An Improved Bell.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bell.
ADOLF WIDMANN Watchmaker and Jeweller Axbridge, Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The above consists in the application of the alarm clock work principle for the
purpose of ringing the bell; i.e. the hammer which strikes the bell is set in
vibrating motion by a wheel or wheels, the motive power of which is supplied by a
spring or weight, said spring or weight is wound (and sets the aforesaid wheel or
wheels and consequently the hammer in motion) each time a handle is pulled or a
knob is pressed either by hand or by a catch or any other contrivance connected
with a door or anything else considered necessary, so that the bell, with the aid of
wire or any other suitable article, may be rung in the same manner and at the same
distance as any other bell, imitating in sound the electric bell. The advantages of
the above over the electric bell are: cheapness and durability.
I have tested it and found it excellent.
I, ADOLF WIDMANN, of Axbridge, Somerset, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 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 consists in the adaptation of clock-work alarums for use as
house, shop and like bells. As thus adapted the bells when rung give a rapidly
vibrating effect such as is obtained by using electric bells.
The
According to this invention an arm is fixed on the spindle about which the main
spring of the alarum mechanism is coiled, and, after the spring has been wound
up, to a suitable extent, one end of a wire is connected to the said arm.
spring is prevented from unwinding, and the hammer of the alarum from vibrating
and so sounding the bell, by a suitable restraining stop controlling the return
movement of the wire. When, now, a pull is exerted on the wire, the spring is
further wound up, and on release of the wire, the spring unwinds until the stop
aforesaid comes into action. Whilst the spring is unwinding, the gong hammer
vibrates and strikes the gong.
The unwinding strain exerted on the wire may be applied either near to or at a
distance from the bell and may be either direct or through the action of levers,
cranks or other suitable devices whereby the wire may be conducted around angles
and along walls and in other places. The strain may be set up by the act of
opening a door and thus causing contact of the latter with a lever connected to the
wire. Instead of actuation by a spring, the alarum mechanism may be actuated
by weights as some clocks are actuated.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents in elevation, and Fig. 2 in side
view, an alarum of the kind commonly employed for sounding by means of
electricity. The mechanism which does not in itself constitute part of this inven-
tion, is encased in the box,a. On the spindle 6 of the main spring is fixed an arm c
to which is connected one end of a wire d. The connection between the wire d and
the arm c is not made until the main spring of the alarum has been wound up to an
extent which will ensure a sufficiently energetic vibration of the hammer e and a
correspondingly audible sound from the gong ƒ when rung. "When the spring has
been thus wound up, it is prevented from unwinding, and the hammer e from
striking, by a suitable stop, which limits the range of return travel of the wire.
Such stop may be provided in a variety of ways. For example, it may take the
form of a head or stud such as y on the wire, controlling the return of the wire by
contact with the face of a fixed socket such as h.
When a pull is exerted on the wire the spindle 6 is rotated in the direction of
the arrow shown at Fig. 1, the main spring is still further wound up, and, on the
wire being released, the spindle returns, the spring unwinds and the gong sounds
until the stop comes into action. The effect produced is similar to that obtained
by electrically-operated gongs or alarums, that is to say, a quickly, vibrating sound
is emitted from the gong. The wire may be conducted to any suitable distance
from the gong in the same way as ordinary bell wires, and the winding strain may
be exerted either directly on the wire or through levers, cranks or any other
suitable devices.
Instead of actuation by a main spring, the alarum mechanism may be operated
by means of weights in a similar manner to clocks so operated, and winding may
be effected by a push instead of a pull.
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
An improvement relating to house, shop and other bells; said improvement
consisting in adapting alarum gongs, for use as such bells by connecting the
winding mechanism of the gong to a wire or the like, by which, when pulled or
pushed in the proper direction, the said spindle is further rotated in the winding
direction and, when the wire is released, the gong is sounded by the reverse_move-
ment of the mechanism, and the return of the wire to an extent limited by a
suitable stop, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of September 1895.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.