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Economy 7 Time Clocks 40/50 years ago...

AncientMariner
To help resolve a query in the Ask The Community Forum, why did the time clock for Economy 7 and similar supplies with two meters and  a full load time clock switch (no contactor), tick?

Were they an auto-rewind clockwork time clock so as to keep in time during/following a power cut?

Clive

  • 0
    I believe that some early ones were 'spring reserve' - i.e. a motor drove a spring, which in turn drove a conventional clockwork mechanism - as you say to save the 'Boards having to go around re-setting all the clocks after a power cut.


    Later ones were I suspect quartz with a battery backup - but still having an analogue mechanism these will likely 'tick' too as the electronics pulse the drive to the clockwork.


      - Andy.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    I believe that some early ones were 'spring reserve'


    They were and lasted about three days, so there were cases where the occupier pulled the fuse and did without electric till the clock off peak time was shifted to daytime................... Especially in that era when it was about 40% of the normal rate.


    Regards


    BOD
  • 0
    Hello Ancient Mariner. I installed many of these in my days as an Electricity Board (remember them?) Contracting Dept. electrician. The two prime makes were Venner and Horstmann. Both of these had an 8-day clockwork spring reserve for the clock; this was hand-wound by key on installation. Once wound up, they all had a nice tick. I have only recently dumped my Horstmann key (it was common to both makes)! Regards, Colin.
  • 0
    Colin Jenkins:

    Hello Ancient Mariner. I installed many of these in my days as an Electricity Board (remember them?) Contracting Dept. electrician. The two prime makes were Venner and Horstmann. Both of these had an 8-day clockwork spring reserve for the clock; this was hand-wound by key on installation. Once wound up, they all had a nice tick. I have only recently dumped my Horstmann key (it was common to both makes)! Regards, Colin.


    I also used to install these, periodically someone was sent out to to check the times & wind em up (usually a driver or meter reader) my in laws have one and no one has been near for 30 years, the time has slipped a bit and they enjoy off peak in the day now


  • 0
    Yes we had one of those ticky clockwork jobs. A high tec thing in its day.

    Wind up clockwork gramaphone record players too with a lovely centrifugal govenor and an adjust lever, quite a masterpiece of mechanics. As kids we broke up quite a few old ones to watch the spring fly out. I wish I`d kept `em , probably worth a few quid these days. Do not get me started on warming up the telly to get the valves at optimum before watching special TV programmes. Oh bygone days

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