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A question about the mechanics of pendulum and striking clock

  • 04-07-2012 12:05am
    #1
    2dizzylizzie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34 ✭


    I'm writing an essay on a novel that involves a grandfather clock as a plot device but I'd like to get my facts on the clock straight. I'm not sure that I'm phrasing this correctly but I'd like to know if the mechanisms for striking the hour and keeping time work independently of one another (like two synchronised but separate drivetrains) or are they intrinsically linked whereby if one goes out of correct time sync the other must also be out of time sync? Or is this something dependent on the model? The model in question would be one from the late victorian period. In the book the clock keeps perfect time, however it strikes the hour erratically - but on the hour. For example it is 5pm but the clock only strikes one etc.
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Comments

  • #2
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,217 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    As far as I'm aware the mechanisms are intrinsically linked, so you couldn't have a clock show 5 and strike 1. Well not not "naturally" as it were, in that through wear and tear it would start doing that. I'm sure you could rig a clock to run like that, so it would strike 1 at 5, 2 at 6 etc.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • #3
    hi5
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,107 ✭✭✭hi5


    There are two seperate mechanisms, which is why you have two weights.
    The chimes mechanism is completely dependent on the going mechanism for its timing.
    The trigger for the chimes is a post fitted to a wheel on the going mechanism. The amount of chimes is also dependent on the position of another wheel in the going mechanism.
    You could completely remove the chiming mechanism including the weight and this will have no effect on the going mechanism.
    But if you remove the going mechanism then the chimes will continuously strike until the weight drops to the floor.

    But to answer your question, if the hands were placed in the wrong position on the face then it could be out of sync with the chiming, although the hour hand is usually screwed into a set position, the minute hand is only friction tight.


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