history of joseph ives

THIS IS A BRIEF HISTORY OF JOSEPH IVES

MACKEY'S ANTIQUES & CLOCK REPAIR
1249 GIHON ROAD
PARKERSBURG WV 26101

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PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE MOVING THIS WEBSITE SOON TO

MARCH 1 2010

THE INFORMATION BELOW WAS OBTAINED FROM VARIOUS HOROLOGICAL BOOKS

JOSEPH IVES WAS BORN IN FARMINGTON CONNECTICUT ON SEPTEMBER 21 1782 THE SON OF AMASA IVES AND HULDAH

SHAYLOR IVES WAS A HARD WORKING , GOD FEARING, AND WELL BELOVED RESIDENT OF HIS VILLAGE . HE APPARENTLY

POSSESSED A KEEN, INVENTIVE MIND . DURING HIS WORKING CAREER HE WAS GRANTED SIX UNITED STATES PATENTS

PERTAINING TO CLOCKS . HE WAS TO BUSY MAKING POSITIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO PROPERLY ATTEND TO HIS FINANCIAL

PART OF THE BUSINESS . AT LEAST TWICE DURING HIS CAREER HE BECAME BANKRUPT AND WHEN HE DIED HE DID NOT POSSESS

ANY ESTATE FOR PROBATE . CLOCK MAKING IN THIS SECTION OF CONNECTICUT IN 1810 WAS CONFINED TO WOODEN GEARED

TALL MOVEMENTS . IN 1816 ELI TERRY PATENTED THE 30 HOUR WOOD WORKS SHELF CLOCK AND THIS WAS THE PRINCIPAL

PRODUCT FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS . DURING THIS LATTER PERIOD JOSEPH IVES DEVELOPED VARIOUS TECHNIQUES FOR

MAKING EIGHT DAY BRASS MOVEMENTS AND THIS BECOME HIS SPECIALTY THROUGHOUT HIS LONG WORKING CAREER .

DURING HIS CAREER JOSEPH IVES WAS INTRIGUED BY THE UTILIZATION OF ROLLING LANTERN PINIONS, AS A WAY TO REDUCE

FRICTION WITH IN THE MECHANICAL CLOCK MOVEMENT . JOSEPH IVES OBTAINED A PATENT FOR THE ROLLING PINIONS IN 1833

BUT THIS DISCLOSED HIS METHODS WITCH HIS COMPETITORS DEVISED AND INTRODUCED LESS EXPENSIVE BRASS MOVEMENTS

HAVING NON ROLLING PINIONS .JOSEPH IVES SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON AUGUST 23 1817 A NEW

AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN MAKING CLOCK CASES . THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS DESIGNED FOR SHORT CLOCKS THAT WHERE

THE WEIGHTS RUN ONLY 16 OR 18 INCHES BUT COULD BE APPLIED TO ANY LENGTH WHETHER MOVED BY WEIGHTS OR SPRINGS .

THIS IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN REFERENCE TO A CONNECTICUT SPRING ACTUATED CLOCK IN THE YEAR 1818 JOSEPH IVES

INVENTED A METAL CLOCK, MAKING THE PLATES OF IRON AND THE WHEELS OF BRASS THE MOVEMENT WAS VERY LARGE AND

REQUIRED A CASE ABOUT 5 FEET LONG . IT WAS ONLY MADE FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS . JOSEPH IVES DIED ON APRIL 18 1862 SIX

MONTHS AND THREE DAYS SHORT OF HIS 80th BIRTHDAY

BELOW IS A C & L.C. IVES TRIPPLE DECKER 8 DAY WEIGHT CLOCK

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