IMPROVING AND MAKING FULLER THE TONE OF CHURCH BELLS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALFRED WILLIAM LONG PARKHOUSE, of 64. Ditchling Rise, Brighton, Sussex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVING AND MAKING
FULLER THE TONE OF CHURCH BELLS to be as follows:-
"
Upon each side of the shank of the clapper, attached by bolts or otherwise, is a
small cylinder, having a piston or plunger projecting from it, acted upon at the
back by a spiral or other spring. The cylinders are so placed that when the
clapper is falling over upon either side of the bell, the piston or plunger in one
of the cylinders comes in contact with the side of the bell before the striker of the
clapper touches the soundbow. Thus the clapper, by its momentum, compresses the
spring behind the piston and strikes a blow, the recoil of the spring withdrawing
the clapper from the soundbow, leaving the latter free to vibrate, and preventing
the grinding and chattering action between the striker and the soundbow, which
takes place with bells having clappers arranged as at present. And in order that
the pistons or plunges shall not themselves check the vibration of the sound bow,
the said cylinders are placed as far as possible from the part called the striker.
•
Dated this 23rd day of December 1885.
$

page_text: I, ALFRED WILLIAM LONG PARKHOUSE of 64 Ditchling Rise Brighton Sussex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVING AND
MAKING FULLER THE VIBRATION OF CHURCH BELLS and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
=
Upon each side of the shank (g), of the clapper of the bell, I fasten by bolts, or
clips, or otherwise, projecting in the plane of vibration of the clapper, a hollow metal
cylinder or casing (a) in the nature of a buffer casting, and made by preference of
cast iron, with an internal shoulder (b) at the outer end. Within the cylinder
I place a piston or plunger (d cf) made by preference of steel, with one end (d) pro-
jecting from the cylinder and the other end (f) sliding in a metal plug or guide (e) at
the bottom, or end of the cylinder next the clapper shank. At about the middle of
the plunger I form round it, a collar (c) which fitting against the shoulder (b) in
the cylinder prevents it projecting too far, Between the collar and the plug or
guide (e) aforesaid, I place a spiral or other spring (k), in compression, in such a
way, as to hold the collar on the plunger against the shoulder in the cylinder.
Or, I make the plunder (d) hollow with a solid head, and a dange (c) at the
open end which fits against the shoulder in the cylinder or casing (a), aforesaid,
and I place within the plunger the spiral or other spring (k) in compression, with
one end bearing against the inner side of the head of the plunger, and the other
end directly against the shank of the clapper; in which case I do not use the plug
or guide in the end of the cylinder. The action is as follows: When the clapper
falls over upon either side the piston or plunger in the cylinder on that side comes
in contact with the side (i) of the bell before the striker (h) of the clapper touches
the soundbow; thus the clapper by its momentum compresses the spring bebind
the collar on the plunger, & strikes a blow, and the recoil of the spring with-
draws the striker (h) a short distance from the soundbow, thus leaving the latter
free to vibrate.
I place the cylinders as near the crown of the bell as possible, where there is
very little vibration, in order that the plungers themselves may not check the
vibration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is (1.) The use of spiral or other springs in (2.) Cylinders or casings, fixed
in suitable positions on the clapper shank, and (3.) Pistons or plungers in the
cylinders, for the springs to act upon, in order to remove the striker from the
sound bow of the bell, as described above.
Dated thin 07th day of Santember 1886
ALFRED WILLIAM LONG PARKHOUSE.