Three-train flatbed turret clock movement
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1939
This is a three-train turret clock movement produced by E. Dent and Co. Ltd, dating to approximately 1939. The mechanism is designed as a weight-driven system mounted on a flatbed double-trestle frame.
The clock features a going train equipped with a double three-legged gravity escapement, a design associated with Edmund Beckett, Baron Grimthorpe. The movement integrates separate trains for timekeeping, striking, and the Westminster quarters. Both the striking and quarter-chime trains are regulated by locking plates. The construction is robust, intended for installation in a tower or turret, and is supported by a significant framework to maintain the alignment of the gear trains.
It is operated using a 1 1/2 second pendulum.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- 1939
- Type
- Turret & tower clock
- Maker
- E. Dent and Co. Ltd
- Pendulum
- 1 1/2 second pendulum
- Escapement
- Double three-legged gravity escapement
- Regulation
- Locking plates
- Support Frame
- Double trestle frame
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- E. Dent and Co. Ltd
Design
- Visible features
- • Large green painted cast iron flatbed frame • Visible locking plates for chime and strike trains • Distinct double three-legged gravity escapement assembly • Four brass air-brake vanes mounted at the rear and side
- Movement Architecture
- The movement is constructed as a three-train flatbed turret clock, providing power for timekeeping, striking, and the Westminster quarters. The entire assembly is mounted upon a double-trestle frame, designed to provide the necessary stability for a large weight-driven mechanism. The going train employs a double three-legged gravity escapement, a design specifically credited to Lord Grimthorpe. This escapement mechanism is a prominent feature of the going train, and the chime and strike functions are managed through the use of traditional locking plate systems.
- Origin and Attribution
- The movement is attributed to the firm of E. Dent and Co. Ltd, London. Records indicate a date of manufacture around 1939. The machine incorporates the mechanical concepts of Edmund Beckett, Baron Grimthorpe, who was a significant figure in the development of turret clock designs in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The item is catalogued by the Science Museum Group with the accession number 1969-513, which documents its survival as an example of late-era turret clock engineering produced in the United Kingdom.
- Technical Specification
- The timekeeping component of the clock is regulated by a 1 1/2 second pendulum. The clock is a weight-driven mechanism, which requires substantial vertical clearance for the drive weights. The flatbed layout allows for modular maintenance of each train, as all gear sequences are accessible across the horizontal plane of the cast-iron bed.
Identification
- Accession Number
- 1969-513
- 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.
Research required
- Research required: Exact installation location not specified in source
- Research required: Extent of original factory finish versus museum restoration is not clarified