Improvements in Mechanism for Chiming Bells, or their Equivalents.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Chiming Bells, or their
Equivalents.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS JOSEPH FLANAGAN, of 407 High
Street, Holyoke, in the County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Wholesale Liquor Dealer.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55-56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London Chartered Patent Agent, 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 has for its object the production of novel mechanism for chiming
bells, by means of a rotatable chime barrel having a plurality of groups of hammer
operating pins, devices co-operating with the barrel for moving it automatically,
and also by hand, so that by sliding the barrel upon its operating shaft any of the
groups of pins may be put in operative position with relation to the hammers,
and the entire series of tunes, or any one tuue, may be repeated as desired.
The apparatus is mounted in suitable manner, so that the hammers can act
upon the bells, the latter being tubular or of other construction as desired.
A clock spring may be conveniently used for rotating the chime barrel, and a
fan regulator device is used to control the speed of rotation of the barrel, and it
also furnishes a convenient means of controlling the starting and stopping of
the chime apparatus.
The barrel has at one end a plate provided with a lip extended after the manner
of an inclined tooth, to enter one after another the spaces between the teeth of
a plate forming part of a controlling device, thus moving the barrel laterally one
step at a time, to play the different tunes represented by the pins in their peculiar
positions upon the barrel.
When the tunes bave been played the controller is automatically thrown out
of operation to let a return spring act to move the barrel back to starting position,
whereupon the controller will move into operative position again and the tunes
will be repeated by further rotation of the barrel.
Less than the whole number of tunes may be played and repeated by a simple
device.
The head of the barrel is adapted to be embraced at its edges by a barrel sliding
device which can be moved by hand if desired.
The term "chiming mechanism" is herein used as synonymous with tune playing,
and the apparatus herein described may be used in churches, etcetera, for playing
chimes, or it may be applied to music boxes, organs and other musical apparatus
wherein it is desired to play a series of tuues, repeating all or a part of them at
pleasure.
Fig. 1, of the drawing, shows, in front elevation, a chiming mechanism embodying
my improvements in one form, the bells, only partially represented, being shown
as of the tubular class; the heel to be described being omitted, said heel being
fully showu only in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the chime barrel, and barrel
controller for effecting automatically changes in the position of the barrel with
relation to the hammers.

page_text: but mustrating the parts in diferent
positions.
Figs. 4 to 6 are illustrative details to be hereinafter described.
Fig. 7 is a detail showing the controlling device detached.
Fig. 8 is a detail showing the hammer, damper and other parts on an enlarged
scale;
Fig. 9, is an enlarged detail of the lower end of the shaft W, and
Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail of the sleeve and its parts for engaging the
head of the barrel.
The chime barrel A provided with a plurality of groups b, b, of hammer
operating pins, is splined upon a shaft c supported in suitable bearings D* and
rotated by a suitable clock spring, not shown, connected at one end to a shaft J
provided with a ratchet 23, which is engaged by a pawl 23*, the opposite end of
the spring being attached to a drum B, having a connected gear H' loose on the
shaft J, the said gear engaging & pinion 7, fast on the shaft c.
The spring may be wound by turning the crank C on the shaft J.
The shaft c at its opposite end is provided with a gear D, which is engaged
and controlled by a fan regulator mechanism, composed of gearing, and a fan E.
A lever e shown in Fig. 1 as engaging the fan, is connected by a suitable cord
or device k with a switch i adapted to be moved between suitable stops on a rack 26
and between them may be the words "start" and "stop," so that stopping or
starting of the drum will be effected by holding or releasing the fan.
By moving the switch i downwardly, in Fig. 1, the lever e will release the fan E
and let the drum start.
A spring connected to the lever e normally depresses its acting end to engage
the fan E.
Between the plate t secured to one end of the barrel A, and the pinion h, is a
spring 9, which normally acts to move the barrel A. to the right.
The head of the barrel A is embraced between a lip 20 of a collar m and a
roller 22, also mounted on a pin of the said collar, the collar being carried by
a sleeve K which is adapted to slide on a shaft H, to be described..
