About Kieninger & Clock Chimes
About Kieninger ...
Kieninger is the world's oldest existing manufacturer of mechanical clock movements for grandfather, wall, and table clocks. The Kieninger clock factory was founded in 1912 by Joseph Kieninger in Mönchweiler in the Black Forest, at the center of the German clock industry. In 1917, the factory moved to Aldingen, an attractive community a few kilometers from Mönchweiler at the foot of the Swabian Jura. Still based in Aldingen, the company today employs around 100 dedicated and qualified specialists in a new 6,000 square meter building constructed in 1991. In addition to its traditionally strongest export market, the USA, Kieninger works with customers in more than 60 countries. Since 1993, Kieninger has been part of the Howard Miller Group (USA), the world's largest grandfather clock manufacturer.
The Beginnings of Kieninger
From its earliest beginnings, Kieninger has remained true to its original concept: manufacturing technically sophisticated, high-quality mechanical clock movements and clocks. This has proven to be a successful concept over decades. It is therefore no surprise that Kieninger is now known for its craftsmanship and the production of products of the very highest quality. Kieninger clocks are among the classics of the industry. Various models are already exhibited in internationally important clock museums for curtains. In 1988, Kieninger received the coveted design award from the German Copper Institute for the unique tubular chime movement of grandfather clock model 0087.
Only a limited number of handcrafted clocks leave our factory each year, and Kieninger remains committed to continuing to offer its customers only unique clocks of the highest quality and individual design.
Introduction
In addition to the clock case, every mechanical clock has 5 basic components: the drive mechanism with an energy store (weight or spring) and the corresponding winding mechanism, a display consisting of the dial and hands (hour and minute hands, and, where applicable, special displays such as seconds, moon phase, and date), the regulating device, the escapement, and the gear train. Additional gear trains regulate the hourly strike and, depending on the version, the quarter-hour strike (melody chime). In the movement, the gear train(s), escapement, and, depending on the type of movement, an integrated regulating device (balance wheel), drive mechanism(s), and striking mechanisms are combined into one component.
The hourly and quarter-hour strikes are produced by a series of hammers that strike gong rods, chime tubes, or bells of different lengths or sizes. Depending on their dimensions, the rods, tubes, or bells produce different tones. Special melodies are created by using different pinned barrels to determine the sequence and rhythm in which the hammers strike the corresponding rods, tubes, or bells. Depending on the version, the pendulum (external regulating device) and the weights are additional components of your clock and are important for the correct functioning of the movement.
Pendulums of different lengths also swing at different speeds. The pendulum therefore allows the regulation and adjustment of rate variation (timekeeping accuracy) by changing the effective pendulum length. Similarly, changing the effective spring length of the balance wheel has an effect.
The going train and the one or two striking trains are driven separately by weights or springs. The going train (center) and, where present, the quarter-hour striking train (right) of the movement. Without a constant weight or spring force, the clock would not function. In weight-driven movements, the weights vary depending on the movement and clock equipment and must be hung correctly for the clock to run accurately. Weights or springs should be wound at least every 7 days so that the clock does not stop.
The Clock Melodies
Movements equipped with a melody chime allow, depending on features, the playing of "Westminster" (standard) and additional melodies:
Westminster
This famous clock melody comes from George Frideric Handel (1685 to 1759). Almost everyone associates the melody with the chime of the Victoria Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament in London (better known as "Big Ben"). Originally, however, the chime came from the university church of St. Mary's the Great in Cambridge.
St. Michael
The bells for this melody, made in England, were originally hung in 1764 in St. Michael's Church in Charleston, South Carolina. After an eventful history and various relocations, they were ultimately destroyed in 1862 during the American Civil War. The bells sounding again today in their original location were newly cast in 1867 using the still-preserved molds.
Whittington
The Whittington melody comes from the chime of St. Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside, London. The name arose from traditions surrounding Richard Whittington (born 1358), who served a total of 4 terms as Mayor of London.
Ave Maria
This special Ave Maria version comes from a hymn written in 1825 by the Viennese composer Franz Schubert (1797 to 1828). The associated text was written in 1822 by D. Adam Storck based on an English original by Sir Walter Scott dating from 1771.
