Improvements in Alarm Bells.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
Improvements in Alarm Bells.
I, EDWARD DE HAAS, residing at 372 Maple Street, St. Paul in the County of.
Ramsey, and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Printer, 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 alarm bells for tramway cars, and the object thereof,
is to provide an improved device of this class which is adapted to be operated by
one of the axles of the car, and which is provided with a locking device under the
control of the motorman or driver.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which similar numerals of reference
designate the same parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in
which:-
Fig. 1, is a bottom plan view of the platform of a car, showing my improved
automatic alarm connected therewith, and showing also one of the axles of the
car, and,
Fig. 2, a side view thereof.
'
In the drawing forming part of this specification, I have shown at 5, the
platform of a car, which is provided with the usual dash board 6, and I have also
shown one of the axles at 7, which is provided with the usual wheels 8; and in
the practice of my invention, I mount upon the axle 7, an alarm operator 9,
which is oblong in form, and provided with semi-circular or rounded ends, and
with semi-circular cavities or depressions 10, in the sides thereof. This device is
secured to the axle in any desired manner, and suspended from the platform in
front of said axle are banger 11, in which is pivoted a lever 12, in the lower end
of which is mounted a roller 13, and pivotally connected with the upper end of the
lever 12, is a rod 14, which projects forwardly, and is pivotally connected at 15,
with a lever 16, which is pivotally supported in a hanger 17, and said lever is
provided at the end thereof, opposite its pivotal connection with the rod 14, with
two outwardly curved arms 18, each of which is provided at its end with a
knocker 19, and suspended from the platform 5, between said knockers 19, as
shown in Fig. 1, is a gong or bell 20.
Passing vertically through the front end of the platform is a shaft 21, on the
lower end of which is secured a segmental or crescent shaped dog 22, and the
lower end of the shaft 21, is directly in front of the pivotal connection of
the rod 14, with the lever 16; and secured to the upper end of the lever 12,
is a spring 23, one end of which is secured to the platform.
The operation of the spring 23, is to hold the roller 13, which is mounted in the
lever 12, in operative connection with the alarm operator 9, on the shaft 7, and
the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, when
taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the following statement
thereof. By turning the shaft 21, by means of the ring or bandle 24, the dog 22,
is thrown against the end of the lever 16, with which the rod 14, is connected, and
said rod 14, is forced backwardly, thus throwing the lower end of the lever 12,
forwardly, so that the alarm operator 9, will cease to come in contact with the
roller 13, as the shaft 7, revolves, and whenever it is desired to sound the alarm,"

page_text: the shaft 21, is turned so that the dog. 22, will be in the position shown in Fig. 1,
or out of contact with the lever 16, and in this position of the parts, the roller 13,
will press upon the alarm operator 9, and the lower end of the lever 12, will be
operated to sound the alarm, the rod 14, being given a succession of quick forward
and back movements, by means of the operator 9, and the spring 23, and in this
operation of the rod 14, the knockers 19, on the arms 18, of the lever. 16, will be
brought in contact with the gong or bell 20, and the alarm will be continued, until
the dog 22, is again turned, so as to force the rod 14, backwardly against the
operation of the spring 23.
The bottom of the platform 5, is also provided with two depending pins 25,
and 26 which limit the movement of the dog 22, and my invention is not limited
to the means described for operating the shaft 21, and devices may be connected
therewith, whereby the same may be operated by the feet if desired.
It will be apparent that changes in the form of the alarm operator 9, on the
shaft 7, may be made the only object in this connection being to provide a device
of irregular form, which as the shaft revolves will, in connection with the
spring 23, give the lower end of the lever 12, a succession of forward and
backward movements.
This device is simple in construction and operation, and well adapted to
accomplish the result for which it is intended, and is also comparatively
inexpensive, and may be applied to any of the cars now in use, without alterations
in the construction thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An alarm device for tramway cars, comprising a gong or bell mounted
beneath the platform of the car, a lever pivotally supported adjacent thereto, and
provided at one end with knockers which are adapted to operate in connection
with said gong or bell, said lever being pivotally connected at its opposite end
with a rod which extends backwardly, and means connected with said rod and the
axle of the car, for giving the rod a succession of forward and back movements,
substantially as shown and described.
2. An alarm device for tramway cars, comprising a gong or bell mounted
beneath the platform of the car, a lever pivotally supported adjacent thereto, and
provided at one end with knockers which are adapted to operate in connection
with said gong or bell, said lever being pivotally connected at its opposite end
with a rod which extends backwardly, and means connected with said rod and the
axle of the car for giving the rod a succession of forward and back movements,
consisting of a lever pivotally suspended in front of the axle, the upper end of
which is pivotally connected with said rod, and said lever being also provided with
a roller at its lower end, and with a spring which operates to draw the upper end
forwardly, and an alarm operating device connected with the axle of the car,
substantially as shown and described.
3. Theherein described alarm device for tramway cars, which consists of a
gong or bell supported beneath the platform of the car, a lever pivotally
supported adjacent thereto, and provided with knockers, a rod pivotally connected
with said lever, and projecting backwardly, devices, connected with one, of the axles
of the car, and with the rear end of said rod for moving said rod backwardly and
forwardly, as the axle revolves, and means for locking the rod in its rearmost
position, substantially as shown and described.
4. The herein described alarm device for tramway cars, which consists of a
gong or bell supported beneath the platform of the car, a lever pivotally
supported adjacent thereto, and provided with knockers, a rod pivotally connected
with said lever, and projecting backwardly, devices connected with one of the
axles of the car, and with the rear end of said rod for moving said, rod backwardly
and forwardly, as the axle revolves, and means for locking the rod in its rearmost

page_text: position, consisting of a shaft which passes through the platform, of the car,
adjacent to the forward end of the rod, and which is provided with a dog at its
lower end, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 5th day of November 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.