The collar K has a pin k*, to which is connected one end of a lever L, pivoted
at the opposite end of the said lever being adapted to be acted upon by a
disc S, secured to a rod W having a handle 5, the said rod when lifted, acting upon
the lever L to slide the sleeve and barrel A on the rotating shaft c, against the
pressure of the spring 9, the roller 22 constituting an anti-friction or rolling
abutment for the head v.
The handle 5 has connected with it a plate 6, provided with a pin 7, the plate at
one side exhibiting the word "change," see Fig. 1, and at the other side, the
word "repeat" see Fig. 9.
The handle occupies the position Fig. 1 when the barrel is being slidden
automatically on its shaft intermittingly, the tunes following one after another in
succession, but when the pin 7 enters oue of the holes 1 to 7 in the plate 18 and
the controlling mechanism I to be described, is lifted, the barrel in its rotation
will continue to play, and repeat any one of the tunes indicated by the hole, there
being a hole in the plate 18 for each row of pins used.
The upper end of the rod W is splined at 4* to receive a pin 3x of a bevel
gear 2*, the gear being supported upon one of the bearings L' of the rod W.
The gear 2* engages a gear H* on a shaft H parallel to the barrel, the shaft
having at its opposite end a bearing 13*, and being provided with a pin P, which.
engages a pin r projected from the barrel controller I pivoted at 1.
When the rod W is rotated by the handle 5 from the position Fig. 1 to the
position 9, the gear 2* of the rod rotates the shaft H and causes the pin P to
lift the controller and put it out of operative position, and the rod may be slid
in the gear 2* to cause the plate S acting on the lever L, to push the barrel
to the left in Fig. 1, and place any one of its row of pins opposite the hammer
shank V.

page_text: The hammer shanks V beveled at their upper ends, as best shown in Fig. 8,
and provided at their lower ends with suitable hammers T, are made adjustable in
hanmer holders X by means of screws a the said hammer holders being pivoted
at dx between ears of a clip d.
The hammer shanks V have connected with them suitable springs j, which are
attached to an adjusting mechanism, herein shown as an eye-bolt te, extended
through an eyebolt a secured to a beam R supported in suitable manner, as by
means of brackets q, the threaded shank of the eyebolt w.having upon it two
threaded washers o, by the adjustment of which the tension on the spring may
be increased or diminished at will, the spring returning the hammers after their
shanks will have been moved by the pins b, and causing the hammers to strike
the tubular bells N, which may be of any usual or suitable construction, said bells
being supported in usual manner by flexible cords or connections M suspended
about a rod Q sustained in brackets S.
The bar R supports a series of dampers p, composed of pieces of felt or other
similar material carried by a dise mounted upon a screw y", inserted through the
bar, the adjustment of the dampers tempering the blows of the hammers upon
the bells.
The barrel A has connected to one end of it a plate t, and a lip n, extended in
the manner of an inclined tooth.
The barrel controlling device for automatically moving the barrel in order that
one or more tunes may be played in succession, consists as stated, of a plate E
having a series of teeth Z, the plate being provided with a cam finger 8 connected
thereto by a suitable screw 80 in any one of a series of holes 81, so that the
position of the said cam finger may be changed more or less with relation to the
first tooth 16 of the controller I,
The controller I has a pin 24, and the stand U upon which the controller is
pivoted has a stud 25 upon which is pivoted a latch J having a shaped slot provided
with a notch or shoulder 17, and a finger 10, the pin 24 of the controller entering
the shaped slot, a spring 19 connected to the latch turning the latter so as to cause
the shoulder 17 to come under the pin 24 of the controller when the latter is lifted,
as it may be by the rod H described, or automatically by the action of the lip a
against the cam finger 8, the cam finger 10 depending below the first finger 16 when
the controller is lifted, and the pin 24 is on the notch 17 as in Fig. 3.
