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Repairing and Restoring a--
SHIP AUTOMATA CLOCK MADE BY VITASCOPE INDUSTRIES C1944
The first design of this clock was patented in 1941 by a Mr. J S Thatcher later amendments by Mr. J F
Summersgil followed in 1944 and 1947. It has an unusual Bakelite case in the Art Deco style. The clock is powered by a 250volt mains supply (at 50 cycles) to a synchronous movement which drives both the hands and the automata. The movement and back panel are earthed using three-core mains wire to comply with E.E.C. Regulations.
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vitascope.jpg)
Picture of movement showing amount of wear
found on drive wheel, a new wheel was cut and fitted
for this movement |
vitascope.jpg)
Picture of movement with new wheel fitted |
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This picture shows the amount of wear found on the arbour that drives the ship, so much so that the gear wheel was disengaged from it's drive!!. The picture opposite shows the bush fitted to take up this wear |
Unlike bushing clock plates this has to be a fairly loose fit or the motor will stop!!! |
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This is typical of the amount of wear found on these movements, it will be rebushed. The picture opposite show all the wheels ready for assembly. |
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The movement was cleaned and repaired |
The movement ready for the case |
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new hands made for theses clocks
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New hands copied from originals
I also repair the movements for these clocks and can
supply coils and wheels |
The clocks frame is made up of sheet aluminium and held together by self tapping screws, if these are loose and fail to tighten up use the next size up
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In this picture you can see the movement (at the top) to the left is shown the large fibre wheel, in front of which is the green oval drum, (this operates the ships movement) the
arbour continues along to a worm gear which slowly drives the cylinder, this is made up of coloured strips of
dyed gelatine giving the effects of sunrise and sunset as it slowly rotates. It uses a thick clear plastic strip to transfer
this light up to the ship, (this strip is fixed to the back of the case and care must be taken when removing the back or damage will result to the plastic sky at the top of the clock.)
This is the type of damage caused !!!!done by previous repairers, not me!! |
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This is a picture of the ship as taken from the case, missing three sails!! This is where the clockmaker becomes the model maker! I believe this ship to be a model of the famous Tea Clipper the Cutty Sark which was launched in 1869 on the River Clyde in Scotland and can still be seen today in the dry dock at Greenwich Pier in London.
The missing sails were cut from thin bits of plastic, heated and bent to match the other sails, the hardest part was to match the colour to blend in with the original sails which had yellowed with age! The result appears below.
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The finished clock in it's brown Bakelite case
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Three Vitascope clocks --- repaired and ready to be returned to customers |
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Yet more Vitascope's-- repaired ready to go back -- I don't
know why they
are so popular at the moment. I've been told that someone famous uses
one in the nursery as a night light and his son can't sleep without it!! |
more info. to follow if time permits.!!
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