Which way is fast/slow?

[clock mom]

I have a new clock. No maker that I can find. The fast/slow adjustment is a knurled wheel just above the hand shaft. There are no markings as to which way is fast and which way is slow. The numbers are not all present either, so it may have worn off. I can't seem to figure it out just by turning it. For all I know it doesn't work.
The bob is correct, just a heavy weight with no adjustment screw, so I can't adjust it that way.
The bob hangs on the face side of the movement. Is this perhaps a French or German clock? American clocks all seem to have the same type of speed adjustment on the face and mine all turn the same way for fast or slow.
Any help would be appreciated. The clock runs great, just constantly losing time by 5 minutes at least per 3 hours.

 

[Jim Hartog]

Hello Clock Mom,

Your clock is an Ingraham. Push the wheel to the left to speed up the clock. To the right slows it down. Ingraham is the only company that used the wheel as a fast/slow adjustment. They gave up on it later (1920's?). The pendulum hanging on the front idea is also Ingraham and there is likely a semi-circular hole in the bottom to allow access to the bob.

If you remove the hands and then the dial, there is likely the Ingraham company stamp and date code on the front plate. The number on the left is the month while the two digit number on the right is the year.

Jim

 

[Jim Hartog]

Hello again Clock Mom,

After a couple of looks, I could not find your clock model in Tran Duy Ly's Ingraham Clocks and Watches. However, according to the book, Ingraham did use the black dial from 1886 to 1895. Also, the pinned minute hand means your clock is earlier. It may even be early enough not to have a date code on the front plate.

Jim

 

[jmclaugh]

I've not seen that before, an interesting idea that never caught on.

 

[clock mom]

Thanks Jim for the information. I hope I can get it a bit more accurate. It is a lovely clock with a fantastic deep resonating gong. Heavy, too, although it is faux marble.

 

[Jim Hartog]

Hello clock Mom,

"Faux marble"?? Isn't your case painted wood? The feet are screwed on, the lions heads are tacked on, the back is screwed on into wood? As far as I know (and Ly's book), Ingraham did not do any stone clocks.

Jim

 

[clock mom]

"faux marble" as in wood painted to look like marble.

 

[clock mom]

The clock is still running horribly slow. It lost 1/2 hour over night. I have turned the wheel ad far as possible with no improvement. I even replaced the pendulum bob with one that I could move up and down. No difference. Any suggestions as to what might be the issue and how to get it to speed up?

 

[shutterbug]

Inside the back of the clock, where the suspension spring hooks onto the post, there should also be a slot below that where the spring has to go trough. Those are the chops that control the speed of the clock. When you turn the adjuster, you should see either the chops move or the whole suspension moving up and down. If you don't have movement there, the fast/slow mechanism is broken. But check to be sure the spring is mounted so it resides within the chops. If all that looks good, and the clock is not in need of a clean and service, you might have to take the suspension unit out and shorten it.

 

[clock mom]

Since the pendulum is on the dial side of the movement I can't get at it without taking it apart. But I watched the pendulum as I turned the wheel and saw it moving up so it seems to be connected. I was able to turn it farther this time so maybe it was stuck. It seems to be keeping time much better.
Thanks.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Since the pendulum is on the dial side of the movement I can't get at it without taking it apart. But I watched the pendulum as I turned the wheel and saw it moving up so it seems to be connected. I was able to turn it farther this time so maybe it was stuck. It seems to be keeping time much better.
Thanks.

Your thumbwheel seems, for whatever reason, to be riding against the top of its slot. That might interfere with turning it to adjust the speed.