Improved Construction of Mechanism for Direct-thrust Continuous- beat Alarm, Call, or Signal Bells.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improved Construction of Mechanism for Direct-thrust Continuous-
beat Alarm, Call, or Signal Bells.
I, FRANCIS JOSEPH JAMES GIBBONS, of St John's Works, Church Lane, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows.-
-
The present invention relates to an improved construction of mechanism for
direct-thrust continuous-beat alarm, call, or signal bells, and the main objects
of it are to enable auch bells to be operated by a direct-thrust by foot, or other
power independent of the hands and to produce continuous or repeated beats or
soundings during and for an appreciable time after the initial actuating power
has been released; the chief purposes for which it is contemplated employing it
being for trams, fire engines, and other public vehicles, but it is to be understood
that my invention is also applicable to other call, alarm, or signal bells,
gongs and the like, such for instance as table bells, shop bells,
door bells and although as above stated the primary intention is that it
shall be operated by foot power in order to leave the hands free when such 18
desirable, nevertheless it is only necessary to fix it in a different position, say,
vertical instead of horizontal when it is at once rendered applicable for use by
the hand as an ordinary press-button
According to my invention the bell, gong or other substituted sonorous body
18 mounted igidly upon a suitable base, and within or behind this sonorous
body is arranged all the following mechanism, namely -
In the base and preferably central as regards the gong or other sonorous body,
is fixed an internally-screw-threaded nut and sciewing into the said fixed nut
is a correspondingly screw-threaded rod or plunge, the other end of which
projects somewhat above the base and 18 or may be surmounted by a knob or
press-piece, and between this press-piece and the aforesaid fixed nut is a spiral
or other sping to raise and normally keep raised the said press-piece Beneath
the lower end of the saad plunger and fitting loosely in a casing, which latter is
also made fast to the base, is a loose internally screw-threaded nut, the top of
which is plain, but the bottom is provided with ratchet teeth; and again beneath
the said loose nut and enclosed by the same case is a second loose nut, this latter
nut having one tooth or projection upon its top surface, and the said nut is also
provided at its top end with a flange beneath which and the bottom inwardly-
turned flange of the case containing it are balls for bearings The loose nut
in question has no screw-thread but is quite plain internally To the lower end
of this loose nut are fixed arms or levers cariying at their outer extremities
loose hammers with which the bell 18 stiuck; they just cleaning the internal
periphery at the edge of the bell, but within reach of a boss fixed at one point
thereon.

page_text: ed or
One part of the aforesaid screw-threaded plunger is oppositely groove
theaded to the other, but the upper pait may in some cases be quite plain
Dated the 24th day of December 1898
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant
Improved Construction of Mechanism for Direct-thrust Continuous-
beat Alarm, Call, or Signal Bells
I, FRANCIS JOSEPH JAMES GIBBONS, of St. John's Works, Church Lane, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
-
The present invention relates to an improved construction of mechanism for
direct-thrust continuous-beat alarm, call, or signal bells, and the main objects
of it are to enable such bells to be operated by a direct-thrust by foot or other
power independent of the hands and to produce continuous or repeated beats or
soundings during the initial actuating power and for a appreciable time after
the power has been released The chief purposes for which it is contemplated
employing these bells are as alarms on tiams, fire engines and manuals, and other
public vehicles, but it is to be understood that my invention is also applicable to
other call, alarm or agnal bells, gongs, and the like, such for instance as table-
bells, shop bells, dooi bells, and although, as above stated, the pimaiy intention 16
that it shall be operated by foot power in order to leave the hands free when such is
desirable, nevertheless it is only necessary to fix it in a different position, say,
vertical instead of horizontal or nearly so, when it is at once rendered applicable
for use by the hand as an ordinary piess-button
The following is a full description of my invention reference being had to the
accompanying drawings illustrating same, and in which.-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the bell and case as fitted up ready for use
and in the position most suitable for operating by the foot, the section being taken
on a vertical plane passing through the centre.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1
Figure 3 is an elevation of the night and left handed screw-threaded plunger
detached
Figure 4 represents the driving nut in plan and elevation respectively.
