Alyth Parish Church. Clock tower. Third floor. View of clock cabinet interior. Strike train on left left and gearing for clock hands at top of image.

Description Alyth Parish Church. Clock tower. Third floor. View of clock cabinet interior. Strike train on left left and gearing for clock hands at top of image.

Date 18/8/2023 to 25/8/2023

Collection Historic Environment Scotland

Catalogue Number DP 495687

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content This clock is by Benjamin L. Vulliamy and was built in 1840. The left hand side of the clock is the timekeeping side of the clock which includes the great wheel and the winding barrel attached to which is attached to the weights via a hemp or wire rope. For this large turret clock, the weights weigh 200 pounds. The gearing for that is on the left hand side of the clock (01:17). In the centre of the clock is the pin wheel escapement connected to the clock pendulum and which is hung below via a steel spring called the suspension spring. In the centre of the clock mechanism there is a setting dial, an hour and a friction plate. The clock can be adjusted by friction without upsetting the mechanism. There is a vertical shaft via bevel gears that goes up to the top of the clock frame to another set of bevel gears, coming out through universal joints to each of the four sets of clock face hands. This set up is called the motion works. Each of the four clock dials are 6 ft (2m) in diameter. To the right of the clock mechanism is the strike train to which the winding barrel is connected that drives it. Its rope goes down to the strike weights - total weight 6-700 pounds. The pins at the back rotate when the weight goes down and lifts the arm up which is connected by rope to the strike hammer in the belfry below. This part here is called the count wheel. The count wheel dictates how many chimes will happen. At the back of the clock cabinet there is a fan called the 'fly'. This activates when the big weight goes down. This fan acts as an air brake and so when the wight stops going down the fly is on a ratchet and stops.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/2834507

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap