Clock strike
The striking of a clock is the regular striking of church bells or signal transmitters of other clocks at a specific time, usually every quarter of an hour. It is one of the time signs and dates from the Middle Ages when the majority of the population did not have a clock and was dependent on the church clock. The tradition has continued to this day.
The clock strikes by hand, with an electric motor or with a striking mechanism.
Civil
The bells used mostly have two different sizes or pitches. The way in which the time is signaled by the striking of a bell varies slightly from place to place, but usually follows the following scheme:
Chime
The number of strikes of the lower bell indicates which hour has just been completed. For example, the first hour begins at midnight or noon at twelve o'clock and is completed at "one o'clock"; this is indicated with a single hourly strike, the 12-hour system applies . The hour strike can be repeated together with the quarter hour strike (see below), whereby it i. d. Usually follows the respective quarter-hour strike (on a higher pitched bell). In Italy it is common for it to precede this (see example d)).
Hourly lookup
An automatic repetition of the hour strike can either take place immediately afterwards with a lower tone bell or a few minutes later on the same bell. This stroke system is widespread in Switzerland and in southern parts of Germany.
Half hour strike
The single strike at half an hour is usually performed in clockworks with only one striking bell. If there is more than one bell, the half-hour will strike over the higher pitched bell. Example for this: Catholic parish church St. Mauritius in Naters / VS.
Quarter-hour strike ( quarter , half , three-quarters and full )
The higher-pitched bell is struck once for every quarter of an hour within the beginning of the hour, i.e. 1 × for a quarter , 2 × for half , 3 × for three-quarters . The full hour is indicated by four beats, but these can also be left out. The quarter-beats can be performed by alternating beats (often in southern Germany and Switzerland) on two or three bells as well as by fixed melody schemes.
Examples
The following examples of clock strikes in the time interval from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with one or more bells, where the number 1 denotes a large bell and the numbers 2, 3, 4 in comparison, denote smaller bells.
| Time | Quarter-hour strike | Chime | example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full hour (3:00 p.m.) | (-) | 1; 1; 1 | Clock strike without a quarter-hour strike | |
| 2; 2; 2; 2 | 1; 1; 1 | Clock strike with previous quarter-hour strike | ||
| Full hour (3:00 p.m., with alternating stroke) | 4,2,3; 4,2,3; 4,2,3; 4.2.3 | 1; 1; 1 | 2–3 small bells form an alternating beat | |
| Quarter of an hour (3:15 p.m.) | 2 | (-) | ||
| Half an hour (15:30) | 2, 2 | (-) | sometimes instead of the two quarter-hour chimes, a chime with the hour-chime bell |
|
| Three quarters of an hour (15:45) | 2; 2; 2 | (-) |
Video examples of blows
Videos of examples that clearly show different strikes and the function of the striking mechanism:
- BimBam strike of a home clock mechanism at half an hour
- BimBam beat of a home clock on the hour (2 o'clock)
- BimBam strike of a home clock shortly after the full hour (2 o'clock), triggered by actuating the repeater
- Strike on the round gong of a grandfather clock at half an hour
- Strike on the round gong of a grandfather clock on the hour (2 o'clock)
- Strike on the round gong of a grandfather clock shortly after the full hour (2 o'clock), triggered by actuating the repeater
Videos of examples that clearly show the Westminster strike and the function of the striking mechanism:
- Westminster strike 15 minutes
- Westminster strike 30 minutes
- Westminster strike 45 minutes
- Westminster beat on the hour
Nautical
Strike
The chiming of the glass or the turning of the hourglass is struck by the watchman on the ship's bell or by a glass clock in a fixed rhythm. Every full hour is a double beat, every half hour a single beat. For example, if you hear two double strikes and a single bell in the afternoon (= 5 bells), it is either 2:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 12:00 p.m.
- ↑ Thomas Wesselhöft: Glasen