The Fun of Pendulettes!Paul Lux created the Lux Clock Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1914. Born in 1868, Lux immigrated from Germany in 1887. After being employed by the Waterbury Clock Company of Connecticut, he decided, along with his German-born wife Caroline, and sons Fred and Herman, to start his own clock business. There was growth with the business and then loss. A fire destroyed nearly all their supplies and manufacturing machines; however, from the early through mid-1930s, over 3,000 small and inexpensive “Pendulette” clocks were produced per day—all during the depression era! Most, but not all, Pendulette cases, with integrated dials, were created from wood “flour” (fine wood sawdust), and resin (a type of glue) by the Syracuse (NY) Ornamental Company. The master molds (see No. 32, Clown Clock Mold) were hand carved from pear wood, which was imported from Switzerland. Liquid rubber was poured over these pear wood molds. Once hardened, the rubber castings were used to make plaster-of-Paris molds, from which metal molds were created, which could withstand pressure and heat. It was into these metal molds that the wood flour and resin were poured, to create the appealing shapes and figures characteristic of Pendulettes and other Lux timekeepers. The final molded products were hand painted; the colors applied were often chosen by the painters. By the mid-1950s, Lux expanded with the addition of a plant in Tennessee, and by 1959 a Lux Time Ltd. facility was built in Ontario, Canada. In June of 1961 the Lux Clock Manufacturing Company was acquired by the Robertshaw-Fulton Controls Company. Today, Lux Timers manufactured by Robertshaw-Fulton Controls, the last product to be produced under the Lux name, can still be found. All the smaller Pendulettes in this display are 30-hour timekeepers, i.e., they need to be wound everyday to keep time. The larger clocks are 8-day timekeepers. Pendulette escapements (the mechanism that governs the driving power of the movement) have proven to be rather unique. Pendulette movements utilize a simplified cylinder (rotating or revolving drum) type of escapement. As the mainspring tension drives the escape wheel, or gear, regulated energy is imparted to the pendulum, which is rigidly connected to the escapement drum shaft, or arbor. In Pendulettes, the pendulum bob, or weight, is very light, hence a wider than normal swing is created. Additional animation, which is featured on some Pendulettes, is provided by a cam-lever combination connected to the escape wheel shaft. Although fun to look at, clocks utilizing escapement drums are not very accurate timekeepers. | Click on thumbnail images for larger photo |  |  | These photos show the unique revolving drum with the slit that catches the teeth of the escape wheel, allowing it to escape one tooth at a time. The pendulum rod is solidly connected to the drum and oscillates stiffly as the drum rotates back and forth. Courtesy Mel Kaye |
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