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Hermle Grandfather Clocks Setup Instructions
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Posted December 9, 2011Table of
I. Location for the clock………………….5
II. Unpacking the clock…………………..5
III. Putting the clock into operation………….6
A. Remove the shipping material………..6
B. Unpacking the pendulum……………6
C. Hanging the pendulum……………..6
D. Attaching the weights………………6
E. Setting the moon phase (if applicable) …. 7
E. Starting the pendulum……………..10
V. Regulation of the clock……………….10
VI. Winding the clock……………………11
A. Chain driven movement……………11
B. Cable driven movement……………11
A. Synchronization hour strike…………12
C. Volume of chime/strike…………….14
VIII. In case you move……………………14
IX. Care and Maintenance………………..15
IMPORTANT: PLEASE USE COTTON GLOVES WHEN HANDLING BRASS COMPONENTS OF CLOCKS
I. Choosing a location for your clock.
When choosing a location, please consider the following: The clock must have a flat and level surface. Please check this with a box beam level. Avoid placing the clock in direct sunlight. The volume of the chimes is affected by the size of the room, carpeting, drapes, etc. (The volume is louder in an unfurnished room).
Please use 2 people to unpack the clock. After unpacking from the carton, place the clock next to the final position.
1) The weights are packed in a separate box, underneath the clock in the clock carton. Be careful when handling the weights as these are extremely heavy. (Remember to use the gloves before handling any brass parts.)
2) The pendulum is packed separately and is attached to the back of the clock cabinet.
3) The tubes (if your clock is equipped with a tubular movement) are packed in a separate box.
4) Winding crank (only needed for cable driven movements) is placed inside the clock carton at the top of the clock. If the clock has a finial, you will also find it in this box. The door key is also in this carton.
5) Make sure that you do not discard any parts accidentally.
6) We suggest that you save the original packing material for future use, in case you move.
III. Putting the clock in operation
A. Removal of the packing material
Open the door or panels located on the upper sides of the clock. This gives you access to the movement and enables you to remove the packing material. Remove the packing material on the gong rods by sliding it down. Cut and remove the rubber band between the movement and the pendulum leader. It will be necessary to run your clock for 3 days so that the packing material will be completely accessible and easily removable.
Carefully open the box so that you won’t damage the pendulum. Remove the protective film on the bob face before hanging the pendulum onto the leader.
Be careful when hanging the pendulum on the leader. (See figure B) There is a small suspension spring located above the leader that could break if the leader on the pendulum is handled roughly.
• Chain driven movement
Remove the wire which was used to secure your chains
during shipping. The clock must be in an upright position so that the chains will not fall out of the movement. Your clock is equipped with 3 weights. The heaviest weight always needs to be on the right hand side (while facing the front of the clock). Remember to use cotton gloves when handling any brass parts.
• Cable driven movements It will be necessary to run your clock 3 days prior to removing the packing material between the cable pulleys and the movement. Keep the packing material for future use. Make sure that the heaviest weight is always hung on the right hand side (while facing the clock). See figure A.
• If you have an Autowind™ movement follow the steps listed above in the “Cable Driven Movement.” Also see the Autowind™ section on Page 12. If not, move on to the next bullet point.
The moon dial corresponds with the lunar month (29 1/2 days) and not the calendar month. As long as the clock is in permanent operation, the moon dial will operate automatically. If the clock stops, you will have to reset the moon dial.
CAUTION: If you attempt to set the moon disc and it does not move easily, the gears are in the process of making a moon change. Do not set the moon disc during this moon change that occurs every night between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am.
To set the moon dial, rotate the moon disc (in the upper part of the dial) clockwise (right) until the moon face is below the 15 on the dial. Check with your calendar for the date of the last full moon. Using a soft cotton cloth or cotton gloves, rotate the moon disc to the right (clockwise). As you rotate the disc you will hear a clicking sound. One click represents a 24 hour day of the lunar month. Example: If the moon is six days after the full moon you have to move 6 clicks. The setting of the moon dial is your responsibility and is not covered under our warranty.
