IMPROVEMENTS IN LEVER BELL-PULLS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Joseph Parkes, of London Street, Paddington,
in the County of Middlesex, Bell Hanger and Gas Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEVER BELL-PULLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Joseph Parkes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th November 1862.
I, JOHN JOSEPH PARKES, of London Street, Paddington, in the County of
Middlesex, Bell Hanger and Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEVER BELL-PULLS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements in bell-pulls relate principally to that class of lever bell-
pulls used in sitting-rooms and usually let into recesses in the walls, and con-
sisting of a circular box, more or less ornamental on the exterior, from which
a lever handle projects. In ordinary this lever acts on a barrel winding up
a chain which pulls the wire and so rings the bell. Instead of a chain con-
nection I apply a crank arm and pin on the axis of the lever handle, or the
crank pin may be in the lever handle itself. The crank pin takes upon a
lever, to the ends of which the bell wire is attached; the wire lever I make
as long as may be, and equal to the full diameter of the box, or it may be
beyond that limit if a suitable fulcrum be provided. By making this lever of

page_text: such length the arc that it describes is of very slight curve, and serves to give
almost a straight pull on the wire, and sufficiently near a right line for the
purposes required; the pull of the bell springs and wire serves to bring the
lever bell-pull back to position after pulling the bell.
A suitable groove is made in the crank pin to receive the edge of the wire
lever which keeps it in position sideways, for which reason it may be inserted
very loosely on its fulcrum. I construct the several parts of this apparatus
so that the box may be fixed in the wall, and all the parts of the pull applied
thereto subsequently with great facility one after the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Joseph Parkes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JOSEPH PARKES, of London Street, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Bell Hanger and Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
. he said John Joseph Parkes, Her special licence that I, the said John
Joseph Parkes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Joseph Parkes, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEVER BELL-PULLS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Joseph Parkes, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Joseph Parkes, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in bell-pulls relate principally to that class of lever bell-
pulls used in sitting-rooms and usually let into recesses in the walls, and con-
sisting of a circular box, more or less ornamental on the exterior, from which
a lever handle projects. In ordinary this lever acts on a barrel winding up a
chain, which pulls the wire and so rings the bell. Instead of the chain
connection I apply a crank arm and pin on the axis of the lever handle, or the
crank pin may be on the lever handle itself. The crank pin takes upon a lever,
to the end of which the bell wire is attached; the wire lever I make as long
as may be necessary, and equal to the full diameter of the box, or it may be
beyond that limit, if a suitable fulcrum be provided. By making this lever
of such length the are that it describes is but very slightly curved, and serves
to give almost a straight pull on the wire, and sufficiently near a right line
for the purposes required; the pull of the bell spring and wire serves to bring
the lever bell-pull back to position after pulling the bell as usual.
A suitable groove is made in the crank pin to receive the edge of the wire
lever which keeps it in position sideways, for which reason it may be mounted
very loosely on its fulcrum. I construct the several parts of this apparatus
so that the box may be fixed to the wall, and all the parts of the pull applied
thereto subsequently with great facility one after the other.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view of a bell-pull arranged
and constructed according to my Invention, which in external appearances,
and even in its apparent action is very similar to ordinary bell-pulls; Fig. 3
represents a front view with the front plate removed, while Fig. 4 represents
a similar view with the pull lever and bizel or front ring removed. The box
or frame consists of three parts, the first or cup piece A fixes into the wall,
as usual, by screws inserted through holes a, a. In part A is fixed a plate B,
bedded down on shoulder pieces C cast in the box A, into which screws d, d,
are inserted, and hold the plate B in position; below the plate B is placed a
lever D, mounted on a fixed fulcrum pin e, and, as will be seen, this lever in
length extends to the full diameter of the box A, and to the extreme end of
this lever is attached the wire i leading to the bell to be acted upon. In
plate B is fixed in the centre a fulcrum pin f, on which the bell-pull E or
handle is mounted. This lever, like ordinary pull levers, extends through a
circumferential slit or opening in the bizel or face ring F. A short lever
piece 9 is cast in one piece with pull lever E, and carries a pin h, against

page_text: which the wire lever D bears, being pulled and held against it by the tension
of the bell wire i. A groove or neck turned in the pin h, embraces the
lever D, and keeps it in proper contact and position. A bizel or ring F fits
on above the part A, steading pins thereon, fitting into holes in the lugs 1, 1,
of A; this bizel or piece is applied before the pull lever is disposed in position.
A face piece H screws and fixes on to the centre pin f, and keeps the several
parts in position. This latter piece may be made entirely of brass as usual, or
with a brass backing furnished with a more or less ornamental facing, or other
material, or the facing piece may be rendered more or less ornamental in any
other suitable manner, as may be required. The action of the hand applied
to this lever pull is precisely as in ordinary, but instead of the action being
transmitted through a chain winding on a barrel to the bell wire the pin h
acts on the lever D, causing it to move to the dotted position, and pulls the
bell wire in nearly a straight line, as seen. Immediately the pull lever is
released, the tension of the bell wire i returns the lever D and pull lever E to
their normal positions, as seen in line.
The bell pull shown in the Drawing is represented with wire i leading
upwards, it may, however, be arranged so that the wire may be led down-
wards, or in any other direction desired, by simply altering the position of
crank piece g in relation to the pull lever E, and a similar action retained, as
will be readily understood.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the transmission of the action
of the pull lever E to the bell wire by parts arranged and combined, as herein-
before described and represented in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Joseph Parkes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
J. J. PARKES. (L.S.)