Kieninger & Obergfell 400 day clock; 4-ball rotating pendulum, glass dome?

i have an over wound one how do you release the mains spring

neil cons
August 2022

I happened across this post, and I realize it is over 2 years old, but in case anyone finds this post trying to fix their Kieninger & Obergfell, I have decided to give the knowledge to get your clock functioning again. As was mentioned in a previous post, the suspension spring does lose it elasticity over time; however, this does not mean you must replace it, this just means you need to make some adjustments. Making the few simple adjustments is in fact much more convenient and less stressful than replacing the suspension spring. In effect, it is much easier to do.
Now down to the meat and potatoes of it all.
Firstly, if you are not acquainted with the terms used for the different clock parts, you can simply use Google to bring you up to snuff in no time at all. I have also supplied a link to a diagram to help you find what you are looking for. In the diagram you only need to worry about parts 7 to 14. Not all clocks have a pallet fork, so you either have the fork which is number 7 on the diagram, or you just have a small post which is number 8 on the diagram.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.timezone.com/img/articles/wglossary631692132071014935/escapement.omega.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.timezone.com/article.aspx%3Fid%3Dwglossary%26articleId%3Dwglossary631692132071014935&h=537&w=465&sz=59&tbnid=YUFX09KLuphfgM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Descapement&zoom=1&q=escapement&hl=en&usg=__YdLgR0kir4ocoCtwoD5gNUwvV_Q=&sa=X&ei=ABdpTZnaLc24twfm4YXmAg&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBg

So, as I had mentioned, with age the suspension spring (which is the little thin wire or ribbon attaching the torsion pendulum to the rest of the clock) loses its elasticity, which in turn changes the position and swing of the little suspension post (which is the little arm at the top of the suspension spring that moves left and right as the pendulum turns). Now as long as the escapement wheel keeps ticking, then the pendulum will continue to turn because of the momentum and the small force applied by the escapement wheel to the pallet lever (anchor).
So what you need to do is look into the clock, and see where the suspension post touches the pallet lever or pallet fork (the pallet lever moves left to right continuously and turns the escapement wheel). All you want to do is look in and stare at the escape wheel and then twist the pendulum about a half turn and then watch that wheel. You will literally have to babysit that escape wheel for a good 15 or 20 minutes until the pendulum settles into its natural rhythm. What you are looking for is whether or not the wheel will stop ticking at some point. If it does, then the pendulum will not have the required force to keep it turning, and the clock will stop. So again to recap, as long as the escape wheel continues to tick, the clock will keep running. Anyway, as you watch the wheel ticking, keep note what side the suspension post is on (left or right) and keep watching. If at any point the escape wheel does not tick, whatever side the suspension post is on when the ticking does not occur then you have to adjust the screw at the top of the suspension spring (do this while the pendulum is still turning) so that the post goes far enough to make the escapement wheel tick. What you need to do is turn the screw so that the suspension post turns. When you turn the screw left, the suspension post should turn right, if you turn the screw right, the suspension post should turn left. In effect the post will trun the opposite way you are turning the screw. So if the post was on the left side when the escape wheel failed to tick, then you have to turn the screw a tiny amount (and I mean a fraction of a turn) to the right so that it is far enough to make the escape wheel tick, and watch as the post comes back to make sure your adjustment was enough to make it actually tick. If it was, then keep watching to make sure it keeps ticking for the full 20 minutes, or if it did not, then adjust the screw again to the right until the escape wheel ticks again. The same respect is true for if the suspension post was on the right side when the wheel did not tick. Then make the adjustment to the screw turning left which turns the suspension post to the right. It is a little bit of a game sometimes, and you have to keep adjusting it to make sure that escapement wheel keeps ticking. If the pendulum slows down too much, then stop it, and make sure it isn’t swaying, and then give it a half turn again (although this means you have to wait another 20 minutes from when you started it). Once you have passed 20 minutes, and the escape wheel is still ticking, congratulations, because you have just fixed the momentum of your pendulum, and your clock is now working.
This whole procedure will take about 20 minutes as stated, and is much more easy than replacing the suspension spring, and then making the adjustments. You are in fact cutting out a step.

Hope this helps anyone who is experiencing their pendulum stopping.

Nick. J. L
February 2011

just woundering if it is worth anything

lesley hart
April 2010

Hello Mr. Unger
I have a similar problem but i resloved it. The first thing that you must do is change the suspension spring. After a number of years the spring loses its elasticity therefore the slight push from the escapement will not allow the tortion to rotate. You must also check, and this is very important if you disassembled it, the spring itself. The trick with these clocks is that when the tortion rotates it twists the spring which turns the fork that is attached to it that moves the escapement. The escapement in return should give a visible but minute push in the opposite direction, charging, so to speak, the spring to oscillate. If that effect is not visible or present it simply won't work. Depending on the size of the clock, the fork must be set/adjusted a bit below the top spring clamp plates(these fit in the slot at the top bracket tightened by a large usually black screw) That is the tricky bit. If you manage to achieve than you are in business. Good luck

Cedric Karl Fonk
March 2009

Mine would not run when overwound. I had to keep restarting it (gently turn pendulum balls & release). Now it's running again.

Bruce Nevin
December 2008