A New or Improved Bell for Use on Tram-cars, Motor-cars, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Bell for Use on Tram-cars, Motor-cars, and
like Vehicles.
I, ALBERT PFLUEGER, of 56 Frith Street, Soho, London, W. Manufacturer,
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 improvements in alarm signal apparatus for use on tram-
cars, motor-cars, motor-road carriages and like vehicles and has for object the
providing of effective and easily operated means for enabling the driver to give
sound signals for the purpose of warning foot passengers and persons in charge of
other vehicles of his approach, without compelling him to even momentarily with-
draw his attention from the proper management of his horse or horses, or as the
case may be, or remove his right hand from its proper place at the brake handle.
Hitherto, when an alarm signal had to be given, the driver had to perform a
separate action to effect this purpose, either bringing a whistle or horn to his mouth,
striking a bell or gong, or as the case may be, always necessitating the removal of
his right hand from the brake handle, where it should remain uninterruptedly in
readiness for emergencies as may at any moment occur in thoroughfares crowded
with traffic and foot passengers.
To obviate the inconvenience and to minimize the danger of the driver "losing
his head" owing to the multiplicity of claims upon his readiness of resources and
promptness of action in cases of sudden complication and danger, is the object of
my present invention and for this purpose I propose to provide an alarm apparatus
which can easily and conveniently be operated by the driver of the vehicle without
requiring a separate action, as before described, thus enabling him to at all times
pay due attention to his horse or horses or the management of the motor and
steering gear, and to keep his right hand on the brake handle in constant
readiness for applying the brake and thereby slackening the speed of the vehicle
or to bring it to a standstill, while at the same time producing loud and energetic
alarm siguals.
A special feature of my new or improved alarm apparatus consists in the handle
of the brake crank being in close connection with the bell striking contrivance,
so that the bell clapper or clappers can be actuated while at the same time the
brake is being applied, the complete alarm apparatus, surmounting the brake
handle, forming, so to say, a prolongation of the same, and by its dead weight
giving a momentum to the circular swing of the brake crank.
The various alarm apparatus previously desigued on the principle of connecting
the striking mechanism with the brake handle, suffered from the serious drawback
that the action of the clapper or clappers was invariably made dependent upon a
more or less complicated arrangement of levers or still more easily disturbed
mechanical contrivances, whereby these appliances not only become very expensive
but their efficiency could not be relied upon and was frequently interrupted
by the effects of wear and tear, and also by the influences of snow, frost and similar
causes.
I now proceed to describe in detail the mechanism of my new or improved alarm
apparatus and the manner in which it operates and in order that my invention may
be more readily understood and carried out in practice I have attached hereto
2 sheets of drawings upon which I have fully illustrated the nature and application
of my improvements.

page_text: On Sheet Figs. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate different arrangements of mechanism, all
being operated in substantially the same manner by the brake handle; said
3 figures are side views.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 (Sheet 2) illustrates a variation of the improved apparatus the mechanism
being designed on the same principle but so arranged as to be adapted to be
worked by foot pressure.
Throughout the different figures like letters of reference indicate like or
corresponding parts, and for the sake of clearness the bell proper is shown in
section.
The mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of the frame b secured by means of
a weighted click 62 in a bore provided in the brake crank C the latter being shown
broken off. To the top part of said frame the bell B is secured in suitable
manner and the levers forming the clappers or hammers c and c' are pivoted in the
frame at p and pl. The sleeve a, vertically displaceable on frame b between
projections and the brake crank, serves the double purpose of brake handle and
base of the vertical arms a' a', connected with each other at their upper extremities
by a bolt d which passes through a slot in the upper part of the frame b. The
clapper lever e pivoted at p in a projection provided on the frame is knee-shaped
and its upper portion lies over bolt d when the sleeve a is in its lowest position.
The other clapper lever c' pivoted at p² in a second projection on frame b, has a
laterally projecting thumb piece which touches bolt d from below when the sleeve a
is resting on the brake crank. Both clapper levers with the exception of their
lower parts, which in this case may be ball shaped, work in a vertical slot
or channel provided in frame b as shown in Fig. 4. The working of the mechanism
is as follows:-
When the sleeve a is moved in an upward direction the bolt d raises the lever c
causing its hammer to strike the bell, while when the said sleeve descends, the
bolt d strikes the lateral thumb piece of lever c' which is thereby swung to the left
and also strikes the bell. Both levers are automatically returned to their original
position by the weight of their lower ball-shaped ends as soon as the sleeve a
descends to its rest of the brake crank.
A variation of this mechanical arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4,
differing only in so far from the one hereinbefore described in detail and shown in
Fig. 1, as one clapper lever only is employed and the arms a¹ a¹ of sleeve a are
bent out of the perpendicular so as to allow the bolt d to glide along the outer
face of frame b. The hammer lever c is pivoted at p and its particularly
contrived head is provided with a horizontal open slot extending from the outside
to near the pivot hole. Into said open slot the bolt d is introduced, and when
moved upward by sleeve a and arms a¹ the bolt strikes against the upper edge of
the slot, swinging the clapper towards the left causing it to strike the bell, while,
upon the downward movement of the sleeve, the bolt engages with the lower edge
of the slot, swinging the clapper to the right against the bell.
The
Fig. 3 illustrates a further constructional variation, wherein the bell is arranged
below the handle end of the brake, crank, which in this case is provided with a
suitably shaped tail piece below the handle bar, intended to hold the bell and the
pivot pin p of the clapper lever. The handle part has a vertical bore through its
centre, through which passes a rod e secured to the top plate of box sleeve a.
rode is forked and bent to an angle at its lowest extremity e', the prongs
embracing the tail piece of the handle bar and being at or near their points
connected with each other by bolt d which works in the open slot at the head
of the clapper lever with the up and down motion of the box sleeve a forming
the brake handle. The process of operating the mechanism is substantially the
same as before described.
Fig. 5 Sheet II illustrates a construction designed to be operated by the foot
or knee of the person in charge of the vehicle. The mechanism of this arrange-
ment is identical with that illustrated in Fig. 2, but instead of being operated by

page_text: hand, the sleeve a in this case receives its up and down motion through lever f
which pivots at h in a conveniently arranged boss g, and with its jaws grips the
bolt k provided in a suitable projection on sleeve a. The apparatus has its support
in the socket n on bracket m' which is secured to the splashboard of the vehicle
or in any other suitable position. The lever fis arranged to be connected with a
foot plate or other suitable device for depressing its free arm, whereby the sleeve a
is raised and the clapper swung against the bell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) A new or improved alarm signal apparatus for use on tram-cars, motor-
cars and like vehicles, wherein the hell A is secured to the handle of brake crank C,
and sounded by clapper levers (c c) which are operated by an up and down move-
ment of a sleeve (a) provided on the crank handle substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2.) In the new or improved alarm signal apparatus forming the subject of
Claim 1, the application of a lever (f) for effecting the up and down movement
of the sleeve (a) by being operated by the foot or knee of the driver, substantially
as set forth and shown by the drawing.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1896.
ALBERT PFLUEGER