St. Peter's Bell is ringing again!
HEICO supplied Tension Nut for the new clapper suspension
On All Saints' Day in 2018 the time had finally come, St. Peter's Bell in the Cologne Cathedral (popularly called "Dicke Pitter"), rang once again after almost 18 months of silence!
In the summer of 2016 it was determined that a complete change of the clapper suspension system would lead to a marked improvement in sound quality and would also aid the general protection of the bell itself. In response the Institute for Product Development & Design Technology of the Technical University of Cologne was commissioned to construct a new suspension system.
After months of extensive research and investigation, the Dirostahl company from Remscheid was finally commissioned to produce the new suspension system. The mounting of the system finally took place on Friday, October 19, 2018 using a HEICO-TEC® Tension Nut in a specially designed size. The Tension Nut has been mounted directly on the bell yoke, fastening the clapper and securing the whole bell. Together with staff of the Cathedral Workshop (Dombauhütte) and technicians of the Eifel bell-foundry Mark, the installation was carried out both professionally and with great success.
Due to essential readjustment work, the bell was eventually tested just days before All Saints' Day. With the testing complete, the 1st November 2018 was the date for the great bell to peel once more and it was finally possible to hear the powerful sound of the St. Peter's bell once again. The bell will now ring on all catholic holidays.
The new clapper suspension system cost approximately 60.000,- Euro with the entire project being financed by a donation campaign by the Cologne Cultural Foundation.