Figure A
Moon Dial Back side of dial-Moon disc
Every Hermle grandfather clock is equipped with a chime shut off lever. The shut off lever is located on the dial near the 3:00 position. Note: When the movement is in the shut off mode, the two outside weights will not drop.
B. Automatic Night shut off (if equipped)
When activated, the automatic night shut off will shut off the chime and strike from 9:45 pm to 7:00 am. The night silence lever is located below the movement to the right and underneath the dial. See figure C. Please note: top position^night silence on (no chiming), lower position=night silence off (clock is chiming 24 hours). If chime stops in the morning (a.m.) and restarts in the evening (p.m.) please advance the hands 12 hours. Note: When the movement night shut off is activated, the two outside weights will not drop during the shut off period.
Hermle clocks feature different melodies. Some models only have Westminster chime, while others have 3 melodies (Westminster, St. Michael and Whittington).On clocks with 3 melodies, you can select the melody you prefer with the selector lever which is located at the 3:00 position on the dial. See figure D. Make sure that the lever has a fixed position and is not between 2 melodies. Always wait until the clock has finished chiming before changing to a different melody. Failure to follow these instructions may cause movement malfunctions not covered under our warranty.
Set the clock to the correct time by turning the minute (longest) hand clockwise or counter clockwise. After you have set the time, the quarter chime may be off. If this happens, the clock will synchronize itself within 1 hr and 45 minutes. Always avoid turning the hour (shortest) hand. If the hour hand is moved out of position, your clock will strike the wrong hour. If this happens, see section VII A.
Night Silence LeverFigure D
Chime Selector Lever
Move the pendulum to the left or right side of the cabinet (without letting the bob touch the sides of the case) and release. You will hear a tick tock sound. After a few minutes the swinging motion will settle into its rhythmic beat. We recommend that you follow this procedure whenever you wind the clock.
The distance between the pendulum bob and pallet anchor is very important. You can adjust this distance by turning the regulating nut found below the pendulum bob. If you turn the nut to the right, the bob will raise and the time will speed up. If you turn the nut to the left, the bob will lower and the time will slow down. Whenever you make this adjustment, please hold the pendulum with your other hand to avoid any damage on the suspension spring. See figure E.
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ATTENTION: One complete turn of the regulating nut in either direction=approximately 1 minute every 24 hours.
The weights create the energy to operate your clock. In order for your clock to run continuously, you must wind (raise) the weights before the weights rest at the bottom of the cabinet. Follow either option A or B depending on what movement your clock is equipped with.
1). Hold the free end of the chain firmly and gently pull it straight down. CAUTION: Avoid pulling the chain towards you. This will cause the links of the chain to open. Do not attempt to lift up the weight by hand while winding as this will cause the chain to come off of the chain wheel.
2) Use a slow even motion when raising the weights. Do not jerk the chain or release the weight suddenly as this could break the chain. Gently raise the weights until it is not possible to raise them any higher.
3) If you plan to be away from home for more than a few days, stop the pendulum from swinging until you return. The clock will then need to be restarted as described under section IV. (Don’t forget to set the moon and calendar if equipped.)
1) While winding the clock do not touch or lift the weights. Also do not allow the weights to swing. If you do not follow these instructions carefully, it may result in overlapped or broken cables which are not covered under our warranty.
If you have an Autowind™ movement, please see the Autowind™ section on winding your movement manually.
2) Insert the winding crank onto each winding arbor and turn slowly until you come to a stop. It is impossible to over wind a cable driven movement.
3) If you plan to be away from home for more than a few days, stop the pendulum from swinging until you return. The clock will then need to be restarted as described under section IV. (Don’t forget to set the moon and calendar if equipped).
4) Store the winding crank in a safe location. C. Autowind™ movement
1) Read the previous steps in this manual for setup and startup instructions.
2) Let your new Autowind™ clock run for 48 hours under normal power of the weights.
