414 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



number of teeth cut on them. The Yankees use almost exclusively lantern 

 pinions, claiming that they run with less friction and not ao likely to choke 

 with dirt, but it is possible cheapness has something to do with it. The 

 needles are iron wire, yet if the pitches are correct, they wear out the 

 other parts without hardly marking; if not correct, they cut through in a 

 year or more so as to be unserviceable, and have to be renewed. The 

 arbor holes are bushed, but, excepting the back side, they are useless, for 

 they will never wear. The train consists of four wheels; the main wheel 

 has ninety-six teeth, the first pinion eiglit leaves; the second wlieel eighty- 

 four teeth, second pinion six leaves; crown wheel forty teeth, and runs with 

 a seven-inch rod. We use the same movements with several lengths of 

 rod, by adding teeth to the crown wheel ; two teeth added make nearly 

 three-fourths of an inch less rod, or fifty teeth a four and a half inch 

 rod. In some of the movements a leaf is added in the third pinion, 

 making two inches less rod, and it sometimes occurs that the move- 

 ments, long rod, short rod and medium, get beautifully mixed up. A centre 

 pinion of ten and a wheel of forty teeth, multiplying together twelve times, 

 make up the dial wheels. These main wheels turn once in twenty-four hours, 

 and nearly the same train is used for the striking side. The count wheel 

 is fastened to the main wheel and revolves with it, consequently is divided 

 into 156 points, with slots at intervals to divide the hours. The second 

 wheel has seventy-eight teeth and thirteen pins, that carry the hammer, 

 and consequently revolves twelve times in twenty-four hours, counting 156 

 strokes. The three eighty-teeth wheels turn once to every stroke, and 

 have attached a cam with slot and lock wire, so that whenever the count 

 wire drops into a slot in the count wheel, this locks instantly. When 

 striking, a pin on the centre shaft lifts another wire, which unlocks this 

 one, and at the same time catches the fly and prevents the train running 

 until the proper time arrives, when it drops, leaving it free to run until the 

 count wire drops, when it again locks. The springs are about eight feet 

 long, they call them nine feet, but steel being high they shrink. 



Some years since a patent was taken out by some immortal genius for 

 using brass springs, and fabulous prices were paid for the privilege of 

 using them, but they were more costly than steel, and a short experience 

 proved them to be almost worthless. The form of count wheel was also 

 patented, but I have seen a German clock, made in the fifteenth century, 

 according to the date on the dial, that had the same count wheel. This 

 clock was made almost exclusively of wood; the escapement wheel was 

 wood, with pins on its face and a bent wire answered for pallets. The 

 bell was of glass and similar in shape to the covers watch repairers use to 

 cover their work on the bench. The hammer was of wood, and the tone of 

 tlie bell was superior to any other I have heard. 



The making of wire bells puzzled the Yankees somewhat, but they finally 

 overcame the difficulties, and succeeded in making them as fine as the 

 French or German. Wire bells are not hardened, but the tone is given by 

 annealing after they are coiled. No tone can be given them in any other 

 way that I know of. Steel wire, the finer polish the better, is cut into 

 proper lengths, proportional to the proper size of wire, a brass ring soldered 

 on, the wire coiled into shape, then drawn to a deep blue, which gives the 



