Improvements in Alarm Bells for use on Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Alarm Bells for use on Bicycles and the like.
I, FRANK MOSSBERG, of Attleborough, Massachusetts, United States of America,
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 alarm bells for use on bicycles and the like and is
fully explained in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing
in which.
Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the bell and a portion of the fork to
which it is attached.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the wheel frame and fork to which
the bell and its mechanism are attached.
Figure 3 is a rear view with one of the bells removed, to show the mechanism.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken on line 4-4, Figure 3, with one half
of each bell removed to show the arrangement of the mechanism inside.
Figure 5 shows a section of the bearing of the driving shaft with the shaft
in elevation.
Figure 6 is a cross section of the starting lever and its support on line 6, 6,
in Figure 7.
Figure 7 is an enlarged elevation of the starting lever.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the plate that carries the striking mechanism.
The object of this invention is to improve the bicycle alarm bell and to
simplify its mechanism; to make the bell more reliable and less expensive to
manufacture and much easier to ring.
The construction of my improved bicycle bell is as follows:-
A centre bar N is provided, to which the bells and all the working parts of
the mechanism are made fast, the bells by the screws c, e, one for each bell
screwing through the bells into the ends of the bar N, and the working parts
are held on the plate G, which is soldered or otherwise fastened to the bar N,
so that all parts turn when the bell is thrown into action except the bracket B,
in which the bar N, has a bearing. The shape of plate G, is shown in Figure 8,
the upper part forming the arm P, which extends out between the bells and to
which the cord is attached to operate the bell by means of the two ears f, f,
which are turned up and bored to receive the hammer bars o, o, the inner ends
of which are loosely held in position by similar ears f¹, f¹ made on the other
edge of the plate. To the lower end of the plate G, the tube K, that forms the
bearing of the driving shaft L, is made fast. The shaft L, consists of a rod
fitted to run easily in the bearing K, and has a double dog c, c held on its inner
end, either rigidly or frictionally, as by the means shown in Figure 3. The
bearing K extends through two notches d, d made in the edges of the bells, see
Figure 4, into a position to allow the driving wheel F, fast on the outer end of
shaft L to come in contact with the tyre J, of the front wheel E of the bicycle
(Figure 1). The bracket B extends up between the bells and is bent round to
clear the bearing K, and has its upper end bent as seen in Figure 4, so as to

page_text: furnish two bearings for the bar N to turn in, a spiral torsion spring i, being
placed around the bar N, between the two bearings; one end of said spring
being held in a hole in the bar N, and the other end fastened in the said
bracket B, for the purpose of bringing the bells and the working parts of the
mechanism back to position after being rung. Two hammer rods o, o, are
held to slide in the cars f, f, f', f', see Figure 3, and in position to be struck,
one, by one of the dog arms c, and the other by the opposite dog arm, when the
driving shaft L, is turned as will be seen from Figure 3. A ring, Figure 2,
is attached to one arm of the handle bar R, and a clip h, formed with three
sides has one end reduced to enter holes m, in the ring and a screw k, is put
through the same ear and screwed into a projection on the ring to form a pivot
for a knee lever b, to the upper end of which the cord r, is attached, and the
other end of the lever b, is shaped to receive the pressure of the fingers of the
hand on the bar when the bell is to be sounded.
The dog c, is preferably driven frictionally, by means of a washer and a
spring, interposed between the nut p, and the dog, which allows the dog to slip
on the shaft owing to the resistance of the hammers o, o, and thus reduce the
relative number of strokes on the bell as the speed of the bicycle is increased,
as one great difficulty with the alarms of this type at present in use, is to make
the ringing of the bell clear and not to have the strokes run into each other,
and make a confused sound, without making the driving wheel too large.
With my improved friction motion by allowing the dog to slip when driven
fast, the number of strokes will be greatly equalized in fast or slow riding. The
dog may be rigidly attached to the shaft if desired by screwing down the nut p
(see Figure 5).
The operation of my improved bell is as follows:-
By pulling on the cord connected to the lever b, the whole apparatus is
turned in the bracket B, so as to bring the driving wheel F, in contact with
the tire J, which will cause it to revolve and turn the dog, the arms of which c, c,
as they turn, strike in succession on the inner ends of the hammers o, o, and
throw them out against the bells, first striking one bell with one hammer, and
then the other bell with the other hammer, and when the strain, on the cord is
relaxed the spring will turn the apparatus back to the stop pin », lifting the
wheel F, clear of the tyre J.
If it is found desirable at any time to use one bell alone one of the bells may
be left off without interfering with the working of the mechanism.
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:-
_
1. In a
bicycle alarm the combination of two bells rigidly attached to a bar,
held to turn in a stationary bracket, a striking mechanism also rigidly secured
to said bar to turn with it, a shaft having a driving wheel fast on its outer end
in position to be turned by the tyre of the bicycle wheel when, said bar is turned,
substantially as described.
2. In a bicycle alarm the combination of two bells rigidly attached, one to
each end of a bar held to turn in a stationary bracket, a plate also
fast on said bar and provided with ears, hammer rods fitted to slide in
holes in said ears, a bearing for a shaft attached to said plate, a shaft fitted
to turn in said bearing, a dog secured to one end of the shaft and arranged
to operate the sliding hammer rods, a driving wheel fast on the outer end of
said shaft, with means for turning the bar in the stationary bracket, substantially
as described.
3. In a bicycle alarm the combination with a bell of a hammer striking dog
a cam attached to its driving shaft by frictional driving elements, to allow of a
slip of the dog on the shaft as the speed of the driving wheel is increased, to
equalize the number of strikes on the bell, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a bicycle alarm bell or bells, mechanism to ring them consisting of a
hammer or hammers held to slide freely in bearings with a revolving dog to
throw the hammers against said bell or bells, and a driving shaft with a wheel
to be turned by contact with the tyre, substantially as described.
Thatod this 18th day of January 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.