IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR CALLS OR BELLS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 128, Ohancery Lane, London, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR CALLS OR BELLS."—A communication
from abroad by Joseph B. Sargent, of New Haven, Connecticut,
United States of America.
Sealed the 30th January 1874, and dated the 31st July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 81st July 1878.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 128, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR CALLS OR BELLS,”
a communication to me from abroad by Joseph B. Sargent, of New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America, to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to improvements in gongs or bells, which are
especially designed for use as door calls, instead of the ordinary knocker,
and consists, firstly, in a device whereby an unlimited number of

page_text: successive blows of the hammer may be given by turning a crank or
handle in either direction; and, secondly, in a device by which a lever
may operate the striking mechanism by pulling directly out rather than
by turning, as above mentioned.
The first part of this Invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,
of the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view; Fig. 2,
the base with the bell removed; and Figs. 3 and 4, views of detached
parts, shown more in detail.
A represents the door, upon the inside of which the base or plate B
is attached; C is the bell, secured to the said plate by a contre post D,
or otherwise; E, the spindle, which extends through the door, and is
provided upon the outside with a crank, knob, or other device F for
turning the said spindle; a suitable bearing H being formed for the
purpose. Upon the plate B, at I, a lever L is pivoted, to which the
hammer N is attached, so that by the turning of the said lever to the
position denoted in broken lines, Fig. 2, and there allowed to escape,
a spring P will throw the lever back with sufficient force to cause the
hammer to strike the bell. The lever is thus operated by a cam R
formed with several projections S, and lying in 'such relative position
to the lever L that each of the projections will force the said lever back,
as before described, and the recesses between the said projections
correspond in form substantially to the end a of the said lever upon which
the cam acts, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,' therefore as the lever falls off
from one projection into the next recess the blow is given. Both sides of
each projection being the same the cam may be turned in either
direction with the same result, but were the cam rigid upon the spindle
the falling off of the lever would be as gradual as its risè, and thereby
prevent the blow; therefore to allow the instantaneous escape of the
lever I construct the opening through the cam which forms the bearing
for the spindle in substantially octagonal form, or with twice the
number of sides or angles with which the spindle is constructed, as seen
in Figs. 3 and 4, hence, standing as in Fig. 3, the position of turning
to force the lever back, the angles of the spindle bear upon certain
points in the cam, so as to cause it to turn in that direction; but so
soon as the end a of the lever has passed to the opposite side of the
projection which raised it its spring will throw it into the next recess,
forcing the cam forward on the spindle, as denoted in Fig. 4, leaving
the cam loose or free on the spindle until it is again turned to take

page_text: bearing therein. This operation is the same, whether the spindle be
turned in one direction or the other. The said cam is supported in a
bearing-T on the plate, as denoted in Fig. 2.
The second part of this Invention is shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Fig. 5
represents a plan view of the base plate, the bell removed, showing the
parts as in a state of rest; Fig. 6, the same after the blow. has been
struck and before the return of the lever; and in Fig. 7, a sectional
view through the door.
"
.
A' is the base or plate, which is secured to the door in the usual
manner, to which the bell B³ is attached. On the plate A¹ the
hammer O¹ is arranged upon a pivot a², an arm D¹ extending from the.
said pivot constituting the lever arm, by which the bell is operated.
Upon this arm D¹a spring d¹ bears to throw the. hammer down when
it escapes from the device which operates it, the arm D¹ being arrested
¡ by a-stop ƒ¹ to allow the elasticity of the hammer arm a little over
motion to strike the bell, substantially as in bells of common con-
struction.
The device by which the hammer is actuated consists of a lever E¹
pivoted at n², a spring m² bearing upon this lever to hold it down upon
) a stop f, as seen in Fig. 5, and yet allow it to be raised, as seen in
Fig. 6. On this lever E¹ a longitudinally sliding piece F is arranged,
held forward by a spring, as denoted in Fig. 5, and when at rest the
nose of the piece. F is thrown out below the arm D¹ of the bell
lever, as seen in Fig. 5, therefore when the lever E' is raised it raises
5 the bell lever with it, as denoted in broken lines, until the bell lever
falls off or escapes from the end 6 and the hammer strikes the bell;
then the lever returning, as denoted by the broken lines, Fig. 6, the
piece F slides back in consequence of the beveled end until it again
passes below the lever D³, it then flies forward into its first position for
0 a second stroke. To thus actuate the lever F¹ I arrange in the door,
upon the fulcrum 7², a lever, one arm I of which extends through the
door and beneath the lever. E. The other arm N¹ is turned- upward,
as seen in Fig. 7, and by taking hold of the end of the arm N¹ and
pulling forward the inner arm I³ is thrown up and with it the lever E',
5 as seen in Fig. 6, and also in broken lines, Fig. 7.
As shown in the Drawing the arrangement is for the arm N¹ to turn
.

