RE: Re: [Bell Historians] Unusual clock chimes

[Mark Regan]

Thanks you for this Frank. You've set me off in another related area. Another example of why this network is so important. A PhD thesis too?

Mark

>----- ------- Original Message ------- -----
>From: Frank King <Frank.King at 86Wsm_U-qfxZDrJkMM4WffqsDAzAqmtOfaG9krXliDWcNZdYbM8vLRFloWbeCgg8ZddOZ3pP_gi4gANpgz0GTzpy.yahoo.invalid>
>To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:42:56
>
>Dear Mark,
>
>> My basic plan is a cd of bells in the UK which
>tell
>> the time.  This will range from Big Ben to...
>
>Ah.  If you are going to have Big Ben, then your CD
>
>should surely include the original Cambridge
>Quarters
>which, any decade now, will be working again on
>their
>Phelps bells sounding much as they did in 1793. 
>They
>have been out of action most of this year while
>some
>other project has been in progress :-)
>
>A historical point which might be noted on the
>sleeve
>of your CD is a practical reason why we usually
>divide
>the 24-hour day into two lots of 12.
>
>[Another reason is that before we had equal-hours
>the
>system was to divide daylight hours and night-time
>hours separately into 12-hour periods.  In winter,
>daylight hours would be short and night-time hours
>long.	This so-called unequal-hours scheme was used
>in
>Europe until the advent of striking clocks in 13C.]
>
>
>If you have an hour bell that strikes all the
>hours from 1 to 24 that means 300 dongs a day.
>
>If you settle for 1 to 12 that is just 78 dongs
>or 156 dongs in 24 hours.  This reduces the effort
>involved in winding up clock weights to a little
>more than half of what it would otherwise be.
>
>It is common in Italy to see old clocks that have
>six-hour dials and which strike just 1 to 6 and
>hence need only 4x21=84 dongs a day.
>
>Curiously, it is also common in Italy to find
>(modern) 12-hour clocks that strike the relevant
>hour after chiming each quarter so, say, at
>half past 10 you get the half-hour chime and
>then 10 dongs.  This means 4x156=624 dongs in
>a day and I cannot believe that hand-wound
>versions of such clocks have ever been made!
>
>Frank H. King
>Keeper of the University Clock
>Cambridge, U.K.


Mark Regan
22 Sebright Avenue
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01905 354339
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