Improvements in Cycle and other Bells.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
Improvements in Cycle and other Bells.
I, JOHN HARRISON, of Kensington Street Works, Aston, near the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to bells of the repeating action type, for cycles, call and
other uses, and appertains principally to that class in which a whirling table
carrying jointed clappers is rapidly rotated through the medium of a toothed sector
and intermediate speeding toothed wheels.
In carrying out one form of my improvements in connection with a cycle bell,
the carrier base of the bell has a centrally-disposed fixed spindle, upon which
a rotating sleeve, carrying a whirling double-armed bracket, is threaded.
Jointedly fitted to near the ends of the arms of the whirling bracket, are T-shaped
clappers, alike in shape to double bell-cranked levers, with the double arms, which
are opposed to each other, lying inward of the centres or pivots upon which the
clappers turn, and with the heads of the clappers being presented outermost.
The extreme ends of the opposed arms are united together, respectively, by fine
coiled springs, one of which is longer than the other, or one being stronger than the
other, so as to normally slightly incline the direction of the levering arms, and
bring the heads slightly inwards, or out of line with the diameter of the base.
These springs are so balanced that on the whirling bracket being rapidly rotated,
the difference in the force of one spring over the other is overcome by the
centrifugal action, so that the clapper heads are made to fly outwardly and become
lignable with the axis, and so strike a projection or lug standing from the inside face
of the dome, which, with the base, covers up the striking mechanism.
The normal position of the clappers is out of the range of the projection on the
inside of the dome, but when the clappers are flying, owing to the centrifugal action
imparted to them, they come within the range of the said projection, and
respectively strike the same as many times as the whirling table makes a complete
revolution.
Fitted within, and mounted upon an excentrically disposed pin carried by, the
base, and disposed underneath the whirling bracket or table, is a toothed sector,
with the thumb levering end of the same extending outwardly through an opening
in the base, and with the teeth of the quadrant engaging with the pinion of
a multiplying toothed wheel turning upon a fixed axis carried by the base, and with
the teeth of the toothed wheel engaging with a pinion, situated under, and made
fast to, the sleeve of the whirling table, which has upon its lower part, opposite to
the arm of the toothed sector (which is pulled home by a spring) a collar buffer of
rubber, which forms a concussion cushion for the sector.
by pressing the thumb end of the lever of the toothed sector, motion is
communicated to the pinion, and through it, to the multiplying wheel and the
pinion of the whirling bracket. Now the centrifugal force imparted to the clappers
through the bracket, causes them to turn themselves into a right line, and bring the
opposite ends of their arms to equal distances apart, which compresses the one
spring and distends the other, and on the whirling ceasing, the springs return
to their state of equilibrium, and in doing so, pull the clappers round, without the
path or clear of the projection on the inside of the dome.

page_text: Instead of employing two springs for taking the clappers to an angular position,
I may only employ one.
In carrying out a further form of repeater action bell, I fit the ends of the
whirling table with loose and sliding clappers or hammers, which are propelled
outwardly or centrifugally by coiled springs.
Thus, the clappers or hammers have longitudinal and closed-ended slots through
their middles, wherethrough pegs or pins connected to the ends of the whirling
table pass, and form stops, for limiting the outward and inward sliding movements
of the said clappers. Now these clappers have stalks upon their inner parts, which
pass through holes in lugs or brackets carried by and standing from the plane of the
table, between which lugs and the clappers or heads, the coil springs, which
surround the stalks, come.
On the whirling table making a rapid rotation, through the intervention of the
toothed sector and gearing, the clappers or hammer heads, which have a longi-
tudinal movement, (and may have slight lateral play) strike the lug of the dome
lying within their path and ring the bell by a wiping action, so that immediately
either of the clappers, which are curved or inclined at their points of impact, strike
the bell lug or lugs, their springs in passing the same, become compressed and the
said clappers are forced inwardly, and immediately they are past the said lugs, the
springs, which were compressed, now open out and force the hammers again into
their normal and striking positions, and this is repeated every time they pass a lug
on the bell.
Instead of employing coiled springs, I may employ flat or other springs.
As a further form of my invention, the clapper heads or hammers may be jointed,
and their striking position may be determined by a coiled or other spring, placed in
either a compressed or distended position.
Thus, the spring, after the clapper head has passed the lug, becomes either
compressed or distended according as to how it is disposed, and when the clapper is
past the lug, the spring resumes its normal position and forces the said clapper
outwardly.
Or the clapper may be simply loosely jointed and the inpact produced by the
centrifugal action of the whirling table flirts them outwards.
As a further form of my invention in which springs are employed, the stalks or
stems of the clappers may work piston wise within the ends of the whirling table,
and which stalks are surrounded by springs disposed within the holes wherein the
said stalks move.
The application of my invention to call and other bells differs in no essential
respect from its application to a cycle bell as herein before described.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1894.
I, JOHN HARRISON, of Kensington Street Works, Aston, near the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described au!
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to bells of the repeating action type, for cycle, call and
other uses, and appertains principally to that class in which a whirling table or bar
carrying jointed clappers is rapidly rotated through the medium of a toothed sector
and intermediate speeding toothed wheels.

