Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1895
I, EDWARD DAYTON ROCKWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Bristol, in the County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, U.S.A., Inventor,
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:
The object of my invention is to produce an improved bell striker and one that
is adapted to strike a direct radial blow against the inside of a gong.
With respect to the mechanism for actuating the bell striker, iny invention is
without limitation, but such mechanism is designed generally to employ an element
which may be called a bumper for actuating or driving the bell striker against the
gong, and may consist of any of the well known kinds of rotary mechanism now
commonly used in bells.
Heretofore in bells employing rotary actuating mechanism, the striking mechanism
or sounding mechanism actuated thereby has usually consisted of a striker
incorporated in the actuating mechanism, or carried on a revolving part thereof
and thrown, by centrifugal force against the inside surface of the bell gong,
thereby delivering a glancing blow; or of a striker that impinges upon a lug or
projection cast upon the inside of the gong, or when a loose striker has been
employed it has been necessary to set the bell in a particular position to secure its
operation. In none of said varieties of rotary bells is a direct blow against a
smooth surface obtained. In the first place, if a glancing blow against the side of
the gong is struck, the best results in tones are not obtainable, and the wear of the
parts by the abrasion of the striker against the gong is considerable.
In that class in which a lug is cast upon the inner rim of the gong, the expense
of production is increased, owing to the fact that the gongs must be made heavier
in order to sustain the lug without breaking the rim and without causing the bell
to emit a hollow sound.
Moreover, the weight of the metal required for the gong limits the range of tone
attainable, especially in bells of the smaller class, such as bicycle bells, or the like.
By my invention, bells of all classes may be produced at comparatively small
cost, the gongs may be made of all varieties, shapes and sizes and the tones of bella
of all different varieties, shapes and sizes are materially improved.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. I is a top plan view of one form of my bell, with the gong removed;
ד
of another form thereof.

page_text: Fig. III is a similar view of a third variety;
Fig. IV is a similar view of a fourth variety, designed especially to illustrate a
modified form of bumper;
Fig. V is a transverse sectional view through the striker and bumpers, of that
form of my invention shown in Fig. I, parts of the bell being shown in elevation.
Fig. VI is a top plan view of a base and modified form of striker:
Fig. VII is a sectional view of the same, with gong, without actuating
mechanism:
Fig. VIII is a plan view of another modification;
Fig. IX illustrates a modification in which the striker is carried wholly within
the base by a single spring;
Fig. X is a somewhat similar modification in which the striker is shown as
provided with both a flat and a helical spring.
Referring to the figures on the drawings:
1 indicates the bell base. It may be of any suitable and ordinary construction
such for example as shown in Figs. I, II and III, or in Fig. 1V, or of any of
the forms in general use in bells designed for alarms, bicycles, doors, or calls, or
the like. The base constitutes any suitable frame assembling the operative parts
of a bell. indicates a striker, and in the characteristics broadly considered of
that element, resides mainly the gist of my invention.
It consists of a movable body adapted to be driven directly and preferably in a
radial direction against the inside of a gong 3. The means employed for imparting
motion to the striker are susceptible of great variations, of which some of the
forms are shown in the drawings and will be hereinafter specified in detail. The
striker is preferably confined within fixed limits and is preferably susceptible of
motion only in radial direction. In form, it may be globular, as illustrated,
in most of the figures, disc shaped, as illustrated in Fig. IV, or of any
suitable shape, size and dimensions, which may by use or experiment suggest
themselves as adaptable for its purpose. In order to prevent rattling and to
insure clearness and sweetness of tone in operation, the striker is preferably
spring mounted, or yieldingly carried normally out of contact but within reach of
the gong.
For this purpose it may be provided with a stem 4 which pierces the
base or other part of the frame, as indicated at 6 and which is provided with a
retaining head or flange 7. The aperture in the base through which the stem
passes is sufficiently large to admit of the vibratory movement within it of the stem.
The striker, which may be movably mounted on the stem, is supported yieldingly,
with respect to the base, by a helical spring 8 surrounding the stem 4 and bearing
at one end against the striker and at the other end against the base or supporting
part.
The stem may be made so as not to pierce the base as illustrated for example in
Figs. IX and X, in which the head 7 is shown as resting on the base and tiltingly
confined thereto by a flat spring 8. If the striker be loose on the stem a second
helical spring 9 around the stem bearing at one end against the striker and at the
other against the spring 8 may be employed, as shown in Fig. X.
Instead of an axial stem for supporting the striker, it may be mounted upon a
flat spring 10 (see Figures VI and VII) bent to conform to the shape of the base
and the distance of the gong from the base; and riveted or otherwise secured, as
indicated at 11 to the base.
In Fig. VIII the flat spring 12 is shown as bent to conform to the shape of the
gong and is supported, as upon a split post 13 projecting from the base toward the
gong.
In large bells a plurality of strikers for each bell may be employed, if desirable.
With respect to mechanism for actuating the striker as has been previously
intimated, it is not my purpose to restrict myself to the employment of any special
variety.
In its broad aspect such mechanism may consist of any element or combination
of elements that is adapted to drive the striker against the gong. I have, however,

