The Winding and keeping in order is, as we have said, a less laborious task as respects modern clocks than those which were made fifty years ago, inasmuch as, although it is the duty of a clock-winder to watch daily the action of the time-piece under his charge, he need not perform his winding duties oftener than once a week. He must be on the alert to observe any effect produced by the action of the wind or the fall of snow upon the hands of the clock, which under certain conditions is not uncommon; he must note by some good regulator any tendency to variation in the Church clock, and he must also observe the Equation of Time, which is the difference between true and mean solar time for each day, and which is not quite the same for every year, because it moves on about a quarter of a day in each year until leap year comes and puts it back again. The Equation may be reckoned by an Equation Table, or by the time mentioned in the Almanacs as 'clock before' or 'clock after sun.' It is obviously a very important requisite for good time-keeping that good horological instruments shall be intrusted to skilful and careful hands. In many instances it has happened that escapements made upon the truest scientific principles, and set going in thorough working order, have been so injured by the mechanical genius of the village (some blundering sexton, or some jack-of-all-trades, whose education in mechanism must be exercised at the parish expense), that the new clock with all its merits has been seriously damaged. In such a case the clockmaker had better be at once consulted.
A MODERN TURRET CLOCK DESCRIBED.
The Turret Clock which the highest skill and the best experience of the value of the latest improvements can produce, may be thus described:—
The Bed or Frame is of cast-iron. The Barrel on which the cords are wound possesses a metal cap in front, and a ratchet or toothed wheel at the back end; between this cap and ratchet is a metal drum or tube adapted to the width of the Frame. Passing through the drum is an axle or barrel-arbor, on the back end of which the main or barrel-wheel is fitted
A Modern Turret Clock.
so as to allow the line which carries the weight to be wound upon the barrel without moving the wheel, which latter is kept in place by means of a cap or key pinned tight on the arbor. Upon the barrel wheels are fitted clicks and springs, the former falling into the toothed wheel or ratchet, and the latter keeping the clicks in place while the clock is being wound up, for as the weights are wound up the clicks prevent the barrel running back. At each end of the barrel arbor is a pivot in brass bearings fitted in plumber block, and bolted on the bed or frame with bolts and washers. Beyond the pivot on the front of the arbor is a square to receive the winder. The uprights or small frames for carrying the going-train contain the following; first, there is an arbor across the frame at the back of which is a pinion working in the teeth of the barrel-wheel; at the other end of the arbor is the centre-wheel with teeth cut in it, and above this wheel is another pinion running into it with a wheel at the other end, termed the third wheel and pinion. The escape-pinion runs into the third wheel; on this arbor is fitted the escape-wheel, which has very fine teeth cut in it. Above the escape-wheel is an arbor termed the verge arbor, to which are fitted the pallet arms. The pallet bits or pads working in the escape-wheel teeth are of hardened steel polished. At the back end of the verge arbor is fitted the crutch which connects the escapement and the pendulum rod. The