Ericsson/Smith mantel clock

[Hampus]

As I have a LM Ericsson pendulum master clock and as a swede have a special interest for Ericsson, I felt obliged to buy this cute bakelite synchronous clock at an online auction.

Ericsson made many clocks in past times, but I have only seen master/slave systems, punch clocks and such. I have never heard about them making domestic, synchronous clocks.

It turned out they did not This is apparently a Smith's clock with LM Ericsson on the dial. I am guessing it was a promotional item.

The movement is unmarked but I was able to identify it here:
http://www.electric-clocks.co.uk/SMITHS/sm-mvmnts.htm
and
http://www.hotfrog.co.uk/Companies/e...c-clocks-co-uk

Maybe it sound like I am disappointed, I am not. It is a great clock and it is still a Ericsson product in a way.

It will now get a cleaning and lubrication. I know you usually don't oil the wheels in clocks since it attracts dust, but I am thinking that the worm gear is an exception since this depends on sliding motion rather than rolling? Maybe even grease?

I guess the possibility of finding a connector is slim? I will have to make something up.

[Nickthedentist]

Yes, definitely a SEC (Smiths) movement.

They turn up in all kinds of guises, including Genalex (GEC), Ferranti and Synchronome-branded ones. Yours may not have been a promo item; it could well have been bought-in so that they could offer a complete range of clocks i.e. master/slave systems AND synchronous.

Yes, a stripdown, de-grease, then a smear of grease on the worm is a good idea, and a the tiniest drop of special clock oil on the pivots, but none on the teeth of the wheels for the reasons you've described. It should run utterly silently.

Nick.

[Hampus]

I have now overhauled the movement, it is in good shape and works well now except that it has a habit of starting in the wrong direction. There is a pawl that is meant to stop the rotor if this happens and bump it into right direction. There is nothing really to make the pawl touch the rotor though. It is sliding agains a flat surface on the rotor but this do not seem to generate enough grip to pull it against the rotor See the pics, they probably explain it better!

There is a mysterious hole in the pawl, I wonder if there is something missing in that? Maybe a plastic/rubber/paxolin piece or something similar that should slide against the rotor?

[Hampus]

Well, I experimented and glued a thin piece of soft plastic to the offending part, it worked a treat

[Nickthedentist]

Hello,

You seem to have the Smiths "De Luxe" movement; the self-starting and light-duty version.

I don't have the data for this, but do have the "Callboy" data which I'll attach below. Maybe your catgut peg is missing?

Nick

[Hampus]

Hi Nick,

Thank you for this information, I was not far away in my guessing then. It works well now with the soft plastic and the clock has been reassembled but this confirms that the repair was fairly proper. If it fails I now know the manufacturer-approved material.

Catgut, heh

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

You seem to have the Smiths "De Luxe" movement;

THis is also known as their "BM7" movement, apparently in use from 1932 all the way through to 1963!

(Info. from Les Pook's "British Domestic Synchronous Clocks 1930-1980), published 2015 by Springer.)