Continues to chime

QuestionEdit

I have a Ridgeway Grandfather clock that was purchased in the early 70's. It's either a E or G movement from Western Germany that is weight driven. When it chimes on the hour the chime continues and the weight on the left side as I face the clock keeps dropping slowly. The only way I have found to stop it is to remove the left weight from the chain. If possible, could you give me an idea of has caused this problem?

AnswerEdit

Leonard, the causes of a continuous strike (chimes play the quarter tunes and are driven by the weight on the right (as you face the clock). The major cause of the continuous striking is that a pin on what we call the warning wheel has broken, or sometimes there is some misalignment of the strike levers. One cause that happens occasionally, is that the weights are switched and the heavier weight is on the strike side, causing it to run with too much power and it will pop one of the levers off the stop pin. A general rule for weights on a Westminster chime is that if one weight is heavier than the other two, it hangs on the right side (as you face he clock) and if one weight is lighter than the other two, it hangs on the left. I hope this helps and if you need any more help, get back with me.