Terry envisioned a new kind of clock, intended for mass production from machine-made parts that would come from water-powered machines ready to go into clocks without any additional hand cutting by skilled workmen. He sold his manufactory to two of his assistants Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley and retreated to his workshop to create the first machine in the world to be mass-produced using interchangeable parts. In the third year he produced 3,000 wooden clocks. According to historian Diana Muir writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond, at that time a skilled craftsman could produce six to ten clocks per year. In the year 1806, Terry signed the Porter contract to produce 4,000 wooden clock movements (other shops would make the cases). Using his own ingenuity and inventiveness, Terry was thus able to speedily cut wheels, pinions, and other important clock parts accurately and repetitively. This allowed for the rapid adjustment and assembly of clocks, freeing Terry from the task of fitting and modifying each individual piece of each clock. He later created jigs and fixtures to produce a large number of interchangeable clock parts. He purchased a grain mill and used the water wheel and main shaft to run saws and lathes, which helped speed the production of parts. In 1802 or 1803, Terry purchased a mill to produce wooden clock wheels, which still had to be finished by hand by skilled journeymen clockmakers. And Terry was one of a number of Connecticut clockmakers who began to substitute water-powered machines for apprentices in the production of these rough-cut wheels. Like other Connecticut clockmakers, Terry knew that apprentices could cheaply rough-cut wooden wheels for more skilled journeymen to shape precisely into clockworks, making clocks slightly more cheaply. Soon after 1802, Terry's production of wooden clocks grew considerably. Terry crafted these milled movements until the Porter Contract. In 1795, Terry invented his first Milling machine to produce interchangeable parts. This was the first patent for a clock mechanism that was ever granted by the United States Patent Office. In 1801, Terry was granted a patent on an equation clock. Brass was more commonly used for movements at the time, but it was also considerably more expensive and difficult to work with. The movements of the clock were made primarily of wood, or brass, depending on the requests of his customers. Some of his earliest clocks were fitted with silvered brass dials, which were engraved for him by Burnap. His second shop was considered the first water powered clock shop in the United States, and was built twenty feet square over Niagara Brook, which flowed through his property. Terry boarded girls like Candace Roberts to work in his shop painting clock dials. His first clock shop was attached to his dwelling. Terry was appointed the town Sealer of Weights and Measures. Terry relocated to Northbury Connecticut in 1793, and helped incorporate Plymouth, Connecticut in 1795. Terry's apprenticeship to Burnap ended in 1792, and he quickly established himself as both a clockmaker and a repairer of watches in East Windsor. The use of wooden components would show great influence in Terry's later career. Cheney specialized in the making of wooden clocks, which was fairly unusual at the time. It's also likely that he received limited instruction from Timothy Cheney, a clockmaker in East Hartford. He began his career as an apprentice under Daniel Burnap ("the forerunner of manufacturing"). Special tip: As well as the biggest, Triberg also has the smallest cuckoo clock in the world: the mini version is just 13.5 (5.3 inches) centimeters tall.Terry was the son of Samuel and Huldah Terry, born in what is now South Windsor, Connecticut (at the time of Terry's birth, South Windsor was part of East Windsor, Connecticut. Getting there: Triberg is located about 130 km (80 mi) southwest of Stuttgart and can be reached from there by car (just under 2 hours) or train (3 hours).Īdmission: The world's largest cuckoo clock can be visited from the outside at any time free of charge. When they take a Black Forest cuckoo clock home with them, they're taking a little of piece of Germany too.Īddress: Eble Clock Park, Schonachbach 27, 78098 Triberg, Germany Whether with carved wooden figures, plain and linear or colorful and trendy, they are now more widely sought-after than any other souvenir, especially among foreign tourists. While for a long time cuckoo clocks were considered the epitome of parochialism and kitsch, these days something of a cult has grown up around them. The huge clock in Triberg is now a magnet for visitors. The most popular are still in the classic form. Cuckoo clocks are now available in many variations.
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