Improvements in Electric Bells or Gongs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in Electric Bells or Gongs.
SAMUEL QUINCEY of 567 Seven Sisters Road South Tottenham London N.
Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A device whereby great impetus delivering a remarkably heavy blow to the
bell or gong is effected, these blows being given in the ordinary rapid manner or
extremely slow thereby bringing out the full & sweetest tone of the bell or gong
as the necessity requires. This movement is of the highest efficiency for bells
or gongs of all sizes from the smallest to the largest church bells.
In describing the rudiments of this invention I use a fixed electro or permanent
magnet or magnets operating in the effective field of same. I use a revolving or
semi-revolving armature itself forming an electro or permanent magnet or magnets
attached to which or geared to same is the hammer stem or stems carrying the
striking hammer or hammers.
I also use a frictional reversing or direct current switch of novel design being
two or more contact springs operating on platinum or other metal insulated rings.
This movement may be placed under the bell so as to be covered by the same or
may be mounted outside on the same frame as the bell or gong or on any
independent fixing.
This device is intended to convey to the hammer or hammers, single, double,
continuous, or alternate strokes, at the same time securing great length of travel
of the hammer or hammers.
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Improvements in Electric Bells or Gongs.
1, SAMUEL QUINCEY, of 567 Seven Sisters Road, South Tottenham, in the
County of London, Electrical Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to electric bells or gongs, and consists in the application
of electro-motors to such bells or gongs for the purpose of operating the hammers,
the striking of which upon the gongs produces the sounds, and in the construction
and arrangement of parts whereby I am enabled to obtain an exceptionally loud
and quickly repeated sound, either by the use of a rotating armature and
hammers, or by an armature and hammer which vibrate in a curved path; this
latter I call a semi-revolving armature.
The electro-motor and hammers may be fixed under the bell so as to be
covered by the same, or may be mounted outside on the same frame as the bell

page_text: Fig. 2 is a part plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a detail view.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of a motor having a semi-rotating armature and hammer.
Fig. 5 is an elevation (on an enlarged scale), of the reversing switch used in the
same.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a rotating armature and hammer disc.
Throughout this Specification like letters refer to similar parts, or parts fulfilling
like functions.
In the simple form shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is the gong supported by a
bracket B and attached to one end of it by a screw a. The other end of the
bracket is fixed in any convenient manner to the base C, to which latter is fixed at
a suitable and convenient point underneath the gong a horse-shoe electro-magnet D
having its double core d d vertically disposed and being wound with suitable coils d'.
Between the coils of this horse-shoe electro-magnet is formed in the base C a
bearing e in which steps a vertical spindle e, the bearing e2 for the upper end of
which is formed in an extension 61 of the bracket B. Upon this spindle is fixed a
saddle piece e into which are screwed the two depending cores of a second horse-
shoe electro-magnet E similar to D. The length of the saddle piece is such that
the two depending cores et of the electro-magnet E are the same distance apart as
the two cores d, of the electro-magnet. D. Fixed to and vibrating with the
spindle is the hammer stem f and to the outer end of this is fixed the hammer
head F.
To the upper end of the spindle e is fixed a commutator G consisting of a disc
of insulating material and two platinum or other contact rings gl, g² to which the
ends of the winding of the electro-magnet E are fixed. The ends of the winding
of the electro-magnet D are fixed to the terminals h, of the bell, which are
also connected to two insulated spring contacts i, ', that are carried by a support 2
mounted to turn about a centre ³, and are arranged to bear alternately upon the
contact rings g¹ and g². The double cores of each of the two electro magnets are
so arranged that their free ends or poles project towards each other, and are
located in planes that are normally at right angles to each other. The winding
of each electro-magnet is so arranged that the free ends of the corresponding core
form north and south poles. The polarity of the core of the magnet D remains
constant, but that of the magnet E is changed, the arrangement being such that
each pole of the fixed magnet first attracts one pole of the movable magnet, and
repels the other, and when the two magnet cores have been in this way brought
nearly into the same plane, the polarity of the movable magnet is changed, so
that the respective poles will operate in an opposite sense, as well understood.
In this way a rapid oscillatory motion is imparted to the magnet E, and attached
spindle e, commutator G and hammer F, whereby the latter is caused to forcibly
strike the gong A and produce a loud and unmistakeable sound. To change the
polarity of the core of the magnet E the commutator disc g carries a pin g³, that
acts alternately on the one and then on the other of the two spring contacts i and i¹,
so that at one time they bear respectively upon the contacts g', g², and at another
time upon the contacts 92, 9, and thereby alternately change the direction of the
current in the winding of maguet E. To prevent the contacts i, i, being left out of
connection with the contacts g', g², when the bell is cut out of circuit, there are
provided a locking lever K, having a shoulder at k to engage one corner of the
support and hold the spring contacts in one extreme position, and a spring k¹ that
is arranged in compression between the locking lever K and the opposite corner of

page_text: the pivoted support and acts to move the spring contacts into their other
extreme position when the locking lever is moved by the pin g³ to release the
said support i².
