Improved Table or Desk or like Bells or Gongs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Table or Desk or like Bells or Gongs.
I HAROLD HERON HOSACK of The Lawn, Freshfield, Formby in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to table, desk, or like bells or gongs, that is those kinds of
bells or gongs which are supported on stands and self contained, and used to call
attention under various conditions in private houses, restaurants, cafés, offices, and
the like.
According to this invention a bell or gong consists of a stand or pedestal; a bar
or rod of steel, copper, brass, or other suitable metal or alloy bent or twisted into a
volute or helical form (preferably the former) and supported by said stand or pedestal
and which when struck emits sound; and a device adapted to be used as a striker and
fixed to the stud or supported on or in connection with same.
In one arrangement the volute or helical coiled bar is held by the stand or frame
with the convolutions lying in the vertical plane, and in another arrangement the
convolutions are arranged to lie in the horizontal plane, or at an angle thereto. In
these arrangements the attachment of the stand or support and the coiled bar is
according to one mode made by connecting the inner end of the bar to the stand or
support, and in another mode the outer end of the bar is connected to said stand or
support.
One form of volute coil is made with the convolutions lying in the same plane,
whilst in another form the convolutions are arranged lying outside each other
constituting a conical volute; and these forms are arranged either in the vertical
plane or in the horizon plane, or at an inclination thereto; in either case the inner or
the outer end being connected or attached to the stand or support.
The free end of the volute or helical sounding bar may be turned in a shorter coil
to constitute an ornamental finish to the terminal of it, or the same effect may be
produced by providing a floral or other object on the end thereof. The fixed end
may also be provided a like finish.
The connection of the sounding bar is in one case at or near the base or bottom of
the base or stand, and is supported directly thereby, or in another arrangement it is
supported by an upright or standard, the connection therewith being at the side,
centre, or above it.
The striker when secured directly to the bell or gong may be either mounted on
the base or the standard, and the striking end is provided with leather or other
equivalent comparatively soft material when it is required to obtain a very soft or
mellow tone or note from the sounding bar.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of February 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Table or Desk or like Bells or Gongs.
I, HAROLD HERON HOSACK, of The Lawn, Freshfield, Formby, Lancashire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner. the
same is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates chiefly to table or desk, hall or like bells or gongs, that is
those kinds of bells or gongs which are supported on stands and self contained, and
used to call attention under various conditions in private houses, Restaurants, Cafés,
Hotels, Offices and the like.

page_text: According to this invention a bell or gong consists of a stand or pedestal; a bar or
rod of steel, copper, brass, or other suitable metal or alloy, bent or twisted into a
helical, volute or zig-zag form, and supported by said stand or pedestal and which
when struck emits sound; and a device adapted to be used as a striker and fixed to
the stand or supported on or in connection with same.
In one arrangement, the volute or helical coiled bar is held by, the stand or frame
with the convolutions lying in the vertical plane; and in another arrangement the
convolutions are arranged to lie in the horizontal plane, or at an angle thereto. In
these arrangements the attachment of the stand or support and the coiled bar, is
according to one mode made by connecting the inner end of the coiled bar to the
stand or support, and in another mode the outer end of the bar is connected to said
stand or support.
One form of coil is made with the convolutions lying in the same plane, whilst in
another form the convolutions are arranged lying outside each other constituting a
conical volute; and these forms are arranged either in the vertical plane or in the
horizontal plane, or at an inclination thereto, the inner or the outer end of the coil
being in either case attached or connected to the stand or support.
The free end of a coiled or helical sounding bar may be turned in a shorter coil to
constitute an ornamental finish to the terminal of it, or the same effect may be pro-
duced by providing a floral or other object on the end thereof. The fixed end may also
be provided with a like finish.
The connection of the sounding bar is, in one arrangement, at or near the bottom or
base of the stand, and supported directly thereby; or in another arrangement it is
supported by an upright standard, the connection therewith being at the side, centre,
or above.
The striker when secured directly to the bell or gong may be either mounted to the
base or the standard, and the striking end is provided with leather or other equivalent
comparatively soft material when it is required to obtain a very soft mellow tone or
note from the sounding bar.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention I show several kinds or
modifications of bells and gongs, and these I will now describe by their aid the
nature of the invention will be more clearly and fully understood.
:
The drawings are marked with letters and figures of reference corresponding with
those used in the following explanation of them, the same letters being used to denote
the same or like parts wherever they occur in the various figures.
Figures 1 to 6 inclusive illustrate gongs or bells in which the striking device is fixed
to and forms an integral part of such gong or bell, and which are more suitable for
table, desk or like use; whilst in Figures 7, 74, 8, 84, are shown two forms of gongs
adapted for use as Hall gongs and the like; that is for cases in which a large volume
of sound is required to be emitted.
Throughout the figures, the stand or pedestal is designated a, the sounding bar b,
and the striker c.
Before describing in detail the particular features of each of the kinds of gongs or
bells illustrated, it would be convenient to state here that in all cases the striker head
should be arranged to strike the sounding bar at a point not far from the point of
fixture and support of such bar. It will be seen upon reference to the figures that
this arrangement has been carried out in all the modifications of gongs having fixed
strikers; also it may be conveniently here stated that the face of the striker head
may be provided with a leather, cork, wood, or other comparatively soft,material let
into or otherwise suitably fixed in, or to said head. An example of a let-in tip of,
say, leather, is shown in detail in Figure 9, wherein c¹ designates the striker head
and the leather tip, let into a cavity or recess in it.
In the gong shown in Figure 1, the sounding bar b is a helically coiled one, the
outer end thereof being fixed directly to the pedestal a.
The striker c is of a bell
crank form and mounted at the bend or angle to the pedestal by a pin joint d. To
actuate the striker, the horizontal member of the bell crank (which may for con-
venience be called a trigger) is depressed by the finger and then released; the result

