Barr & Poole Erratic Poole Clock

[Frank Manning]

I have a Poole clock that I can not keep running. I can start it running on the bench and watch it and it works fine. I put it back on a shelf and it again works fine for a day or so and then stops. It gets about 23 beats before striking the pendulum again. I did note that now and then when it goes to restrike it will miss the first time and do it a second time. I assume there is one of the adjustments that can fix that, but all that I have tried seem to fail. Can someone offer help?

Thanks, Frank

 

[Egge]

Hi Frank,
I am a new member of this forum, I am from Germany.
I have 5 Pool/Barr clocks at home and have some experience with this clocks. If the electrical part is o.k., most of the time you have to look at the mechanical part - everythink has to be without any tournament.
So at the electrical contact you have two screws to adjust how deep the gravity arm will fall, you may play a little bit with this.

Sorry for my English.
Greetings from Hamburg/Germany
Thorsten

 

[eskmill]

The tripping mechanism which unlatches the gravity arm to give impulse to the pendulum must act quickly. Any cohesion between these parts will slightly delay the fall of the gravity arm. It is critical that these parts operate without any friction but just a film of oil will cause the parts of the latch and trigger to operated slowly.

It is OK to provide a thin protective coating of oil on these parts to protect from corrosion but there must not be any residual oil on the latch and the trigger parts. They must move rapidly and without delay.

Realistically, the only pivot that requires any lubrication is the gravity arm roller.