Fig. 1 shows the mechanism in position with the first row of pins to the left of
the several groups of pins acting upon the hammer shanks V, the controller I
being then down in its operative position, and the handle 5 in the position of the
change.
As the chime barrel A is rotated, the lip » enters one after another the spaces
between the teeth of the controller 1, thus moving the barrel A laterally one step
at a time, to thus actuate the hammers in the proper time and order, to play the
different tunes represented by the pine in their peculiar positions upon the barrel,
and as soon as the lip n strikes the cam fiuger 8, it acts to lift the controller,
removing its teeth from the flange of the plate t and letting the spring 9 quickly
move the chime barrel A to the right, the sleeve K being also moved on the rod H
until its end meets the bearing 13, and just as the chime barrel arrives in its
farthest position to the right, the flange of the plate t meets the finger 10 and
turns the latch J, removing the shoulder 17 from the pin 24, letting the controller
again fall, the tooth y, see Fig. 2, falling on the lip n at about the point w, said
tooth riding on the top of the lip n as the barrel moves until the point 15 of the
lip comes to the rear or right hand side of the tooth y, at which time the controller
will fall into ita lowest position with the plate between the teeth 15 and 16, and
thereafter in its further rotation the chime barrel will be moved to repeat its
tunes.
If the cam finger 8 should be moved to the right in the drawing Fig. 1, less than
the whole series of tunes will be played and repeated, that depending upon the
position occupied by the cam finger.

page_text: The detail Fig. 4 represents by dotted lines the teeth of the controller and the
cam finger, and by section lines the finger 10, and the plate t with its lip n is shown
in the position it occupies in Fig. 1, while Fig. 5 shows the parts in the position
they will occupy just about as the lip n is about to strike the cam finger 8.
The detail Fig. 6 is explanatory of Fig. 3 and it is supposed that the barrel is
being returned to the right by the action of the spring 9, and the lip n has
just arrived at the finger 10, and is about to move it to release the then lifted
controller I.
When the controller I is lifted, the rod W may be raised, and through the action
of the elbow lever L, push the chime barrel into position to enable its plate t to
engage with any one of the teeth or spaces, and then the controller may drop, and
the barrel be started, and in this way any desired rows of pins of each group on the
barrel may be made to actuate the hammers, and, the tune designated by said pins
having been played, the barrel will be moved automatically and play one or more
tunes until the lip n on the plate t meets the cam finger 8, and in this way any
desired number of the whole number of tunes may be played and repeated.
The controller which acts to move the barrel automatically has a series of teeth
or spaces in which the plate t works, while the sleeve K, and its lug and roll, or
equivalents presents but one notch to embrace the head ".
I have shown the device having the lip and roll to embrace the head was a
sleeve or tube guided by the shaft H, but it is obvious that the lip 20 and roll 22
might be carried by any suitable bar or device having a movement parallel to the
shaft c, and hence I shall in some of the claims designate the device, of whatever
form used, to grasp the edge of the head , and move the barrel, as the barrel
sliding device.
The pin 7 connected with the handle 5 and the plate 18 having the series of holes
to receive the pins constitute what I shall denominate as a locking device for the
rod W.
The term "chiming mechanism" is herein used as synonymous with tune
playing, applied to any musical apparatus where it is desired to play certain of or
single tunes.
The latch J may have a heel at its left hand end in line with the path of
movement of the pin p, so that the rod H may be used to turn the said latch and
release the controller after the barrel A shall have been moved by spring 9 on the
shaft c for a distance less than the whole movement, as for instance when the
plate S is in position to check the movements of the barrel before the lip n meets
the toe 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use in a chiming mechanism of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime
barrel thereon, provided with a plurality of groups of hammer operating pins and
having a plate and lip; a plurality of hammers, a movable controlling device
having rack teeth and co-operating with said plate and lip to effect the sliding of
the barrel on its shaft intermittingly, and a spring to return the said barrel into its
operative position, to operate, as set forth.
