Improved Method of Working Alarm Bells for Doors, Drawers, Tills, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Working Alarm Bells for Doors, Drawers,
Tills, and the like.
BENJAMIN RAY Watchmaker 64 Corporation Road Grimsby and JOSEPH WELLS
HARNESS Auctioneer 83 Corporation Road Grimsby in the County of Lincoln do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A small wood or metal box containing movement driven by spring or weight with
hammer attached to give alarm on bell or bells. The movement is of the following
description. Medinm size. Two brass plates 3 inches long 1 inches wide and
1 inch thick. On the bottom plate are riveted 4 pillars inch each in diameter
screwed at the top for small nuts to secure top plate making frame for movement,
the whole of which is made fast to box with three brass feet for screws. There
are 3 spindles to movement and two staffs. On the bottom there is a small
toothed barrell containing spring which drives the movement. The bottom spindle
is set in motion by means of a lever or push-piece which is attached to a steel
ratchet wheel with boss projecting quarter of an inch the wheel being fixed on
the bottom spindle by screw or rivet. On the side of ratchet wheel is a small brass
plate with pawl and pawl spring attached which works on boss of ratchet wheel and
is kept in position by ratchet wheel screw or rivet. This plate is connected to lever
or push piece for purpose of giving alarm when required. There is one pin fixed on
side of toothed barrell and another fixed in bottom spindle to keep the spring to
certain tension. There is a second pawl which works on a staff for the purpose
of keeping the spring to tension when set in action by lever or push pieco, being
caught or pressed by any movable substance such as doors, tills and the like.
The toothed barrell is geared into pinion on spindle of intermediate cog wheel.
Intermediate cog wheel is geared into pinion on an escape wheel spindle. The escape
wheel is similar to that of an alarm clock and works on pallets with hammer attached,
the hammer striking a bell. Hammer and pallets are attached to pallet staff. The
bell is fixed on a pillar at top of movement. On push-piece being pressed or lever
caught the movement is set in action and causes the hammer to strike the bell
instantly.
Dated this Twelfth day of March 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Working Alarm Bells for Doors, Drawers,
Tills, and the like.
We, BENJAMIN RAY, of 64, Corporation Road, Grimsby, Watchmaker, and
JOSEPH WELLS HARNESS, of 83, Corporation Road, Grimsby, Auctioneer, 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 an improved method of working alarm bells for doors,
drawers, tills and the like, the object being to provide a reliable and efficient bell for
the above mentioned purposes, and which, while being of fairly simple construction
can be cheaply produced. It is further not liable to readily get out of order and
can be used to replace the ordinary electric bell, such bells being very troublesome
to keep in order and the batteries having to be continually renewed.
a
In carrying our invention into practical effect we provide a suitable base board
or the like upon which is mounted between suitable side plates or supports a
train of wheels designed to be operated by spring or weight which, in the case
of a table bell or the like, is wound up by depressing a push-piece similar to
that employed in connection with electric bells, said push being secured to a
connecting rod and actuating a pawl and ratchet mechanism for winding the
aforesaid spring or weight, or in the case of a door bell, a hinged or jointed arm
is provided which in this case operates the pawl and ratchet mechanism upon the
door being opened so as to wind up the spring or weight which sets the train of
wheels in motion and actuates a pallet wheel and pallets which is furnished with
a rod or clapper for sounding the bell or gong, this portion of the mechanism
being very similar to that employed in ordinary alarm clocks.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood, we will now proceed
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of our improved bell with the cover in position, Fig. 2 being
a side elevation of same showing the bell as attached to a street door or the like,
also showing the push-piece.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the operating or actuating mechanism and Fig. 4 is a
sectional elevation of the bell mechanism and push-piece as applied to a door or
the like, the section of the mechanism being taken on the line, x, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detailed view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the pawl and ratchet
wheel mechanism employed for winding up the spring, when operated by a push-
piece Fig. 6 being a similar view showing the mechanism and hinged or jointed
arm used in connection with bells designed to sound an alarm upon a door or
the like being opened.
Fig. 7 is a front view of the cover or case detached showing a small stop or
catch which may be employed for locking the bell and to prevent it from being
sounded when required.