Figure 5 represents the driven nut detached in elevation and plan respectively.
Like reference letters denote the same parts throughout.
According to my invention the bell, gong or other substituted sonorous body a
18 mounted rigidly upon a suitable base b, this may be conveniently effected by
means of the bracket-straps and bolts and nuts c, c¹, ca Within or behind this
sonorous body is arranged the following mechanism, namely:-
In the base b and preferably central as regards the gong or other sonorous
body, is fixed an internally screw-threaded nut d and screwing into the said
fixed nut is one end e of a correspondingly screw-threaded rod or plunger, the
said end e projecting as shown in Figure 1 somewhat above the base b, and is
or may be surmounted by a knob or press-piece f, and between this press-piece
and the aforesaid fixed nut d 18 a spring 9 preferably of spiral form as shewn,
tending constantly to raise and keep raised the said press-piece The lower
end of the said plunger is screw-threaded in the opposite direction, and fitting
loosely in a casing & made fast to the base 6 is a loose internally screw-threaded
t

page_text: nut h, the top or one end 2 of which is plain, but the bottom or other end 18
provided with ratchet teeth 3, this nut engaging with the end et of the plunger;
and beneath the said loose nut and enclosed by the same case h is a second 100se
nut h, this latter nut having but one or two teeth or projections
upon its top
or end surface, the said nut being also provided at its top end with a flange 7
beneath which and the bottom inwardly-turned flange of the case containing it
are bearing-balls m.
The loose nut A has no screw-thread internally that is on the part inside the
casing h, but to the lower end of it are fixed arins on levers n carrying at their
outer extremities hammers o pivoted to the said arms at p³, with which the
bell is struck, the said hammeis just clearing the internal periphery at the edge
of the bell but within reach of bosses q fixed thereon
-
Although the plunger is preferably provided with screw-threads e and e¹ set in
opposite directions, the threads e may be dispensed with; in which case the
plunger would not revolve but work straight up and down, being kept from
evolving by means of a groove and tongue or other suitable well-known means
of guiding and preventing rotation.
p and p are pins fixed one on each side of the hammer to the ends of the
hammer arms which ends are preferably formed as weights w.
These pins
are to limit the play of the hammers. p¹ prevents the hammer from getting into
such position that the line of force 18 at right angles to the arm n, which would
constitute dead points and lock the action. Without the peg or pin p¹ this
frequently happens 18 provided to prevent the hammer iebounding too far.
The two pegs therefore always keep the hammer in a good working position
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18
1 The combination with the fixed bell and rotatable arm bearing strikers
loosely pivoted at its extremities adapted to fly outwards by centrifugal force and
strike the bell, of the fixed screw-threaded socket, the right and left hand screw-
threaded plunge working in same, the loose soiew-threaded nut on lower end
of plunger, the teeth or projections on said nut, the socket fast to the revolving
hammer arm but loosely mounted in a bearing beneath the aforesaid loose nut
and one or more teeth or projections on the said socket adapted to engage with
the teeth on the loose nut, substantially as and for the purpose described and
Bet forth.
2. The combination with the fixed bell and rotatable aim bearing strikers
loosely pivoted at its extremities adapted to fly outwards by centrifugal force and
strike the bell, of the fixed screw-threaded socket, the screw-threaded plunger,
part of the said plunger having no thread, working in same, the loose sorew-
threaded nut on lower end of plunger, the teeth or projections on said nut, the
socket fast to the revolving hammer-arm but loosely mounted in a bearing
beneath the aforesaid loose nut and one or more teeth or projections on the
said socket adapted to engage with the teeth on the loose nut, substantially as
and for the purpose described and set forth.
Doted this 95th day of September 1800
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W C.,
Agents for the Applicant