Clocks, Public Turret clock, English, 1939

Clocks, Public Turret clock, English, 1939. Made by E Dent & Co of London, this clock follows the 'flat-bed' layout pioneered by Lord Grimthorpe (1816-1905), designer of 'Big Ben' at Westminster, in the 1850s. E Dent & Co also constructed ÔBig BenÕ, and this clock may be regarded as a simplified version of it. The striking, going and quarter trains are laid out horizontally side by side, and the bearings are designed so that they can be removed individually, greatly facilitating any dismantling or reassembly which may occasionally be required. The going train is also controlled by GrimthorpeÕs detachable double-three-leggedÕ gravity escapement, which makes its timekeeping independent of wind and weather acting on the exposed clock hands. ©SSPL/Science Museum