IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RINGING BELLS
Year: 1883

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards of the firm of Edwards and Co:—
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 40 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RINGING BELLS" a communication to him
from abroad by Robert Latowski of Silesia in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1883.
"
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co:- Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RINGING BELLS
[a communication to him from abroad by Robert Latowski of Silesia in the
Empire of Germany]
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for ringing bells, actuated
by the pressure of steam, air, or gas; and it has for its objects novel methods
of constructing and operating such apparatus so as to overcome the difficulty
of lubricating and keeping in order such apparatus as ordinarily heretofore
constructed and used.
The action of the novel apparatus which forms the subject of this invention is
dependent upon the principle that when steam, gas, or air, of a certain pressure
escapes from a vessel through an aperture provided with a valve, the latter will
make a rapid vibrating or dancing movement to and from its seat so long as the
steam, gas, or air is admitted to the vessel through a second aperture, or is
generated in the vessel, in less quantity than the valve (according to its diameter).
permits it to escape. If the valve be opened the pressure in the vessel immediately
falls and the valve closes again, remaining so for a short time until the pressure
is again raised by freshly admitted or generated steam, gas, or air, sufficiently to
lift the valve.
These operations continue in rapid succession, and a chattering or dancing
movement of the valve results, similar to that often seen in pot lids.

page_text: The same vibratory or dancing movement of the valve will be produced, when
a valve is so arranged that it can admit more steam, air, or gas into a vessel, than
in the same time is escaping through another aperture out of the vessel.
In order to apply the principle described to the purpose of ringing bells, I take
a collecting vessel of any suitable size, shape, and material, and I admit into it
steam, air, or gas, of sufficient pressure through a pipe or opening of properly
proportioned size. An opening at the upper part of the vessel is closed by a valve,
the diameter of which must be larger than that of the opening through which the
steam, gas, or air, is admitted, and to the valve is attached or connected a lever
one end of which turns upon a pivot whilst its other end is provided with a
clapper so arranged that as the valve vibrates the clapper strikes a bell adjusted
close to it.
The apparatus may be modified in various ways-For instance, the valve may
be provided with a neck or stem fitting loosely into the seat, so that the escaping
steam issues more slowly and thus increases the length of lift of the valve and the
stroke of the clapper.
In order that the movement of the valve may not become too slow at the end
of the lift the tail of the lever may be prolonged beyond the pivot on which it
turns and made to form a spring pressing against the vessel or other convenient
abutment, and so closing the valve. The bell may be conveniently arranged
outside and surrounding the vessel.
Or, instead of the lever turning upon a pivot its end may form a flexible spring
screwed or otherwise fixed to a suitable support, the clapper striking the bell when
the valve is closing. Or, the top of the valve itself may form a clapper striking
à suitably arranged bell, the valve being provided with guides to ensure its proper
rise and fall.
The valve may be jointed to the end of a lever and made to open inward
instead of outward. In this method of construction the steam, air, or gas, is
ejected from the vessel through an aperture of less diameter than that of the
valve.
Or, the valve may be arranged so as to open either inwardly or outwardly, the
shaft of the clapper acting as a pendulum and being hung from a thin flexible
spring and rigidly attached to the valve.
In this form the apparatus may be used with either a positive or negative
pressure of steam, air, or gas.
If steam is used for actuating the apparatus, a small outlet hole for condensed
water is made in the lower part of the vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th November 1883.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co :-, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RINGING BELLS"
(a communication to me from abroad by Robert Latowski, of Silesia in the Empire
of Germany)
This invention relates to Bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, air, or
gas and it has for its object novel methods of overcoming the difficulties connected
hitherto with the lubricating and keeping in order the usual steam-ringing
apparatus.
The improved Bell-ringing apparatus is based upon the following principle:
If steam, gas, or air of a certain pressure is allowed to escape out of a vessel
through an aperture provided with a valve, the latter will make a vibrating or
dancing movement, as long as the steam, gas, or air is admitted by a second
aperture to the said vessel or is generated in the same, in less quantity than the
valve in the same time, according to its diameter, permits it to escape. If the
valve is opened, the tension or pressure in the vessel falls immediately and
the valve closes again and remains so for a short time, until the tension is
again sufficiently increased to lift the valve by freshly admitted or generated
steam, gas, or air.
This principle is practically confirmed by all “dancing" safety-valves and
pot-lids.
It will be seen that a similar vibratory or dancing motion of the valve will be
produced if a valve is able to admit more steam, air, or gas into a vessel, than in
the same time is escaping through another aperture out of the vessel.
The accompanying drawing shows six modified forms of the improved Bell
ringing apparatus and the essential feature of the invention will clearly be
recognized in all these modified forms, the number of modifications in which could
further be increased to suit different circumstances.
In the construction shown in vertical section in figure 1, c is the collecting-
vessel, and 6 the pipe for admitting steam, gas, or air. The valve a-the diameter
of which must be to a certain degree larger than that of b-is attached to the shaft
of the clapper e, oscillating round the pivot i, and communicating the vibrations of
the valve a to the bell h.
:
In the apparatus shown in figure 2, the valve a is provided with a neck d
acting as a loosely fitting piston, that is to say the narrow space between the
neck d and the surrounding aperture of the vessel c causes the steam to escape
more slowly and increases in this way the length of the lift of the valve a and of
the stroke of clapper e. In order that the movement of the valve a may not
become two slow at the end of the lift, the shaft of the clapper e forms behind the
pivot a spring f pressing at the proper time against the vessel c and closing by
so doing the valve a.
Figure 3 shows in side-view the valve a entirely lifted and the spring f
beginning to act.
Figure 4 represents a modified apparatus, in which the shaft of the clappere does
not oscillate, but is formed by a spring. The clapper e strikes the bell h, when the
valve a is closing.
Figure 5 shows a modified method of construction of the apparatus, in which the
top of the valve a itself forms the clapper striking the bell. In this case the valve
must be sufficiently guided in the aperture of c.

