IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BELLS
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY of 2 Hamilton Road Highbury in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BELLS to be as follows:-
This invention has chiefly for its object improvements in the construction of
Electric Bolls used for signalling in trains but these improvements are also
applicable to all cases where electric bells are used for signalling. I construct the
electric bells as follows:-I mount on centres or pivots a metal block which moves
freely between uprights, this block has arms projecting from it on either side of the
centre of motion which move up and down something liko the arms of a scalo
beam. One of these arms, I term the "motor arm" and the other the "balance
arm "there is also a third arm or lever attached to the metal block which I term
the striking lever as it carries a hammer which strikes a bell when motion is
communicated to the "motor and balanco arms "
An adjustable weight is
attached to the balance arm which enables the arms on each side of the centre of
motion to be adjusted to a state of equilibrium or nearly so.
Under the "motor arm " I mount a solenoid, this solenoid I usually construct of
a tube of nonmagnetic metal or. of a suitable insulating material with soft iron
cheeks at either end and thus form a bobbin which I wrap with insulated wire-
In some cases I divide the bobbin into two sections by placing a third iron cheek
in the centre.
The soft iron cheeks of the solenoid are magnetically connected together either
by iron plates which connect them or by placing the bobbin inside an iron tube.
A soft iron cylinder which I term the "armature piston" works freely in the
solenoid tube and is maintained in a central position by a guide rod which passes
longitudinally through the centre of the "armaturo piston" and works through
guide holes in bridge pieces attached to the upper and lower checks of the solenoid
bobbin A light rocking frame connects the "armature piston" to the "motor
arm" the connection being made through joints at the upper and lower ends of the
rocking frame which allow the "armature piston" to move in a vertical direction
notwithstanding the angular deviation of the point of suspension When the
solenoid bobbin is constructed with two sections the "armature piston" is made
somewhat shorter than the whole length of the solenoid and if an electric circuit
be closed through the lower section the "armature piston" is attracted downwards

page_text: and if the circuit be closed through the upper section then the “armature piston”
is attracted upwards.
When the solenoid bobbin is constructed with a single section only the
"armature piston" is made the same length or somewhat longer than the solenoid
and the "balance arm" weight is adjusted so as to over-balance the weight of the
"armature piston" which it raises a certain distance out of the solenoid tube by
the action of gravity against an adjustable stop which enables the upward motion
to be regulated.
When the Electric bell in which the solenoid bobbin is constructed in two
sections is in action one pole of a galvanic battery is connected through a binding
screw to one end of the insulated wire of each of the sections of the solenoid and
the other pole of the battery becomes connected to the insulated wire of the lower
and upper sections alternately rendering these sections active one after the other
and imparting a continuous downward and upward motion to the "motor arm
and "striking lever."
"
The opening and closing of the electric circuit through the lower and upper
sections of the solenoid alternately is effected as follows':—
At a suitable distance above the "motor arm "I mount a small ratchet wheel
–which works in a joint and has three light metal arms projecting from it, these
arins. I distinguish by the names of "N° 1 contact arm" "ratchet lever" and
"No 2 contact arm "_"No 1 contact arm and the "ratchet-lever" usually
project in a horizontal direction on the left and right hand sides of the ratchet
wheel and "No 2 contact arm" projects angularly on the same side of the ratchet
wheel as the "ratchet lever" in a downward direction.
A-wound-up.spring attached at one end to the ratchet wheel in its endeavour 2
to unwind forces "N° 1 contact arm-downwards and the ratchet lever and
"N° 2 contact arm" upwards; the downward motion of "N°1 contact arm."_.is.
_arrested and limited by its coming into contact with an adjustable contact spring
and contact stop which-is-connected to the insulated wire of the lower section of
the solenoid and, which I term the "lower solenoid contact."
A spring pawl rests in the teeth of the ratchet wheel which permits the motion
of the ratchet wheel in the direction which separatos "N° 1 contact arm" from
the "lower solenoid contact" When the ratchet wheel has been moved in this
direction it is prevented returning to its original position until the pawl has been
lifted out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel when "N° 1 contact arm" and the 3
lower solenoid contact" are again brought into contact by the action of the wound
up spring.
"
"
When "N° 1 contact arm and the "lower solenoid contact are touching
one another the lower section of the solenoid is rendered activo by the circuit
being closed through it and the "motor arm " and "striking lever" are pulled
downwards,
"
Attached to the "motor arm "there is a hook or link-this link when the
"motor arm has nearly reached the limit of its downward motion strikes a pin
projecting from the "ratchet lever" and moves the ratchet wheel a few teeth
forward, opens the circuit through the lower section of the solenoid and forces 4
"N° 2 contact arm" into a position more nearly approaching the perpendicular.
