IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR USE ON BICYCLES AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THEODORE EDWARD WARE of Glendower House, Clifton in the City and
County of Bristol, Accountant do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR USE ON BICYCLES AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR
USES," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bells. for use on bicycles, and tricycles, and for other
similar uses, for the purpose of giving a signal or alarm, and my said invention
consists in constructing the bell in such a manner that it may be readily silenced
or the signal given and the bell kept ringing, by reversing the positions of the said
bell; and in means for readily reversing the positions of the said bell.
In carrying out my invention I employ a bell of spherical or other suitable
form, provided with a ball so that the desired signal is given by the motion of the
bicycle or other vehicle or object to which the said bell is attached. An aperture
or opening is formed in the upper half of the said bell sufficiently large to admit of
the passage of the ball which rings the said bell, and over the said opening is
fixed to or formed on the said bell a suitable receptacle for containing the said
ball. When the bell is suspended with its lower half downward the ball will be
set in motion by the vibration or movement of the bicycle or other object to which
the said bell is attached and the bell will be set ringing, but by reversing or
changing the position of the bell so that the ball falls through the before-mentioned
aperture into the receptacle prepared for it, the ball is retained noiseless in the said
receptacle and the bell is silenced.
The said bell is secured to a bar or rod arranged so as to turn freely in a clamp
or other suitable device by which the bell is secured to the handle of the bicycle or
to other objects. The said rod extends through the said clamp or other device and
is provided at its other extremity with a suitable handle or wheel by means of
which the said rod may be revolved so as to change the position of the bell. By
turning the said handle or wheel so as to revolve the bar or rod to which the bell
is attached the position of the bell may be instantly changed and the said bell
..

page_text: rung or silenced, as desired. A spring catch or other suitable device is arranged
so as to retain the bell in position either when ringing or when silenced.
Or the said bell may be mounted on a hinged support held in position by a
spring catch or other suitable device, the position of the bell being reversed by its
own weight when the said support is released from the said catch.
My improved bell may also be suspended or mounted in any other suitable
manner which will admit of the position of the bell being readily changed or
reversed for the purpose of ringing or silencing the said bell.

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELLS FOR USE ON BICYCLES AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR
USES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had to the
accompanying drawing forming part of this specification :-
:-
My invention relates to bells for use on bicycles and tricycles and for other
similar uses, for the purpose of giving a signal or alarm and my said invention
consists in constructing the bell in such a manner that it may be readily silenced
or the signal given and the bell kept ringing by reversing the positions of the said
bell.
•
?
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved bells in position for ringing.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of my improved bells, silenced.
Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows a modified form of my improved bell.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
In carrying out my invention I employ a bell a of spherical or other suitable
form provided with a ball b the said ball being set in motion and the bell rung by
the motion of the bicycle or other object to which the bell is attached. An
aperture or opening c is formed in the upper half of the bell a sufficiently large to
admit of the passage of the ball b, and over the said opening c is fixed to or formed
on the said bell a cup d or other suitable receptacle for containing the ball. The
said cup d. may be of any suitable form, and of gutta-percha, india-rubber or other
suitable material, provided that the ball can be contained noiselessly therein, and
the said cup may be fixed to the said bell by standards d' as in figures 1, 2 and 3
or in any other suitable manner which will prevent the escape of the ball in passing
from the bell to the cup. Or the said cup may be attached directly to the bell
over the opening c as shown in figure 4. If the said cup is of metal it should be
lined with leather or other suitable material to ensure the ball being held
noiselessly therein, or the ball should so fit the cavity in the cup as to prevent any
lateral movement of the said ball when in the said cup. When the ball b is in the
bella (as shown in Figure 1) the said ball will be set in motion by the vibration
or movement of the bicycle or other object to which the bell is attached and the
bell will be set ringing but by reversing the position of the bell (as shown in
figure 2) the ball falls through the aperture c into the cup d and the bell is
silenced.
The said bell may be secured to a bar or rod e having a bearing in the clamp f
or other suitable device for attaching the said bell to the handle of a bicycle or to
other objects. The end of the said rod may be flattened or bent around parallel

page_text: with the said rod so as to retain the rod in its bearing and permit of the said rod
being turned in its bearing to the extent of half a revolution, and a spring g may
be arranged to press upon the end of the said rod so as to retain the bell in either
of the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 as desired.
I do not however limit myself to any particular method of mounting my
improved bell or means for reversing the same or holding it in the desired position,
as the said bell may be mounted or suspended in any suitable manner which will
admit of the position of the bell being readily changed or reversed for the purpose
of ringing or silencing it, and any suitable arrangement may be used for holding
the bell in the desired positions. The said bell may also be provided with any
suitable means of attachment to the object upon which it is to be used.
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 is
The combination of the spherical or other suitably shaped bell a provided with
an opening or aperture c and ball b, with the cup d of gutta-percha or other
suitable material formed on or fixed to the said bell over the said aperture
substantially as set forth; the said bell being provided with any suitable mounting
or means of attachment to other objects which will admit of its positions being
readily reversed, and with any suitable arrangement for retaining the said bell in
position for ringing or silence.