page_text: Figure 6 represents a valve a opening inwardly. The shaft of the clapper e
oscillates round the centre i and is secured to the valve a by the bolt i¹. In using
this method of construction the steam, air, or gas must be ejected out of the vessel c
through an aperture less in diameter than that of the valve a.
The valve a of the apparatus shown in figure 7 may open either outwardly or
inwardly.
-
The shaft of the clapper e, acting as a pendulum, is suspended by a thin spring k
and rigidly secured to the valve a. This form of apparatus may be used with the
same effect for positive or negative tension or pressure of the air, gas, or steam in
the vessel c.
If steam is used a small outlet hole g (figures 1 and 2) must be provided in the
vessel c for the condensed water.
Having now described the invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, what I claim and desire to secure by letters patent is :—
1. A bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, in which a valve is
caused to vibrate and to communicate its vibratory motion to a bell, by establishing
if opened, an equilibrium between the air, gas, or steam contained in a vessel, and
the surrounding medium, more quickly than the tension of the air, gas, or steam
in the vessel is increased or diminished in the same time substantially as herein-
before described and shewn.
2. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated' by steam, gas, or air, the combination of
the vessel c with the admission pipe b and the outwardly opening valve a, larger
in diameter than b, and secured to the shaft of the clapper e, oscillating round the.
bolt i, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, the combination of
the vessel c with the admission-pipe b and the outwardly opening valve a of
larger diameter than b, provided with a neck d acting as a loosely fitting piston
and secured to the shaft e oscillating round the pivot i, and ending in a spring f
substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, the combination of
the vessel c with the outwardly opening valve a secured to a spring forming the
shaft of the clapper e, and the admission pipe b of less diameter than a, substantially
as described and shewn.
5. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, the combination of
the vessel c with a valve a of larger diameter than the admission pipe 6 and
striking directly the bell h substantially as described and shewn.
6. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, the combination of
the vessel c with the inwardly opening valve a of larger diameter than the outlet-
pipe of c and attached by bolt to the shaft of e swinging round the centre i
substantially as described and shewn.
7. In a bell-ringing apparatus actuated by steam, gas, or air, the combination
of the vessel c with the inwardly and outwardly opening valve a, larger in
diameter than the admission-or outlet-pipe of c and rigidly secured to the
shaft of a clapper e suspended as a pendulum by the spring k substantially as
described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto set my hand
and goal this 15th day of November in the year of our Lord 1883.