The lower section of the solenoid now ceases to be active but the downward
motion of the " motor arm" and "striking lever" continue by the momentum
acquired,
"
The "motor arm" in its descent just before the link has come into contact with
the pin projecting from the "ratchet lover comes into mechanical but not
electrical contact with a light spring mounted below the "motor arm" which it
depresses. This spring is electrically connected with the insulated wire of the
upper section of the solenoid and I term it the "upper solenoid contact" The
downward motion of the "motor arm" is now arrested by the hammer attached to 5
the striking lever striking the bell and rebounding the upward motion of the
striking lover and "motor arm" being assisted by the " 'upper solenoid contact
"
]

page_text: "has
spring" after the motor lever” has passed a certain distance upward the " upper
solenoid contact spring" comes into contact with "N° 2 contact arm" and closos
the circuit through the upper section of the solenoid rendering it active and pulling
the "motor arm" and "striking lever" upwards When the "motor arm
nearly reached the limit of its upward motion it strikes against the spring pawl
which it raises and liberates the ratchet wheel, the circuit is now closed by the
action of the wound up spring through "No 1 contact arm" and the "lower
solenoid contact" rendering the lower section of the solenoid again active and
imparting a downward motion to the "motor arm" and the "striking.lever."
In this way the electric circuit is opened and closed automatically through tho
upper and lower sections of solenoid alternately imparting a backward and
forward motion to the "striking lever" as long as the circuit is closed through the.
electric bell and a source of electric force,
When the solenoid bobbin of the electric bell is connected with only one section
the circuit is closed, the "armature piston" attracted downwards and the circuit
opened in precisely the same way as when the solenoid bobbin is made with two
sections, the only difference being that the circuit is closed only during the
downward motion of the "armaturo piston" and the upward motion is effected
entirely by the action of gravity assisted by the rebound of the hammer after
striking the bell.
The working parts with the exception of the hammer and the bell which it
strikes are enclosed in a case provided with binding screws to make the necessary
connections with the other parts of the electric circuit and an ordinary bell push or
contact maker which when pressed in completes the circuit is attached to the case
for sending signals.
To prevent waste of electric force I prefer to keep the bells electrically connected
only during the time the train is marshalled and running and to prevent their
being connected by anyone except the responsible officials I make the final
connection by means of a key with which the officials in charge of the train are
supplied-This key when placed in the keyhole, and turned in the right direction
raises a pawl and liberates a contact lever acted upon by a spring which
electrically connects it to the "ratchet wheel" of the electric bell and its
attachments and connects the bell to the other parts of the circuit ready to receive
signals.
At the end of the journey the electric bells are disconnected by pulling a handlo
which passes through the case to the outside this handle is attached to the lever
contact and when it is pulled down a pawl falls into an angular tooth or notch
cut in the contact lever and prevents its return until the pawl has been raised by
the key.
.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY, of 2 Hamilton Road, Highbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BELLS," 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 chiefly for its object improvements in the construction of
electric bells used for signalling in trains but these improvements are also
applicable to all cases where electric bells are used for signalling-I construct the
electric bells as follows:-I mount-on-centres or pivots a metal-block-which moves
freely between uprights, this block has arms projecting from it on either side of
the centre of motion which move up and down something like the arms of a scale
beam. One of these arms I term the "motor arm," and the other the "balance
arm; there is also a third arm or lever attached to the metal blocks which I term
the striking lever, as it carries a hammer-which strikes a bell, when motion is com-
municated to the "motor and balance arms "-An adjustable weight is attached to
the balance arm which enables, the arms on each side of tho centro of motion to be
adjusted to a state-of-equilibrium_or_nearly_so.
Under the "motor arm "I mount a solenoid; this solenoid-I-usually construct
of a tube of nonmagnetic metal, or of a suitable insulating material, with soft iron
checks at either end, and thus form a bobbin which I wrap with insulated wire.
In some cases I divide the bobbin into two sections by placing a third iron check
in the centre. The soft iron checks of the solenoid are magnetically connected
together either by iron plates which connect them, or by placing the bobbin inside
an iron tube.