DO NOT PLUG your clock into a power source before completing step #3
3) Carefully remove cardboard inserts from around the cables and pulleys.
4) Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet.
5) Once connected to an outlet, the clock will start to Autowind™ and do so approximately every 3 days.
Caution: If you feel the need to manually wind your clock, use the enclosed key and wind only until the top of the weights and the pulleys are still visible through the glass.
Warning: Failure to follow these instructions will result in permanent damages and void your warranty.
If the clock stops during setting or winding, start the pendulum again. (See section IV. E) A. Synchronization of the hour strike
If the hour strike and hour hand do not correspond you will need to make this adjustment. Example: The clock shows 4 but it strikes 3 times. Follow these instructions to correct this issue.
1) Do not silence the chimes while making these adjustments.
2) Move the hour hand (shortest) clockwise or counterclockwise, whichever is more convenient, slowly to the hour that has actually struck. Example: If the clock strikes only 3 times, move the hour hand slowly until it points directly to the 3. You will notice that the hour hand turns independently of the minute hand.
3) Then turn the minute hand (longest) counterclockwise, slowly until the proper time setting is reached. Be careful, do not touch the hour hand and misadjust it again.
4) The chime will now synchronize itself automatically. This could take up to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
These adjustments are made at the factory; however, if during unpacking or handling the hammer becomes misaligned, they may need to be readjusted. When adjusting the hammers to the gong rods, each hammer should be 2mm from the gong rod. See figure F. Make sure that the hammer hits slightly below the taper of the rod. If an adjustment needs to be made, be sure to make the adjustment by only bending the upper 1/3 of the hammer wire. •
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THIS INSTRUCTION COULD CAUSE MALFUNCTIONS WHICH ARE NOT COVERED UNDER OUR WARRANTY.
Below are suggestions on how to change the volume of your clock.
1) A clock placed on carpet has a softer sound than one placed on tile or hardwood floors.
2) Placing the clock flat against the wall will cause the chime to be louder.
3) The hammer heads should be approximately 2 mm from the gong rods. The more space you have between the rods and the hammer heads, the less sound you will have. See figure F.
4) The size of a room makes a difference in the volume of the chimes. A clock placed in a hall or foyer will sound louder than the same clock placed in a large room with carpet and drapes.
An aspect about the chimes:
Your clock was primarily made to tell time. It is not a musical instrument. Chime tone will vary from clock to clock according to the wood used to make the sound board and how much moisture is in the wood. The gong rods are automatically tuned and no adjustments are necessary.
NOTE: Please use cotton gloves when handling the brass parts.
1) Stop the pendulum from swinging.
2) Wind up clock (do not wind until you read instructions below.)
CAUTION: NEVER WIND THE CLOCK WITHOUT THE WEIGHTS ATTACHED. When arriving at your new location, follow the set up instructions as described at the beginning of the manual.
* Chain driven movement
Wind the weights 1/2 way to the top. Attach a wire through the chain links to secure the chains. Make sure that the chain does not scratch the case during transport. Use the packing material that came with your clock.
• Cable driven movement
Using the packing material which came with your clock, wind up all three weights. See figure A.
3) Remove the weights and place them back in their shipping box.
4) Remove the pendulum and package it back in its shipping box.
Your new Hermle Clock does not require very much maintenance. However, you may wish to follow the suggestions listed below.
A. Wind your clock once a week, unless you own an Autowind™ clock.
B. Polish or wax the wooden components of your clock case just like you would any other fine piece of furniture. Avoid direct sunlight. This could cause the wood to split and the finish to fade. Do not use any type of cleaner, polish, water, etc. to clean the brass parts of your clock. If necessary, clean the brass components with a lint free, dry cloth. Clean glass, as necessary with a glass cleaner.
C. Periodically you need to make sure that your clock is still level. You can make adjustments by turning the leveling feet
located underneath the clock case.
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D. Periodically check to make sure that your weights are still tightly assembled.
E. Approximately every 3-5 years, it will be necessary to
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