Motorised WT on eBay

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GENTS PULSYNETIC WAITING TRAIN MOVEMENT & MASTER CLOCK | eBay 

This is for A GENTS PULSYNETIC TURRET CLOCK WAITING TRAIN with the electric MASTER CLOCK that it was connected to.

It was installed in a very low roof space in ICI BILLINGHAM, the master clock has a serial number of 2540, matching on label, case and pendulum, the label looks like it was installed 10-2 27. 

The waiting train was modified at some time, looks to be a factory change,(although not sure who did it) by the removal of the pendulum weight and the hip-toggle and the addition of a 240 drive motor with linkages connected to the pendulum staff which drives it backwards and forwards, then idles until it receives the impulse from the master clock every 30 sec then goes again.

The master and the waiting train were installed and removed together and both are in working order. The dial on the master is peeling, it has on it PULSYNETIC & ELECTRIC, so it will need restoration. There are no dials with it as they were left on the building until it was knocked down.

Quite an early Gents' C40A Waiting Train movement. One which has been stripped of its pendulum bob, very large drive electromagnets, their controlling Hipp Toggle and contact assembly.

An interesting (possibly unique) conversion to motor drive of the pendulum rod. It all looks very professionally done. Strongly suggesting a Gents' factory modification. Arguably worth keeping in its original condition for historical reasons.

The WT mechanism still performs perfectly normally. The pendulum driving the ratchet wheel, via the drive pawl. Until the worm drive is paused by the D-shaped pin lifting the pawl out of the ratchet wheel teeth.  

Then at the precise, half-minute the signal comes from the master clock. Releasing the drive pawl to start driving the worm and wormwheel again. To continue showing the time on the exterior dials as normal. The pause is much too short to be seen by a distant watcher of the clock dials.

The electric motor has a worm reduction to a low speed output shaft. Presumably turning at somewhere around 36 rpm to match the usual period of the WT pendulum. (note: Will confirm this figure in practice) The output shaft is fitted with a crank which drives the connecting rod to physically push and pull the pendulum rod. Both ends of the connecting rod are fitted with ball bearings for long life. 

The reason behind the conversion to electric motor drive? Possibly to avoid unwanted noise. Perhaps induced by the stresses of a violent pendulum impulse on a weak roof structure. Perhaps there was simply insufficient room for the pendulum to swing below the WT movement? 

Later discussion by the experts on a clock forum suggests that there was no clearance for a pendulum in the original roof installation. The motor also provided a very quiet drive compared with the mechanical impulsing of a normal WT pendulum.

The bevel gearing is supported on a very substantial, fabricated, right-angle bracket. The hammer marks suggest a bent piece of thick, strip metal. The bevel gears drive a vertical output shaft with expansion-universal joint at one revolution per hour. This drives the clock hands on the external dials via lead-off rods and further bevel gearing. A hand setting dial has been incorporated just below the forked, universal joint. A pointer is attached to the support bracket.

It is rather unfortunate that the seller has chosen to use a white background for their auction photographs. Experience shows that this is one of the worst possible, plain backgrounds for technical photography. The camera is confused by the bright background. This results in massively reduces brightness, contrast and visible detail in the actual object being photographed. I have done my best to rectify the situation in PhotoFiltre. Though not with any particular success.

It could have been (much) worse. The object might have been photographed in front of a busy background. Or, even worse, against a window flooded with daylight.

Matt, neutral colours like beige to light brown work well. Flat, sheet materials like ordinary hardboard or even more ordinary packaging cardboard are good. These make excellent backgrounds for photographing objects like these. The further behind the object they are placed, the better. Because they will be thrown out of sharp focus. Though these background boards will obviously need to be made much larger if placed any great distance behind the subject.

This rather unique WT sold for £785. 

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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A Conspectus of Gents' Clock Products

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Colin Reynolds, the author, worked for Gents for many years and is an expert on its history, archives and products.

At 8.25" x 11.5" [208 x 292mm] with soft covers and 239 pages, this book is literally packed with many completely unique B&W illustrations and historical photographs. Copyright precludes my posting example images here. Though the cover will give an indication of what to expect.

This book is an absolute 'must have' for any electric clock collector. Or horological enthusiast's library. It is meant to be read, studied and enjoyed in all its detail. Not as some "arty" colourful, coffee table decoration. Usually to be left out, in a vain attempt to impress the horologically or technically unwashed. With huge, colour images and cursory captions.

Colin Reynolds descriptive detail, of the Gent timekeeping products and their evolution, is mind boggling. Fascinating from start to finish. The author has access to a unique collection of original material. His descriptive skills are such that any interested enthusiast can follow the "workings" and evolution of any particular item under discussion. Without having seen this book no Gents' admirer has a clue to the enormous range of items manufactured. Who would ever have believed how many different slave mechanisms and cases were produced?

Gents must have enjoyed many mechanical and electrical geniuses in its workforce during its long manufacturing period. From the late 1800s to the late 1900s represents 100 years of excellence. Striving to provide a huge number of items which fulfilled a particular need. Always built to the highest possible standards at affordable prices for the world of commerce, industry, the church, local and national government. They even provided timekeeping to the sea faring. Constant reiteration and improvement helped to provide a consistently better product. With even greater reliability and longer life.

In the end it was rapidly changing lifestyles and new technology which finally brought an end to Gents domination of electro-mechanical timekeeping. The microchip was cheap enough to dominate our lives in other, countless, unforeseen ways.

Gents' timekeeping products are now avidly sought and collected by admirers right around the world. Where complete impulse time systems, in all their complexity, from master clock to striking, are established with beautifully restored examples. Many of which only became available through demolition of a nation's industrial heritage. Or massive redundancy to the advancing tide of cheap, computer technology.

Colin Reynold's amazingly affordable work is a unique history of the cutting edge of commercial, electromechanical timekeeping from the first tentative steps. Gents' early designers should really be household names in Britain such was their importance to people's lives. Gents' remarkable insights and technical brilliance placed them in so many different environments that the technology itself often went completely unnoticed. From schools, to hospitals, to factories and church they kept many generations uniformly informed of the time with remarkable accuracy and reliability. It is a shame that their remarkable inventions and inventors remain largely unknown outside narrow, horological circles. While their main competitor, Hope-Jones, of Synchronome fame, was the master of self-publicity.

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