Racing Clock

JohnT · October 17, 2006

Hi everyone,

I have a confession to make. I dont actually keep pigeons but have just bought an old racing clock and would like some info on it. It is made by Jundes Thexor, probably around 1930's and can record on a paper roll the times of 19 birds. I am trying to restore the clock and have worked out more or less how to use it but there are still some things about it that I cannot fathom. Does anyone out there know anything about these clocks or have an instruction booklet? If so, I would love to hear from them.

Heres hoping,

JohnT

October 17, 2006

what would you like to know ?

ALF · October 17, 2006

JOHN T.... I THINK YOUR BEST BET IS IF THERE IS AN OLDER MEMBER OF PIGEON BASICS WHO USED TO SET 1 OF THESE CLOCKS YEARS AGO THAT COULD MAYBE HELP YOU COZ I THINK YOU COULD BE STRUGGLING TO GET AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR 1 MATE

square_peg · October 17, 2006

DAVY MITCHELL IN OUR CLUB ,CLOCK CONVENOR FOR OUR FED FOR 30 YEARS,HE ALSO SET NOAHS CLOCK TO TIME IN THE ANIMALS.I WILL ASK HIM ON FRIDAY AT OUR MEETING, YEAH HE REALLY IS THAT OLD ,HE EVEN KNOWS HOW SET TO THE OLD STEAM CLOCKS ;D ;D

JohnT · October 18, 2006

Thanks to ukseanuk,Alf and square_peg.

I look foreward to hearing what Davy Mitchell has to say about the clock- thanks square peg.

Ukseanuk, there are several things that are puzzling me:

1. The small subsidiary dial on the clock face which is numbered 1-12- what is its function? I can move it with a key but otherwise it doesn't move.

2. The dial numbered 0-15 in the top RH corner of the clock-what is its function? Again, it doesn't move unless twisted by me via the knurled knob.

3. When the carriage on the top of the clock is turned by the large key it eventualy comes to a halt when a brass hook engages on a post. How is the system reset again?

4. The last question (I think!). On the end of the clock opposite to the clock face there is a spring loaded lever with a swivelling arm on it (and a small pin). What function do these serve?

Sorry for this ramble, but hope you can help>

Many thanks,

JohnT

rockinrick · October 18, 2006

hi john t can u post a pic of the clock on here , maybe we can give u some idea on the things u ask , cheers rockinrick

:)

PIGEON_MAN · October 18, 2006

HIGH JOHN T,AS THERE WERE QUITE A FEW DIFFERANT MODELS OF THE JUNDES THEXOR IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT THE ONE YOU HAVE IS LIKE BUT I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU WITH THE POINTS YOU HAVE ASKED ABOUT,THE SMALL DIAL NUMBERED 1-12 I SHOULD SAY IS THE HOUR DIAL THIS WILL ONLY MOVE WHEN THE CLOCK IS RUNNING,THE DIAL NUMBERED 1-15 IS I BELIEVEIS LIKE A SECURITY DEVISE WHICH MOVES WITH EVERY OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE CLOCK SO WHEN THE CLOCK IS SEALED AND THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE CLUB AFTER THE RACE THE POINTER SHOULD BE IN THE SAME PLACE AS IT WAS SET IF NOT IT SHOWS THE CLOCK AS BEEN OPENED.THE CARRIAGE ON THE TOP OF THE CLOCK IS RESET BY LIFTING IT OFF AND MANUALLY TURNING IT AROUND SO THAT WHEN IT IS PLACED BACK ON AND THE LID IS CLOSED IT IS SHOWING SOMETIMES A GREEN MARK THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE CLOCK OR IT SHOWS A MARK BEFORE THE NUMBER 1 HOLE SO THAT WHEN THE CLOCK IS STRUCK WITH THE KEY THE NUMBER 1 WILL BE SHOWING.THE LAST THING YOU ASK ABOUT I,M NOT TO SURE WHICH BIT YOU MEAN BUT THERE IS A SPRING LOADED PIECE THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE PAD THAT STAMPS AGAINST THE BACK OF THE CLOCK FACE WHICH MARKS THE PAPER ROLL PERHAPS IT,S THAT ONE,OR IT COULD BE THE LEVER THAT YOU PULL DOWN TO LOCK THE CLOCK WITH.IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PUT UP SOME PHOTO,S ON HERE IT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP,BUT FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ELSE.

