Ronald Hoppes always admired the David Rittenhouse astronomical musical clock and over the years he found historical accounts on the clock, but discovered that information on the indications and the mechanical details were absent. During the clock’s restoration he had the opportunity to examine the movement and list detailed descriptions for each of the clock’s various indications and operations. With this book, it is ensured that the clock’s mechanical details, previously undocumented and unavailable, will not be lost or forgotten.

Ronald R. Hoppes graduated from Drexel with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is a retired Senior Principle Development Engineer who hold patents in both the U.S. and Canada. He developed a calculation method that produces planetary gearing with errors of less than 1% in 10,000 years.