So if I understand correctly the electric override used in case of catastrophic failure of the movement is designed to have a time-consuming override procedure so that burglars or bank employees couldn't use it to their advantage during the night or also to make it impossible for thieves to make staff open the vault right away at gunpoint or something like that ?
That is correct. There were other methods used beside electric. For example Consolidated developed the "Percussion Timer" where some one had to literally beat the side of the safe with a sledge hammer to make an internal pendulum do the same thing as was done here electrically. An example is shown here: www.my-time-machines.net/consol_concussion_2mvt.htm
What a beautiful movement, thanks for showing us how it works.
Interesting mechanism. Just with some back of the napkin math, you weren't kidding when you said it would take a lot to move that gear. :) Neat.
So if I understand correctly the electric override used in case of catastrophic failure of the movement is designed to have a time-consuming override procedure so that burglars or bank employees couldn't use it to their advantage during the night or also to make it impossible for thieves to make staff open the vault right away at gunpoint or something like that ?
That is correct. There were other methods used beside electric. For example Consolidated developed the "Percussion Timer" where some one had to literally beat the side of the safe with a sledge hammer to make an internal pendulum do the same thing as was done here electrically. An example is shown here: www.my-time-machines.net/consol_concussion_2mvt.htm