Flip Clock

Flip clock
A flip clock (also known as a "flap clock") is an

electromechanical, digital time keeping device with the
time indicated by numbers that are sequentially
revealed by a split-flap display. The study, collection and
repair of flip clocks is termed horopalettology [From
horology - The study and measurement of time and
palette - from the Italian "orologio a palette" - Italian for
"flip clock"]. People interested in the collection,
restoration, buying and selling of flip clocks are known
as horopalettologists.
Contents Schematic of a split-flap display in a

digital clock display
Method of operation
Daylight saving time
Gallery
See also
External links
Method of operation
An electric motor (often synchronous, if directly connected to the AC line) turns two sets of
wheels continuously via a reduction gear train: the faster at a rate of 1 revolution per hour,
the slower at a rate of 1 revolution per 24 hours. The wheels move continuously, not in steps.
The faster wheel has connected to it a ring of 60 flat plastic leaves. On the leaves are printed
numerals so that, when a person holds two adjacent leaves apart like an open book, the two
open leaves spell out a numeral, and flipping a leaf down increases the number shown by 1
unit. The "book" is opened vertically, and its pages form a ring. This ring is put into position
and rotated so that one page falls each minute, showing a new number for the minutes.
The slower wheel has connected to it a similar ring of leaves, only there are 48 leaves on this
ring. These leaves have hour numbers printed on them. There are two of each hour, like this:
12am, 12am, 1am, 1am, 2am, 2am, ... 11pm, 11pm in a 12-hour clock, and 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, ... 23, 23 in a
24-hour clock. Having two sets of leaves for each hour also allows the clock to alternate
between 12- and 24-hour display, every half hour, like this: 12am, 0h, 1am, 1h, 2am, 2h, ... 11pm,
23h. One leaf falls each half-hour, at approximately 25 and 55 minutes after the hour. A
different design features 60 leaves with the numbers 1 to 12 repeated in fives, each leaf falling
after 12 minutes. The disadvantage of this is that 24-hour clocks cannot use this design, nor
there is a way to show "AM" or "PM" information in a 12-hour design.
Minute leaves 45 through 59 have a small tooth on their left edges, pointing toward the hour
leaves. The purpose of this tooth is as follows: at 45 minutes after the hour, the tooth pushes a
small hook that protrudes into the hour wheel area. This hook will catch any falling hour leaf
(as mentioned above, it falls from its metal tab a few minutes before the hour) until it is
released by the minute leaf's fall at the top of the
hour.
Daylight saving time

Many vintage digital clocks with split flap displays
cannot be wound back, as the flip mechanism
operates only in one direction. Instead they must
be either wound forward 23 hours to achieve the
effect of winding back 1 hour at the end of
daylight saving time or the clock may be stopped
(by disconnecting it from power) for 1 hour. Mechanism of a split-flap alarm clock, removed
However, on some newer clocks, forward and from its case. The inset shows the metal tab
backward time setting is possible. GE clocks holding back the top flap. The narrow numbered
sometimes had this feature. wheel and knobs on the left are the alarm
mechanism. Unlike quartz clocks, this is a
synchronous electric clock which is kept to the
Gallery correct time by the 50/60 Hz AC power grid.
The small hook which retains the hour leaves until
the top of the hour can be dimly seen, retracted, in
the inset.
An animation of how Split-flap display

a split-flap display mecanism
works animation
A 1969 radio alarm clock (Sony Digimatic 8FC-
59W) with an early digital display
Copal japan 1970s

Alarm flip number
electric clock
See also
Cifra 3
Digital sundial
External links
FlipClockFans.com - Flip Clock Aficionado Forum (http://www.flipclockfans.com)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flip_clock&oldid=991181978"
This page was last edited on 28 November 2020, at 18:32 (UTC).
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A ﬂip clock (also known as a "ﬂap clock") is an

Contents Schematic of a split-ﬂap display in a

Daylight saving time

An animation of how Split-ﬂap display

Copal japan 1970s

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flip_clock&oldid=991181978"

This page was last edited on 28 November 2020, at 18:32 (UTC).

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