Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Glenn Crawford]

Can anyone help me with a photo or line drawing showing the insides of a Smiths electric car clock, the generic late-1930s to 1960s type with a ticking mechanism? I'm writing a short technical manual for owners of Riley RMs and would like to include an illustration showing how the clock works, and I'm hoping someone has one I can use.

What I also want to do is show where to put an arc-suppression component so that the clock keeps going for more than a year or two between services!

Thanks.

[DM]

This site shows how to repair/upgrade one with a PCB, but does have quite a few photo's of the clock innards.

http://www.clocks4classics.com/uploads/1/2/9/8/12988821/clockkitfittinginstructions__v7.pdf

[Glenn Crawford]

Thanks for the suggestion, however the critical components that I need to show (the moving contact pin and the wiper) are unfortunately absent from the photos.

"Clocks 4 Classics"' solution to making the Smiths clock reliable throws an awful lot of technology at the problem - it's ingenious, discreet, no doubt it's completely reliable, and someone has clearly spent a lot of effort designing and developing it, but I couldn't help but wonder whether the end justifies the means!

[DM]

Ok, I'll try again -

http://www.sa.hillman.org.au/TT_SmithsClock.htm

It shows you where to add a diode to protect the contacts too.

[Glenn Crawford]

Thanks again DM, I'd already run across that diagram but I can't really use it - too furry, having presumably been photocopied many times. I was really hoping someone on this fine forum could help me out with photos from their own experience.
I've got one of these clocks but don't feel like pulling it apart just to take photos...