A soft iron cylinder which I term the "armature piston" works freely in the
solenoid tube, and is maintained in a central position by a guide rod which passes
longitudinally through the centre of the "armature piston" and works through
guide holes in bridge pieces attached to the upper and lower checks of the solenoid
bobbin. A light rocking frame connects the "armature piston" to the "motor
arın," the connection being made through joints at the upper and lower ends of the
rocking frame, which allow the armature piston to move in a vertical direction,
notwithstanding the angular deviation of the points of suspension. When the
solenoid bobbin is constructed with two sections, the "armature piston" is made
somewhat shorter than the whole length of the solonoid, and if an electric circuit
be closed through the lower section the armature piston is attracted downwards,
and if the circuit be closed through the upper section then the armature piston is
attracted upwards. When the solenoid bobbin is constructed with a single section
only, the armature piston is made the same length, or somewhat longer than the
solenoid, and the "balance° arm" weight is adjusted so as to overbalance the
weight of the armature piston, which it raises a certain distance out of the solenoid
tube by the action of gravity, against an adjustable stop which enables the upward
motion to bo regulated.
When the Electromotor bell in which the solenoid bobbin is constructed in two
sections is in action, one pole of a galvanic battery is connected through a binding

page_text: Bcrew to one end or the insulated wire or each of the sections of the C
the other pole of the battery becomes connected to the insulated wire of the lower
and upper sections alternately, rendering these sections active one after the other
and imparting a continuous downward and upward motion to the "motor arm "and
"striking lever."
The opening and closing of the electric circuit through the lower and upper
sections of the solenoid alternately is effected as follows:---
"
"
At a suitable distance above the "motor arm" I mount a small ratchet wheel
which works in a joint and has three light metal arms projecting from it, these
arms I distinguish by the names of "No 1 contact arm,'
""ratchet lover" and
No 2 contact arm _ "No 1 contact arm and the ratchet lever usually project
in a horizontal direction on the left and right hand sides of the ratchet wheel, and
"No 2 contact arm" projects angularly, on the same side of the ratchet wheel as
the "ratchet lover," in a downward direction.
"
A wound up spring attached at one end to the ratchet wheel in its endeavour to
unwind forces "No 1 contact arm downwards and the ratchet lever and "No 2
contact arm" upwards; the downward motion of "No 1 contact arm" is arrested
and limited by its coming into contact with an adjustable contact spring and
contact stop which is connected to the insulated wire of the lower section of the
solenoid and which I term the "lower solenoid contact."
A spring pawl rests in the teeth of the ratchet wheel, which permits the motion
of the ratchet wheel in the direction which separates "No 1 contact arm "from the
"lower solenoid contact." When the ratchet wheel has been moved in this
direction, it is prevented from returning to its original position until the pawl
has been lifted out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, when "No 1 contact arm
and the "lower solenoid contact are again brought into contact by the action of
the wound up spring.
"
"
When "No 1 contact arm "and the lower solenoid contact are touching one
another the lower section of the solenoid is rendered active by the circuit being
closed through it, and the "motor arm " and "striking lever are pulled
downwards.
"
Attached to the "motor arm "there is a hook or link; this link when the
"motor arm "has nearly reached the limit of its downward motion strikes a pin
projecting from the "ratchet lever," and moves the ratchet wheel forward, opens
the circuit through the lower section of the solenoid and forces "No 2 contact arm
into a position more merely approaching the perpendicular.
"
The lower section of the solenoid now ceases to be. active but the downward
motion of the "motor arm' " and "striking lever" continue by the momentum
acquired.
"
"
The "motor arm" in its descent just before the link has come into contact with
the pin projecting from the "ratchet lever" comes into mechanical, but not
" which it
electrical, contact with a light spring mounted below the "motor arm
depresses. This spring is electrically connected with the insulated wire of the
upper section of the solenoid, and I term it the upper "solenoid contact." The
downward motion of the "motor arm is now arrested by the hammer attached to
the striking lever striking the bell and rebounding, the upward motion of the
striking lever and "motor arm being assisted by the " upper solenoid contact
spring." After the "motor lever" has passed a certain distance upward the
"upper solenoid contact spring" comes in contact with "No 2 contact arm," and
closes the circuit through the upper section of the solenoid rendering the active,
and pulling the motor arm and "striking lover" upwards. When the "motor
arm has nearly reached the limit of its upward motion it strikes against the
spring pawl, which it raises, and liberates the ratchet wheel; the circuit is now
closed by the action of the wound up spring through "No 1 contact arm " and the
39
lower solenoid contact rendering the lower section of the solenoid again
active, and imparting a downward motion to the "motor arm
" and the "striking
lever."
"
"
"

page_text: In this way the electric circuit is open and closed automatically through the
upper or lower sections of solenoid alternately imparting a backward forward
motion to the "striking lever "as long as the circuit is closed through the bed and a
source of electric force.
