Big Ben: Fly fans

[Hattyhall96]

That's the 3 Quater of the hour chime

[pennyf9]

can you film the hour chime fly fan?

[sonicdoommario]

Man, I would feel so intimidated to sit in that room, knowing that I'm right beneath the bells...

What are those chains that the fly fans hit? Do those chains pull up the striking hammers that hit the bells or do those chains have any connection with the weights in the shaft below?

[irkibby]

@sonicdoommario The flay fans don't hit any chains but if you are on about the vertical wires to the right of the shot, then yes they are the linkage between the clock and the quarter bells. There are 5 of them for the 4 quarter bells, because there's a quick repetition of the lowest note which doesn't give enough time to lift the same hammer twice.

[eyesk8ter]

what time was this?

[madabbafan]

@eyesk8ter according to the three 'cycles' of the quarter chimes it is quarter to the hour 

[michaehoffmann]

Why Do the other one not move then the other one do ? and how many times do big ben chimes?

[stonerscolony]

depends what the time is as to how many bongs lol.

On the hour the minute hand doesn't move which I'm guessing is what the smaller wind breaker is.

[ListerofSmeg2006]

@stonerscolony the smaller air brake is for the main chime of big ben

[stonerscolony]

@ListerofSmeg2006 ah right thanks :)

[emmettsgirl981]

Do the fly fans keep the flies out of the clock mechanism room or are they part of what powers Big Ben?

[CFodderESG]

"The fly fans are air brakes used to regulate the descent of the weights which powers the bells. "

[emmettsgirl981]

@CFodderESG

What would happen if the fly fans were broken?

[CFodderESG]

I'm not a mechanic, but I'd assume that the weights would fall too fast and put the stability of the mechanism at risk.

[Renatodonadio]

If they weren't there the movement would chime much faster. In the 970's one of these actually broke and fell on the part of the movement that powered the hour bell (Big Ben itself) tearing it to pieces, until it was restored the hour was chimed by the lowest of the four quarter bells

[Brad3374]

@Renatodonadio Actually, if memory serves me right, it was one of the cable wheels that broke, It did major damage to the entire works, so it was shut down for a while. Maybe the UKParliament guy can shed some light on this.

[protesialbanese]

then great damage will get dealt

[Renatodonadio]

They are an aerodynamic brake for the chiming movement (a "fan flywheel")

[melbop]

why isn't that shot in the main video?

[Cindermakers]

Great! whose job is it to lift the weights back up again?

[Patriot1776]

Three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a group of mechanics head up to the clock room and spend an hour and a half winding the weights back up. They have a set of electric motors (installed 1914) for the striking and chiming trains. The going or timekeeping train is still wound by hand. They also do an accuracy check of the clock and an overall inspection and lubing of the parts.

[Patriot1776]

Rather, the inspection is a quick visual inspection I'm pretty sure. Thorough inspections, from what I've read, are done twice a year when the clock is stopped for daylight savings time re-setting, and I guess that's also when guys descend down to the faces on ropes to clean them.

[obaba1928]

Thanks! Really interesting! These videos really made my day!

[DrGWR11]

Wow, very interesting! Its suprising that all those little machines work that HUGE clock , it's fascinating

[michaeltesh]

would this technically be a really early extremley basic computer system/mechanisim

[DavidHudgens]

UKParliament,

Many thanks to you for putting these up here. I have wanted to see parts of the clock for years but read that photography was not allowed. When I discovered these it made my day. Thanks from Indiana...USA.

[gutbucket16]

Does anyone know if the clock needs to be stopped to add or subtract the old pennies from the pendulum to fine-tune?

How are they simply placed on top of the pendulum?

[thunderraichu]

I believe that they are just simply placed or taken away without need of stopping the clock.

[Zoomyzoom6]

(i went on a tour around big ben)

they don't stop to add but do stop to subtract :)

[Renatodonadio]

You are doing a really great work. I know that visiting the tower is subject to approval by a MP or embassy, and filming is otherwise forbidden, so this bunch of videos could represent a valid alternative for those that have missed the opportunity to visit the tower or simply can't afford it.

[UKParliament]

Many thanks...

UK Parliament

[JDM3550]

UKParlament: Is there a chance that you might be able to post a few videos of the clock's mechanism in action... maybe of the clock's pendulum swinging below the mechanism and/or the mechanism striking the bells from the clock room? I happen to think the clock is the greatest clock in the world and definately a treasure.

[UKParliament]

@JDM3550 - we are planning some more filming of the Clock Tower currently and I'll add this to the suggestions. Thanks.

UK Parliament webmaster

[UpperClass184]

The videos you post are great, thank you. I think it would be good if you filmed it chiming all the other qurters and the strikes.

[Bumbley1]

@JDM3550 Just search "The chimes of Big Ben" and you get to see the deafiningly loud Big Ben being struck!

[robskisEHS]

Can you do the full hour thing?

[robskisEHS]

It's just the the 3rd quarter hour chime. Can you do me a favor? Ask a youtuber for the full hour chime including hour strike for fly fans?

[robskisEHS]

It's how the fly fans work including the 3rd quarter hour chime!

[premierofontario]

Interesting!

[Creole333]

That is so fascinating!!

[msaxmatt3]

notice how the ropes are being pulled down by a tune wheel, allowing the hammers to strike th bells.

[rffshvj]

wow