page_text: downward, and would, perhaps, be the more natural position. By this
construction I attain all the advantages of a common bell pull, and am
enabled to bring the arm L' of the pull within the periphery of the
bell; whereas in this class of bells, in which a direct pull has been
employed, a connection with the mechanism of the bell has been
required to be made with the pull outside the bell.
It will be evident that other mechanism than that here shown may
be employed with the same arrangement as the pull lever. I therefore
do not wish to confine this use and arrangement of pull levers to this
particular mechanism.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR CALLS OR BELLS," a communication
to me from abroad by Joseph B. Sargent, of New Haven, Connecticut,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my, executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be parformed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, 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 accom-
panying Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of door bells
which are placed upon the inside of the door and are operated by direct
connection from the opposite side, and it consists, first, in the arrange-
ment of a lever pivoted, one arm of which extends through the door,
and so as to vibrate within the periphery of the wheel, the other arm
turned up or down, as the case may be, so that pulling upon the outer
arm will raise or lower the inner arm; and secondly, in the escapement
which actuates the bell, as more fully herein-after described.
On the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a plan of the base plate,
the bell removed showing the parts as in a state of rest; Figure 2 tho
same after the blow has been struck and before the return of the lever;
and Figure 3 a sectional view through the door.
A is the base or plate which is secured to the door in the usual
manner, to which the bell B-is attached. On the plate A the hammer O
is arranged upon a pivot a, an arm D extending from the said pivot
constituting the lever asm by which the bell is operated. Upon this
arm Da spring d bears to throw the hammer down when it escapes from
the device which operates it, the arm D being arrested by a stop ƒ to
allow the elasticity of the hammer arm a little over motion to strike the
bell, substantially as in bells of common construction. The device by
which the hammer is actuated consists of a lever Epivotted at n, a
spring bearing upon this lever to hold it down upon a stop t, as seen
in Figure 1, and yet allow it to be raised, as seen in Figure 2. On the
lever a longitudinal sliding piege I is arranged held forward by a
spring, as denoted in Figure 1,
Bis thrown out below the arm
therefore when the letter E is raised
when at ress the nose of this piece
of flic ball lover, as seeff in Figure 1;
raises the bell-lover with it, as

page_text: denoted in broken lines, until the bell lever falls off or escapes from the
end b and the hammer strikes the bell; then the lever returning as
denoted by the broken lines, Figure 2, the piece F slides back in conse-
quence of the bevelled end until it again passes below the lever D; it
then flies forward into its first position for a second stroke. To thus 5
actuate the lever E I arrange in the door upon the fulcrum r a lever,
one arm L of which extends through the door and beneath the lever E.
The other arm N is turned upward, as seen in Figure 3, and by taking
hold of the end of the arm N and pulling forward the inner arm L is
thrown up, and with it the. lever E, as seen in Figure 2, and also in 1
broken lines, Figure 3.
•
As shown in the Drawing the arrangement is for the arm N to turn
upward. If however the whole be inverted the arm N would extend
downward, and would perhaps be the more natural position. By this
construction I attain all the advantages of a common bell pull, and am 1
enabled to bring the arm L of the pull within the periphery of the bell,
whereas in this class of bells in which a direct pull has been employed a
connection with the mechanism of the bell has been required to be made
with the pull outside the bell.
It will be evident that other mechanism than that here shown may be 2
employed with the same arrangement as the pull lever. I therefore do
not wish to confine this use and arrangement of pull lever to this
particular mechanism.
The second part of this Invention consists in a device for producing
an unlimited number of successive blows of the hammer, and is operated 2
by a knob or crank upon the outside of the door, the bell being fixed
upon the inside. The cam upon which the spindle acts is so constructed
that while the turning of the spindle will turn the cam there will be
sufficient play between the spindle and cam to allow the required over
motion in order that the hammer may escape from the cam to strike the 3
bell.
Figure 4 is a side view of this device; Figure 5 the base; and Figures
6 and 7 views of detached parts more in detail.
$
A¹ represents the door upon the inside of which the base or plate B¹
is attached; C¹ is the bell secured to the said plate by a centre post D¹.
or otherwise; E¹, the spindle which entends through the door is provided

page_text: "
upon the outside with a crank, knob, or other device Ft for turning the
said spindle, a suitable bearing H' being formed for the purpose. Upon,
the plate B at 1' a lever I is pivoted, to which the hammer N³ is
attached, so that by the turning of the said lever to the position denoted -
in broken lines, Figure 5, and there allowed to escape, a spring P' will
throw the lever back with sufficient force to cause the hammer to strike
the bell. The lever is thus operated by a cam R³ formed with several
projections S¹ and lying in such relative position to the lever L' that
each of the projections will force the said lever back as before described,
and the recesses between the said projections correspond in form sub-
stantially to the end a¹ of the said lever upon which the cam acts, as
seen in Figures 5 and 6; therefore as the lever falls off from one
projection into the next recess the blow is given. Both sides of each
projection being the same the cam may be turned in either direction
with the same result; but were the cam rigid upon the spindle the
falling off of the lever would be as gradual as its rise, and thereby
prevent the blow. Therefore to allow the instantaneous escape of the
lever I construct the opening through the cam which forms the bearing
for the spindle in substantially octagonal form or with twice the number
of sides or angles with which the spindle is constructed, as seen in
Figures 6 and 7; hence standing, as in Figure 6, the position of turning
to force the lever back the angles of the spindle bear upon certain points
in the cam so as to cause it to turn in that direction, but so soon as the
end a¹ of the lever has passed to the opposite side of the projection which
raised it its spring will throw it into the next recess, forcing the cam
forward on the spindle as denoted in Figure 7, leaving the cam loose or
free on the spindle until it is again turned to take bearing therein. This
operation is the same whether the spindle be turned in one direction or
the other. The said cam is supported in a bearing T¹ on the plate, as
denoted in Figure 5.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Inven-
tion I claim,-
•
First. In combination with the bell hammer and escapement for
operating the hammer, as described in the first part of this. Specification,
the lever L, N, one arm of which extends within the periphery of the
bell so as to operate said escapement, which with the hammer is also
within the periphery of the ball, the other arm being outside the door to
serve as a pull, substantially as described and shown.

page_text: Secondly. In combination with the arm D of a bell hammer I claim
the lever E and sliding piece F operating to raise the bell hammer and
allow it to escape, substantially as set forth.
And, thirdly. The combination of the cam R¹, bell lever H³, and the
spindle E when the bearing for the said spindle in the said cam is con- 5
structed relatively to the said spindle, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.