Improvements in Musical Instruments or Chiming Apparatus in which Tubular Bells are Employed.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept.. 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Instruments or Chiming Apparatus in
which Tubular Bells are Employed.
I, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
-
'
In musical instruments or chiming apparatus in which tubular bells are employed,
the vibration of the tubes continues so long after each tube is struck as to cause a
confused or commingled sound of the different tube bells.
For the purpose of curing this defect I, according to my invention, employ
damping apparatus in combination with the tubular bells."
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a damper having a surface of thick
felt or other suitable material and mounted on a pin joint at one end of a damper
lever, the other end of which is connected by cord or other suitable material to the
lever operating the hammer or to other suitable moving part of the apparatus. The
damper lever is mounted on a stud or axis carried by a bracket, which is also fitted with
a spring which acts to keep the damper raised from, contact with the tubular bell
at the moment when the bell is struck by the hammer, but which, immediately after
the hammer has acted, and on its return motion, is overcome, so as to cause the
damper to be applied to its tubular bell.
Other suitable construction of damping apparatus may however be employed.
1000
JOHN
HARRINGTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Instruments or Chiming Apparatus in
which Tubular Bells are Employed.
J, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
.
In musical instruments or chiming apparatus in which tubular bells are employed,
the vibration of the tubular bells continues so long after each tube is struck as to
cause a confused or commingled sound of the different tubular bells.
For the purpose of curing this defect I employ damping apparatus in combination
with the tubular bells.
In carrying my present invention into effect, I employ a damper having a surface
of thick felt, vulcanized rubber, or other suitable material, and mounted on a pin
joint at one end of a damper lever, the other end of which is connected by cord or
other suitable material to the lever operating the hammer, or it is operated by other
suitable moving part of the apparatus.
And in order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to
deseribe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation representing a single tubular bell and its accom-
panying damping apparatus constructed according to my present improvements, and
Figure 2 is an elevation of parts of the same as seen at right angles to figuro 1.

page_text: Figure 3 is a sectional elevation and Figure 4 is an elevation seen at right angles
to figure 3, of some of the parts shown in figures 1 and 2, drawn to a larger scale.
Figures 5 and 6 are two elevations drawn at right angles to each other showing a
slight modification in the method of operating the damping mechanism, and Figure 7
is a sectional.elevation, and Figure 8 is an elevation, of some of the parts shown at
figures 5 and 6, drawn to a larger scale.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a represents one of my plugged tubular bells, which is constructed and suspended
in the manner now well known. is the hammer, the lever b' of which is mounted
on an axis 2 carried by a stout heam c, and the hammer bis caused to strike the
tubular bell a by means of a rope d connected to one arm e¹ of a crank lever, the
other arm e² of which is connected by a cord f to the hammer b. On the blow being
struck, the hammer lever comes against a spring g, which assists to return the
hammer to its normal position.
of
According to my present improvements 1 employ a damper h, provided with a
surface of thick felt, vulcanized india rubber, or other suitable material; this
damper is swivelled at the end of one arm i of a crank lever mounted on an axis of
motion. According to the arrangement shown at figures 1 to 4, the other arm
this crank lever normally rests in contact with the upper end of the spring g, and
the damper is raised from the bell a, on the forward motion of the hammer, by the
hammer lever & striking against the spring g, and thereby moving it, and consequently
the arm of the crank lever, towards the bell a, which motion raises the damper / from
the tubular bell, and permits the latter to give its full sound on being struck; then,
on the return of the hammer b to its normal position, the damper will again fall on
to the tubular bell and stop its vibration; is a weight to partially counterbalance
the weight of the damper b, and thereby facilitate its action.
In the arrangement of damping apparatus represented at figures 5 to 8, the
direction of the arm of the crank lever is reversed and its upper end is connected
by a cord to the arme of the crank lever, to the other arm of which the rope d is
connected.
In this latter arrangement the hammer b, when in its normal position, acts by the
cords f,j, to keep the damper on the end of the tubular bell a, but on the hammer
moving forward to strike the bell, the cord f becomes slackened and the weight₁₂³
then acts on the crank lever i, i to raise the damper off the bell a, but immediately
on the hammer returning to its position of rest, the damper is again caused to rest
upon the upper end of the hell a, and thereby to stop its vibration.
I would here remark that the method of applying and operating the damper may
be otherwise arranged without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
In tubular bells for musical instruments or chiming apparatus, the combination
therewith of a damper, which is removed from the tubular bell on the forward motion
of the hammer lever, and is applied thereto on the return motion of the hammer,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1800
JOHN HARRINGTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.