The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-08
ELECTRfCAL CHIMES.
The Bells Played From u Keyboard, Like
That Of "a Piano.


outside the mouth OF the bell and thence
down to "A lever The lever may be three
or four feet III length. II there are ten
bells there are ten levers, which are held
side by side in a framework. the handles
projecting i'm a row. This rack OF lovers
il set M sometimes Immediately under
the bells. sometimes In compartment OK
the steepie or bower just below them'
where It will be near the bells but where
the player will be more sheltered than
ON the bell deck The bells are sounded
by pressing Gown the levers. Inc levers
have at the handle end play OF several
inches: handling them Is work requir-
ing activity and considerable degree Of
strength.
Chimes are now rung by electricity, the
PLAYER sitting at keyboard that is like
"A snort section of "A piano keyboard. lie
rings the bells by pressing down the keys
lust as he would do in playing "A piano
and with the exercise OF no greater power
than would be required 10 press down "a
piano key. The power is supplied by the
electricity. which the pressing down Of
the key serves 20 set IN operation The
electricity from a dynamo I'm the build
ing or from "A street main. if % il supplied
I'm that m8nnc~. comes up 10 the under
side Of tho keyboard by a single wire
From each or the keys 20 the bell belong
ing to IL there is n separate wire.
Under each key IS q solenoid magnet
standing on end. As applied 10 this use
the solenoid magnet is hollow iron
cylinder about n foot and "a half in length
five inches IN exterior diameter. and two
and half inches I'm interior diameter.
set on end The armafurc is "a shorter.
smaller solid iron cylinder that fits into
the larger cylinder like a plungcr or pis-
ton rod. though not SO snugly. At the
upper end Of the armaturo there is ring
Where levers are used hy which 10 ring
the chimes the cord or wires from the
tongue Of the bell rs carried down and
secured TO "a lever. whore electricity is
used the cord or wire is carried down and
secured 70 the ring IN the armaturc OF
the magnet. when the magnet Is idle
the armature hangs with its lower end
just within the top Of the cylinder.
The current coming nap the single wire
10 the under sidaof the keyboard is al
ways there and r~,dy for use When the
keys are I'm their ordinary position the
wires leading from them are kept apart
from the supply wire below When "a key
IS pressed down 90 is made 90 form what
IS called a contact. The wire attached TO
the key is brought into contact with the
supply wiro. forming I'M effect continu-
Gus wire through which the electric cur
rent passes ON 10 the bell or rather 10
the solenoid magnet. with which 10 is con-
nected. There is q wire coil in the lower
part OF the magnet. and this. magnctized
by the electric current. draws the arm
allure down into the cylinder and the
bell is struck. When the key Is released
and has risen 10 IT'S normal position the
contact Us broken. the electric current
ceases. the magnet ceases 10 attract. the
armaturc rises again i'm the cylinder. and
the tongue recedes from the bell and rec
sumes It's position I'm readiness 90 strike.
i'm the practical operation of the oloc-
trical apparatus some slight difficulties
We're encountered. I'M playing upon 20
musical instrument with keyboard.
such. for example. as piano. the instru-
ment responds the instant the key is
pressed down: If il did not the result
would be confusing 10 the player. n the
contact formed by the key In the electri-
cal keyboard were not made until the key
had been pressed down the result would
not be i'm accordance with natural eXpec-
tatiOn: the note would not Doe instantly
struck; the transmission of the electrl-
cal power would be instantaneous but its
operation would not be-. The magnet
would begin instantly TO pull the arma-
ture down. but it would take some time
10 pull IL down far enough 20 bring the
tongue IN contact with the bell. not d
long time. but onc-fith Of second.
This delay was overcome and the stroke
was made 10 fall upon the bell coinci-
dentlv with the pressing down of the key
bv means OF an extremely simple con-
trivance. The contact point on the Key
was so placed that it made the contact
with the supply wire when the pressure
upon the key was first applied, before 10
had been pressed down The key has a
play Of perhaps am inch. the contact was
made when III bad been pressed down am
eighth OF an inch. The electricity was IN
the magnet. and pulling down the arma-
ture while the player was pressing down
the key the rest of the way 90 stop.
The armature has four or five inches 90
20. the KEY less than one The key Us
pressed down first but the stroke upon
the bell is so close % it that the differ
ence between them is not distinguishable,
this delay has thus been substantially
eliminated. and the bell is struck when
tie player expects r. 20 Doe, at the press
ing down of the key
\ greater difficulty was that arising
from the distance az which the keyboard
was placed from the bells. The lever ape
paratus is set mp close to the bells the
electrical keyboard is not, it would be
equally effective III placed on the ground
floor or a mile away. As matter or
fact il is usually placed I'm the lower part
Of the tower. perhaps scventy-hye or "a
hundred feet below the bells. thus savinN
the climb 10 the helfry. Sound, unob-
strucfed. travels about eleven hundred
feet "a second So if the keyboard We're
one hundred feet below IL would take the
sound. even ~ il were unimpeded, about
one-tenth of a second 90 reach the player
al the keyboard. Ohstructed by inter
veniug floors IN the tower or steepe it
IS likely 10 take a fifth of second. OF
perhaps more The player 90 whom the
sounds came with this or It might be
with "a greater delay. would ignore them
altogether in his playing.
The first electrical apparatus for ring
ing chimes was placed on Grace Church,
this city. four years ago. Then the delay
involved in the natural transmission OF
the sound was overcome in measure
by running a tube down through the
stoeple from under the bells 10 the room
in he steeple in which the keyboard was
placed. thus afording am unobstructed
channel for the sound by the shortest
possible way. In this way the delay
was so much reduced that once accuS-
toned 10 it the player ceased 10 DE dis
turbed by it, In church i'm Boston this
delay has been eliminated entirely by
placing "A telephone i'm the stecpe with
transmitters under the bells attached 10
a wire running 10 the room I'm which the
keyboard Is located and having two re-
ceiyers. which the player places one at
either ear. Here the player gets the tone
I'm instant response TO the touch.
There are now five churches i'm the
country provided with electrical chimes;
two i'm this city. Grace Church and Grace