Year: 1897

page_text: I, JAMES FITCHIE, of 94 Rugby Avenue, Belfast, Ireland, Wholesale Stationer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to enable the rider of a velocipede to sound the
aların gong or the like instantaneously, when required, without releasing his grip of
or altering the position of his hand on the handle.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I take a gong or bell formed of two
cup-shaped halves. One of these halves has the centre thereof perforated so as to
just allow it to pass over the end of the handle bar, where it is fixed in a position a
short distance in advance of the handle. The other half of the gong has the centre
thereof similarly perforated and is fixed to one end of a cylindrical metal sleeve which
fits on to the end of the handle bar, so as to be capable of revolving thereon. The
other end of this metal sleeve is closed by a suitable disc having a small hole bored
through the centre thereof, through which passes a short screw, one end of which is
attached to a disc closing the end of the handle bar tube, and the other end of which
(baving passed through the closed end of the said sleeve) receives a nut, thus
securing the metal sleeve on the end of the handle bar, or the said sleeve may be
secured to the handle bar in any other convenient manner.
The two cup-shaped halves of the gong are placed with their concave sides facing
one another and enclose within them a suitable rack actuating hammers or strikers.
The said rack and hammers are carried on suitable brackets fixed to the handle bar
and the rack is operated by a suitable projection or the like carried by the said metal
sleeve. The handle is attached to this sleeve, so that when the handle is slightly
turned in either direction, the gong or bell is sounded. This alarm can either be
manufactured with new velocipedes, or it may, if required, be adapted to the handle
bar of an existing machine.
I, JAMES FITCHIE, of 94 Rugby Avenue, Belfast, Ireland-Wholesale Stationer,
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 obiect of my invention is to enable the rider of a velocipede to sound the alarm

page_text: gong or the like instantaneously, when required, without releasing his grip of, or
altering the position of, his hand on the handle.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I take a gong or bell formed of two
cup-shaped halves. One of these halves has the centre thereof perforated so as to
just allow it to pass over the end of the handle bar, where it is fixed in a position a
short distance in advance of the handle. The other half of the gong has the centre
thereof similarly perforated and is fixed to one end of a cylindrical metal
sleeve which fits on to the end of the handle bar, so as to be capable of revolving
thereon.
The other end of this metal sleeve is closed by a suitable disc having a small hole
bored through the centre thereof, through which passes a short screw, one end of
which is attached to a disc closing the end of the handle bar tube, and the other end
of which (having passed through the closed end of the said sleeve) receives a nut,
thus securing the metal sleeve on the end of the handle bar, or the said sleeve may be
secured to the handle bar in any other convenient manner.
The two cup-shaped halves of the gong are placed with their concave sides facing
one another and enclose within them a suitable rack actuating hammers or strikers.
The said rack and hammers are carried on suitable brackets fixed to the handle bar
and the rack is operated by a suitable projection or the like carried by the said metal
speeve. The handle is attached to this sleeve, so that when the handle is slightly
turned in either direction, the gong or bell is sounded. This alarm can either be
manufactured with new velocipedes, or it may, if required, be adapted to the handle
bar of an existing machine.
I will now proceed to further describe my invention in connection with the
accompanying drawings, in which the same letters represent like parts in the various
figures.
Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section, of the end of a handle bar of a velocipedé having
a gong or alarm attached thereto according to my invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 show inside plan views of the two halves of the gong or alarm
respectively.
One half of the gong g has a circular hole or perforation h made in the centre thereof,
into which is fixed a short length of tube t which is of such diameter as to fit the
handle bar, on to which it is passed and is fixed in the position shown in Fig. 1.
This tube t has also fixed to it and situated within the half g of the gong, a
bracket b. This bracket 6 has attached thereto two pins p and pl, to the pin p is
pivoted a rocking piece to which the hammers 8 are attached and to the pin p' is
pivoted the rack r in which is formed the slot s¹. The half g¹ of the gong has
also a circular hole or perforation formed in the centre thereof and is passed on to
and fixed near one end of the sleeve k, the other end of this sleeve k being closed
by means of a disc d having a hole h¹ formed in the centre thereof. Attached to the
sleeve and situated within the half g¹ of the gong is the bracket b¹ carrying the
pin p².
The end of the handle bar a is closed by the disc d¹ from the centre of which
projects the screw m. To the sleeve k is attached the handle o, shown in dotted line
in Fig. 1. The sleeve k carrying the half g₁ of the gong, the bracket b¹, pin p² and
handle o, is passed on to the end of the handle bar a as shown in Fig. 1, and there
retained in position by means of the screw m which passing through the hole h¹ in
the disc d has a nut n screwed on to the end thereof, the pin p² now engaging with
the slot 81. The sleeve k is of just sufficient diameter to fit loosely on to the handle
bar a and be capable of revolving thereon.
When now the handle o is slightly revolved in either direction it carries with it
the sleeve k, the half g¹ of the gong, the bracket b¹ and the pin p². This pin p² now
moves the rack w, the teeth of which engaging with the projections c on the rocking
piece, cause the hammers & to oscillate rapidly and strike the gong.
It is obvious that a gong or alarm made according to my invention may be fitted to
either one or both ends of the handle bar of a velocipede.

page_text: 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) A gong or alarm for velocipedes having one part thereof attached to the
handle bar of the velocipede and the other part thereof attached to a sleeve fitted on
to the end of the said handle bar and carrying the handle, operated and substantially
as herein described and illustrated.
(2) A velocipede gong or alarm operated by rotating the handle of the velocipede
substantially as described.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.
Agent for the Applicant.