Improvements in Bells for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and for other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan. 1891-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bells for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes,
and for other purposes.
We, ARTHUR EGERTON HECKFORD and JAMES HENRY ROBINSON, both of
No. 78 Parade, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The said invention consists of the improvements in bells hereinafter described
which said improvements are especially applicable to the double bells used on
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes but are also applicable to double bells for
various other purposes such for example as table bells, door bells and the like.
We will describe the said invention in connection with a bicycle.
To the steering handle of the bicycle a horizontal arm is attached by which arm
the axis carrying the double bell and ringing mechanism is carried. The two nearly
hemispherical bells constituting the double bell are fixed mouth to mouth by screw
nuts on the said vertical axis near its ends. The said axis at its middle formed
into a rectangular frame. To the middle of this frame the arm or lever by which
the ringing of the bells is effected is jointed. The said arm or lever has motion in
a horizontal plane and by means of a spring its return motion to its normal position
when at liberty to move is effected. In the said frame are two levers to which the
two clappers of the bells are respectively connected. These clapper levers have
motion in a vertical frame on horizontal pins or axes having bearings in the sides of
the frame. Each of these pins or axes has a strong coiled spring around it by
which after the clapper levers have been displaced by the ringing arm or lever and
suddenly liberated the said levers are rapidly restored to their normal positions and
the bells struck or rung by the clapper having been carried by the momentum
communicated to it beyond its neutral or normal position. Instead of coiled springs
other springs may be employed.
The pressure of the thumb or finger on the ringing lever causes the said lever to
act on the clapper levers in the following manner. The ends of the clapper levers
are turned at right angles and the ringing lever works between the opposed turned
in ends of the said clapper levers. Each of the said turned in ends of the clapper
levers has two or other number of teeth so that the ringing lever in moving between
the said ends presses against the said teeth thereby separating the ends of the
clapper levers as it comes against the teeth and permitting them suddenly to return
to their normal position when it has passed or escaped from the said teeth. The
sudden return of the clappers results in the ringing of the bells.
When the pressure of the thumb or finger is removed from the ringing lever the
said lever returns by the action of its spring and again acting on the teeth of
the clapper levers a second ringing of the bell is effected.
The teeth described may either be fixed teeth made on the ends of the clapper
levers, or they may be separate teeth jointed to the ends of the clapper levers and
having motion through a small angle." The jointed teeth work with less friction
than the fixed teeth.
The two bells forming the double bell may either be in unison or they may be of
different pitches so as to produce a harmonious or discordant sound as may be
preferred; and the positions of the teeth on the clapper levers may be so arranged
as either to cause the bells to be struck simultaneously or in succession.
For convenience of description we have described the bell so fixed on the
steering handle of the bicycle that the ringing handle has motion in a horizontal
plane.
The bell may however be fixed in any other position on the steering
handle.

page_text: The application of the said improvements to bells other than bicycle bells differs
in no essential respect from their application to a bicycle bell as hereinbefore
described.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bells for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes,
and for other purposes.
We ARTHUR EGERTON HECKFORD and JAMES HENRY ROBINSON both of
No. 78 Parade Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers 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:-
The said invention consists of the improvements in bells hereinafter described
which said improvements are especially applicable to the double bells used on
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes but are also applicable to double bells for
various other purposes such for example as table bells door bells and the like.
We will describe the said invention in connection with a bicycle.
To the steering handle of the bicycle a horizontal arm is attached by which arm
the axis carrying the double bell and ringing mechanism is carried. The two nearly
hemispherical bells constituting the double bell are fixed mouth to mouth by screw
nuts on the said vertical axis near its ends. The said axis at its middle is formed
into a rectangular frame. To the middle of this frame the arm or lever by which
the ringing of the bells is effected is jointed. The said arm or lever has motion in
a horizontal plane and by means of a spring its return motion to its normal position
when at liberty to move is effected. In the said frame are two levers to which the
two clappers of the bells are respectively connected. These clapper levers have
motion in a vertical plane on horizontal pins or axes having bearings in the sides of
the frame. Each of these pins or axes has a strong coiled spring around it by which
after the clapper levers have been displaced by the ringing arm or lever and suddenly
liberated the said levers are rapidly restored to their normal positions and the bells
struck or rung by the clapper having been carried by the momentum communicated
to it beyond its neutral or normal position. Instead of coiled springs other springs
may be employed.
The pressure of the thumb or finger on the ringing lever causes the said lever to
act on the clapper levers in the following manner. The ends of the clapper levers
are turned at right angles and the ringing lever works between the opposed turned
in ends of the said clapper levers. Each of the said turned in ends of the clapper
levers has two or other number of teeth so that the ringing lever in moving between
the said ends presses against the said teeth, thereby separating the ends of the
clapper levers as it comes against the teeth and permitting them suddenly to return
to their normal position when it has passed or escaped from the said teeth. The
sudden return of the clappers results in the ringing of the bells. When the pressure
of the thumb or finger is removed from the ringing lever the said lever returns by
the action of its spring and again acting on the teeth of the clapper levers a second
ringing of the bell is effected.
