THE NEW COLLEGE CLOCK.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1392, 1 August 1878, Page 3

THE NEW COLLEGE CLOCK.

The clock at the Canterbury College is now in working order. The supply of the requisite machinery was called for by public tender, and Messrs B. Petersen and Co. were successful, The clock itself, both as regards the material used and its construction, is of the very latest and best design. It has two outside faces, one fronting Worcester street northwards, and the other townwards towards the east. The diameter of dials is 4ft. lOin. the design of the figures being old English. The clock is so constructed as to enable any portion of it to be taken to pieces without disturbing the remainder. It has a maintaining power, so that the action of the clock is nor interfered with during the process of winding. The wheels or drivers are in epicycloidal form, the pinior s or driven wheels are lantern shaped, revolving with the drivers, being secured on either side by means of fine bell metal discs fixed to arbors, thus obviating a vast amount of friction always engendered in large turret clocks made on the old principles, also ensuring a more uniform power and smoother action to the other parts of the machinery. This secures greater accuracy in time, and less liability to wear. All the wheels and bushor.s are made of bell metal, the two larger bushons for the main wheels being separately screwed into the plates. The escapement is Graham’s deadbeat, the length of the pendulum being sft. Sin, from the point of suspension to the centre of oscillation, carrying a cylindrical bob weighing lewt. 561 b. Each vibration of the pendulum represents IJsec. The weight of the pendulum secures accuracy of time, as it is a proved fact in horological science that a light pendulum will not produce such accurate results as is afforded by a heavier one. The length of the fan-lly which governs the velocity of the striking train wheels is 2ft. 3in. The fun-fly runs round on its own arbor, which remains stationary when the clock has finished striking, thus obviating the jarring which would otherwise occur if the fan lly was a fixture. The size of the clock chamber is about 15ft. square and 12ft, high, from which a ladder gives access to the bell chamber. This is 16ft. by 12ft., open to the north and latticed on the other sides. It is so constructed as to provide for any water coming in going away through the opposite side. The bell is hung upon a trues having four legs, and weighs 4cwt. 51bs. It is cast to the note of E flit. The striking weight is 4cwt. 561b5., and the going weight lovvt, The lines are of iron wire about Jin. thick. The clock is enclosed in a wooden case, and inside the tower is a dial corre j pondiug to the outside one. The whole of the work of fitting up the clock was executed by Mr A. Gundersen, and has been carried out in a thoroughly workmanlike manner.