Abstract:
A bell unit of a portable bell system, including a support structure, a plurality of bells mounted on the support structure, a bell shell including a plurality of segments, at least one of which is displaceable to allow a size change of the bell unit. The bell shell is configured to be in a first position when the plurality of segments form a shell that is of a shape of a bell, and hangs over and partially encloses the support structure and the plurality of bells, and is in a second position when the at least one segment is displaced to effectuate the size change.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/498,146, filed Jun. 17, 2011. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    (1) Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a portable bell system. More specifically, it relates to a portable bell system that has a displaceable bell shell for easy storage and transportation. 
         [0004]    (2) Background Information 
         [0005]    Bell systems having a chime of bells are used in many festival, celebrative and ceremonial occasions. Many such systems are installed in churches, and are fixed in place in bell towers, thus seriously limiting their usage to a few possible venues. 
         [0006]    It is desirable to have portable bell systems that may be used in many places. These bell systems will greatly expand the ways in which celebrations may be performed, and are advantageous as compared to conventional bell systems in terms of both convenience and cost. Such bell systems can bring to a celebration, wherever it may be, the same grandeur and majesty of the bell music previously only available at church venues. 
         [0007]    A bell system typically has a chime of bells, and it is beneficial to have a bell system that is esthetically pleasing, easy to store and transport, and easy to use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A bell unit of a portable bell system may include a support structure, bells mounted on the support structure, a bell shell having a number of segments, at least one of which is displaceable to allow a change in the size of the bell unit. The bell shell is in a first position when the segments form a shell that is of a shape of a bell and hangs over and partially encloses the support structure and the bells, and is in a second position when the at least one segment is displaced to effectuate the size change. 
         [0009]    A portable bell system may include a bell trailer and a bell unit mounted on the bell trailer. Such a bell unit may include a support structure configured to be fixed on the bell trailer, bells mounted on the support structure, and a bell shell including a number of segments, at least one of which is displaceable to allow a change in the size of the bell unit. The bell shell is in a first position when the segments form a shell that is of a shape of a bell and hangs over and partially encloses the support structure and the bells, and in a second position when the at least one segment is displaced to effectuate the size change. 
         [0010]    A portable bell system may include a computer for controlling the bell system, an interface for converting a control signal from the computer to a DC pulse, a pneumatic power source for bell striking, and a bell unit. Such a bell unit may include a support structure, bells mounted on the support structure, and a bell shell including a number of segments configured to form a shell that is of a shape of a bell, and to hang over and partially enclose the support structure and the plurality of bells, at least one of the shell segments being displaceable to allow a change in the size of the bell unit. Each bell has a clapper for ringing the bell, a pneumatic actuator for activating the clapper, and a control valve that, responsive to the DC pulse, controls pneumatic power passing therethrough from the pneumatic power source, so as to drive the pneumatic actuator to activate the clapper of the bell. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of one embodiment of the invention in which a bell unit of a bell system is set up for performance; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram that shows the arrangement of the bells of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a bell trailer with a mounted bell unit in one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a bell trailer with the bell unit mounted in a first position, with the top of the bell shell in place; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a bell trailer with the bell unit mounted in a second position, with the top of the bell shell removed to permit storage in a standard garage; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing one embodiment of a portable bell system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying figures. It should be kept in mind that the following described embodiments are only presented by way of example and should not be construed as limiting the inventive concept to any particular physical configuration. Further, if used and unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “over,” “under,” and similar such terms are not to be construed as limiting the invention to a particular orientation. Instead, these terms are used only on a relative basis. 
         [0018]    A bell unit in one embodiment of a portable bell system (which is alternatively called a portable chime of bells) is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 1  is an illustration of the bell unit set up for a performance.  FIG. 2  is a diagram that shows the arrangement of the bells of the bell unit. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a bell unit  101  of a portable bell system has a plurality of bells  1 - 12  (see  FIG. 2 ) that are mounted on a support structure  120 . In this embodiment, the support structure  120  is made of a rolled steel plate  121  that is securely attached to a plurality of supports  122 . The support  122  may be vertical members attached to a bell trailer  140  (see  FIGS. 3-5 ) provided to carry the chime. Bells  1 - 12  are isolated from the support structure  120  by Neoprene pads or similar isolation. As may be contemplated by a skilled artisan, other configurations and/or materials may also be used for the support structure  120 , as long as the so-formed support structure has enough strength and durability to support the bells. 
         [0020]    In this embodiment, the bells  1 - 12  are hung from the support structure  120  in a circular arrangement, with the lip (or lower rim) of each bell being of a height hl above a surface on which the supports  122  are placed. As such, since the bells  1 - 12  have different sizes to produce different sounds, they are mounted to the support structure  120  in a spiral arrangement. The bells  1 - 12  can be hung with equal spaces between neighboring bells, or in another acoustically-proper manner. 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the bell unit  101  includes twelve bells  1 - 12 , which may be, for example, cast bronze bells or other bells of suitable acoustic characteristics. The bells  1 - 12  may be made of appropriate materials, weights and diameters so as to produce proper musical notes. In one embodiment of the invention, the bells  1 - 12  are cast bronze bells that are capable of producing musical notes in accordance with the American Standards Association notation, and are tuned, after casting, based on a five-point principle with A 4 =440 Hz. The bells  1 - 12  may have a bright, sanded finish showing the color of bell bronze. In this embodiment, the approximate weights and diameters of the cast bronze bells  1 - 12  may be as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 No. 
                 Note 
                 Weight 
                 Diameter 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 1 
                 C5 
                 140 lbs.  
                 17½″ 
               
