Building a Congreve clock.

Some time ago I obtained John Wilding's book on building a Congreve rolling ball clock. I know they are lousy timekeepers but ..

Jusr reading the book I'm struck by the size of the thing. Has anybody come across plans for a smaller version? Has anybody got experience of building one?

They seem to pop up in The Model Engineer in the past (1947!) but I haven't found any plans.

Any comments appreciated.

The series by Dr Bradbury Winter was reprinted in ME 1972 from June onwards. I would imagine it can't just be scaled down as the time base is the length of the ball track so a smaller version would need to be designed from scratch. They are mesmerising to watch but I have never built one.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 17/10/2017 16:48:33

I don't think a scale down version would workk too well as it needs to have the right amount of mass in the ball and table....however, there have been several attempts to make a more modern and functional looking version, with mixed results. Several of our former members at Epping Forest Horology club have made them.

Sir William Congreve's original clock is (or was) in teh Officers Mess at Woolwich Barracks (Shrapnel barracks?), and yes, it is a huge, if beautiful thing to behold. Personally, I feel that very few modern specimens really do justice to the two originals. If you do a google search a page of illustrations comes up and you can see the modern versions including that by the Sinclair Harding Co etc

Although it's a poor timekeeper it is a very spectacular and interesting clock that fascinates viewers and visitors to exhibitions etc, so well worth the effort to make a nice one.

www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/2747/table-clock

"Congreve designed the mechanism of this clock, which was executed by John Moxon, but the escapement proved troublesome as noted in Benjamin Jutsham's receipt book entry for 24 August 1808: 'Delivered to Mr. Congreve ... to be regulated'. Recorded in the Library at Carlton House in August 1808. In 1837 work was done by Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy at 39 Pall Mall: 'Repaired and made perform properly a spring Clock made by Moxon with extreme detached escapement upon Sir William Congreve's principle, that goes mounted in a large double skeleton frame, a most complicated and troublesome machine...' "

(edit) note the clock at that link isn't a tilting table one.

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 17/10/2017 17:51:40

In the mid 60's there was on in a jeweller's window in Richmond Yorkshire.

I know, I think I was in Richmond in the early seventies.

I was born in the NE and went to school in the NW. We were up there either to see the aunts & uncles or to take my gran back to the NW. In any case I have a memory of a Congreve clock in a (corner) jeweller´s window on the edge of the market place. This was the first time I saw one of these clocks and long before I developed an interest in clocks.

Many thanks for the replies, I was looking for a project for the winter. A Congreve clock now appears a bit ambitious. Any suggestions in the direction clocks or things that do absolutely nothing?

I was thinking in this direction **LINK** and thinking of a Jaeger LeCoutre Atmos clock.

Dick

If you’re looking for an unusual clock you could look at Claude Reeves gravity regulator. I’m building one at the moment, and it’s certainly interesting. Plans available from Ian T Cobb (clockmakingbrass.co.uk).

Mike