The teeth described may either be fixed teeth made on the ends of the clapper
levers or they may be separate teeth jointed to the ends of the clapper levers and
having motion through a small angle. The jointed teeth work with less friction
than the fixed teeth.
The two bells forming the double bell may either be in unison or they may be of
different pitches so as to produce a harmonious or discordant sound as may be
preferred and the positions of the teeth on the clapper levers may be so arranged
as either to cause the bells to be struck simultaneously or in succession.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accomp
ying drawing represents in vertical section a double
repeating bell for a bicycle or other velocipede containing the said invention;
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section or plan of the same with the upper bell
removed;
Figures 3 and 4 represent vertical sections of the double bell taken at opposite
sides and in a plane at right angles to that in which the section of Figure 1 is
taken.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
a. are the two nearly hemi-spherical bells forming the double bell, the said
single bells being fixed mouth to mouth near the ends of the vertical axis & the said
axis being formed at its middle into the rectangular frame d to which the axes g, g
of the two clapper levers e, e² and fƒ2 are secured. The said frame d is provided
with a horizontal support or bracket d2 at one side to which the hand worked
ringing lever his jointed at 2 (see Figure 2). The said ringing lever is situated
between the two bells a band has motion in a horizontal plane. The shank or long
arm of the said ringing lever passes between the short arms e2f2 of the two
clapper levers e e², ff and by its direct action on the said arms effects the ringing
of the bell in the manner hereinafter described. The return motion of the ringing
lever is effected by the coiled spring connected to its short arm and to the fixed
rod i on the middle frame d (see Figure 2). The shape of the clapper leverse e²/12
is best seen in Figure 1. Their long arms ef carry the clappers 3 and the ends
of their short arms e, between which the shank or long arm of the ringing lever/
works, are turned at right angles. The turned in part of the short arm of each
lever carries one two or more teeth, either fixed or jointed. In the bell represented
the short arme of the upper clapper lever is furnished with a single jointed tooth k
and the short arm 2 of the lower clapper lever is furnished with two jointed teeth Im
situated on either side of the tooth (see Figure 4). It is by the horizontal move-
ment of the ringing lever between the turned in arms e², and their teeth k, l, m
that the ringing of the bell is effected. The return motion of the displaced clapper
levers to cause their clappers to strike the bells after the said levers have escaped
from the teeth k, Im is effected by the coiled springs represented around the axes gg
(see Figures 2 and 3) on which the clapper levers turn. Instead of the coiled
springs represented other kinds of springs may be used for giving the return
motions to the clapper levers; p is a screw clamp fixed to the bottom of the axis c
by which clamp the double bell is secured to the handle bar of the velocipede.
The action of the bell mechanism is as follows:-The ringing lever being in the
normal or back position represented in Figure 2 the pressure of the thumb or finger
on its outer projecting end in the direction of the arrow near the said lever causes
the ringing of the double bell. That is to say the first forward movement of the
lever causes its shank to operate directly upon the tooth of the lower clapper
lever thereby depressing its short arm and lifting its long or clapper arm, the
sudden return of the said long or clapper arm after the ringing lever has escaped
the said tooth for striking the lower bell b, being effected by the coiled spring
around the axis of the said clapper lever as before described. The further motion
of the lever h in the same direction into the dotted line position Figure 2 causes its
shank or long arm to operate directly in succession upon the tooth of the upper
clapper lever and upon the tooth m of the lower clapper lever so as to effect a suc-
cession of ringings. When the pressure of the thumb or finger is removed from the
ringing lever hit returns to the normal position represented in Figure 2 by the
action of the spring ³ and again acting in succession on the teeth of the clapper
levers effects a second ringing of the double bell.
When it is required to effect a simultaneous ringing of the two bells by the
advance and return strokes of the hand lever h the teeth of the two clapper levers
are situated opposite one another.
The clapper operating mechanism may be applied to single bells. In that case
the lower bell and its clapper lever are omitted the ringing lever in its advance and

page_text: back motions operating upon the teeth of the clapper lever of the single bell
and effecting a series of ringings in the manner described with respect to a double
bell.
For convenience of description we have described the bell so fixed on the steering
handle of the bicycle or velocipede that the ringing handle or lever has motion in a
horizontal plane. The bell inay however be fixed in any other position on the
steering handle or other part of the machine.
The application of the said improvements to bells other than bicycle bells differs
in no essential respect from their application to a bicycle bell as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as the said invention of:-" Improvements in bells for bicycles tricycles and
other velocipedes and for other purposes '
:-
First-Operating the clapper levers of double bells so as to produce a repeating
action or a series of ringings upon the two bells by arranging the shank or long
arm of the hand or ringing lever between the short arms of the clapper levers and
the fixed or jointed teeth carried by them so that the motion of the said hand or
ringing lever both in its advance and return motion acting directly upon the teeth
of the clapper levers effects the separation of the said short arms of the clapper
levers and the ringing of the bells, the said hand or ringing lever being arranged
with respect to the clapper levers and the other parts of the double bell sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Secondly-The use of the clapper operating mechanism referred to in the
prior claim for operating the clappers of single repeating bells as hereinbefore
described.
Dated the 1st day of January 1891.
ARTHUR EGERTON HECKFORD.
JAMES HENRY ROBINSON.