Grasshopper Setup help

[Kenny Gardner]

Against my better judgement I purchased a Grasshopper Skeleton clock from ProClocks at an NAWCC convention a couple of years ago. That little voice told me not to do it but it looked so cool sitting there on the table, swinging back and forth, that I just had to have it.

The voice was correct when, as soon as I got it home, screws started popping off the dial and the winding hole grommet fell off. That little voice told me, "You know, you really should go through the entire mechanism and tighten all those set screws". But, I didn't listen.

Now, two years later, it has stopped, many of those screws much looser now. After attempting various adjustments, I finally gave up and made sure that I put each adjustable piece as close to the way it was originally by lining up holes and trying to make sure the set screws went back into the same indents that they had made. Doing this, I was able to get it to "tick/tock", albeit 1 second fast - the pallets contacting every other tooth.

I'm pretty sure that this thing never made any noise, other than a faint swishing as the pallets contacted the escape wheel. So, the tick/tock, I think, is not right.

I understand how the mechanism is supposed to work, one pallet entering, causing recoil and freeing the other pallet, then switching, reversing roles, and continuing on. But, I cannot get it to do this, without binding up.

What I need are some setup instructions. Something that tells me where the left pallet should be in relation to the right, how far away from the teeth, etc.

One of the teeth has a scratch mark on it, obviously used in the setup and bugs me that they would scratch up a beautiful gold finish with such a heavy mark (that of course, only I would notice ) I've been putting this tooth at the 10 position on the seconds dial and trying to adjust around that point, but just can't seem to get it.

Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has setup instructions for this clock - sold by Proclocks and zero-distance on eBay, I would much appreciate seeing those.

Thank you,

Kenny
gapdev@gmail.com

 

[shutterbug]

Contact Bob at ProClocks. He's usually very helpful, and probably has the information you need.

 

[Kenny Gardner]

I'll give it a try and see if he has some setup instructions.

There was a thread awhile back where someone mentioned having some sort of documentation for adjusting these things. Obviously the gals in China need to know how/where to place the arms and pallets to get the clock in beat.

Thanks,

Kenny

 

[Scottie-TX]

They probly have a benchful of GO/NO GO gauges marked green, yello, blu, etc. and haven't kloo beyond them.
I seldom suggest, "search" to a question because it seems - well - almost rude.
But this time I do suggest enter "grasshopper escapement" (no quotation marks) in the SEARCH box there at the top. There is a nice list of topix on this escapement.
However; I did ferret one out - perhaps the most comprehensive - to reduce your search:
GRASSHOPPER TOPIK

 

[Kenny Gardner]

Hi Scotty,

I've read that Thread as well as all of the other threads dealing with the Grasshopper escapement several times and have even printed out the pictures and use them as a reference.

Kenny

 

[Kenny Gardner]

Bob at Proclocks says he does not have any setup instructions.

He says it is simply a matter of trial and error until you get it to not "get stuck".

Wonderful

Kenny

 

[Burkhard Rasch]

Hi Kenny,just my 2cents:Grasshopper esc. is not that difficult to understand as sometimes stated.It´s a mixture of gravity and spring power that move the pallets.IMHO it´s best to leave the springs alone if You don´t have evidence they have been seriously bent.Get the balance pendulums and their counterweights on both sides aligned absolutely vertical(provided the clock stands on a level surface).Then move the pendulums back and forth looking at the pallets verry closely:Locking and recoil must be equal on both sides and the aditional weights on the pallets should be adjusted so that the pallets are pushed into the ew. to the base of the ew-teeth fully.The problem on mine was often,that this escapement is extremely sensitive on changes of the mainspring power because that influences the recoil and therefor the swinging arc of the pendulums.Be shure that Your mainspring and train has an even power transmission.HTH
Burkhard

 

[rocky]

Hi Kenny,

Hope the info I sent helps. The Scratch on the tooth has nothing to do with setting the clock up, the factory doesn't do that nor does anyone at Pro Clocks. Probably happened in shipping. They really aren't difficult to get running but they can try your patience. A minute adjustment can make a big difference.

 

[Scottie-TX]

My read here is that for two years, it was working:

Now, two years later, it has stopped, many of those screws much looser now. After attempting various adjustments, I finally gave up and made sure that I put each adjustable piece as close to the way it was originally by lining up holes and trying to make sure the set screws went back into the same indents that they had made. Doing this, I was able to get it to "tick/tock", albeit 1 second fast - the pallets contacting every other tooth.

I don't know how important here that observation is other that at some point it DID work so is capable of working again. Hindsight 20/20, the best bet may have been to proceed carefully at that point, restoring operation and noting conditions and settings that worked before further disassembly. I'm still more than a tad confused about all these parts that fell off and their roles may be very important.

 

[Kenny Gardner]

Hi Kenny,

Hope the info I sent helps. The Scratch on the tooth has nothing to do with setting the clock up, the factory doesn't do that nor does anyone at Pro Clocks. Probably happened in shipping. They really aren't difficult to get running but they can try your patience. A minute adjustment can make a big difference.

Yes, some good information there. Thank you.

It appears it's pretty much a matter of trial and error and a lot of patience.

You have to think, though, that the girls over in China don't sit for hours adjusting these things when they assemble them. There has to be some sort of script they follow and at least some starting point of how the pieces are positioned initially.

Thanks much,

Kenny

 

[Kenny Gardner]

I'm still more than a tad confused about all these parts that fell off and their roles may be very important.

Scottie,

I probably loosened a couple of screws that I shouldn't have when trying to initially get things working again.

But, it did quit working because of loose screws, and there are a bunch of them!

Kenny

 

[bobledoux]

Here is a classic article on design and operation of grasshopper movements:

http://www.bealltool.com/clockforum/index.php?topic=9.0

 

[rocky]

Kenny,

The loose screws in the first picture just hold the dials on. The ones in second picture need to be tight. If you can't get it to work, pm me and I'll try to help you though it. Be carful of the springs on the pallets because if you break one you will have to make one from suspension spring stock.