2. The use in a chiming mechanism of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime
barrel thereon, provided with a plurality of groups of hammer operating pins and
having a plate and lip, a plurality of hammers, a movable controlling device
co-operating with said plate and lip, to effect the sliding of the barrel on its shaft
intermittingly, to operate, as set forth.
3. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime
barrel mounted thereon, and provided with a plurality of hammer operating pins,
and having a head, a plurality of hammers, and a barrel sliding device to
engage the edge of said heud to slide the barrel on its shaft, substantially as
described.
.

page_text: 4. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime
barrel mounted thereon, and provided with a plurality of hammer operating pins,.
and having a head, a plurality of hammers, a barrel sliding device to engage the
edge of said head to slide the barrel on its shaft, and a spring to move the said
barrel in the opposite direction, substantially as described.
5. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chiming
barrel thereon provided with a plurality of hammer operating pins, and having at
one end a plate, a plurality of hammers, and a pivoted controlling device
co-operating with said plate to slide the chime barrel intermittingly on its actuating
shaft, and a spring to return said barrel, substantially as described.
6. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime.
barrel thereon provided with a plurality of hammer operating pins, and having at
one end a plate provided with a lip, a plurality of hammers, a movably mounted
controlling device having a cam finger and co-operating with said plate and lip to
slide the chime barrel, the said lip by its contact with the said finger elevating the
said controller, substantially as described.
7. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable actuating shaft, a chime
barrel thereon provided with a plurality of hammer operating pins, and having at
one end a plate provided with a lip, a plurality of hammers, a movably mounted
controlling device having a cam finger and co-operating with said plate, and lip to
slide the chime barrel, the said lip by its contact with the said finger elevating the
said controller, and a spring to move the barrel in the opposite direction,.
substantially as described.
8. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel, having at one end a plate,.
a controlling device having teeth and spaces to be engaged by said plate, and a
pin; and a latch having a finger and a shouldered slot co-operating with said pin,
to operate, substantially as described.
a
9. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel having plurality of
groups of hammer operating pins and provided at one end with a plate having its.
edges extended radially, a shaft on which said chime barrel is mounted to slide, a.
movably mounted controlling device having teeth and spaces to co-operate with
said plate, and a shaft, means to rock it, and devices between said shaft and
controlling device to move the latter and release the controlling device from the
said plate, substantially as described.
10. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a pivoted barrel controlling device
having a series of teeth thereon, a chime barrel having one or more groups of
hammer operating pins thereon and having a plate fixed thereto and engaging by
its periphery with the teeth of said controlling device, and means for rotating said
barrel, and for swinging said controlling device toward and from the periphery of
said plate, and operating, substantially as set forth.
11. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel having one or more
groups of hammer operating pins thereon, and having a plate whose periphery
projects beyond the plane of the surface of the barrel and has a'laterally extended
cam-lip, a pivoted barrel controlling device having a series of teeth thereon for
engagement with the periphery of said plate, a cam finger adjustably secured on
said rack for engagement with said cam lip, and means for rotating said barrel, and
for swinging said controller toward and from said barrel, to operate, substantially as
set forth.
12. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a pivoted barrel controller having teeth
and provided with a pin; a pivoted latch co-operating therewith and having a
lip 10 and a shouldered slot in which said pin is made movable, a spring to move
said latch and cause the said shoulder to engage said pin, and the chime barrel
having a plate whose periphery engages said teeth periodically, and also said lip 10,
substantially as set forth.
13. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a pivoted barrel controller having teeth
and a pin, a pivoted latch having a lip, and a slot having a shoulder, a spring to
move said latch to enable the shoulder to engage said pin, and a chime barrel

page_text: having a plate whose periphery engages said teeth and periodically said lip, a
shaft, and devices between it and the said controller to lift the latter, whereby at
desired times the controller may be lifted and cause the pin thereon to engage the
shoulder of the latch and hold the controller in its inoperative position, substantially
as set forth.
14. The use in a chiming mechanism, of the barrel controller, the shaft having
an arm thereon to engage said controller, and means for rocking said shaft whereby
said controller may be lifted when desired, operating substantially as described.
15. The use in a chiming mechanism, of the barrel controller, a shaft having an
arm thereon to engage said controller, a vertical rod, gearing between said rod and
shaft, and an operating handle for said rod whereby the latter may be rotated,
substantially as set forth.
16. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel having one or more
groups of hammer operating pins thereon, and a plate whose periphery projects
beyond the plane of the surface thereof and a head, a shaft for said barrel ou
which the same has a longitudinal movement, a spring for sliding said barrel in one
direction, a pivoted barrel controller having a series of teeth thereon for engage-
ment with the periphery of said plate, and a pin 24, a pivoted latch co-operating
with said controller, said latch having a lip thereon for engagement with the side
of said plate, a spring for swinging said latch, and means for rotating said barrel,
and for lifting said rack and latch, and for engaging said head to slide said barrel
on said shaft against the action of said spring, whereby the periphery of said plate
is brought to different positions under the tooth-bearing border of the rack member,
substantially as set forth.
17. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel, provided with pins and
having a plate and a head, a barrel controller engaged by said plate, a rock-shaft
co-operating with said controller to move the latter, a sleeve sliding on said rock-
shaft and engaging the head of said barrel, a rocking and end wise moving rod
having a pinion engaging a pinion on said shaft, an elbow lever L, engaging said
sleeve, and a handle for operating said rod, substantially as described.
18. The use in a chiming mechanism, of the rocking and sliding rod W, a handle
fixed to said rod, and a locking device to hold said handle, a flange, a rock shaft,
bevel gears between said shaft and rod, a sleeve on said shaft, and an elbow lever L,
engaging by one arm said sleeve, and by its other arm said flange, substantially as
set forth.
19. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotatable chime barrel having a
plurality of groups of hammer operating pins, a barrel controller adapted to be
engaged by a plate connected with said barrel to move the latter longitudinally in
one direction, a plurality of bells, a plurality of hammers operated by said pins,
means to effect the automatic disengagement of said controller from the plate of
said barrel, and a spring to return the barrel to its starting point, substantially as
.described.
20. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a hammer, and shank to carry the
hammer, a clip and a holder pivoted thereon and in which the hammer shank is
adjustably secured, substantially as described.
21. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a hammer, a hammer shank, a hammer
holder in which the said shank is adjustably mounted, a clip on which the hammer
holder is pivoted, a bell, and a spring connected at one end to said hammer shank,
and adjusting devices connected to the opposite end of said spring to regulate the
blow of the hammer, substantially as described.
22. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a hammer, a hammer shank, a hammer
holder in which the said shank is adjustably mounted, a clip on which the hammer
holder is pivoted, a bell, and a spring connected at one end to said hammer shank,
adjusting devices connected to the opposite end of said spring to regulate the blow
of the hammer, and an adjustable damper against which the hammer shank swings,
substantially as described.
23. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotating shaft, a chime barrel, splined

page_text: thereon having a plate and lip, devices controlled by the hand of the operator to
slide the barrel on the said shaft in one direction, and a barrel controller having
teeth and co-operating with the said plate and lip to automatically slide the barrel
intermittingly on the said shaft, substantially as described.
24. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a rotating shaft, a chime barrel, splined
thereon, a device to engage a head of the barrel, a lever connected therewith, and
a slide rod having a flange, a locking device to retain the said rod in any one of
several positions in which it may be placed to thereby ensure the repetition of any
tune during the rotation of the barrel, substantially as described.
25. The use in a chiming mechanism, of a chime barrel, a barrel controller to
automatically slide the barrel intermittingly on its operating shaft, means to lift
said controller, a spring to move the barrel in a direction opposite that in which it
is moved by the controller, a device connected with and moved by the head of the
barrel, a flange or plate changeable in its positions to arrest the said device
connected with the head of the barrel in one or another position according to the
number of tunes which it is desired to repeat from the whole number of tunes
represented by the barrel, substantially as described.
Dated the 0th day of November 1806
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.