page_text: is the return action of the striker c-caused by the reaction of the spring e which had
been acted upon by the depression of the trigger, and by this action the head of the
striker comes into contact with the coil b and sound emitted. The normal position
of the striker head is that shown in the figure and it is maintained by a stop fagainst
which the metal of the angle of the bell crank comes in contact, and rests against ;
but the normal space between the tip of the striker and the bar b is traversed in action
by the striker head by its momentum. That is to say, when in action, the striker
device comes into contact with the stop f, the inertia of the head of the striker due to
its momentum causes the continued forward movement of the head until it strikes the
coil when it stops, and resumes the normal position: it will be observed the bar which
connects the striker head with the metal at the angle of the striker device is of small
section comparatively, and is made of springy material such as brass, alloy, or steel
or equivalent metal wire. This form of striking device is a known one.
The above particulars with respect to the construction and action of the striker
device obtain also with regard to the striker devices of the gongs or bells shown in
Figures 2 to 6 hereinafter described.
Figures 2 and 24 show in front and end elevations respectively, a gong in which
the sounding bar bis coiled in volute form and fixed at its inner end. This end is
held to the pedestal a by an upright standard a¹. Two triggers are provided in this
case, one on either side of the standard, and they are connected together by a loose
pin joint at their ends at h. A bow spring e common to both triggers serves to cause
the return or striking action of the striking device in this case.
In the bell or gong shown in Figure 3, the outer end of the coiled sounding bar b
is fixed to a standard a', above, and is consequently the inverse arrangement of that
shown in Figure 1, in which the outer end of the bar is fixed directly to the
pedestal a.
The gong or bell shown in Figure 4 is provided with a sounding bar of coiled
volute form the axis of the volute being vertically arranged. The striker c in this
example is the same as that set forth with reference to Figure 1.
In the gong or bell shown in Figures 5 and 54 in outside front elevation and
sectional end view respectively, the sounding bar 6 is enclosed in a case i. This case
is made of wood, and the bar b is supported and held by a metallic standard a fixed to
the pedestal a. The striker in this example consists of a lever having its fulcrum in
the middle and is supported by a bracket ca fixed to the roof of the case i.
The short end of the striker lever is operated by a rod et which passes through the
roof of the case i. In action the knob on the upper end of the bar c is pressed down
and then released, whereupon the striker 'head c¹ falls by gravity (it being made
sufficiently heavy) and strikes the bar b.
The case i serves to render the sound emitted more mellow, and also to propogate
the sound.
In Figure 6 is shown a gong in which the sounding bar is held by a metallic
ring a' at k, the striking arrangement being the same as that described with reference
to Figures 5 and 5ª. The bar 6 in this case may also be enclosed, as in Figures 5
and 5, by providing discs at each side and connecting them to the edge of the
ring a¹.
With reference now to Figures 7 and 7ª, there is shown in these Figures in front
elevation and end view respectively, a gong in which the striking device c does not
form an integral part thereof, it being merely hung or loosely supported on or by it.
In the figure it is shown hung by a loop to a hook ; and it consists of a handle
with a striking ball c¹ at the end, similar to that used by an ordinary disc gong.
In this example the outer end of the coiled bar b is held by and fixed to the end of
an arm a formed on the upright standard a¹.
The gong shown in Figures 8 and 8ª, in front elevation and end view respectively,
is similar to that shown in Figures 7 and 74, except that two standards a¹ are
employed, and the bar 6 is disposed between them, the standards being connected
together by a cross bar a at the top and bottom. The bar 6 is fixed to the upper
of these,

page_text: To sound the type of gongs shown in Figures 7 and 74, and 8 and 8^, they should
be struck at about the same point relatively to their point of support and fixture as
specified with reference to Figure 1.
The strength and size of the sounding bars will of course vary in accordance with
the degree and volume of sound required. As far as present experience shows,
pleasant tones may be obtained from bars varying in area in the cross section between
one sixteenth of an inch and one inch.
In all cases the bars b should be fixed in their holding base or standard firmly and
rigidly, in order to obtain good tones or notes.
Where otherwise not stated to the contrary, the parts of the bells or gongs are
made of metal of any suitable kind; the sounding bar 6 being made of steel or other
good sonorous metal or alloy having a suitable strength.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that the forms and arrangement of the bar 6 are not to be strictly confined to those
herein set forth, neither are the forms of strikers and pedestals or their relative
dispositions and modes of operation and construction; but what is claimed in respect
of the herein described invention is :-
1. The herein described construction of gongs or bells of the kind hereinbefore
referred to, that is to say, gongs or bells comprising a sounding bar and a pedestal or
base to which said bar is fixed, said bar being adapted to be struck by a suitable
striking device.
2. In a gong or bell of the kind hereinbefore referred to, the combination of a
pedestal or base; a sounding bar, fixed on or connected to said pedestal or base; and
a striking device fixed on said pedestal or base or part connected therewith and
adapted to strike said sounding bar: also, the combination of said parts, substantially
as set forth with reference to the gongs or bells described under Figures 1 to 6 of the
Drawings.
3. A gong for purposes such as described, consisting of a coiled sounding bar fixed
to and supported by a pedestal or base, or standard, and in which the sounding bar is
adapted to be struck and sounded by a suitable detached striking device; substantially
as described; also the construction of such gongs set forth with reference to
Figures 7, 74, 8 and 8ª of the drawings.
Dated this 31st day of December 1889.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Agent.