Junghans count wheel setting

[murphyfields]

I am not sure where to post this, since it is not exactly a repair, but I assume whatever steps I need to take would also need to be done after a good disassembly and cleaning, so here it goes. Besides, I have enjoyed the discussions with the people on the repair board.

I have a 1908 Junghans box clock with a count wheel movement (my first experience with a count wheel). I know it needs a good cleaning, but I wanted to see if it works at all to begin with. When I first tested it, it was counting somewhere around 51 o'clock, and I figured I would look at it the next day. But after the next day it was behaving reasonably but seemed to be off by 2 hours (struck 8 times at 10 o'clock). So I wanted to test it a bit more, but when I moved the minute hand to 10:30 is struck 9 times, and at the 11 o'clock position is struck 10 times. There is a pull rod on the right side (left in the picture) that seems to advance the count in some way. My questions are:

1. Does this behavior indicate a serious problem, or is this normal?

2. Assuming no malfunction, Is there a recommended procedure for setting the strike?

3. If it behaves this strangely from the start, what problems should I anticipate after I clean and reassemble?

 

[wow]

Murphy, except for the 51 strikes, everything is ok. These German count wheel clocks, like the old American count wheel clocks, do not have correction built in like the rack and snail set-up. If it strikes the wrong count, you either move the hour hand to match the count or you trip the strike by pulling on that lever you mentioned. Many of the wall clocks have a string or wire connected to the lever which hangs down below the movement so you can pull it and adjust the strike count to match the hour hand position. I always install these pull cords if they don’t have them. The same pull string/ wire feature is possible on many American and Asian clocks.
Hope that helps,
Will

 

[murphyfields]

Thank you wow that helps a lot. I did not want to spend a lot of time attempting to set it if it was going to keep doing odd things. So is the basic procedure for setting the strike to keep pulling the chain until it strikes the most recent strike time (so if it is 11:20, pull until it strikes 11)?

 

[wow]

Thank you wow that helps a lot. I did not want to spend a lot of time attempting to set it if it was going to keep doing odd things. So is the basic procedure for setting the strike to keep pulling the chain until it strikes the most recent strike time (so if it is 11:20, pull until it strikes 11)?

Yes. Then at 11:30 it will strike once and at 12:00 it will strike 12 times.

 

[JimmyOz]

So I wanted to test it a bit more, but when I moved the minute hand to 10:30 is struck 9 times, and at the 11 o'clock position is struck 10 times.

Wow I think you misread the above bit, the count wheel is not strikeing the half hour just the full hour on both the hour and the half hour.

First thing to do is take off the pull wire, it can be put back on later. Can you take a video of the movement? that will show us what is happening with the lever as it seems to miss the slot (don't think it is a pasing strike) where it needs to just enter after the hour strikes and then just do one for the half hour in the same slot.

 

[wow]

Wow I think you misread the above bit, the count wheel is not strikeing the half hour just the full hour on both the hour and the half hour.

First thing to do is take off the pull wire, it can be put back on later. Can you take a video of the movement? that will show us what is happening with the lever as it seems to miss the slot (don't think it is a pasing strike) where it needs to just enter after the hour strikes and then just do one for the half hour in the same slot.

Yea, you are right, Jimmy. I missed the half hour deal. There is no passing strike on these. The lever drops in the edge of the slot after the hour count and then drops into the same slot at the half hour near the other edge. The wheel can be adjusted on most of these so it will drop in at the right spot.

 

[shutterbug]

It sounds more like a strike stop lever not adjusted correctly. If it is missing strike numbers consistently, that's where to look. Not a serious issue probably, and shouldn't be a determining factor in whether to try repairing the clock completely.