Where advisable I may arrange the winding in series, and in this case the current
would pass from the terminal h through the winding of the magnet D, thence to the
contact spring through the winding of the magnet E, and through the contact
spring to the other terminal h¹.
In some cases I substitute a permanent magnet for either of the electro magnets D
or E.
In the apparatus shewn in Figs. 4 and 5, the same principle is involved but the
detail arrangements are slightly different. D indicates the field magnets of an
electro-motor of the ordinary type having windings d' and cores d, the latter being
extended to form poles d* as shewn. El are the caps or ends of an armature
having two poles, and this armature is revoluble in bearings e¹ formed in brackets 61
the upper part of which may be bored and tapped for a screw or screws by means
of which the electro-motor may be attached to the underside of a bell or gong in
such manner that the hammer head which is fixed to the end of the shaft may
reach and touch the edges of the same as it vibrates upon and with the spindle e
upon which it is fixed. G is a commutator consisting of a disc g of insulating
naterial and two platinum or other contact rings g', to which the ends of the
winding of the armature E are fixed. The terminals h³, *, are connected to two
insulated spring contacts i, i, that are carried by an insulated support ; and these
spring contacts are each pivoted (at, ) in such manner as to cause each of their
upper ends to bear alternately upon the contact rings gl and 92 and are connected
Bo as to cause both to move together by the insulated link 7.
For the purpose of moving these contacts i and so as to secure an alternating
motion of the armature and hammer a lever K is employed which is pivoted at k*
to the support at a point intermediate between the points and . At the
upper end of this lever K is fixed a pin g³ which projects from both sides of it, and
to the outside end of which is fixed a weight g (which weight is not shewn in
Fig. 5. being omitted for the purpose of shewing the pin, spring and lever under it).
To the pin is hooked one end of a helical spring and the other end of this is
hooked to a pin or screw ko, which is screwed to the support 2. To the cap or
armature end E¹ are adjustably attached two stops m and m² arranged in such
manner that when the armature has made a given and desired portion of a rotation
upon and with its spindle e, one of these coines into contact with the ping³ upon the
upper end of the lever K and pushes this lever over moving it on its pivot k*
sufficiently far to ensure the pull of the spring k¹ causing it to move farther still
and to bring the pin g³ to bear upon one of the spring contacts i, i¹, and push the
two over until the two points are each in contact with a differeut ring gl and g²
than before, and thus secure a current through the armature magnet coils in an
opposite direction to that which was the case during the previous movement of the
armature and hammer stem. By this means the polarity of the armature magnet
is reversed at every vibration of the semi-rotating armature. As soon as the
lever K has been pushed over the slightest possible distance beyond the vertical
portion, the spring k¹ completes the movement in a sudden and instantaneous
manner, thus avoiding sparking and loss of current. This arrangement also prevents
the switch remaining in a dead position.
Fig. 6 shews an electro-motor which may be of any suitable description
arranged near one edge of a bell in such manner as to cause the hammer
beads F to strike it in the course of the rotation of the spindle e. Upon one
end of this spindle e is fixed a disc N which has two or more hammer stems
pivoted to it so as to swing freely upon the pivots n. The hammer heads F
being thrown outwards by the centrifugal force developed by their rotation upon
and with the spindle e, strike the edge of the bell and produce the required
sounds. nare stops placed to prevent the hammers falling too far forward.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An electric bell, the hammer or hammers of which is or are operated by an
electro-motor or electro-motors.
2. An electric bell the hammer of which is opesated by a vibrating or semi-
rotating electro-motor, and which has such hammerer hammers attached to the
spindle of the armuture, substantially as described and shewn.
3. An electric bell the han:mer or hammers of which is or are operated by a
rotating electro-motor and which has such hammer or hammers attached to the
spindle of the armature or to a disc thereon, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a semi-rotating electro-motor for operating the hammers of bells or gongs,
the combination of an electro-motor, a commutator consisting of two insulated
rings, two spring contacts connected by a link, a spring operated lever and pin,
and two stops, all operating together in the manner and for the purpose shewn
and described.
5. In a rotating electro-motor for operating the hammer or hammers of bells
or gongs the combination of an electro-motor of ordinary construction with a
hammer or hammers attached to its spindle or to a disc fixed thereon, substantially
as described and shewn with reference to Fig. 6.
Dated this 21- 1
1005
S. QUINCEY.