Improved Means for Operating Electric Bells for Signalling and other Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Operating Electric Bells for Signalling and
other Purposes.
FREDERICK KING and WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM both of the Western
Electrical Works in the City and County of Bristol Electrical Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to afford means for giving signals by electric bells.
This we accomplish by using a set of tuned bells which are struck by hammers
actuated by the electric current. We employ an automatic contact maker by
turning the handle of which the current is transmitted to the bells. A drum is
rotated by the handle upon which drum are pins which touch in turn contacts in a
certain order and cause the bells to sound accordingly, thus we may have bells
tuned to the Westminster or other chimes or even airs and the contacts touched by
the pins in the necessary order or we may vary the chime or air by varying the
order in which the contacts are touched and by the number of bells and contacts
employed.
Dated this 16th dox of June 1801
FREDERICK KING.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Operating Electric Bells for Signalling and
other Purposes.
We, FREDERICK KING and WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM, both of
the Western Electrical Works, Bristol, Electrical Engineers, 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:-
Our invention relates to new or improved appliances for actuating any number
of bells by electricity, whereby chimes and tunes may be played or any pre-
arranged signals given by mechanically turning a drum or barrel, on which pins
are placed in such positions as to come in contact with a series of keys, springs,
levers, or other means for transmitting the electric current, in proper order and at
the required intervals.
The usual method at present employed in giving electric bell signals, is to vary
the number of strokes according to the message to be conveyed, but this practice is
not always reliable, as the persons for whom a signal is intended, may not hear the
first strokes, and therefore would misapprehend its meaning; by our invention a
number of signals can be arranged on the drum in such manner that any part of
the signal would be understood; and as our appliances can be operated by turning
a handle or other simple contrivance, such as clock-work or an electro-motor, a
series of unmistakable siguals can be transmitted, and chimes or tunes played on
the bells without the intervention of a skilled operator.
To carry our invention into effect, we provide a number of bells, which may be
tuned according to any musical intervals, and arranged on brackets, pedestals, or
the like, in any convenient form, so that the hammers may strike them when
actuated by the electric current; the electro-magnet of each bell is then connected
by a wire to a terminal of our new appliance; or church bells may have hammers
and electro-magnets attached to them, and the wires connected to the terminals;
we then provide a drum or barrel of any suitable size, and on its periphery we

page_text: insert a number of pins, in a similar manner to that adopted for musical boxes and
piano-organs; these pins are placed in rows, so that as the drum is rotated, each
pin will press a key, spring, or other contrivance, and complete the circuit to the
electro-magnet of the bell as already described; the pins are set at the required
distances from each other to give signals or play chimes and tunes as may be
desired; the drum is mounted on a shaft, and a toothed wheel attached near one
side, the shaft being set in standards, and a pinion at the end of a spindle engages
in the toothed wheel, the outer end of the spindle having a handle attached by
which the drum is rotated, unless other mechanical means, such as clock-work or
electricity, are employed; the shaft on which the drum and toothed wheel are
turned, is continued to the outside of the frame in which the mechanism is enclosed,
and an index or pointer fitted thereon, so that a person turning the handle will see
when the drum has made one revolution and completed the signal or tune.
On a
block in front of the drum we arrange a series of metal springs, keys, or levers,
which are connected to the terminals by wires, and as the pins on the drum
touch these springs, they complete the current to the respective bells, which
give the signals or play the tunes according to the arrangement of the pins on
the drum.
r
Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. I is a front view of our appliance, and
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, one or two parts being broken to show the
various details.
The same letters indicate the same parts in both figures.
A is the drum in which the pins a are inserted, B a toothed wheel fixed by the
side of the drum on the shaft C, c is a spindle or continuation of the shaft, which
projects through the outer case to hold the index f, D are the standards in which
the shaft is set, E is a spindle having a handle F at one end, and at the other end
a pinion e which engages in and rotates the toothed wheel B, G are the springs set
on the block H, which are regulated by set screws so that the pins will easily press
and release them, the springs are connected by wires to the terminals I, and the
wires are conveyed to the bells which may be fixed at any distance from the
drum; K is a stand or slab on which the appliance is mounted, and the dotted
lines L indicate a casing which covers the whole mechanism, except the terminals
which are left outside for convenience in attaching the wires, and the handle and a
index, which operate through openings left in one side of the case. The various
parts being provided as described, it will be easily seen that by turning the
spindle E and the pinion e, either by the handle For any other means, the
drum A will be revolved and the pins a touch the springs G in the prescribed
order, and a series of electric currents be transmitted thereby to the respective
bells.
In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the pins on the drum and the terminals are arranged
for four bells, but this number may be decreased, or may be increased to any
extent, the drum being lengthened accordingly; and between the lines as shown
around the drum, other lines of pins may be inserted, so that each drum may
contain several sets of signals, chimes, or tunes, with the addition of shifting
apparatus as used on musical boxes.
Instead of the contact being made by the pins touching the springs as described,
the springs may be brought to meet other springs placed near them, or levers may
be used for obtaining a more powerful contact, or various other well known means
may be employed; the important feature of our invention being a mechanical
communication from the pins on the drum to the wires and bells.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The construction of appliances whereby signals, tunes, chimes, and the like,
5

page_text: may be transmitted by electric currents to bells at a distance, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and set forth in the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement of pins and the like on revolving drums and the adjustment
of springs or levers in such a manner that instant communication is established
with a number of bells or other sounding instruments at a distance when the pins
and springs or levers come into contact, the same being actuated by mechanical.
means, substantially as herein set forth and described.
Dated this 13th day of February 1892
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent..