Cookoo clock chain won't wind

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:21 pm     Post subject: Cookoo clock chain won't wind

I have a cookoo clock that seems to run ok (key words: seems to. It has a few issues with its music box, but that not the issue i have right now.) The chains pull down fine with the weights, but I cannot wind the cookoo chain back up. There is too much resistance when I try to wind it. If I pull harder on it will move but it feels like the chain is just jumping the sprockets, not actually winding properly, and thus I don't think this is good for the clock.

The other chains wind smoothly, and the cookoo chain runs forward fine, I just cannot wind it back. Any ideas?

This is my roommate's clock. She kept it more for decoration than anything but having always loved our cookoo clock growing up I want to see if I can get it working. I managed to get a cracked gear in the music box to work ok now and I think the music box spring may need replacing. But those seem minor, this problem I'm not sure what to do with. I don't know a lot about how the mechanism works and so far haven't found many helpful resources online.

Thanks.

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:37 am     Post subject:

Well, I will venture a guess that you have a problem inside the primary drive wheel where the chain wraps around. That wheel (gear) should ratchet whenever you try to wind the clock, ie., pull the chain so the weight raises back up to the clock body. After that, if the clock is running, it doesn't sound like the movement is binding anywhere or the clock would not run at all. It sounds like the ratchet is either broken or bound up, maybe from accidentally being dropped. Did the movement look very dirty? Was there any evidence of black "stuff" around the shaft ends (pinions) of the chain wheel that is sticking??