Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th July, 1888
HENRY FRANCIS JOEL, of 44 Lavender Grove, Dalston, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in Pneumatic Bells, and Signals, and the
Pushes, Pulls, Switches, Bells and Indicators appertaining thereto :-† make an air
holder for use with push buttons or pulls, of a special rounded conical shape, so that
when the plunger is pushed only a short way it causes the front of the air holder to
double inside upon itself and thus to force the air out of the greater portion of the
holder, the continued pressure on the plunger becomes easier and keeps the air holder
compressed. When the pressure is released the elasticity of the air holder itself, or a
spring inside, causes it to assume its original form. I make an annulas shaped air
holder to answer a like purpose, and 1 accommodate the plunger, or compressing
plate to the special shape of these air holders.
I make the receiving bellows also of a special shape, so that a small volume of air
is sufficient to distend it fully, this I do by making a double fold, one fold being inside
the other, this allows the full expansion and full surface, whilst the capacity is reduced
to a minimum.
I make the attachments of the air holders and receiving bellows to the boxes and
connecting tubes, by means of screwed nozzles with thin nuts, the inside face of the
nut or washer of the air holder is raised by ridges or points to prevent its suction
when compressed, I make a special point of being able to easily remove both or either
of the air holders, and bellows, and to replace by fresh ones.
I construct a Lever pull with duplex centres for compressing the air holder. An
actuating lever has its fulcrum on the side of the receptacle or wall box of the air holder,
and presses upon an arm carrying a plunger plate, which arm is attached to a different
centre to the lever. The first short pull on the lever forces the arm and plate
o compress the air holder, the continued movement of the lever retains the arm in its
position and thus gives time for the compressed air to reach the receiving bellows.
Din Q37

page_text: The mechanism of the Bell is of special design. When the bellows is expanded 10
lifts a curved arm which is free to turn on a centre at one end above the bellows, a
pin on this arm gears against and moves a peculiar shaped toothed segment which is
centred a little below the proper centre of the arm, the teeth of this segment piece
which are struck from the centre of the arm are geared into and turn a pinion, on the 5
axis of the pinion a double fly hammer is fixed which revolves and strikes the bell, an
additional tooth wheel and pinion may be used to increase the motion. The return
of the bellows, and the back movement of the curved arm with its pin, disengages the
segment from the pinion, and the segment now moves and returns on its own centre,
as the curved arm continues to return, the centre of the segmental toothed piece is 1
drawn down and away from the pinion, the teeth of the segment are thus one by one
continuously drawn back and disengaged from the pinion until it returns to its
position of rest ready for further action. I attach a spring to the pinion and wheel,
or to the hammer arms, in such a manner that the first movement of the segment
is absorbed by the spring and instantly afterwards given out again to cause the wheel
to revolve and the hammers to strike the bell or gong, or I cause the segment to wind
up a spring which upon the return of the segment becomes free and causes the bell
to ring.
1 modify this movement and use a rack and pinion in place of the segment and
pinion. The rack is first pressed up to and geared into the pinion by a roller arm, or
two such arms, and the continued movement then forces the rack to rise and turn the
gearing as before described, on the return stroke it is at once disengaged and falls
into its normal position.
.
I provide a simple stop or hinge to the circular bellows to convert it at will to a
hinged bellows, so that it may move out on one side only, I find this a great
advantage for quick signalling.
I arrange an improved and simplified Indicating tablet, or a number of such
tablets, with one bell action common to all, each tablet has its own expanding bellows
connected say to separate rooms, and I fix these bellows in a row or series of rows
inside a suitable case. On a circular and horizontal rod or spindle pivotted at each
side of the case and placed in front of the bellows, I fix curved arms similar to the one
described in the bell action, but with the centre below the centre of the bellows, and
with their tail ends resting on the bellows, a lever arm is attached to the horizontal
arm which is in turn connected to or geared with a link to the bell action such as
described, the expanding of any one of the bellows causes the bell to ring. The
Indicating Tablet with the name of the room attached to its face is pivoited on
the same horizontal rod as the bell actuating arms and by the side of one of such arms,
or of each of the bell arms, an extension of the tablet arm rests on or near the bellows
in such a manner that the expansion of the bellows causes the tablet arm to move
forward and at a pre-arranged time to tilt over and with its tablet to appear at ar
opening in the front of the Indicator case, at the same time that the bell rings thus
attracting attention and indicating which room has signalled any one or more of the
Indicating tablets may appear at the same time and they are re-set out of sigh
by a wire pivotted at each end of the rod and which forms the stop or rest fo
the tablets when they fall. The blow given by the indicating tablet arm when it i
tilted over on to the wire may be made to give an audible sound, and thus to dispens
with or aid the Bell.
In combination with the tablet arm I fix a locking catch, so that each Indicato
tablet is locked in position independently of all the other tablets. A paull or tri
catch is pivotted to the side of the tablet arm, with a tail end resting on or near th
bellows; on the hub of the bell actuating arm, or on the horizontal rod, is a sing
projecting tooth, the trip catch when in a position of rest falls behind this projection
and thus locks the tablet, the expansion of the bellows first lifts the trip catch out
gear with the projecting tooth, and the tail end, as it moves, keeps it out of gear, an
then causes the tablet to appear as before described. I may reverse this arrangeme
and fix the catch piece on the bell arm and the projecting tooth on the tablet ar
As an alternative to the foregoing I pivot the locking catch on a separate brack