Diamond dave · October 18, 2006

Pigeon Man & John T

Dont know a fig about this particular clock but in answer to your question 4 - wouldnt this be a pin to puncture the dial. I wasnt aware that they had printing(stamping) clocks that long ago as I thought the STB/Benzing printing clocks replaced the old dial puncturing Toulet type.

I'm only just out of nappy's though so what do I know?

I really think some of the old clocks are master pieces -easily in the class of a Rolex or something. - Good to see that someone is restoring them- Good for you John T.

D.D.

JohnT · October 19, 2006

Hello again,

Marvelous response from everyone. Pigeon people seem a friendly bunch.

The numbers on the inside of the clock lid are:

DRP 394975

DRGM 859497 8594498

Thanks for the info on how to reset the rotating carriage ie by lifting it off.

I have now managed to remove the works from the box (a difficult process made puposely so I suspect in order to deter tampering) so I now know a little more about it. I have attached some photos.

The subsidiary dial marked 1 I believe actually measures days Tony

The small dial marked 2 doesn’t, as you suggested Tony, move when the lid is opened so I still don’t know what it does. It doesn’t have any connections outside of the clock movement.- any further ideas?

The arm marked 3 would seem to be to switch the clock off. It is inactivated once the carriage moves.

Lever 4. I can now see that when the box is opened this lever moves across and would puncture the paper (if I had any) thus showing up any skullduggery (not that that ever happened of course!).

Levers 5 and 6 are still a mystery. Lever 5 is spring loaded and brushes up against the cylinders on the carriage. Lever 6 swivels on lever 5. There was a small brass pin attached by string to the hole in lever 5 but it doesn’t fit in either of the holes in 5 or 6.

Any further help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks. Must go now as wife getting fed up with my obsession

John T

Tony C · October 19, 2006

Hi JohnT,

Could you post another pic of the clock looking down on it with the drum (thimble holders) removed. I would say at a guess that 5 & 6 levers are to stop the paper roll from riding up.

JohnT · October 19, 2006

Hi Tony and others,

As requested, here is a pic taken from the top with the thimble holder removed. I can’t see the lever being there to prevent the paper from riding up as the paper doesn’t take that route. On the picture, the paper runs from the spool in the top right hand corner (7) from right to left, then through the printing block (8) and finally onto the take-up spool (9). Now that the thimble holder is removed, the lever 5 is pulled over as it is spring loaded.

JohnT (used to live near Dagenham by the way, now out in the countryside in Wiltshire)

Pompey Mick · October 19, 2006

Does lever 5 control control the take-up spool, releasing the lever enables the paper containg the timing strikes to be removed from the take-up spool which is on a ratchet normally.

PIGEON_MAN · October 19, 2006

JOHN LEVER 5 LOCKS THE THIMBLE HOLDER IN PLACE YOU PROBABLY REALISE BY NOW YOU HAVE TO PULL THE LEVER AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF THE HOLDER TO LIFT IT OFF THE CLOCK.NUM.2 COULD BE WHAT WAS CALLED A DOLOMETER THIS WOULD BE SET AT ZERO WHEN THE CLOCK WAS SET AND IF THE CLOCK HAD BEEN SHUCK IF WOULD MOVE OFF THE ZERO TO SHOW THIS,I DO HAVE A MANUAL WHICH SHOWS VARIOUS MODELS OF THE JUNDES CLOCKS BUT NOT ACTUALLY THIS MODEL BUT I DO REMEMBER SETTING ONE YEARS AGO.

JohnT · October 20, 2006

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions.

Pompey Mick, lever 5 doesn't interfere with the take-up spool at all. It seems more likely to perform the function described by Pigeon Man (thanks Tony)

Thanks also to Tony for suggesting that dial 2 is a dolometer. It does indeed seem to be that. Shaking the clock causes the pointer to move round the dial.

Virtualy everything sorted now except lever 6 which swivels freely on lever 5 and the small pin tied to the hole in lever 5.

You're right Diamond Dave, the clock is a masterpiece and well worth restoring. The clock in question is definitely a printing one but I dont know the date of manufacture. Any ideas?

Regards,

JohnT