page_text: 1110 trated aferent forms of mechanisul for accomprising the purpose and stat
proceed to describe them in detail.
In Figures I, II, III, IV and V, for example:
16 indicates a revoluble cross head or bumper carrier, and as illustrated in those
figures, is provided upon the side next to the base with a pinion 17 secured to it.
It carries preferably on both ends suitable bumpers 18. The character and
construction of the bumpers is a matter of some importance. In Emall bells the
bumpers are preferably made of rubber, each being secured as by a disc 19
fastened as by a pin 20 to the cross head 16, as shown in Figures I, II, III and V.
In Fig. IV the cross head is shown as provided with grooved pulley-shaped blocks 21
upon its opposite ends around both of which a single cylindrical rubber band 22 is
passed. This, like the bumper shown in the other figures, furnishes a suitable
resilient, noiseless impact surface for delivering the blow against the striker.
Although a noiseless bumper, as described, is necessary for smaller bells in order
to preserve their purity of tones, yet in large bells having heavy gongs capable
of producing a large volume of sound, it is not necessary to employ a noiseless
bumper and metal rings or pieces may be substituted for the rubber bumpers
illustrated and just described.
The cross head 16 is designed to be rotated upon a pivot 24, and it may be
accomplished through the employment of a multiplying gear 25, shown in the
different figures of the drawings and meshing with the pinion 17, the multiplying
gear may be driven as by a thumb wheel 26, and cylindrical rubber belt 27
connecting the wheel 26 with the gear 25 shown in Fig. 1, or by a thumb
gear 28 meshing with the pinion on the gear 27, as shown in Fig. II, or by a
spring actuated lever 30 having a segmental gear 31 meshing with the pinion 29,
as shown in Fig. 111, or by a main wheel 32 meshing with the pinion 29, as
shown in Fig. IV. The wheel 32 may be actuatel in the ordinary way
through its projecting arbor. Such actuating mechanism, being in familiar use, is
not illustrated.
The form of actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 1 is on some accounts preferable
since the rubber belt 27 presented upon the periphery of the wheel 26 affords means
of imparting motion to the actuating mechanism.
All of the above suggested different forms of mechanism for actuating the
striker and the special form of striker itself may be modified and varied at will
without departing from the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, und in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base, movable striker secured
directly thereto, a bumper adapted to actuate the striker, and rotatory bumper
actuating mechanism, substantially as set forth.
2. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame and radially movable
striker secured directly thereto, of rotatory striker actuating mechanism, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame, of a movable striker
secured directly thereto, a yielding bumper and rotary bumper actuating mechanism,
substantially as set forth.
4. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame, rotary striker
actuating mechanism and goug, of a movable striker secured directly to the base,
and mechanism for supporting the movable striker out of contact with the gong,
substantially as set forth.
5. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame and striker
actuating mechanism, of a striker, means for supporting the striker directly on
the base and a spring supporting the striker in an upright position, substantially as
set forth.
6. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame, and striker

page_text: actuating mechanism, of a striker, a pin loosely securing the striker to the base,
and a spring between the striker and the base, supporting the pin in a perpendicular
position to the base, and forcing the striker towards the extremity of the pin,
substantially as set forth.
7. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame and striker
actuating mechanism, of a striker, pin and head thereon, the pin projecting
movably at right angles to the base, and a spring securing the head of the pin
against the inside of the base, substantially as set forth.
8. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame, striker and
striker actuating mechanism, of a bumper included in the striker actuating
mechanism, and consisting of a grooved wheel or pulley having a projecting
periphery of rubber, or like yielding material, and rotatory buinper actuating
mechanism, substantially as set forth.
9. In bell mechanism, the combination with a base or frame and gong, of a
centrally located gong sounding rotary element, a peripherally grooved pulley
on one side thereof operatively connected with the goug sounding element, a
second grooved wheel or pulley located on the other side thereof, extending
beyond the outside of the base and gong, and an endless rubber belt working
in the grooves of the two pulleys, affording means for operating the gong
sounding mechanism, and presenting at the same time upon the periphery of the
projecting wheel a soft frictional driving surface, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
EDMUND DAYTON ROCKWELL.