Ode to Joy
The melody comes from the finale of Ludwig v. Beethoven's 9th Symphony (D minor) (1770 to 1827). The underlying text "An die Freude" was written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785.
Birdcatcher
The Birdcatcher melody comes from Papageno's aria "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja" from the opera "The Magic Flute" (KV 620) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791), premiered in Vienna in 1791.
Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Melody from the Serenade in G major (KV 525) "Eine kleine Nachtmusik," written in 1787 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791).
Clock Glossary
Automatic Anchor Beat Setting (Kieninger Patent)
The term automatic anchor beat setting (automatic drop adjustment) refers to automatic setting of the anchor position relative to the escape wheel by means of pendulum overswing. This is achieved by a precisely toleranced disc on an anchor and anchor shaft and an additional automatic anchor pin on the escape wheel. This occurs automatically due to the pendulum's oscillation process.
Automatic Night Shut-Off (Kieninger Patent)
When the night shut-off option («NIGHT OFF») is activated, the striking mechanism is automatically switched off between 22.00 and 7.15 (movements with quarter-hour strike) or 22.00 and 7.00 (movements with half-hour strike). This is done by preventing the release of the striking mechanisms using an additional mechanism and a special time cam.
True Seconds
With "true seconds," the seconds hand moves with an exact one-second jump. This is only possible with movements with a seconds pendulum, i.e. a nominal pendulum length of 116 cm. For movements with shorter pendulum lengths, Kieninger uses a special seconds module for the correct seconds display (Kieninger Patent).
Power Reserve
In weight-driven movements with a power reserve, the going train continues to run normally during winding. This is achieved by a spring-powered maintaining mechanism, which keeps the driving force on the going train during winding.
Escapement & Regulating Device
The term "escapement" refers to the combination of the anchor and escape wheel components. The anchor consists either of one piece (patented Kienirmic® solid anchor) or an anchor body with inserted pallets (Kienirmic® pallet anchor). The escape wheel has special teeth matched to the form of the escapement or anchor.
The escapement controls the running of the going train with the aid of the oscillations of the regulating device and at the same time repeatedly transmits the necessary driving impulse to the regulating device. Depending on the type of movement, the regulating device incorporates the pendulum or a balance wheel. The oscillations of the regulating device provide the timing for the movement of the hands.
Kieninger movements use either a deadbeat escapement (Graham) or a lever escapement (Swiss lever escapement). All escapements are factory-adjusted in the operating position.
Lyre Pendulum
This term refers to a pendulum style in which several vertical rods are connected in the middle by a bridge, with a decorative element in the shape of a lyre above the pendulum bob.
Moon Phase Dial
A dial that displays the phases of the moon during the 29 1/2-day lunar month. As the moon disc moves between the symbols of the eastern and western hemispheres, the moon phases (new moon, full moon, waning moon, etc.) are shown according to the cycle.
Compensation Pendulum
Due to temperature fluctuations, the metallic parts of normal pendulums in particular expand differently. This changes the length of the pendulum and thus the accuracy of the rate. By using two metals with different coefficients of expansion and an appropriate design, these length-change effects are balanced out (i.e. compensated).
Melody Automation (Kieninger Patent)
When the melody automation option («AUTOM.») is activated, in multi-melody movements, after the hourly strike has finished, the pinned barrel is automatically switched to the next melody every hour by the motion work.
Burnishing
Burnishing is a special traditional process for surface treatment of the bearing pivots of pinions and shafts in clockmaking. In this process, the surface of the rotating component is smoothed with a rotating hard metal disc ("burnishing"). Burnishing achieves very long service life and smooth running of the bearing points.
Tempus Fugit
Latin for "time flies." These words are traditionally found on decorative dials.
Tourbillon
The tourbillon is a device invented by A.L. Breguet in 1795 to compensate for positional deviations in order to improve a clock's accuracy. In this design, the escape wheel, anchor, and balance wheel are mounted in a cage seated on the shaft of the seconds wheel and are aligned once per minute around their bearing or center-of-gravity axis.
Leader(pin)
The driving force is transferred from the movement to the pendulum via the leader pin of the lever escapement, which engages in the pendulum extension.
