron,

Since I don't have a Canada Clock (Hamilton) in my collection (too pricey), I can't answer your question. But,.............. I d0 have the book by Varkaris and Connell that covers these Canadian Clock companies and on page 52 there is a photo of your movement. That caused me to look closer at your picture and I noticed something. In your photos you have the count wheel lever arbor below the "J" hook arbor. What I am calling the "J" hook is the lever that interacts with the pin on the minute arbor that starts the strike sequence. That same arbor has the lifting lever that lifts the count wheel lever somehow, often the count wheel lever directly. In your photos, you have the count wheel lever arbor the BELOW the "J" hook arbor. I believe it should be ABOVE. The two strike arbors have been inter-changed? Check to see if you have the correct relationship between the "J" and the pin on the minute arbor. That arbor may be in upside down? I'm thinking your strike lever arbors are, at least, reversed to each other and that radically bent lever going up to the post/pillar should net be bent like that at all.

Sometimes the strike lever arbors are side by side but then the count wheel lever arbor is on the strike side, the "J" hook lever arbor is on the time side.

Jim

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

Thanks, Jim. I will look into that and Dick, that's a good idea re. contact Allan Symons.

Ron

 

[shutterbug]

To me it looks like someone bent your warning stop lever down toward the center arbor. If there aren't two lift wires, above each other, then that wire is serving no purpose. It should arrest the stop wheel with the stop pin when you are nearing the strike time. As it is, you don't have warning (as you mentioned) and the clock just strikes early instead of pausing for the center cam drop. It looks like someone with no knowledge of what they were doing just started bending things.

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

To me it looks like someone bent your warning stop lever down toward the center arbor. If there aren't two lift wires, above each other, then that wire is serving no purpose. It should arrest the stop wheel with the stop pin when you are nearing the strike time. As it is, you don't have warning (as you mentioned) and the clock just strikes early instead of pausing for the center cam drop. It looks like someone with no knowledge of what they were doing just started bending things.

I am not opposed to bending it to where it should be. It looks like it should be bent all the way around, almost opposite of where it is. I am also prepared to replace the lever wire if it does break.

 

[shutterbug]

It's the bottom wire on the front assembly. The other one lifts from the arbor, and pushes the front one up. The front one lifts off from the stop pin, and that bent piece should encounter it as it comes around. That's the warning. The other wire that is wedged against the upper post is probably the stop lever. It looks like they bent it up to stop the fan. You need to find where the stop pin is on the movement. If there's a wire on the fan, it might be designed to stop there. Or there might be a pin broken off the stop wheel.That poor thing in is sorry shape. Look it over, and see what you find. Also look for some pictures of those lever assemblies in other movements. They all act similar, and you should get some idea of what you need to do.

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

Replaced both mainsprings. Maybe I should post this in the hall of shame.

 

[shutterbug]

I've seen worse. Lots of old timers used a type of dove tail to put springs back together. It's actually not a bad idea if you ever run across old brass springs. They should be preserved if at all possible.

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

I've seen worse. Lots of old timers used a type of dove tail to put springs back together. It's actually not a bad idea if you ever run across old brass springs. They should be preserved if at all possible.

Good to know. I have an Elisha Manross steeple clock with brass springs, (the only one I have with brass mainsprings) and it is nice to know they can be "repaired'.

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

Perhaps Allan Symons can help you. He has a photo of the same movement in the museum:

http://www.canclockmuseum.ca/gallery/CANADA_CLOCK_COMPANY_(HAMILTON).html

Thanks, great idea.