page_text: above the bellows as it is pressed forward by the bellows it unlocks the tablet arm and
also tilts it over, or I may support the tablets on a separate horizontal rod and hinge
the locking and tilting catch on the bell arm rod, in this case the rod supporting the
tablets serves to replace them, or I may attach the locking catch and tilting arm
to the bellows and thus obtain a direct action.
1
arrange a switch to work in connection with Pneumatic Bells so that two or more
Bells, in different places, may be rung from the one push, or pull. I fit a coned plug
into a socket with holes and grooves in the plug and corresponding holes and tube
connections in the socket, so that communication may be made from one central tube
to either of the other tubes, and the tubes may be connected across, as indicated by a
pointer.
Dated this ou 1

page_text: Pneumatic Bells and Signals.
HENRY FRANCIS JOEL of 44, Lavender Grove, Dalston London in the County of
Middlesex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:-
My invention relates to improvements in Pneumatic Bells and Signals, and the 5
pushes, pulls, Switches, Bells and Indicators appertaining thereto - make an air
holder H. Fig. 1. for use with push buttons or pulls of a special rounded conical
shape, so that when the plunger P is pushed only a short way, it causes the front of
the air holder H. to double inside upon itself as shown by the dotted lines, and thus
to force the air out of the greater portion of the holder, the continued pressure on
When the pressure
the plunger becomes easier and keeps the air holder compressed.
is released the elasticity of the air holder itself, or a spring inside causes it to assume
its original form. I make an annular shaped air holder to answer a like purpose,
and I accommodate the plunger P or compressing plate, to the special shape of these
air holders.
I make the receiving bellows B. Fig. 2. also of a special shape, so that a small
volume of air is sufficient to distend it fully, as shown in dotted lines, this I do by
making a double fold, one fold being inside the other, this allows the full expansion
and full surface whilst the capacity is reduced to a minimum.
I make the attachments of the air holders H, and receiving bellows B, to the
boxes and connecting tubes, by means of screwed nozzles N, see Fig. 1 and 2, with
thin nuts, the inside face of the nut or washers of the air holder H. Fig. 1. is raised
by ridges or points to prevent its suction when compressed.
I make a special point of being able to easily remove both or either of the air
holders and bellows, and to replace by fresh ones.
The mechanism of the Bell is of special design Fig. 3. When the Bellows B is
expanded, it lifts a curved arm A which is free to turn on a centre shaft (a), at one
end below the bellows, a short lever arm L is fixed to the shaft (a) and is connected
by a long link K. to a segmental shaped piece S, pivoted at (s) and by means of a
pin P gears against and moves a peculiar shaped toothed segment T, which is centered
at (t) a little below the proper centre of the segment S, the teeth of this segment
piece T, are struck from the centre (s) of the segment S and gear into and turn a
pinion (w) an additional tooth wheel W and pinion (d) are used to increase the
motion, and on the axis of the pinion (d) a double fly hammer is fixed which revolves
and strikes the Bell.-The return of the bellows and the back movement of the
segment S, with its pin P, disengages the tooth segment T, from the pinion (w), and
the segment T, now moves and returns on its own centre (t). As the segment S
continues to return, the centre of the segmental toothed piece T is drawn down and
away from the pinion (w) the teeth of the segment are thus one by one continuously

