Koo-Koo clocks - Interesting facts
A koo-koo clock is a simple device. It is a clock made of wood and when the time is just right, a koo-koo bird pops out and, as the song says, goes koo koo. Why has the traditional Koo-Koo clock is still famous when science has given us so many modified form of clock, starting from digital clock to satellite-powered wristwatches? Let's peep into the history, revealing the charm.
History: The first cuckoo clocks made in the Black Forest - wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. In 1629, many decades before clock making was established in the Black Forest, an Augsburg nobleman by the name of Philipp Hainhofer (1578-1647) penned the first known description of a cuckoo clock. The actual inventor of the pendulum-driven cuckoo clock, however, is greatly debated by clock-making scholars and no definitive answer seems to have been agreed upon.
How it was designed: One of the most famous fathers of the German cuckoo clock, is Franz Anton Ketterer. This master clockmaker from the Black Forest village of Schonwald is credited with inventing the technology used to create the sound of the cuckoo's chirping call at the top of each hour. Using a system of two small bellows and pipes, the distinctive koo-koo sound of the German cuckoo clock was developed. Two small pipes are attached to the tops of two air-driven bellows that make alternating high and low pitched whistles that mimic the sound of the cuckoo bird. At the top of each hour as the cuckoo clocks iron weights and swinging pendulum cause the clock's wheels to turn, the cuckoo bird is released from his nest and the bellows are activated sending alternating puffs of air into each pipe causing the sound of a cuckoo. From this point on, the cuckoo clock became synonymous with the Black Forest and the union of time mixed with beauty was born.
Raw material used:
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Wood is the critical raw material for the manufacture of cuckoo clocks. Cuckoo clocks are made from the wood of the linden tree, a hardwood that grows in Europe.
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The music boxes and the mechanical movements for the clocks (as well as small parts like the clock's hands) are produced by specialized subcontractors.
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The lead pine cone weights and the leaf-shaped weight on the end of the pendulum are made of lead and are produced in metal foundries.
There are no byproducts from cuckoo clock manufacture, and waste is minimal. Some wood scraps and shavings result from crafting the case and carving the frame.
Few best style of Koo- Koo clocks: As the history of the cuckoo clock suggests, design of the clock and its highly recognizable parts is based on tradition.
- The "framed" cuckoo clock used a wooden frame to surround a wide hulled out inner section that was painted with bright colors inside. Typical Black Forest scenes were created inside this style of cuckoo clock with the cuckoo bird being placed somewhere at the top of the carved and painted scene. Other moving parts may have been included, such as children playing or animals running.
- The "railway house" cuckoo clock was made to look like the typical Black Forest structure with its pointed roof and square shape. The front of this cuckoo clock would often be decorated with hand carved ivy leaves, flowers, or other wildlife scenes and the cuckoo bird would be hidden behind a trap door at the top, only to peek out at the top of the hour. It was meant to mimic the typical railway houses that stood at each German railway stop at the time.
- "Hunter's Clocks" which have guns, powder horns, ammunition pouches and game animals decorating the clock. The animals can be represented as alive or dead. Many people prefer live animals on their clocks.
- Then there was the "Bahnhausle" style of clocks that are usually festooned with grapevines.
Modern Koo- Koo clock: Still Koo- Koo clocks are appreciated by people as antique pieces. Today Koo-koo clocks are available with a delightful twist. On the hour, a wacky farm or jungle character pops out of the doors and sounds with a 'Moo', 'Neigh', 'Bawk', etc. These funny clocks are ideal as children's clocks or for young at heart adults.
(Sources: madehow.com, salemclock.com, mygermancuckooclocks.com)
