Improvements in Gongs and Musical Chiming Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gongs and Musical Chiming Apparatus.
I, WALTER HENRY KEELING, of 20 Beech Road, Sparkbrook, in the County
of Worcester, Art Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manner in which I construct a gong or musical
chiming appliance, whereby powerful musical notes or a musical chime or chimes
may be produced on an apparatus having but few and simple details, readily
constructed and arranged into the required complete and convenient instrument or
apparatus.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ solid rods or bars of steel, bronze,
or other suitable metal or alloy, of round, square, or other section. I employ one
rod or bar for each musical note required, and thus I may have but one rod when
making a single toned gong, or a number of bars, of varying length to produce
varying sounds required, when constructing a chiming appliance. Although I
preferably make all the bars forming the same instrument of one and the same
diameter or cross section, I sometimes vary such diameters or cross sections to
produce notes of varying strength and variety of tone.
nature
The metallic rods or bars are suspended from a suitably formed bracket, which
is made convenient for attachment or suspension from a wall or other support.
I suspend the rods from the bracket by a fine cord, or other connection of
such that it will not impair either the quality or strength of the musical note
produced by the vibration of the rods.
The vibration of the rods is produced by striking them with a small hammer or
other ordinary bar or lever.
When the gong or chiming apparatus is required for use within a dwelling house
I preferably form the head of the striker or hammer with some suitable non-metallic
substance, or I cover or face it with leather or other material, in order to produce
a subdued or mellow tone.
To prevent the undue swinging or swaying of the solid rods or bars when struck
by the hammer or striker, I sometimes connect their lower ends by means of a fine
cord or other connection to a bottom bracket or other rigid tie, taking care that
such connection shall not in any way interfere with the due vibration of the rods
necessary for the production of the musical note.
I do not limit myself to any particular method of suspension of the solid bars in
my appliance, but I suspend them in any position either horizontal, vertical, or
inclined. The necessary conditions of suspension being that the vibration of the
bar shall not be retarded in any way, when struck by the hammer or other appliance
for the production of the musical note.
I employ my improved gong or musical chiming appliance to be operated or
played upon by a hand hammer or striker or I arrange a mechanical chiming
appliance wherein the hammer or hammers are caused to strike the suspended bars
or rods by the operation of clockwork or other mechanical motion or contrivance,
and I modify the form of the bracket and size of bars to suit any particular
requirement.
Instead of suspended straight rods of solid metal I may bend my rods into rings
or scroll work and suspend as hereinbefore described, or I may introduce bends or
scrolls as ornamentation to the said rods without departing from my invention.
Dated this 25th day of February 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gongs and Musical Chiming Apparatus.
I, WALTER HENRY KEELING, of 20 Beach Road, Sparkbrook, in the County
of Worcester, Art Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manner in which I construct a gong or musical
chiming appliance, whereby powerful notes or a musical chime or chimes may be
produced on an apparatus having but few and simple details, readily constructed
and arranged into the required complete and convenient instrument or apparatus.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ solid rods or bars of steel, bronze,
or other suitable metal or alloy, of round, square, or other section. I employ one
rod or bar for each musical note required, and thus I may have but one rod when
making a single toned gong, or a number of bars, of varying length to produce
varying sounds required, when constructing a chiming appliance. Although I
preferably make all the bars forming the same instrument of one and the same
diameter or cross section, I sometimes vary such diameters or cross sections to
produce notes of varying strength and variety of tone.
The metallic rods or bars are suspended from a suitably formed bracket, which
is made convenient for attachment or suspension from a wall or other support.
I suspend the rods from the bracket by a fine cord, or other connection of a nature
such that it will not impair either the quality or strength of the musical note
produced by the vibration of the rods.
The vibration of the rods is produced by striking them with a small hammer or
with an ordinary striking bar or lever.
When the gong or chiming apparatus is required for use within a dwelling house
I preferably form the head of the striker or hammer with some suitable non-metallic
substance, or I cover or face it with leather or other material, in order to produce
a subdued or mellow tone.
To prevent the undue swinging or swaying of the solid rods or bars when struck
by the hammer or striker I sometimes connect their lower ends by means of a fine
cord or other connection to a bottom bracket or other rigid tie, taking care that
such connection shall not in any way interfere with the due vibration of the rods
necessary for the production of the musical note.
In order that my invention and the method of carrying the same into effect may
be the more readily understood, I append hereunto one sheet of explanatory
drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my improved gong,
or a musical chiming apparatus for producing a variety of notes, and Figure 2 is a
section of the same on the line A B.
The solid bars or rods such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are suspended by silken or
other fine cords or threads from the top horizontal bar C of the bracket, such bar
being supported by the vertical arms or columns D, D, formed with or secured to
the base E. The musical notes are produced by striking the bars with a suitable
hammer or striker as hereinbefore described each of the bars producing a note of
distinctive tone.
I do not limit myself to any particular method of suspension of the solid bars in
my appliance, but I suspend them in any position either horizontal, vertical, or
inclined, the necessary condition of suspension being that the vibration of the bar
shall not be retarded in any way, when struck by the hammer or other appliance
for the production of the musical note, neither do I limit myself to the type of
bracket shown in the drawings, but alter the design and general arrangement of the
instrument to meet varying tastes or requirements.
I employ my improved gong or musical chiming appliance to be operated or
played upon by a hand haminer or striker, or I arrange a mechanical chiming

page_text: appliance wherein the hammer or hammers are caused to strike the suspended bars
or rods, by the operation of clockwork or other mechanical motion or contrivance,
and I modify the form of the bracket and size of bars to suit any particular
requirement.
Instead of suspended straight rods of solid metal I may bend my rods into rings
or scroll work and suspend as hereinbefore described, or I may introduce bends or
scrolls as ornamentation to the said rods without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a gong or musical chiming apparatus, the employment of a suspended solid
rod or bar for the purpose of producing a musical note, substantially as hereiubefore
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of a suspended solid rod or bar, with a bracket or other
support, forming a complete gong or musical sounding appliance, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of suspended solid rods or bars of varying dimensions,
suspended from a bracket or other support, forming a complete gong or musical
chiming apparatus for the production of notes of varying tone, substantially as
herein before described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of November 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.