               
                 2 
                 D5 
                 110 lbs.  
                 16″ 
               
               
                 3 
                 E5 
                 92 lbs. 
                 14¾″ 
               
               
                 4 
                 F5 
                 84 lbs. 
                 14⅛″ 
               
               
                 5 
                 F#5 
                 76 lbs. 
                 13 9/16″ 
               
               
                 6 
                 G5 
                 68 lbs. 
                 13″ 
               
               
                 7 
                 A5 
                 56 lbs. 
                 12″ 
               
               
                 8 
                 A#5 
                 50 lbs. 
                 11 9/16″ 
               
               
                 9 
                 B5 
                 44 lbs. 
                 11⅛″ 
               
               
                 10 
                 C6 
                 39 lbs. 
                 10 11/16″ 
               
               
                 11 
                 D6 
                 34 lbs. 
                  9 15/16″ 
               
               
                 12 
                 E6 
                 29 lbs. 
                  9¼″ 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0022]    As such, the approximate total weight of the bells is 822 lbs. These bells may be of the standard Meeks, Watson &amp; Company carillon and chime bell design and scaling. Such a configuration of notes may provide a great versatility of use for this range. 
         [0023]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , both the bells  1 - 12  and the support structure  120  are covered by a bell shell  130  that may be in the shape of a big bell. The bell shell  130  may be made of fiberglass or a similar material. In one embodiment of the invention, the bell shell  130  may include a decorative “crown”  123 , which may be detachable if desired, for replacement with other appropriate ornaments, as for instance a spire or other symbolic decoration in other embodiments of the invention. The bell shell  130  in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  may be of approximately 6 feet in diameter and 6 feet in height including the crown thereof. 
         [0024]    The bell shell  130 , when in a display position or is set up for a performance, hangs over and partially encloses the bells  1 - 12  and the support structure  120 , with the lip (or lower rim) of the bell shell  130  being of a height h 2  above the surface that the supports  122  are placed on. In this embodiment, h 1  (e.g. 12 inches) is made smaller than h2 (e.g. 17.625 inches) to achieve the desired acoustic effect. The support structure  120  is also arranged to carry the large bell shell  130 . 
         [0025]    The bell shell  130  may be formed of a number of segments. For example, the bell shell in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  has separable first and second half shells  130   a  and  130   b . A separable bell shell  130  facilitates the storage and transportation of the bell system  100 , which in various embodiments may be of a large height or a large volume. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS.  1  and  3 - 5 , the first and second half-shells are respectively top and bottom half shells, although in other embodiments the bell shell  130  may also be properly divided in another fashion. The top half shell  130   a  has a height Ha that is roughly half of that of the bell shell  130 , and is designed to be dismountable to permit its mounting elsewhere on the bell trailer  140  (see  FIG. 5 ) for travel, and to limit the height of the unit to allow storage in a standard garage. 
         [0026]    The bell unit  101  optionally may be installed on a bell trailer  140 . The bell trailer  140 , in one embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , includes a platform  141  and wheels  142  that support the platform  141 . The bell unit  101  is installed on the platform  141 . A auxiliary support structure  143  is fixed onto the bell trailer  140 . 
         [0027]    For the portable bell unit  101 , in a first position P 1  (i.e. a display position, for example when the bell unit  101  is set up for a musical performance), the first half shell  130   a  may be coupled to the second half shell  130   b . In a second position P 2 , which may be a storage position to facilitate the storage and transportation, the first half shell  130   a  may be separated from the second half-shell  130   b , and may be mounted on the auxiliary support structure  143 . The auxiliary support structure  143  may be securely installed on the platform  141 , or at another position of the bell trailer  140  that is not on the platform  141  (as illustrated in  FIG. 5 ). The auxiliary support structure  143  may optionally include storage compartments  144 , which may be used to store small objects such as air bottles and skirting. 
