IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL BELLS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Nichols, of Talke, near Lawton, in the
County of Chester, Colliery Manager, and James Parr, of the same
Place, Blacksmith,. for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL
BELLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Nichols and
James Parr at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th February 1869.
We, THOMAS NICHOLS, of Talke, near Lawton, in the County of
Chester, Colliery Manager, and JAMES PARR, of the same Place,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL BELLS," to be as follows:―
The improvements consist in making signal bells for collieries and
for other purposes with a tumbler catch acting on the striker or hammer,
and in making the bell or apparatus for giving forth sound of metal,
in the shape of a fork or n-shaped.

page_text: To
The improvements may be effected by constructing a case of metal
or other convenient material somewhat like a clock case, having dis-
tance pins and centre rods between the sides, to or on which may
be conveniently attached the tumbler catch, which may be made of
metal, and also the striker or hammer connected with or acted on by
a spring, both of metal, and the fork or shaped bell or sound emitter,
which may be made of metal, but preferably of steel, and furnished
with suitable india-rubber buffers to prevent its over vibration.
the pin or rod on which the tumbler catch works is affixed preferably
on the outside of the case a crank or lever working in a guard or
guide, the one end of such crank being furnished with a suitable
recoil or counter spring for drawing it and the tumbler catch back
to their starting position when displaced by the action of ringing tho
bell, which action may be conveniently performed by means of a wire,
cord, or rope attached to the other end of the said crank or lever, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Nichols and James Parr in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
NICHOLS, of Talke, near Lawton, in the County of Chester, Colliery
Manager, and JAMES PARR, of the same Place, Blacksmith, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Tliomas Nichols and James Parr, Her
special licence that we, the said Thomas Nichols and James Parr, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Thomas Nichols and James Parr, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL BELLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Nichols and James Parr,

page_text: our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Nichols and James Parr,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
The improvements consist in making signal bells for collieries and
for other purposes with a tumbler catch acting on the striker or hammer,
and in making the bell (or apparatus for giving forth sound) of metal in
the shape of a fork or n-shaped (that is to say U inverted or otherwise).
The improvements may be effected by constructing a case of metal
or other convenient material somewhat like a clock case, having distance
pins and centre rods or pins between the sides, to or on which may
be conveniently attached the tumbler catch, which may be made of
metal, and also the striker or hammer connected with or acted on
by a spring, both of metal, and the fork or n shaped bell or sound
emitter, which may be made of metal, but preferably of steel, and
furnished with suitable india-rubber buffers to prevent its over vibration.
To the pin or spindle carrying the tumbler catch is affixed preferably
on the outside of the case a crank or lever working in a guard or
guide, the one end of such crank being furnished with a suitable recoil
or counter spring for drawing it and the tumbler catch back to the
starting position when displaced by the action of ringing the bell,
which action may be conveniently performed by means of a wire, cord,
or rope attached to the other end of the said crank or lever.
The accompanying Drawing is furnished as illustrative of the con-
struction, which may however be varied at pleasure within the limits
of the Invention, as above defined. Figure 1 is an external elevation
of one side of the complete apparatus; Figure 2 an edge view or end
elevation, and Figure 3 an elevation with the front plate of the case
and the parts in front of same removed the more particularly to explain
the form and action of the tumbler catch. The several Figures are
drawn to a scale of one-half of the full lineal dimensions of an apparatus
of size suitable for general use for colliery signals.

page_text: a and
are the front and back plates respectively of the case;
c, c, c, c, are connecting distance pins between the plates. On one of
these pins is placed the steel hammer spring d, one end of which bears
or stops against another of the said pins, and the other end presses upon
the hammer e which is placed on a centre pin or axis at supported
by the plates a, b. The lower or non-striking end of the hammer has
a stop hinge joint to obtain a more perfect action of the tumbler catch g
which acts against it, but the hinge joint may be omitted where so
perfect an action is not desired. The tumbler catch 9 is supported
by bearings or in holes in the plates a, b, and its spindle or axis g* is
prolonged in front of the plate a for receiving at its end the lever h
affixed thereon for giving the motion by pulling by means of an attached
wire or cord or rope. i is the coil spring for returning the parts to the
starting position, which is that represented by the Figures; k is the
improved sound emitter or bell of the form of a musical tuning fork,
or like the letter U but inverted, but it is to be understood that the
parts may be so disposed that the inverted may be changed for some
other position. The bell is fixed at the bend to the back plate b, and
one of its arms lies against india-rubber buffing cushions or coverings
placed over two of the pins c to prevent over vibration, the other arm
lying free to receive the strokes of the hammer. m is a guard or guide
for the movement of a lever h. The action of the tumbler and other
moving parts will be readily understood from an inspection of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Nichols and James
Parr, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day
of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine