IMPROVEMENTS IN CALL BELLS OR GONGS
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE WILLIAM BETJEMANN of the firm of George Betjemann and Sons of
36 and 38 Pentonville Road in the County of Middlesex, Dressing Case Makers do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CALL BELLS
OR GONGS to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce an efficient call bell which at the same
time is capable of being produced in a highly ornamental form.
For this purрове
employ a bell or gong of any suitable construction and I
sound the same by means of a hammer or striker set in motion by a wheel which
I prefer to mount on a horizontal axis and to make in the form of a ship's steering
wheel.
This wheel is provided with studs or projections or other suitable contrivance for
giving motion to a lever acting upon the hammer or striker, or it may be otherwise
caused to operate such hammer or striker.
Thus by turning the wheel the bell or gong is sounded.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section and Figure 2. is an underside view of one
form of call bell constructed according to my Invention. Figure 3 is an elevation
partly in section and Figure 4 is a cross section of another form of my improved
call bell and Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section and Figure 6 is a cross
section of another form thereof.
In all the figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
a is the stand or base. b is a model of a ships steering wheel which is supported
with capability of turning in standards c fixed to the stand or base a and d is a
bell or gong which in the arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2 is in the form of
a common call bell or gong and is fixed underneath the stand or base a. In
Figures 3 and 4 the bell d is in the form of a ships bell and is hung from
standards fixed to the upper side of the stand or base a whilst in Figures 5
and 6 the gong d is in the shape of a Chinese gong and is held in position by
cords d² suspended from standards d' and by cords da fixed to the stand or base a,
e is the hammer which according to the arrangement shewn at Figures 1 and 2 is
fixed to a lever e¹ which is mounted on an axis of motion at e² and is acted upon
in one direction by a spring f. Such lever e¹ is, also directly acted upon by a
-lever g which is mounted on an axis of motion at gland is acted upon to move it
in the one or the other direction by the handles b₁ of the wheel b. This lever g
when not acting directly on the lever e¹ first acts upon one end of a lever h the
opposite end of which acts upon the lever e¹.
By these means whichever way the wheel b is rotated the handles b¹ act upon
the lever and the latter either directly or through the intervention of the lever h
act upon the hammer lever e¹. ¿ is a push piece or damper which is acted upon by

page_text: a spring to keep it clear of the bell or gong d except when depressed by hand.
The object of this push piece or damper i is to stop the vibration or sound of the
bell or gong d when pressed in contact therewith.
I have not shown this damper in connection with the modifications herein after
described but it will be readily understood that it can be applied thereto if desired.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the hammer e is suspended from a
standard e³, by a pin joint e¹ and normally falls by gravity into the position shewn
at Figure 4.
The hammer e is acted upon by one end e' of a bell crank lever es mounted upon
an axis of motion at e. The other end e² of this lever e³, is enlarged as shown and
is acted upon by the enlarged end g³ of a cranked lever g which is mounted upon
an axis of motion at g' and is acted upon to move it in one or the other direction
by the handles b₁ of the wheel b. A spring facts to depress the end 7 of the
lever e³.
In this arrangement whichever way the wheel b is rotated the handles 6¹ act
upon the lever g and the end g³ of such lever acts upon the end 7 of the bell
crank lever and thus tilts it into the position shown by the dotted lines and
upon a handle b₁ of the wheel b passing and thus suddenly releasing the lever g
the end e of the lever e throws the hammer e forward and causes it to strike the
bell d.
In the modification shewn at Figures 5 and 6 the actuating parts are similar to
those described with respect to Figures 4 and 5 except that the hammer e is
connected directly to the end e of the lever e³, otherwise the parts are alike and
their operation is similar to the foregoing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the mode in which the same is carried into effect I would have it
understood that what I claim is
In a call bell the employment of a wheel b whose handles b¹ act directly upon a
lever g to give motion thereto in either direction and through its connections to
cause the hammer or striker e to sound the bell substantially as herein shown and
for the purpose stated.