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I overhauled an Ansonia “Queen Elizabeth” wall clock, oak case, 37 inches tall, 8 day time only spring driven (my job no. 4446).

The (probably) original mainspring is 0.0165 inches thick. After the overhaul, the escape arc is about 1.4 times the escape arc.

It is interesting that the movement is mounted tilted in the case.

Note the date Oct. 19, 1899 written in pencil on the label. This is probably the date of sale.

I just overhauled a lovely Russell & Jones hanging oak parlor clock. Height: 28 inches. It has a beautiful glass tablet with an image of a lighthouse. (My repair job no. 4341.)

The movement is 8 day time and strike, with plate size approx. 5-3/8 x 3-3/8

The original strike mainspring was 0.016 inch thick, it was broken so I replaced it with a Empire 280-19-009 mainspring. The new spring is 3/4 inch wide, 0.0146 inch thick, and 120 inches long. The strike mainwheel has about 10% wear on its teeth. The strike speed is plenty fast enough with this new spring. (Note: I had tried a Merritt’s 3/4x .0155 x 96 inch mainspring, but the striking was WAY too fast).

The original time mainspring was replaced by a previous repairer with a spring that was too strong - 0.0178 inches thick. This strong spring had caused about 50% tooth wear. I installed a Merritt’s Antiques P1496 in the Red and Yellow box. The new spring is 3/4 inch wide, 0.0157 inch thick, and 96 inches long. The pendulum motion is satisfactory and is approximately twice the escape arc. (The movement runs well in spite of the large time mainwheel tooth wear.)

Words on label on back of clock

THE BELLE
——————————
EIGHT DAY HALF HOUR STRIKE, CA
THEDRAL GONG AND ALARM
——————————
Manufactured by

Russell & Jones Clock Co., Pittsfield, Mass, U.S.A.

— For —

N. Y. INSTALLMENT CO.

Chicago, Ill.

History of Russell & Jones

With the failure of the Terry Clock Company at Pittsfield, Mass. in 1888, the Pittsfield businessmen who were large investors, particularly brothers Hezekiah S. and Solomon N. Russell and Edward D. G. Jones, took over the operation. These men and their associates had supplied funds to buy, the bankrupt Terry firm at Waterbury, Conn. in 1880 and move it to Massachusetts in the summer of that year. They built a new factory for the operation in 1883.

By January of 1889, the firm’s name had been changed to Russell & Jones Clock Company and a trade catalog was issued with few changes, if any, from the old firm’s line. In 1890, the new firm issued a new catalog with a substantial number of new and unusual models. As far as can be determined, the firm discontinued manufacture and was disbanded in 1893.

(History written by Chris H. Bailey of the American Clock and Watch Museum, Bristol, Connecticut)

Time train tooth count

Center wheel: 26 teeth

T2: 60/8 (wheel teeth/pinion wires)

T3: 40/8

T4: 40/7

T5 (escape wheel): 39/7

8277.55 beats per hour

Empire Clock Company offers a mainspring specified as 3/4 inch wide, 0.0145 inch thick and 120 inches long. It is part number 280-19-009 and is listed in their parts catalog. Their web site gives directions for ordering their clock parts catalog. This is a good mainspring for many Ansonia clocks.

In previous posts, I mentioned the R & M No. 77.303 mainspring as being about .014 inch thick. These thin springs can be identified by having the number 37 on the loop end (which means 0.37 millimeters which equals 0.0146 inch).

I received a new batch of these today, and the number on the loop end is 42 (0.42 millimeters which equals 0.0165 inch). I measured one spring to be 0.0160 inches thick.

I just overhauled a Seth Thomas “Giant No. 1″, having an oak case 25-1/4 inches tall (job no. 4433). The movement is marked “8 1/4″ but it is the same movement later called No. 89. It has between-the-plates escapement, and the plates measure 5-5/8 inches tall and 3-5/8 inches wide.

According to a repair label, it had been repaired in 1979. It had two of the overpowering USIBEL FRANCE mainsprings, 0.0180 and 0.0185 inches tick, for the time and strike, respectively.

Both mainwheels had quite noticeable tooth wear. The strike mainwheel had about twice the wear of the time mainwheel, so I turned the strike mainwheel over so the unused tooth surface could be employed. I judged that the time mainwheel would work okay as is. The time second wheel had quite a bit of wear, so I turned it over.

The previous repairer had installed 2.7 mm tall KWM bushings, which I replaced with 1.8 mm tall KWM bushings (except for the verge pivots, which get 1.4 mm high bushings). I polished the train wheel pivots before installing new bushings.

I discarded the too-strong mainsprings and used the following springs:

Time: 3/4 x 0.0155 x 96 inch Merritt’s mainspring

Strike: 3/4 x 0.0165 x 96 inch, from R & M (or Merritt’s brown box)

Even with this thin mainspring for the time side, the pendulum motion is excellent, the running arc being about 3 times the escape arc.

Note: I first tried a .0155 inch thick spring for the striking. The striking did run for at least 9 days, but the striking sounded slow, and the customer decided he wanted a faster strike. The 0.0165 inch thick spring should not cause excessive wear, but time will tell. It will certainly be better than the .0185 inch thick mainspring!

So far, the .0155 inch to .0158 inch thick mainspring has been perfect for the time train. For the strike train, it is satisfactory, but the striking speed may be too slow to suit some people. On a ST “Giant No. 1″ oak shelf clock I am currently repairing, I am going to try an (approximately) .0165 inch thick spring, as the customer does not want the striking to be too slow. (At this moment, a .0155 inch thick Merritt’s spring is on the strike side, and it IS strong enough to power the strike for at least 9 days, but the striking sounds slow.)

I’ll post again when this job is complete.

I just finished a New Haven oak kitchen clock (my job no. 4333). The movement has 4 pillars and the dimensions are 4-9/16 x 3-1/4. The time mainspring is held by a separate short pillar attached to back plate. This movement has thin springs for time and strike. The two springs are both old but they are different, so I don’t know which one (if any) is original. The spring thicknesses are:

Time: 0.0165 inch

Strike: 0.0160 inch

This clock has nice old thin springs, and the pendulum motion is good, and so is the striking speed.

For future reference, some of the pivot diameters are:

T5F: 1.2 mm
T4F: 1.2 mm
T3F: 1.2 mm
T2F: 1.55 mm

I just completed the overhaul of an Ansonia iron cased mantel clock (my job no. 4422). It has the common 4 pillar 8 day time and strike movement of dimensions 5 x 3-1/4 inches. In this clock, a previous repairer had replaced the srike mainspring with one that is 3/4 inches wide and .018 inches thick. The time spring was an original that is .0153 inches thick.

When assembling the movement, I put the original thin mainspring in the striking side, and for the time mainspring used a spring 3/4 inches wide x .0138 inches thick by 120 inches long (no. 77.303 from R & M Imports). This spring gives a good pendulum motion of just over twice the escape arc. It will run the clock reliably without causing excessive wear.