amazing, the imaginative engineering that goes into these old mecha-digital timepieces. Technically, you could actually run this clock with spring-driven clock movement & a candle for illumination
At 23:08, when the clock transitions to "4:01" we can see there are two serarate masks. One slides vertically for segments A, G, D. The other slides horizontally for segments B, C, E, F.
I love the way the shutter(s) interact with the light. Defintely, a very unique style. Thanks so much for sharing this "Ghost" clock Fran. Keep up the great work, Love It!!
I have a clock with that mechanism but it's just a basic GE alarm clock...as I recall, it uses two #259 bulbs. Mine has been in use since 1977. I replaced the bulbs once. I got the clock new in 1977, so they made that mechanism for several years...
I read researching this that GE bought the Telechron brand in the early 70's. If you got the clock in '77 I'd be interested to read those digits on the motor to see when the guts were actually manufactured.
Awesome!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Never seen this type of clock before! The Lumitron was another beautiful design but this even more exciting! I had another type of clock radio with film rolls for each digit but that film had a mask with the 7 segments in front of it to enhance the contrast. Downside is that the film would wear because of the friction between the film rol and plastic opal illumination bar with bulbs behind it. Great episode, thanks for showing!
2 things, that is one clever mechanism. And I think it's neat that the clock has all flathead screws & the rest of the case (radio) has Phillips screws.
Given the "sticky dust" I would assume this was used by a smoker. I think those interference shutters are gummed up with cigarette tar. The delayed action of the shutters is probably not by design.
I believe that Telechron made one of the first radio alarm clocks called the Musilarm. That is indeed a Telechron setup with the motor in a can run by the external coil. Late in the history of the company, they made clocks for a lot of companies. That ratchet and pawl mechanism is 1930s technology. Cool!
Whoever the mechanical engineer(s) invented this, they were genius! It's like a mechanical 7-segment LED display, with no LEDs and more than 7 segnments.
I have several of these "shutter" clocks. GE was making them in the mid 1970s. I sent one to Big Clive to dismantle and "reverse engineer" a few years ago. I don't believe he has made a video of it yet, because he liked the clock, but I told him to sacrifice it in the name of science so we can all learn what makes it "tick".
@@FranLab Yes! And shipping would have been 100$ less. LOL. Fran, maybe *_you_* can post and pin the patent link at the top of the comments... the "abstract" and "field of the invention" in the patent is unreal !! RUclips blocks me from even posting the patent number, and I didn't even try the link because I know they don't allow that.
I'm very sure that's the same make of clock radio my grandmother had. The knobs and face plate look identical, the only difference was that hers was Sears branded and it used a flip mechanism to display the time.
Is there a second lever somewhere for each digit? It looks like the motion isn't long enough to shutter the horizontal segments. I would guess there is a second mask the moves up/down for the three horizontal segments of the digits.
Thank goodness for that Lumitron clock; it renew your interest in vintage displays. I was missing this kind of videos.
amazing, the imaginative engineering that goes into these old mecha-digital timepieces. Technically, you could actually run this clock with spring-driven clock movement & a candle for illumination
At 23:08, when the clock transitions to "4:01" we can see there are two serarate masks. One slides vertically for segments A, G, D. The other slides horizontally for segments B, C, E, F.
Beautifully complex.
I love the way the shutter(s) interact with the light. Defintely, a very unique style. Thanks so much for sharing this "Ghost" clock Fran. Keep up the great work, Love It!!
I have a clock with that mechanism but it's just a basic GE alarm clock...as I recall, it uses two #259 bulbs. Mine has been in use since 1977. I replaced the bulbs once. I got the clock new in 1977, so they made that mechanism for several years...
I read researching this that GE bought the Telechron brand in the early 70's. If you got the clock in '77 I'd be interested to read those digits on the motor to see when the guts were actually manufactured.
Yes , Telechron was owned by General Electric !
Yes , mine is also a general Electric clock radio !
A 12 hour live stream was what I was thinking, too!
What a strange little clock.
Wow, nice mechanical digital machine!
Awesome!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Never seen this type of clock before! The Lumitron was another beautiful design but this even more exciting! I had another type of clock radio with film rolls for each digit but that film had a mask with the 7 segments in front of it to enhance the contrast. Downside is that the film would wear because of the friction between the film rol and plastic opal illumination bar with bulbs behind it. Great episode, thanks for showing!
