![]() ![]() In the middle of the 19th century there were two principal visual forms of the cuckoo clock. However, the exact origin of the cuckoo clock is not totally clear to this day. This type of clock was made from approximately 1730 on and was considered to be the specific clock style of the Black Forest. ![]() The cuckoo itself was to be found in the semicircle behind a small door. The clock was composed of an almost square board for the clock face and a raised semicircle, and was lavishly decorated. The first model of a cuckoo clock was a painted wooden clock. The cuckoo clock became known throughout the world thanks to the peddling "clock carriers" from the Black Forest who literally carried the clocks on their backs in rucksacks. Since the 18th century the clockmakers of their region have specialized in the development of this type of clock. All over the world the cuckoo clock is regarded a symbol of the Black Forest. These original clocks evolved during the early 18th century into clocks known as the “Schilderuhr” which added hand painting, a minute hand, and chimes. The clocks were made entirely of wood, including the movements. The first clocks of the Black Forest, called “wood-beam clocks” were built around the year 1640, on a farm called Glashof. During the long winter months, the farms were snowed-in and the people had a lot of time to create finely handcrafted cuckoo clocks of many styles with rich and varied carvings. In 1808 there were already 688 clockmakers and 582 clock peddlers in the districts of Triberg and Neustadt. With their inventive genius, cleverness and dexterity, the inhabitants of the region employed the long winter months in making cuckoo clocks with richly hand carved decorations from various woods. Over the following years, the clock industry developed rapidly in the Black Forest. Ketterer managed to reproduce the cuckoo's call by the clever use of bellows producing two different sounds. The similar one that I am working on has cast iron plates, which should date it even before yours.The first Black Forest Cuckoo Clock was designed and made by Franz Anton Ketterer in the small village of Schönwald near Triberg, Germany, in the depths of the Black Forest. The age of your movement is hard to determine, but I would say it is earlier than the 1940’s. The tension washer in the movement shown has three “wings” but serves the same purpose. I have included a few photos of a similar movement I have in my shop. The center arbor (I think is fixed to the movement plate) should have another nut to keep the minute hand tube from sliding off. The minute hand should have a square hole and should be secured by a hand nut on that tube. The hour hand should have a tension fit on the hour tube and it rides behind the minute hand. If the hands were fixed to the rest of the wheel train, it would be impossible to set the clock. It also provides enough slippage that the hands can be rotated. The tension provided by all of this provides enough resistance for the movement to push the hands. There may have been a small washer between the pin and the wheel. To insert the pin through the arbor, you may have to push the wheel toward the rear of the movement (compressing the tension washer). The outer edges of the tension washer should ride on the inside face of the wheel you pointed at. The tension washer should not slide all the way on the arbor to the movement plate. ![]() That wheel is secured to the shaft by a tapered pin passing through a hole in the end of the arbor. The mystery part is a spring/tension washer that provides resistance to the wheel you were pointing at. If we do not have you confused by now, let’s give it another try. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |