IMPROVEMENT IN ALARM BELLS FOR BICYCLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harold Serrell, of Plainfield, in the County of Union,
and State of New Jersey, United States of America for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENT IN ALARM BELLS FOR BICYCLES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harold Serrell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1883.
HAROLD SERRELL, of Plainfield, in the County of Union, and State of New
IMPROVEMENT
Jersey, United States of America,
BICYCLES,
IN ALARM BELLS FOR
My Invention relates to an alarm bell for bicycles, tricycles, and the like, that. is
adapted to bicycles by being secured upon either the brake arm or handle bar,
or in tricycles upon the handle or other equally convenient part. This bell will
give an alarm of greater or less duration at the pleasure or discretion of the rider,
or which may be continued in operation until run down.
I employ in connection with the gong portion of the alarm, a base plate which
is either flat or saucer-shaped with standards to connect the same to the bell and
a clip with screws and nuts, or a jaw and clamping screw to attach the base either
to the brake arm or handle bar of the machine.
I also employ a spring and means for winding said spring, and a hammer and
mechanism for operating the same, and for holding said hammer in a state of rest
when the bell is not in use.
The whole of the alarm mechanism is contained within the gong and between it
and the base plate, and being so confined is out of sight, is neat and compact,
and the bell protects the parts from injury, and to a great extent from dust.
I have found it most desirable to place the alarm bell upon the brake arm of the
bicycle in front of the head of the machine, as in that case it is out of the way in
coasting and regular road riding, and in case of a fall the bell is where it is not
liable to be injured.
In connection with my alarm bell a sliding rod, and spring secured upon the
handle bar of the bicycle may be used so that said alarm can be operated without
removing the hands from the handle bar of the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Harold Serrell in the Patent Office on the 21st March 1884.
HAROLD SERRELL of Plainfield in the County of Union, and State of New
Jersey, United States of America IMPROVEMENT IN ALARM BELLS FOR
BICYCLES
This invention relates to an alarm bell for bicycles, tricycles &c, that is adapted
in bicycles to being secured upon either the brake arm or handle bar, or in tricycles
upon the handle or other equally convenient part. This bell will give an alarm
of greater or less duration at the pleasure or discretion of the rider, or which may
be continued in operation until the power of the actuating spring is expended.
I employ in connection with the gong portion of the alarm, a base plate which
is either flat or saucer shaped, with standards to connect the same to the bell and
a clip with screws and nuts, or a jaw and clamping screw to attach the base either
to the brake arm or handle bar of the machine. I also employ a spring and
means for winding said spring, and a hammer and mechanism for operating
the same and for holding said hammer in a state of rest when the bell is not
in use.
•
The whole of the alarm mechanism is contained within the gong and between
it and the base plate and being so confined is out of sight, is neat and compact
and the bell protects the parts from injury and to a great extent from dust.
I have found it most desirable to place the alarm bell upon the brake arm of the
bicycle in front of the head of the machine, as in that case it is out of the way in
coasting and regular road riding, and in case of a fall the bell is where it is not
liable to be injured.
In connection with my alarm bell a sliding rod and spring secured upon the
handle bar of the bicycle may be used so that said alarm can be operated without
removing the hands from the handle bar of the machine.
In the drawing. Figure 1. is an elevation of my improved bicycle bell as
adapted for the handle bar of a bicycle, and Figure 2. is a plan of the same.
Figure 3. is an elevation of the bell as adapted for the brake arm of a bicycle
and Figure 4. is an inverted plan of the same. Figures 5. 6. & 7. are plan views
of the base plate and striking mechanism showing different forms of hammer
wires, Figure 8. is a section of the gong, standard, and adjacent parts and
Figure 9. is an elevation of the handle bar and head of a bicycle showing the
bell in place.
The base plate a shown in fig. 1. is flat or saucer shaped and is made with
a jaw a¹. for the reception of the handle bar of a bicycle and it is provided with
a screw nut a to press on said bar and clamp the base plate and alarm bell
mechanism in place.
The base plate a shown in fig. 3 is made saucer shaped, and provided with
screw studs b. and a yoke or strap piece c. for passing around the brake arm of a
bicycle and nuts d. upon the studs b. for clamping the yoke to the base plate and
holding the said plate and bell upon the machine.
The yoke or strap piece c may be made of different shapes to adapt it to the
arms, rods or bars of both bicycles and tricycles.
Into this base plate a. I secure three or more standards e and I provide a plate f.
with openings into which the ends of these standards pass and are secured A

page_text: standard or section of tubing g¹ is upon this plate f. and its upper portion is cut
with a male screw, fitting a female screw thread in the opening in the top of the
gong h. and I provide a nut or ring i screwing upon the thread of g. to clamp
the gong in position. There should be a shoulder upon the tube g. for the gong
to rest upon.
The alarm mechanism consists of the spring k, toothed wheel l. ratchet m. pinion n.
escapement wheel o. anchor p. and wire and hammer r.
The spring k is upon the arbor k¹. and said arbor k¹ has a bearing in the base
plate a. and a shoulder at the plate f. and it extends up through said plate through
the tubing g. and a thread is cut on the end of said arbor for the winding button 8.
employed in winding up the alarm. Instead of cutting a screw thread on the
arbor k'. the end may be square and a key or button s. fitted to it.
The whole of this alarm mechanism is contained within the gong and between
it and the base plate and being so confined is out of sight, is neat and compact and
the bell protects the parts from dust to a large extent.
The curved lever t. is secured upon the base plate a by a bracket and rivets
where the saucer shaped base is employed, and by a single rivet where the flat
base as in fig. 1. is employed, and in such a manner that said lever is held in place
but may be swung upon the rivet and this lever has a broad end to be grasped
by the fingers, and I provide a spring u. with one end secured to a standard e².
and the other end to or near the end of said lever t. which is turned up at right
angles to the main portion.
In fig. 5 the hammer wire is shown as a single wire extending out from its
supporting shaft, while in figs. 6. and 7. the hammer wire extends around the
other side of the movement and a short wire attached to the same shaft is used
and acted upon by the lever t. and spring u to stop the alarm.
In figs. 5. and 6. the spring u. is a spiral, while in fig. 7. it is made bow
shaped.
The action of the spring u. in fig 6. is to hold the hammer towards the gong
while in figs 5. and 7. the hammer is held away from the gong. In fig. 7. the
lever t. bas a hole through which the bent end of the bow spring u passes and is
held. The turned up end t¹ of the lever t. takes a bearing against the wire of
the hammer r. and the force exerted by the spring u. retains the alarm mechanism
in a state of rest.
The alarm is operated in the following manner upon the bicycle.
The spring k. is wound up by turning the button 8. either before the rider starts
out or while he is riding on the road. If he wishes to give an alarm he presses
against the broad end of the lever, elongating the spiral spring u. in figs. 5 and 6.
and releasing the hammer r. or bowing the spring in fig. 7. and releasing the
hammer r. and in either case releasing the alarm mechanism and so allowing the
alarm to sound.
A short alarm, a long alarm until run down, and a variety of combinations of
short and long alarms may be sounded according to the length of time the pressure
is maintained upon the lever t. as the moment the lever t. is released the spring
returns the lever to its normal position and holds the hammer in a state of rest.
The movement of the lever t. is regulated by a pin or slot in the saucer shaped
base.
I claim as my invention.-
First. In a bell for bicycles, the combination of the gong h. the base plate a, and
the striking mechanism contained within said gong and between it and the base
plate, and a movable lever or stop for holding the hammer wire r. substantially as.
set forth.
Second. In a bell for bicycles, the combination with the gong and base plate,
of striking mechanism within the gong and between that and the base plate, the
button 8. for winding up the alarm spring, and the hand lever t. and spring u. for
holding said lever and stopping the alarm substantially as set forth.

page_text: Third. A gong bell for bicycles, its spring and striking mechanism, in combination
with the base plate and mechanism for removably attaching the same to the brake
arm or handle bar substantially as specified.
.
In Witness whereof I, the said Harold Serrell have hereunto set my hand and
this Third day of March AD 1884
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