page_text: drawn back and disengaged from the pinion until its return to its position of rest
ready for further action. For long distance signalling and for quick ringing, I attach
a spring 0, to the pinion d, (shown in dotted lines) and to the hammer arins, in such a
manner that the first movement of the segment T, and intermediate tooth gearing,
pinion w, and wheel W, absorbed by the spring O, and instantly afterwards given
out again, to cause the hammers to revolve and to strike the bell or gong, or I cause
the segment to wind up a spring which upon the return of the segment becomes free
and causes the bell to ring.
I modify this movement and use a rack and pinion in place of the segment and
Opinion. The rack is first pressed up to and geared into the pinion by a roller arm, or
two such arms and the continued movement thus forces the rack to rise and turn the
gearing as before described, on the return stroke it is at once disengaged and falls
into its normal position.
I provide a simple stop E or hinge to the circular bellows see Fig. 4 to convert it
at will to a hinged bellows, as shown on dotted lines, so that it may move out on one
side only. I find this a great advantage for quick signalling.
I arrange an improved and simplified Indicating tablet or a number of such
tablets, with one bell action common to all, see Fig. 3, each tablet R has its own
expanding bellows B connected to say separate rooms and I fix these bellows in a row
or series of rows inside a suitable case C.-On a circular and horizontal shaft or
spindle (a) pivotted at each side of the case and placed in front of the bellows, I fix
curved arms A, described in reference to the bell action, with their tail ends resting on
the bellows B, the expanding of any one of the bellows causes the bell to ring. The
indicating tablet R. with the name of the room attached to its face is pivotted on the
same horizontal shaft (a) as the bell actuating arms and by the side of one of such
arms, or of each of the Bell arms an extension of the tablet R arm rests on or near
the bellows in such a manner that the expansion of the bellows causes the tablet
arms R to move forward, and at a pre-arranged time to tilt over and with its tablet
to appear at an opening in the front of the Indicator case, at the same time that the
Bell rings, thus attracting attention and indicating which room has signalled, any
one or more of the indicating tablets may appear at the same time and they are
re-set out of sight by a wire F which is hinged by two short arms, or links, on the
ends of the rod U and which forms the stop or rest for the tablets when they fall, as
shown in dotted lines. The blow given by the indicating tablet arm when it is tilted
over on to the wire, F, may be made to give an audible sound and thus dispense with
or aid the bell.
In combination with the tablet arm I fix a locking catch J, so that each indicator
tablet is locked in position independently of all other tablets. A paul or trip catch J
is pivotted to the side of the tablet arm R with a tail end J¹ resting on or near the
bellows B. On the hub of the bell actuating arm, or on the horizontal rod, is a
single projecting tooth (m) the trip catch J when in a position of rest falls behind
this projection (m) and thus locks the tablet R, the expansion of the bellows B first
lifts the trip catch J out of gear with the projecting tooth (m) and the tail end J¹ as
t moves, keeps it out of gear, and then causes the tablet R to appear as before
described. I may reverse this arrangement and fix the catch piece on the bell arm,
and the projecting tooth on the tablet arm.-As an alternative to the foregoing I pivot
he locking catch on a seperate bracket above the bellows, as it is pressed forward by
he bellows, it unlocks the tablet arm and also tilts it over, or I may support the
ablets on a seperate horizontal shaft (e) see Fig. 4, and hinge the locking and tilting
atch J on the bell arm shaft (a).-In this case the rod supporting the tablets,
erves to replace them, and a pin on the arm catches under a projection and tilts the
ablet R into view, as shown in dotted lines, or I may attach the locking catch and
iting arm to the bellows and thus obtain a direct action.-I arrange a switch,
ee Fig. 5 to work in connection with Pneumatic Bells so that two or more bells C₁, C,
different places, may be rung from the one push or pull.-I fit a coned plug U
to a socket X with holes (f) and grooves (d) in the plug and corresponding holes
nd tube connections in the socket, so that communication may be made from one

page_text: central push P¹ to either of the bells G₁ and G2 and the tubes may be connected
across and indicated by a pointer. In Fig. 5 the push P¹ is connected to the bell G 2.
and the push P 2. to the Bell G¹ by turning the plug U partly round, the P¹ is
connected to the bell Gand the push P³ is now connected to the Bell G2 with holes f',
and groove d', as shown in dotted lines.
my
said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The peculiar shaped air holder H substantially as shewn and described in
reference to Fig. 1.
2nd. The double Bellows B substantially as shewn and described reference to
Fig. 2.
3rd. The Bell action substantially as shewn and described in Fig. 3.
4th. The Indicator or Tablet action and locking arrangement substantially as
therein shewn and described in reference to Fig. 3.
5th. The Indicator or Tablet action and locking arrangement substantially as
shewn and described in reference to Fig. 4.
6th. The combination of either of the indicator actions Fig. 3 and 4, with the bell
action substantially as shewn and described in reference to Fig. 3.
7th. The Pneumatic Switch substantially as shewn and described in reference to
Fig. 5.
noted this 22nd day of June 1888.
TART