IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR BICYCLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harrison, of Summer Lane, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS
FOR BICYCLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 29th April 1879, and dated the 29th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harrison at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1878.
JOHN HARRISON, of Summer Lane, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR BICYCLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER
USEFUL PURPOSES."
Tbis Invention relates to improvements in bells applicable to bicycle, velocipede,
ship, call, and other similar aların or warning uses, with the object of producing
bells which are self winding and can be easily actuated and are sure of correctly
sounding, and will give a proper alarm, warning, or call to people within hearing,
besides being of more ornamental appearance in comparison with ordinary bells and
of a more compact and handy shape and size.
In an arrangement specially adapted to bicycle or velocipede uses to warn persons
of the approach of the machine, the position of the bell being arranged low and
convenient to the hand of the rider is advantageous. The bell is formed with a
base-plate provided with supports which carry a frame which retains all the working
parts in position and to which the sounding dome fits close or contiguous to the
foot or base. The working parts consist of a projecting thumb-piece centred to the
base plate and carrying an inner toothed segment formed in one piece with it.
This segment gears into a pinion on the shaft of which (carried by the base plate
and fraine) is a larger wheel which gears into a comparatively small pinion similarly
supported and which on the thumb-piece being moved causes a hammer to strike the
bell in rapid succession, or in lieu of the wheel a worm or screw arranged horizon-
2

page_text: tally can be used. According to another arrangement of a somewhat similar
-construction I employ a helical spring for returning the thumb piece, and a movable
-slotted piece or. block to which the-toothed_segment imparts motion when the
thumb piece is moved so as to cause the hammer to similarly sound the bell-
In an arrangement specially adapted to call-bell uses two uprights rising from the
base plate support a pinion ratchet wheel and larger wheel all upon the same spindle,
the pinion being actuated by the depression of a stem or rod the knob of which rises
slightly above-the-top-of-the bell and which is guided by or works in the base
plate and is formed with ratchet teeth which gear with the pinion moving the
_ wheel and causing the hammer to strike the bell.
Bells constructed according-to-this Invention will not be one half as high as
common call and other like bells now are, and will be of a more elegant-appear-
ance and compact form.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th April
1879.
JOHN HARRISON, of Summer Lane, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR BICYCLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improvenients in bells applicable to bicycle, velocipede,
ship, call, and other similar alarm or warning uses, with the object of producing
bells which are self winding and can be easily actuated, and are sure of correctly
sounding, and will give a proper alarm, warning, or call to people within hearing
distance, besides being of more ornamental appearance in comparison with ordinary
bells, and of a more compact and handy shape and size.
In an arrangement specially adapted to bicycle or velocipede uses to warn persons
of the approach of the machine, the portion of the bell being arranged low and con-
venient to the hand of the rider is advantageous.
The bell is formed with a base plate provided with supports which carry a frame
which retains all the working parts in position and to which the sounding dome
fits close or contiguous to the foot or base. The working parts consist of a project-
ing thumb piece centred to the base plate and carrying an inner toothed segment
formed in one piece with it. This segment gears into a pinion on the shaft of which,
carried by the base plate and frame, is a larger wheel which gears into a com-
paratively small pinion similarly supported, and which on the thumb piece being
moved causes a hammer to strike the bell in rapid succession, or in lieu of the
wheel a worm or screw arranged horizontally can be used.
According to another arrangement of a somewhat similar construction I employ a
helical spring for returning the thumb piece and a movable slotted piece or block to
which the toothed segment imparts motion when the thumb piece is moved so as
to cause the hammer to similarly sound the bell.
In an arrangement adapted to call-bell uses two uprights rising from the base
plate support a pinion ratchet wheel and larger wheel all upon the same spindle,
the pinion being actuated by the depression of a stem or rod the knob of which
rises slightly above the top of the bell, which is guided by and works in the base
plate and is formed with ratchet teeth which gear with the pinion moving the
wheel and causing the hammer to strike the bell.
Bells constructed according to this Invention will not be one half as high as
common call and like bells now out, and will be of a more elegant appearance and
compact form.
And in order that this my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters of reference indicated
thereon.
;
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and sectional of my improvements in bicycle bells
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with bell attached; Fig. 3, plan view of same with
bell removed but shewn by dotted circle; Fig. 4 is a section of a call or table bell
in elevation.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, A is the bell or gong; B is the standard for carrying A and
frame plate combined; C is the quadrant rack having the projecting lever and
thumb-piece D; E is an helical spring; F, an escapement piece; G, the spindle for
same; H, H, are the hammers; I is the stud for quadrant rack; J, the frame for
carrying the escapement piece; K, K, are lugs for attaching to bicycle; L, the
screw for connecting the bell or gong to the standard B.
The method of actuating is as follows:-
By applying pressure to the lever or thumb piece D, the helical spring E will

page_text: yield, and each serration of the quadrant will impart a separate movement to the
escapement piece F (to which is permanently affixed the hammers H, H,), a cor-
responding number of blows-will-be-registered upon the bell or gong A, both upon
the outward and return-movement, the latter being effected by the power of E,
which will bring the quadrant C with its thumb-piece D to its normal position.
In Fig. 4, A is the bell or gong; B is the frame plate; C is the quadrant rack;
E is the helical spring; H, H, the hammers; I, stud for quadrant rack; L, the
-screw-for-connecting the bell or gong; M, the frame cover plate; N, the second
motion pinion O, the second motion wheel; P, the third motion pinion; Q, a
push rod; R, a stud or button; S, the base or pedestal.
The method-of-actuating-is-as-follows:- By applying a downward pressure to
the stud R, the rod Qwill descend and act upon C, the quadrant rack being pivotted
thereto, the quadrant rack being also pivotted at I. C engages in the pinion N and
is the second motion; the spindle that carries N also carries O, which I designate
the second motion wheel; this wheel in return engages in the pinion wheel P, being
third motion; in the centre of P is arranged a plate carrying one or two loosely
jointed hammers H, H, which indicate or register upon the bell or gong A, alter-
nately blows proportionate to the teeth or segments of O, both in the descending
and ascending movement, the latter being effected by the power of the helical spring
E, which also brings Q and R to their normal position.
I propose to arrange or adopt Fig. 3 as shewn, also as a call or table bell, and for
this purpose should dispense with the projecting lever and thumb picce D, but still
employ the rod Q and its stud R, as illustrated by Fig. 4.
For a door or house bell the actuating mechanism is the same; I employ a bracket
in form most suitable to my requirement, and this for supporting the same. I
dispense with the thumb piece or lever D and substitute a jointed lever as now
employed and in common designated a trigger.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of this my said Invention and
the manner in which the same is or may be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein given and shown on the
accompanying Drawings, as various modifications may be made therein while
retaining the essential features of my said Invention, but what I claim as new and
desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The novel arrangement and combination of parts together forming my improve-
ments in bells for bicycles, applicable also to other useful purposes, substantially
as herein-before described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrison, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
THOMAS KENDRICK.
JOHN HARRISON. (L.S.)