Fixing the clock < Previous | Back to index | Next>

To fix the clock, it'll help to understand how it works. The mechanism is very clever. It's actually a basic spring-wound clock; the spring stores up just enough energy to run for a few minutes. As the spring uncoils, an electrical contact on one end gets closer and closer to the fixed, paddle-shaped electrical contact you can see here. When the two contacts meet, they send electric power through a solenoid coil. The coil slaps the heavy silver flywheel you can see behind the electrical contact; that winds up the spring enough to run for a few more minutes. When the clock is working properly, you'll hear the periodic "snick" of the flywheel winding the spring, then a steady ticking from the movement.