Year: 1887

page_text: Jate of Application, 2nd Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
I, ALFRED NICHOLAS of Rose Hill Handsworth in the County of Stafford, Bell
Action Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object principally, to simplify the construction, and
to render more efficient when in use, door and till bells, than those of the
ordinary construction.
.I will describe my invention in connection with a door bell, which is rung by the
opening of a door.
The bell, lip downwards, is suspended or hung from the underside of the end of a
standing out arm, of an attachment bracket, which is secured to a door frame, by
screws or by other attachments, passing through holes made within lugs or cars carried
by the vertical part of the said bracket.
This said bracket which is made angular, is preferably made from sheet metal.
The clapper, which is a depending arm, passes at its upper end, both through a long
slot in the top of the bell, and also through a long slot made in, and near the end of
the standing out horizontal arm of the bracket aforesaid.
The extreme top end of the clapper stem or shank is T shaped or branched cross-
wise to the slots; and which said cross arms by which the clapper is suspended, are
flat or angular at top, but rounded off on their undersides; and which said undersides,
rest upon the upper side of the face of the standing out bracket, and within a cross
channel or groove made therein.
Bearing upon the flats, or upon the angular tops of the T arins of the clapper, is a
flat spring, secured in position by a screw pin, which acts in common both for securing
the spring in position, and connecting the bell to the bracket, by taking into a screwed
hole in the crown of the bell.
The function of this spring is twofold, viz:-for the taking of the clapper back into
a neutral position, and secondly, for forcing the clapper against the side of the
bell, after the said clapper has been drawn back, and then liberated, by the opening
of a door.
The top of the door is provided with the usual projection, which stands above the
top edge of the door, and when the door is in a closed position, lies at the back

page_text: of the clapper head, while the front part of the clapper head is chamfered or
inclined off, for the moving of the projection aforesaid on the door, from front to
back.
Thus, on the opening of a door, the projection presses the clapper back to about the
middle of the bell, and then suddenly releasing its when the force stored up by the
spring's compression, returns rapidly the clapper towards the bell, striking the lip on
its inside edge, and then instantly returning it to a neutral position away from the
said lip.
The clapper's position away from the lip is determined by the flats of the branching
arms, while the force for the ringing of the bell is given by the tendency of the spring
to lie parallel with the flats aforesaid.
In applying my invention to till bells, I provide a means for throwing the clapper
out of action, when no alarm is required.
Dated this Thirty first day of March 1887
I, ALFRED NICHOLAS of Rose Hill, Handsworth in the County of Stafford, Bell
Action Maker, 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 :-
My invention has for its object principally, to simplify the construction, and
to render more efficient when in use, door and till bells, than those of the ordinary
construction.
I will describe my invention in connection with a door bell, which is rung by the
opening of a door.
The bell, lip downwards, is suspended or hung from the underside of the end of a
standing out arm, of an attachment bracket, which is secured to a door frame, by
screws, or by other attachments, passing through holes, made within lugs or ears,
carried by the vertical part of the said bracket. This said bracket which is angular, is
preferably made from sheet metal.
The clapper, which is a depending arm, passes at its upper end, both through a long
slot in the top of the bell, and also through a long slot made in, and near the end of
the standing out horizontal arm of the bracket aforesaid.

page_text: The extreme top end of the clapper stem or shank, is T shaped or branched cross-
wise, to the slots; and which said cross arms, by which the clapper is suspended, are
flat or angular at top, hut rounded off on their undersides; and which said undersides,
rest upon the upper-side of the face of the standing out bracket, and within a cross-
channel or groove made therein.
Bearing upon the flats, or upon the angular tops of the T arms of the clapper, is a
flat spring, secured in position, by a screw pin, which acts in common, both for securing
the spring in position, and connecting the bell to the bracket, by taking into a screwed
holc, in the crown of the bell.
The function of this spring, is two fold, viz:-for the taking of the clapper back
into a neutral position, and secondly, for forcing the clapper against the side of the
bell, after the said clapper has been drawn back, and then liberated, by the opening of
a door.
The top of the door is provided with the usual projection, which stands above
the top edge of the door, and when the door is in a closed position; lies at
the back of the clapper head, while the front part of the clapper head, is
chamfered, or inclined off, for the moving of the projection aforesaid, on the door,
from front to back.
Thus, on the opening of a door, the projection presses the clapper back, to about the
middle of the bell, and then suddenly releasing it, when the force stored up, by the
spring's compression, returns rapidly, the clapper towards the bell, striking
its inside edge, and then instantly returning it to a neutral position, away from the
said lip.
The clapper's position away from the lip, is determined by the flats of the branching
arms, while the force for the ringing of the bell, is given by the tendency of the spring
to lie parallel with the flats aforesaid.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a door bell, and attachment bracket, made
according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents partly in vertical section, and partly in elevation, the
said door bracket, with the clapper shown in its neutral position. The dotted
lines of the said figure 2, show the position of the clapper in its striking
position.
Figure 3 represents a like view as figure 2, but with the clapper pressed
rearwardly to its full extent, by the projection carried by a door, on the said door
being opened.
Figure 4 is an inverted plan of figure 2, showing the longitudinal slot or opening
within the bell, wherethrough the upper end of the clapper stem works; while figure 5
represents a top side view of the said figure 2.
Figure 6 represents a section of the clapper bearing, and the cross groove or seat in
the attachment bracket, wherein it works.
Figure 7 shows the bearing portion of the bracket separately, and the slotted part;.
wherethrough the upper end of the arm passes.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a is the hell, suspended lip downwards, from the underside end of an arm b² of an
attachment bracket b, which is secured to a door frame, by screws passing through
holes b³.
bell
e is a clapper, with stem c³ thereof passing both through the long slot a², in the
a and the long slot 6, in the bracket arm 62 of the bracket b.
The extreme top end of the clapper stem is branched crosswise, into T arms, which
are marked c³, the top side of which are flat, and marked c, and upon which the free
end of the flat spring d acts, while the underside of the said branched parts are curved
which work within like curved channels 6, directed across the arm 62, of the bracket
attachment b.

page_text: The spring d is secured in position by a screw pin e, which acts in common for both
securing the spring, and connecting the bell to the bracket.
On the opening of a door, the projection secured at its top edge, moves rearwardly'
the clapper, until the lower edge of the clapper as in figure 3, comes above the
top edge of the projection as aforesaid, when the energy stored up within the
spring, by its extension, returns rapidly the clapper towards the bell, striking the
lip upon its inner side, and then retreating to its neutral position, as represented
at figure 2.
It will be observed that the spring is extended, by the angular movement
made by the clapper, and by the tendency of the underside of the spring, to take
the same plane, as the flats on the tops of the branched suspending arms of the
clapper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inspec-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. Bell striking mechanism as herein described and set forth, in combination
with a bell, and bell attachment bracket, which are constructed, and arranged, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose as herein described and set forth.
Secondly. Working the clapper through a hole made in the bell, and through a
hole or gap made in the attachment bracket, or the arm of the attachment bracket,
substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. Supporting hanging bell clappers upon an arm or arms c³, whose under-
sides are rounded off or V, and work within a cross channel or seat, made within the
top face of the attachment bracket, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. Working the free end of the spring d, from a flat or flats e, made upon
the upper end or part of the stems of bell clappers; whereby the placing in position
of the clapper for striking, extends or compresses the spring, which accelerates its
forward movement when released, substantially as set forth.
Lastly. The improvements in the construction of door and till bells, and their
attachment brackets, substantially as herein described and set forth in the several
figures of the drawing.
Dated this Thirtieth day of December 1887
ALFRED NICHOLAS.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.