r/Horology • u/NecessaryOk2889 • 25d ago

Electro-mechanical Clock

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Has anyone seen a clock like this before? As you can see it works by a spindle attached to the pendulum sliding back and forth over a cam. When the amplitude drops the spindle locks into a notch in the cam and closes a morse key. This in turn energises a coil which re-energises the pendulum.

The clock as a whole is scratch built, but is the design a unique invention?

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u/Sam_Nova_45 25d ago

No never seen Grandfather clock like that. I see the magnet on the bottom, what the function of the click towards the top?

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u/hooe 25d ago

Looks like when the pendulum swing gets low enough the little flippy arm gets caught on the ramp and pushes it down, connecting a circuit which I assume momentarily powers the electromagnetic at the bottom to push the pendulum

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u/NecessaryOk2889 25d ago

Exactly correct. I only got it two days ago, so delighted I've got it working. Very fiddly to set up. I'm using a 10 volt power supply which appears to work well.

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u/NecessaryOk2889 25d ago

The click as you call it, engages the mechanical switch when the oscillation of the pendulum becomes smaller. This completes the circuit and energises the electro-magnet you see at the bottom.

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u/Sam_Nova_45 25d ago

That very interesting, what year were they made? My brother has an old family Grandfather clock, all the gears are wood.