Fig. 107. Quarter chiming snail strike,
English fusee movement.
Fig. 108. Eight day snail half hour strike,
French system, striking train locked.
One, two, three, or four quarters are chimed according to the position of the quarter snail, which turns with the minute wheel. At the time for striking the hour (when the quarter rack is allowed to fall its greatest distance), the pin in it falls against the bent arm of the hour rack hook, and releases the hour rack and hour warning lever. As the last tooth of the quarter rack is gathered up, the pin in the quarter rack pulls over the hour warning lever, and lets off the hour striking train. The position of the pieces in the drawing is as they would be directly after the hour was struck.
Figs. [108], [109] and [110] are three views of the New Haven eight-day snail strike, which is on the French system. As nearly all American strikes utilize this system and the work is between the plates, this may be considered a typical American snail strike.