The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-31
BICYCLE WHISTLE
Useful Piece Of Mechanism
Invented and Manufac-
tured In Newark.
SOME FACTS ABOUT INVENTOR
Large European Demand for
the Indispensable De-
vice.
SOME FACTS ABOUT INVENTOR

| Newark is supplying the world With a
patent automatic alarm whistle for the
use of bicyelists, says the Newark Sun
day "CaIl.' 1t is. the invention of Mr..
George #. Hall, who has lived here for
the last ten or twelve years, and now has
a factory in part of the Peddie build
ing, at Market and Halsey streets. He
has devoted the greater part of his life
to the invention of mechanical contriv-
ances. Many of them have been success
full from a financial standpoint, and in
other ways, but in his present work he has
struck something which is better than all
the other together, in the f~nancia way
at least. His limited manufacturing IA
cilities are being worked night and day,
yet he is unable to keep pace with the
orders which are being received from all
over the world.
Those who nave used and tested the
Hall whistle declare it to be the best
in every way of all the bell Or whistle
signals used by wheelmen. 1t can be
used for warning pedestrians, wheelmen
or drivers of wagons, by a long, shrih
blast or by a series of toots, and can
also be used as a signaling whistle in
club rooms or among any party of wheel
men. The whole arrangement weighs
about six ounces. 1t is made of brass,
composition metal, gray iron and steel,
and is finely finished, all the parts being
nickel. The retail price is 81, n the
whistle is ornamental to the wheel.
1t is attached to the right hand side of
the fork, and on the handlebar stem OF
a bicycle, just above the steering head,
and is operated by pushing a button,
which is on a level with the handlebar. This
button is attached to a plunger which,
when given the slightest pressure. brings
a small gray iron wheel at the other end
of the rod into contact with the tire OF
the front wheel of the bicycle. The small
wheel is thus caused to revolve on the
tire tread and this, in turn, starts an
other plunger at work on a small pump,
through the connection of an eccentric
strap attached to both the plunger and
the wheel. The rapidity of he action
of the small wheel causes the
pump to force air through a
whistle as long as you press the
button. The small wheel neither Injuries
the tire nor in the least retards the mo-
ton of the bicycle wheel. Two minutes
will suffice to attach the whistle to any
wheel. 1t is not easily broken or gotten
out of order, and Mr.. Hall declares that
it will never wear out. 1t can be used for
a year without ever oiling, SO nicely are
its parts made of selected material. The
sound which the whistle makes can be
plainly heard at a distance of five hun
dred feet, even against the wind, and can
be kept up just as long as the rider may
think necessary.
1t is commended that a large per cent. of
bicycle accidents in ordinary street riding
are caused by the fact that wheelmen
nave been unable to give proper and suf-
fcient notice of their approach to pedes-
TRANS or drivers The noise of street
traffic is ordinarily so great that it browns
the noise of the average bell, and many
wheelmen use a mouth whistle. This has
is disadvantages in that it can be easily
forgotten and left at home when its owner
starts for a ride, or an accident may hap
pen before a rider can reach for 1t ana
get it to his or her mouth for use. Be
side&keeping it in the mouth and ready
for Immediate use all the time is not
pleasant.
All these disadvantages are avoided by
the Hall whistle, from the fact that it is
attached to the wheel, made to operate by
the wheel, and the rider has it always
with him and ready for use in the frac-
ton of a second in whatever emergency.
Mr.. Hall has patented the whistle in
the United States, Canada, Great Britain,
France. Germany and other countries,
and has organized a company with a
maid up capital of $25, 900 for its manu-
.4... 4. +I;e oitu Ia wyqr Charles
F.. S. Thorn is the president; William B..
Moore. secretary and treasurer, and Mr..
Hall is the general manager. The whis-
tie was widely advertised Immediately al
ter the patent rights were secured on it
about a year ago, n before the close
of last season over $500 whistles were
made inc sold. Thus far this season
s. 800 more have been sold, and the COM
pany now has orders ahead for 1000 of
the whistles. They have been sold, and
are in use in Japan, London, Paris, Can
ada, Manitoba and Jamaica, besides
those in this country. In the places nam
ed and in all the large cities of the United
states the company has representatives.
George F. Hall, the inventor of the
whistle and owner of all the patent
rights except those of this country and
Canada, is about Al years old, but looks
much He was born in Hard
witch. in the Green Mountain district of
Vermont, and as a child was one of the
kind who always wanted to know what
made the wheels go round in any piece
of machinery, and If necessary would
take it apart to find out. He was work
ing in his fathers mills about thirty
years ago, when the first locomotive and
train ever seen in Hardwick ran through
the village, With nearly all the 9TH
er inhabitants of the place he join,
ed in the celebration of so inn
portant an event by going down to
the railroad and inspecting the wonder
full piece Of machinery which drew the
train. 1t had more than ordinary inter-
est for him. and he ooked it over more
carefully thar most of the others, and
finally decided that he knew just how it
was made. When he went home he be-
gan a series of experiments. which soon
resulted in his constructing a miniature
engine. He attached it to his mothers
sewing machine, and for a year or two
1t ran it without a hitch.
His success in this gave him a liking for
and mechanics, and when he
was % or % years old he became a loco
motive engineer on the Portland and Og-
densburg Railroad. Almost continuously
since then he has been at work on some
sort of an invention. and he has taken out
ffty-four patents. Some of the articles
have been manufactured and marketed
with considerable success. They include
chair-locking and reclining apparatus, cul-