.1
When the solenoid bobbin of the Electric Bell is constructed with only one b
section the circuit is closed the armature piston attracted downwards and the
circuit opened in precisely the same way as when the solenoid bobbin is made with
two sections the only difference being that the circuit is closed only during the
downward motion of the "armature piston" and the upward motion is effected
entirely by the action of gravity assisted by the rebound after striking the bell.
The working parts with the exception of the hammer and the Bell which it
strikes or enclosed in a case to make the necessary connections with the other
parts of the electric circuit and an ordinary bell push or contact maker which
when pressed pressed in completes the circuit is attached to the case for sending
signals.
To prevent waste of electric force I prefer to keep the bells electrically con-
nected only during the time the train is marshalled and running and to prevent
their being connected by any one except the responsible officials I make the
final connection by means of a key with which the officials in charge of the train
are supplied. This key when placed in the key hole and turned in the right
direction raises a pawl and liberates a contact lever-acted-upon by a spring which
electrically connects it to the ratchet wheel" of the Electric Bell and its attach-
ments and connects the bell to the other parts of the circuit ready to receive
signals.
1
At the end of the journey the Electric bells are disconnected by pulling a handle 2
which passes through-the case to the outside this handle is attached to the lever
contact and it is pulling down a pawl falls into an angular tooth or notch--cutting-
the contact lever and prevents its return until the pawl has been raised by
the_key..
And in order that my said invention-may-be-readily understood, I will now 3
proceed to describe the same by reference to the annexed drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the working parts of the Electric Bell.
Fig. 2 is a bird's-eye view of the uprights and of parts of the Electric Bell.
Fig. 3 shews the "armature piston" separately.
A is the metal block working on the centres B, B, C, C, are the uprights to which 3
the centres B, B are attached and between which the block A works.
D is the "motor arm,”
E is the "balance arm" to which is attached the adjustable weight F.
G is the "striking lever" indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines and having the
hammer g, which strikes a bell H, attached to it.
I is the solenoid tube shewn in section, in which the "armaturo piston" J
works.
°
K K, are iron cheeks attached to the top and bottom of the solenoid tube I.
K, is a third iron cheek in the centre which divides the solenoid bobbin into two
sections.
LL is an iron tube which connects the iron cheeks K K₁ K..
M M₁ are guide rods attached to the upper and lower ends of the armature
piston J.
N N₁ are metal bridges having guide holes through which the guide rods M M₁
work.
O is the rocking frame, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, shewn more clearly
in Fig. 3. The lower end of the rocking frame O is attached by a pivot P to the
upper end of the armature piston on which it freely moves and the upper end of
the rocking frame is attached by a pivot joint P, to the motor arm D.
4
5
Qis the ratchet wheel to which is attached Q₁ the "No 1 contact arm,” Q₂ the 5
"No 2 contact arm" and Q, the "ratchet lover."
'
R (Fig. 2) is the wound up spring attached to the ratchet wheel Q.

page_text: S is the adjustable contact spring and S₁ is the contact stop which limits the
downward motion of the contact arm Q.
T is the pawl which drops into the notch g of the ratchet wheel Q when "No 1
contact arm" Q, is raised upwards.
d is a hook or link attached to the motor arm D, which when the armature is
attracted downwards and has nearly reached the limit of its downward motion
depresses the "ratchet lever" Qs and separates "No 1 contact arm" Q₁ from the
contact spring S and thus opens the electric circuit of the lower section of the
Bolenoid.
When the contact between the contact spring S and tho "No 1 contact arm” Q₁
is broken, the pawl T drops into the notch q of the ratchet wheel retains it.
U is a piece of insulating material attached to the upper solenoid contact
spring U, which is depressed by the motor arm in its downward motion a littlo
before the hammer g strikes the bell H. After the bell has been struck the motor
arm is raised upwards by the rebound of the hammer, its upward motion being also
assisted by the action of the "upper solonoid spring U, which now comes in contact
with EB
No 2 contact arm Q₂ and closes the circuit through the upper section of the
solenoid, rendering it active. The armature piston is now attracted upwards and
when the motor arm has nearly reached the limit of its upward motion, it comes in
contact with the projecting piece t attached to the pawl spring T and lifts the pawl
out of the notch g of the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel is now set free and the
wound up spring R forces "No 1 contact arm" Q, again into contact with the
contact spring S rendering the lower section of the solenoid active and attracting
the armature piston J downwards a continuous oscillating motion of the motor
arm being thus produced as long as the battery is connected to the Electric Bell.
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
The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improve-
ments in the construction of electric bells used for signalling in trains substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn on the drawings.
Th
T
190