page_text: In carrying out my improvements I fit the ends of the whirling bar or table with
loose and sliding clappers or hammers, which are propelled outwardly or centri-
fugally by coiled springs.
Thus, the clappers or hammers have longitudinal and closed-ended slots through
their middles, wherethrough headed pegs or pins connected to the ends of the
whirling bar pass, and form stops, for limiting the outward and inward sliding
movements of the said clappers. Now these clappers have stalks upon the inner
parts, which pass through holes in lugs or brackets carried by and standing from the
plane of the table, between which lugs and the clappers the coil springs, which
surround the stalks, come.
On the whirling table making a rapid rotation, through the intervention of
a toothed sector and gearing, the clappers or hammers which have a longitudinal
movement, (and may have slight lateral play) strike the lug of the dome lying
within their path and ring the bell by a wiping action, so that immediately either of
the clappers, which are curved or inclined at their points of impact, strike the bell
lug or lugs, their springs, in passing the same, become compressed and the said
clappers are forced inwardly, and immediately they are past the said lugs, the
springs, which were compressed, now open out and force the hammers again
into their normal and striking positions, and this is repeated every time they pass a
lug on the bell.
Instead of employing coiled springs, I may employ flat or other springs.
The whirling table or bar is speeded by a pinion on its bearing sleeve, with
which a toothed wheel, having a pinion made fast on its arbor and meshing with the
teeth of a toothed sector lever, engages. The standing pivots or arbors upon
which the multiplying wheels and whirling bar revolve are rivetted to the base or
carrying frame of the bell, thus dispensing with the use of a top plate.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a top side plan of a cycle bell,
with the gong partly cut away in order to show the mechanism and the lug upon
the gong.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the bell.
Figure 3 represents an end of the whirling bar, with the clapper or hammer upon
an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 represents a section of Figure 3 upon the dotted line A.
Figure 5 represents a modified form of my improvements, and
Figure 6 is a modified form of clapper or hammer.
In Figures 1 to 4, a is the base plate, carrying the bell mechanism, which consists
of a revolving or whirling bar b, fitted at the upper side of its ends with loose and
sliding clappers or hammers c, which are propelled outwardly or centrifugally by
coiled springs d. These clappers or hammers have closed-ended slots c', through
their middles, wherethrough headed pegs or pins 62, made fast to the whirling bar,
pass and form stops for limiting the outward and inward sliding movements of the
clappers. These clappers have rear stalks or stems c², which pass through holes U¹,
of lugs or brackets 6, carried by the said whirling bar, and between which
brackets 3 and clappers c, the coiled springs d, are located.
The whirling table has an underside sleeve b', having a pinion 66, fast with it, and
rotating upon a pivot or arbor a³, rivetted or made fast to the base framing a.
Gearing with the pinion 6, is a speeding toothed wheel e, made fast to or carried
upon a sleeve e', carrying a pinion e², with the whole turning upon a standing pin or
pivote, secured by rivetting or otherwise to the base plate In gear with the
pinion e, of the speeding wheel e, are the teeth of a toothed sector f, pivoted at ƒ³,
and having a levering arms, passing through a slot a', of the base framing a.
9 is the gong, and g' an inside lug near the lip of the said gong.
a.
In the modification Figure 5, a is the base of the bell, g the gong, g' the lug,
the toothed sector lever, engaging with the pinion e², of the speeding wheel e,
which itself engages with the pinion 6, of the whirling bar b, having loose
and sliding clappers c, at its ends, and being mounted upon an excentric pivot
axis a².

page_text: h is a bridge or upper frame, for supporting the gong g.
In Figure 6, b is the whirling bar, fitted with a clapper or hammer c, pivoted
at c³, and with the ends of springs d, connected to the rear of clappers or hammers c
and brackets & respectively.
The application of my invention to call and other bells differs in no essential
respect from its application to a cycle bell as herein before described.
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 :-
First. In cycle, call and other bells, fitting the ends of the whirling or revolving
bars with loose, sliding or jointed hammers or clappers, which are normally forced
into the path of the lug or lugs of the gong of the bell through the intervention of
springs, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. In cycle, call and other bells, mounting the whirling or revolving bar
and its sleeve, and the multiplying gear for speeding the same, upon standing
pivots, whereby the use of top plates is dispensed with, substantially as described
and set forth.
Thirdly. The general construction, arrangement and combination of the parts of
bell mechanism, substantially as described and set forth in the several figures of the
drawing.
Dated this 9th 1.
JOHN HARRISON,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.