Cuckoo Music Box Continues to keep playing (not stopping) Swiss Chalet Cuckoo Clock

[keef74]

Hi again everyone,

Hope everyone in the states is looking forward to Spring and some nice weather.

I have had some issue with my Swiss Chalet Cuckoo Clock. Its having Music box problems.

Swiss hand craft Chalet Cuckoo circa 1960s
275G weights
Regula 30 Hr mov
1 day chains 3 weights
Functions - Cuckoo calling/Music Box Melody
2 doors - Cuckoo bird and Music man

The problem is the music box will not stop playing. Brief Process -

1. Cuckoo bird on the hour leaves clock housing and calls hour. The music box rod (located Left side attach to MB) is placed in front of the cuckoo bird perch rod. When the perch rod moves forward this dis engages the music box arm (5) The arm moves to Left.
2. When the music box arm moves to the left it activates the music box fly (see picture - above the 2 Spring) There is a metal rod (3) which dis-engages from a hole in the melody drum allowing the drum to rotate.
3. The melody drum rotates - MB ratchet moves around on weight of acorn and melody is played out.
4. On completing the melody cycle the melody drum then aligns with the - (3) position hole and the metal rod located at (3) is supposed to go back in the hole on the melody drum wheel and stop the song. MB arm (5) moves back to the right - stops the process and located behind (2 spring) is a bent rod which catches the fly and stops it from spinning.
5. (1) and (2) MB arm spring. Just beside (2) is another metal rod that goes behind the music man figures' rod and that slides back BUT the man is left out of clock and music continues until acorn crashes to the ground FAIL.

Issues --

The MB arm(5) is not moving very well could be the spring (located at 1 and 2) It should move almost half inch towards the left. (this process occurs after the cuckoo bird leaves)
Metal rod at (3) is not going into the hole.

Question?

Would it be easier to purchase a new music box? Just hard to find a place that would ship it and getting the part number?
Could the spring (1 and 2) have lost its strength?


Some feedback would be much appreciated and always I hope others will value from this, as I am sure its a re-occuring issue with many of these mass produced cuckoo clocks.

Keith

 

[Scottie-TX]

I'd be glad to trade places weatherwise, matey! I'd much rather look forward to winter than much more brutal summers common in this clime.
Your best bet for analysis is to determine why the pin does not drop into the stop detent. Either the actuating rod is preventing this or the problem resides within the MB movement.
By the way, if it's February here, what month is it there? I'm aware that you do have a fourth of July there also.

 

[bangster]

Check the Cuckoo Music Box article in the Clock Repair References just above the Clock Repair forum. It may provide some help.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
It is unlikely that the springs have lost there tension.
It is more likely that as the wood ages, it shifts things
a little and the alignment is no longer where it was
or it has been serviced and needs realigning.
Also it could be dry oil.
The alignment of the pin that goes into the drum
is often the problem. It rides too high on the drum
and misses the hole. There is usually a ridge on the
drum that the pin should lightly drag on. It will
guide the pin into the hole.
Tinker Dwight

 

[shutterbug]

You'll probably have to remove the music box from the case to really analyze why it is not stopping. You'll probably spot the problem easily with it it hand

 

[bangster]

You'll probably have to remove the music box from the case to really analyze why it is not stopping. You'll probably spot the problem easily with it it hand

Unfortunately, I've not found that to be true. The interaction with the levers on the movement can be as important as the parts of the music movement itself...and you can't imitate that with it out of the case and un-powered.

It keeps playing because the fan lever doesn't block the fan at the end of the music. It may be because the pull wire is sticking and not completely releasing the pull lever. It may be because the drum lever is mis-aligned with the hole in the drum gear. It may be because the lever spring is weak or mis-functioning. It may be that at the end, the fan lever is late getting out of the gate, not blocking the fan the instant the drum lever drops into the hole, allowing the drum to rotate just enough that that drum lever rides up out of the hole and the music goes on. Your job: figure out which of these is the culprit, or if it's something altogether different.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
I've just read your door closing problem, that I'd not payed too much attention to.
It looks like the cuckoo does all the work of starting the music box. I'm betting
that the wire that goes down to the bird is pushing too much on the
birds lever and not allowing the pin and fan to be stopped.
Just a guess since these are so closely tied together.
Tinker Dwight

 

[bangster]

Hi
I've just read your door closing problem, that I'd not payed too much attention to.
It looks like the cuckoo does all the work of starting the music box. I'm betting
that the wire that goes down to the bird is pushing too much on the
birds lever and not allowing the pin and fan to be stopped.
Just a guess since these are so closely tied together.
Tinker Dwight

The cuckoo (strike) train is indeed what manages the music box.The bird itself has nothing to do with it. The Cuckoo Music Box gives a blow-by-blow description of the process. I'm not sure what you mean by "the wire that goes down to the bird". There's the bird lift wire, on the left-hand bellows. It doesn't push on anything: just lifts the bird's tail when the bellows opens. Is there some other wire I don't know about?

 

[Tinker Dwight]

The cuckoo (strike) train is indeed what manages the music box.The bird itself has nothing to do with it. The Cuckoo Music Box gives a blow-by-blow description of the process. I'm not sure what you mean by "the wire that goes down to the bird". There's the bird lift wire, on the left-hand bellows. It doesn't push on anything: just lifts the bird's tail when the bellows opens. Is there some other wire I don't know about?

Hi Bang
Look carefully at the pictures. It is not like any music box arrangement
that I've seen. I don't even see a whip wire from the movement.
Tinker Dwight

 

[bangster]

You're right,Tink. This is unlike any I've seen before. And we're not given a wide enough view to be able to grasp the whole thing.

Howzabout some more pics, so we can see how the music interacts with the movement? Maybe understand how it works?

My first statement above is correct: it keeps running because the lever that's supposed to block the fly at the end of the music isn't doing it. WHY is what remains to be figured out.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi Bang
Now we're on the same page. A picture out
a little would help here. Removing the flutes
would be good as well.
Tinker Dwight