Accession No

6000

Brief Description

clockwork drum, by C. F. Palmer Ltd., English, 1940 (c)

Origin

England; London

Maker

C. F. Palmer Ltd.

Class

biology; laboratory apparatus

Earliest Date

1940

Latest Date

1940

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, iron, steel); paint; string

Dimensions

height 366mm; width 152mm; depth 197mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Transferred by Estate Management and Building Services, University of Cambridge, on or before 08/04/2004. Found with 11 other objects in a lecture theatre, probably belonged to 'Applied Biology', University of Cambridge.

Inscription

'C. F. PALMER
LONDON SW...(?)' (on top of base)
'MADE IN ENGLAND BY
C. F. PALMER (LDN) LTD' (On brass base of shaft screwed onto base)

Description Notes

Clockwork drum by C. F. Palmer, London, comprising of a brass drum on a rotating shaft attached to a green painted base.

The cylindrical brass drum can be raised and lowered on the shaft by loosening a screw beneath it. The drum can be locked onto the shaft so that they can rotate together by tightening a small lever on top of the drum.
The front of the base has a door that can be unlocked and removed to reveal the clockwork mechanism inside. The mechanism is fully functional and can be activated by pulling on a brass pin that sticks out of the side of the base. The main shaft can be driven by two cogs that move up and down by pulling a lever on the other side of the base, which has four resting positions. There correspond to three rotational speeds and a neutral gear. The clockwork mechanism can be wound up at the rear of the base, and will last for one to five hours (as advertised in the C. F. Palmer catalogue). The winding key is present and attached to the steel shaft with a string.

Similar to object in C. F. Palmer catalogue

Condition: good; complete

References

Events