In the case of a bell intended for table or similar use or one intended to be
applied to a street door or the like for replacing an electric bell, we provide a suitable
basis upon which is mounted the bell or gong g, a case or cover c
being also
provided enclosing the mechanism, said cover or case being secured to the basis b
by two catches c', c, engaging with studs or pins s¹, s. The mechanism shown in
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is mounted between two side plates p, p, and consists essentially
of a toothed barrel 6' containing a suitable spring, said barrel being mounted
upon the arbour a which also carries the ratchet wheel w designed to be operated
by the pawl d which is carried by a loose or rocking bar d' and retained close
against the ratchet wheel w by a suitable spring such as d². The rocking bar d

page_text: is mounted upon the arbour a and is operated by the connecting rod r one end
of which is secured to the push-piece (Figs. 2 and 4), so that upon depressing
the said push-piece f the rocking bar di is raised carrying with it the pawl or
click d thus revolving the wheel w a part of a revolution, said wheel being
secured to the arbour z in such a manner that this is also caused to turn and
wind up the spring contained within the aforesaid barrel b. The barrel b¹ is thus
caused to revolve and operates the pinion p and wheel to carried upon the
arbour a', said wheel w in its turn communicating motion to the second pinion p
and the pallet wheel wo, said wheel engaging with the pallets p³ and operating
the striking hammer or clapper for the purpose of sounding the bell. An
additional click or stop k (Fig. 5) is also provided and engages with the ratchet
wheel w, said click or stop being retained or held in position by a thin needle
spring
Zi one end of which is secured in one of the side plates p.
Where the bell is intended to sound an alarm upon a door or the like being
opened the operating mechanism is practically of the same construction as that
alrealy described. with the exception that the pawl and ratchet wheel is arranged
in a slightly different manner as shown at Fig. 6. In this case the rocking
bar d', mounted upon the arbour a, is arranged vertically instead of horizontally
and provided with a downward extension, the lower end of which is forked and
carries a tongue mi pivoted in such a manner that upon its being pushed or struck
by a door or the like opening in the direction of the arrow, the lower part of the
said rocking bar d' is carried forward taking with it the pawl d' and thus
operating the ratchet wheel w for the purpose of winding up the spring or the like,
while upon the door or the like closing, it strikes against the curved side of the
tongue m which is raised or lifted by this action and allows the door or the like to
pass without operating the bell mechanism.
In some cases we may arrange a catch or stop for the purpose of preventing the
bell being sounded such as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 and which consists of a pivoted
lever free to move between the stops t, t, the said lever being provided with a
curved projecting arm y which may be brought over the slot y' through which the
striking hammer passes, by raising the aforesaid lever l. When in this position the
army bears against or engages with the stem of the striking hammer and prevents
it rising and sounding the bell.
Although we have described our improved bell as being operated by a spring, it is
obvious that where it can be conveniently arranged a weight may be employed for
this purpose if advisable but a spring will be found more generally compact and
useful. We also wish it to be understood that we do not restrict ourselves to any
precise form or arrangement of bell, as our invention is capable of modifications in
the form and arrangement without departing from the spirit or scope thereof,
neither do we restrict ourselves to any particular uses to which our improved bell
may be applied as it may be employed when and where found suitable, such for
instance as an alarm bell for cyclists and others.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The new or improved bell operating mechanism consisting essentially of the
spring barrel b', the ratchet mechanism consisting of rocking bar d', pawl d and
ratchet wheel w designed to be operating by push-piece for other suitable and
convenient arrangement, gear or train wheels w³, pl and p², pallet wheel w³,
actuating pallets på and striking hammer or clapper h, the whole combined and
arranged in combination with a suitable bell or gong such as g, substantially
as herein described and shown and for the purposes specified.
2. In bell operating mechanism such as above claimed the modified form or
arrangement of the pawl and ratchet mechanism substantially as herein described and
shown with reference to Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings and for the purposes
specified.

page_text: 3. The improved method of working or operating alarm bells for doors, drawers,
tills and other purposes substantially as herein described and shown with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of May 1896.
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, Agent for the Applicants.