2 things, that is one clever mechanism. And I think it's neat that the clock has all flathead screws & the rest of the case (radio) has Phillips screws.
Given the "sticky dust" I would assume this was used by a smoker. I think those interference shutters are gummed up with cigarette tar. The delayed action of the shutters is probably not by design.
I believe that Telechron made one of the first radio alarm clocks called the Musilarm. That is indeed a Telechron setup with the motor in a can run by the external coil. Late in the history of the company, they made clocks for a lot of companies. That ratchet and pawl mechanism is 1930s technology. Cool!
Whoever the mechanical engineer(s) invented this, they were genius! It's like a mechanical 7-segment LED display, with no LEDs and more than 7 segnments.
That number transition reminds me of an effect on the C64. Very nice.
Love to see something I've never seen before!
I would build this into a box as a stand alone clock!!
Wow! Very ingenious! Definitely a transitional technology. Thanks!
....and I thought the "flip-type" digital clocks from that era were a hack. This takes the cake.
I'm sticking with nixes.
Wow what a cool old clock.
I own one of those clocks and it is a real cool clock !
WOW, I have not see one of those since I was a kid. I was wrong I thought it was the one with cards in it.
This reminds me of the sundials that display digital time shadows
Without the backlight, the display up close, looks like a Magna Doodle. (really old toy)
I have several of these "shutter" clocks. GE was making them in the mid 1970s. I sent one to Big Clive to dismantle and "reverse engineer" a few years ago. I don't believe he has made a video of it yet, because he liked the clock, but I told him to sacrifice it in the name of science so we can all learn what makes it "tick".
Always send an interesting display to FranLab. We will show it!
@@FranLab Yes! And shipping would have been 100$ less. LOL. Fran, maybe *_you_* can post and pin the patent link at the top of the comments... the "abstract" and "field of the invention" in the patent is unreal !!
RUclips blocks me from even posting the patent number, and I didn't even try the link because I know they don't allow that.
Due to troll bot spamming you can't post links but I'm sure anyone who wants to search for it will do so.
I'm very sure that's the same make of clock radio my grandmother had. The knobs and face plate look identical, the only difference was that hers was Sears branded and it used a flip mechanism to display the time.
Yeah that case looks so familiar to a flip clock my grandparents had in a spare room.
At around 26 minutes what you call a 2 is actually a 5, since we are looking at it from the back. Not too critical though, great video!
That is indeed an interesting clock display, good video.
Imagine a translucent case to fully display the wonder of it's internal mechanism.
That is really cool! Definitely gave me flashbacks to the Binaview!
*I like clocks!*
Is there a second lever somewhere for each digit? It looks like the motion isn't long enough to shutter the horizontal segments. I would guess there is a second mask the moves up/down for the three horizontal segments of the digits.
Definitely charming in its own unique way! Squinting does make it easier to read but I guess one could get used to it.
There are some 12V LED flame effect bulbs available from China that would look kind of neat as the backlights for the digits.
Far out clock display!!! Never seen anything like it!!
خیلی جالب بود. و یک چیز بخصوص
I have the JC Penney version of this clock. It has incandescent bulbs with a green filter.
Nooice.
Impressive mechanical engineering job - but can see how it would be unreliable and often need service
There is another sears digi tech on eBay $70 if you wanted to take one these apart…..
Do you bother putting them bk together or just part em out into bowls
I misread the title as "The Earliest Clock Ever?" and came her to complain. Carry on!
Do a patent search.
RUclips BANS me for everything. But I will try here: US3965668A
pretty cool stuff as usual - of all the questions one could ask Fran, I would love to know what she drives - I'll bet it's retro and cool
Fascinating! Don't wanna be that guy but did you say 'paw' instead of 'pawl'? Is that a US pronunciation?
I believe our lovely fixer upper gut and cutter said , "pall"
@@wyliemitchell6442 Well I listened really hard, she said it about 8 times - just wondered if it was a US thing like 'herb'...
What an awesome display. I love it.
> thank you for posting your observations
> tube amps are cool
> "can you pop one open and get screwdriver sparks" 0:23:55 +18
i love fran lab + fran!!!
Who knew Fran had pet Bull Frogs!?
Bleat!