Having completed the frame uprights the next task is to figure out how to count the balls so that I can strike the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 hour. The way most ball clock work is to rack the balls in such a way that you can tell the time by counting the balls on the racks. Usually three racks are required with the top one being the units of minutes; the next one down the tens of minutes and the bottom being the hours.
By counting each rack up from the bottom you would read the Hours, Tens and Minutes. Unfortunately, there is little correlation between the racking and quarter, half and three quarter hours. Therefore it will be necessary to keep track of each minute ball as it passes down to the minute rack.
I came up with an idea that if I had each ball flip a part that would add another section of track for the next ball, I could eventually know how many balls had passed on their way to the minute rack.
I had just enough room for 17 of these flippers. 6 on the first segment, 5 on the next and 6 on the last. Why 17, well the last three flips become the 15, 30 and 45 minute counts.
With only 17 flips it will be necessary to reset the other 14 each time the count reaches 15. 15 reset 14, 30 reset 14, 45 reset 14 and 60 reset all 17.
As the ball drops through the flip it lands on a lower exit track to take it to the minute rack.
When all flips have created a track around, which will be the full hour, all of the flips must be reset.
That will be for another day. The first order of business is to get the ball racks functioning or the other stuff is a mute point.
I added enough track to get the balls to the first minute rack.
Now the fun begins…