Westminister Chimes

[Mhaighirtis]

To W it may concern,

I let the weights on my grandfather clock run out to the bottom of the case and when I pulled them back up the Westminsters chimes refused to function. The time piece is about thirty years old and has worked perfectlly before this incident. The chimes work perfect when I flip the toggle switch to test the chimes. Do you a solution to this problem. I would appreciate all positive assistance in assisting in this matter.

Thank you Mhaighitis

 

[harold bain]

Hi, Mhaighitis, welcome to the message board. Does your clock have a night shutoff?
At 30 years old, it is likely past due for service, so now may be a good time to have a clock repairman have a look at it.

 

[shutterbug]

The chimes release manually, but not under control of the clock. That means there is a lift problem that needs to be addressed, or as Harold said, a night shut-off may be in effect. Some are manual shut-offs, others automatic as the clock enters night mode around 10:00 PM. If yours normally struck at all hours, that's probably not the case. If it does have a shut-off, advancing the hands to about the 8:00 position should release them. If that doesn't do it, you'll have to remove the dial and post a pic of the movement for us.

 

[Len Lataille]

At 30 years old I doubt that it had auto night shut off, especially in a chain drive. (If it does, it must have been one of the first.)

At that age I would think that lack of lubricant, dirt and wear are the issues.

It ran well to this point because it was a body in motion. Now that it stopped it wants to stay that way due to those faults.

What might work temporarily and I stress the temporarily, if you can access the movement, is to apply any thin oil to the pivots of the chime train, especially the fan fly pivots.

Then will pulling downward lightly on the chime weight have someone move the minute hand to each of the quarters while you give the fan fly a push.

The weights may have settled on the bottom of the case while the movement was active and now it is "stuck" in that position.

If this does not work then you will proably need a repairman to service the clock.

Good luck.

 

[Neeth]

One thing I do when I wind weight driven clocks is to leave the time train weight about two inches lower than the others so that the time train will stop first when the weights run out again. That way the strike and chime trains won't stop mid action.

Ken W.

 

[bangster]

It runs when the chime trigger is pulled manually.

The chime trigger lifts the same levers that are normally lifted by the center cam.

So the center cam is no longer doing its job.

I don't know how the weights bottoming-out could cause that; but that's what has to be the case. There's nothing wrong with the chime train. It runs OK. The problem is with the unlocking of it.

bangster

 

[Mike Phelan]

On some modern German movements, the star wheel and warning lever wear sufficiently to give intermittent lift and therefore the occasional silent chime.

Unless you want to get into clock repair, it's not the best one to start on, so maybe best if a local member or a shop can help.

BTW, it's Westminster, not -minister (seems to be a common error).

Minster being a sort of large church or abbey; the latter is where the name Westminster came from.

 

[bangster]

...
BTW, it's Westminster, not -minister (seems to be a common error).

Minster being a sort of large church or abbey; the latter is where the name Westminster came from.

If Herman Munster started a large church or abbey, it would be a Munster Minster.

 

[Mike Phelan]

You rannngggg?

...or Munister.