An early free pendulum electric wall regulator

HOPE-JONES, PATENT NO. 32611/1935; CIRCA 1935

細節
An early free pendulum electric wall regulator
Hope-Jones, patent No. 32611/1935; circa 1935
The case of simple proportions with twin latches to the arched glazed door with beize lining, the 10¼ in. diam. silvered Roman dial signed HOPE-JONES on a silvered sector calibrated 30-0-30 with two smaller sectors below 0-30 (fast) & 0-30 (slow) with blued steel pointers, the centre of the dial engraved synchronome, patent No. 32611/1935, seconds ring below (lacking hand) the movement suspended from the backboard on a heavy iron Y-shaped bracket, anchor escapement, the weight (lacking) with motorised winding unit to top left side of the movement, suspension blocks existing for the short and long pendulums (both now lacking); sold with Hope-Jones's original certificate of admittance to the Clockmakers' Company, dated January 1921 and his autographed copy of Some Account of the Worpshipful Company of Clockmakers, 1881.
53½ in. (135.5 cm.) high
出版
Patent Specification No. 32611/35, March 22, 1937
Frank Hope-Jones, The Fascination of a Free Pendulum, The Engineering Gazette, February 1936
The Fascination of a Free Pendulum, Antiquarian Horology, Winter, 1992, pp. 338-9

拍品專文

Frank Hope-Jones, 1868-1950 was, the co-founder of the Synchronome Company in 1897 and his contribution to electrical horology was only second in importance to that of Alexander Bain. His Synchronome Company was a great success supplying clocks to shops, Government and public buildings and railway stations both in the UK and abroad.
The patent for Hope-Jones's free pendulum clock was granted on March 22, 1937 and his 1935 Christmas card (see illus.) was designed to be a puzzle which he followed with by an article printed in The Engineering Gazette, February, 1936 giving a full and typically individual explanation. In it he tackles the interesting question of how the 'free' pendulum can remain 'free' even when being given work to do. The present example is one of only two known examples, the other being in the Science Museum (cat. no. 1985-475). That particular example is also lacking its pendulums and weight and has a manual winding system as opposed to the motor-wound system found on the present example