Forged iron quarter-striking turret clock movement with verge pendulum regulation

Technical characteristics

Type

Turret clock movement

Train Layout

Three-wheel trains with forged wheels and lantern pinions set end-to-end with wooden barrels

Condition Note

Fly lacking on quarter train

Place recorded

England

Frame Dimensions

100 cm long, 52 cm wide, 91 cm high (107 cm high overall including fly)

Attribution and Date

Unsigned, probably Central England, circa 1660-70

Escapement and Pendulum

Verge escapement with horizontal escape crownwheel and forged pendulum with fluke-shaped bob

Design

Visible features

• Open rectangular forged iron frame with corner posts topped by faceted polyhedral finials and resting on buttress feet. • Wooden winding barrels mounted transversely along the lower level of the frame. • Prominent horizontally oriented iron air vane (fly) mounted centrally above the upper rail. • Detached forged iron pendulum rod with a fluke-shaped bob positioned in front of the base.

Escapement and Stated Condition

The going train employs a verge escapement regulated by a horizontally pivoted escape crownwheel and a perpendicular pallet arbor. It is regulated by an unattached forged pendulum with a stated effective length of approximately thirty inches, terminating in a fluke-shaped bob that the auctioneer notes resembles illustrations in Christiaan Huygens' 1673 Horologium Oscillatorium. Although catalogued as surviving in untouched forged wrought ironwork, the auction description notes that the movement is missing some components, specifically recording that the fly for the quarter train is lacking. Furthermore, the geographic origin ('probably Central England') and dating ('circa 1660-70') are unsigned cataloguer attributions rather than maker inscriptions.

Frame Architecture and Construction

The clock movement is housed within an open rectangular frame of forged wrought iron measuring 100 cm long, 52 cm wide, and 91 cm high, reaching an overall height of 107 cm including the strike train fly. Its corner posts feature forged Gothic ogee mouldings and stand on decorated buttress feet, terminating at the top in integral raised polyhedral finials. Joinery of the iron framework uses swollen circular recessed lapped joints where the corner posts join the upper and lower end rails. The upper and lower cross rails are tenoned through the same joints, with vertical pivot bars joined in a similar manner, and the frame is secured using tenons and wedges.

Train Configuration and Striking Mechanism

The movement incorporates three-wheel trains arranged in an end-to-end layout, utilizing forged wheels, lantern pinions, and wooden barrels. According to the catalogue description, winding was originally arranged with indirect winding for the centre train and capstans on the two outer barrels. The going greatwheel arbor extends through the frame and is squared to facilitate take-off for an external dial. Striking operations comprise a centrally positioned hour-strike train and a quarter-strike train. Both operate with single-arbor warnless lifting and hoop wheels cut with contrate teeth on their rims to drive vertically pivoted air vanes (flies). The quarter train is lifted via a nag's head engaging one of four pins on the going greatwheel, while the hour train is lifted by a pin on the quarter train greatwheel to strike following the quarters. The hour countwheel has internally cut rim teeth located in the space behind the adjacent going train pivot bar.

Identification

Source note

Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.

Catalogue references

No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.