         [0028]    As such, if the height of the first half shell  130   a  is Ha (e.g. 35.0625 inches), and the portable bell unit  101  when in the first position P 1  is of a height H (e.g. 113.25 inches) above the ground, it will be of a height (H-Ha) (i.e. 78.1875 inches) above the ground when in the second position P 2 . Thus, when the height of the garage door Hg is 84 inches, the portable bell unit  101  installed on the bell trailer  140  may be successfully lead into the garage when it is put in the second position P 2  (because 78.1874&lt;84), although it cannot be stored in the garage when in the first position P 1  (because 113.25&gt;84). 
         [0029]    A hoist, driven by mechanical force, electrical force or otherwise, may optionally be used to displace the first half shell  130   a  when the position of the bell unit  101  is switched from the display position P 1  to the storage position P 2 , or vice versa. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the bell system  100  may include a plurality of control elements, including an interface  201 , a keyboard controller  202  and/or a computer  203 , and power sources such as a battery  204 , compressed gas cylinder  205 , pressure regulator  206  that are common for all bells in the portable chime  100 .  FIG. 6  also shows the structure of one of the bells  1 - 12  in the portable chime  100 , including a clapper  301 , a pneumatic cylinder actuator  302 , and an electrically operated control valves  303 . In a portable bell system  100  that has a bell unit  101  as shown in  FIG. 2 , there are  12  such bells. 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , each bell ( 1 - 12 ) is fitted with an internal clapper  301 , so pivoted as to strike the correct internal strike point of the bell when actuated by an associated pneumatic cylinder  302 . Each bell is equipped with a pneumatic cylinder  302 , so mounted and arranged to operate the clapper  301  of the bell. For each cylinder  302 , an electrically-operated valve  303  will be furnished. A suitable interface  201  will be provided to deliver decoded pulses derived from the computer  203  (e.g. a PC type computer) used to control the system, or from the keyboard controller  202  directly. A data stream or signals from the computer  203  pass into the interface  201 , which sorts out the data and converts the data to discrete DC pulses to operate pneumatic control valves  303 . When a note is played, a low-voltage output from the interface  201  will open the corresponding pneumatic valve  303 , operating the associated cylinder  302  and causing the clapper  301  to strike that bell. 
         [0032]    Musical selections (“songs”) will be stored in the control computer  203  in the form of MIDI files (or in other format)—these may be compiled into a continuous program of selections for a desired period of time, and either manually started, or automatically initiated at a specific time or times. The operation may be controlled by software. In addition to musical selections, the system is capable of performing traditional bell functions, such as time striking (for instance, Westminster quarter chimes and hour strike), wedding peals, and the like, as desired. Further, in addition to automatic playing operations by a computer, it also is possible to connect a compact MIDI keyboard controller  202  to the computer, to permit “live” manual playing of the chime of bells by a musician. A data stream from keyboard controller  202 , when music is played upon it, flows to the computer  203  for either storage for later automatic playing, or straight through for a live performance. The MIDI keyboard controller  202  can also be directly connected to a control interface  201  without using a standalone computer  203 . 
         [0033]    Primary power for striking the bells  1 - 12  of this portable chime may be furnished by on-board container(s)  205  (e.g. storage cylinder or cylinders) of compressed air, nitrogen, or argon or similar inert gasses. These cylinders  205  are furnished with pressure regulators  206  to step down the storage cylinder pressure to that required to operate the bell-striking pneumatic cylinders  302 . Gas (air or other appropriate compressed gaseous medium) flows from a storage cylinder  205 , through a pressure regulator  206  (allowing control of playing volume), to electrically operated control valves  303 . As DC pulses arrive at the valves  303  from the interface  201 , valves  303  open and deliver regulated gas pressure to the pneumatic actuating cylinders  302  at the bells, which in turn physically activate the bell clappers  301 , striking the bells and thus creating sound as musical output. Also, the final operating pressure is variable, to allow control of the overall sound volume of the chime as appropriate to different performance venues. External electric power  204  may be provided via power cords, plugs or sockets. Or alternatively, electrical requirements may be furnished by an on-board rechargeable battery or batteries  204 , and accordingly, the entire chime playing system is independent of connection with any fixed power source, building or vehicle, and does not require the use of an engine operated compressor or generator, thus insuring quiet operation. 
         [0034]    It should be understood, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific process, arrangement, materials and components shown and described above, but may be susceptible to numerous variations within the scope of the invention.