Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
We, SIGMUND DÜHRENHEIMER, Merchant, and OTTO SCHAUM, Mechanician
both of 7, Rue Osy, Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 apparatus which constitutes the subject of the present invention consists
of a bell for velocipedes which is operated automatically by the hub of the driving
wheel and which can be thrown into and out of action at will.
The accompanying drawing illustrates a practical form of application of this
invention. In this drawing, Figure 1 is a section of the apparatus in a plane
passing through its axis.
Figure 2 is a section in a plane passing between the bases of the two gongs
or domes showing the hammers or strikers H H of the bell in elevation.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the apparatus fitted on a cycle which is shown
partially in the figure, that also shows the parts for throwing the bell into and
out of action; the bell being assumed to be thrown out of action.
Figure 4 is a detail of the construction showing the connection of the disengag-
ing rod with the axle M of the apparatus.
Figure 5 shows in elevation the position of the lever for operating the
disengaging rod, the bell being supposed to be out of operation.
Figure 6 is an underside view corresponding to the preceding figure.
Figure 7 is a plan of the operating loop for effecting the disengagement and
adapted to be actuated by the cyclist.
Figure 8 is a plan of the part for transmitting the disengaging movement.
The apparatus consists of a sheet metal plate I carrying the whole apparatus
and cut out at right angle in such a manner as to form a straight branch D
terminating at its end in a circular part V, a branch D at right angles to the
first branch and in the same plane, and at the end of the branch D¹, a branch Du
at right angles to the latter and curved as shown in Figure 1. The end V of the
branch D is pierced with a hole W to allow of mounting the plate upon the axle
of the driving wheel of the velocipede as shown in Figure 3. Upon the part Du
there is fixed by means of clamping screws bb a sheet metal strip which is also
curved and which forms with Da clamping socket which clips the left hand
branch I of the lower fork of the cycle for the purpose of ensuring the firm mount-
ing of the apparatus upon the cycle. On one side of the plate D a bell gong F FI
is fixed by means of screws a a. This gong, as also the plate D, are traversed
by an axle M. The aperture for the passage of said axle allows of a certain amount
of play so as to enable the said axle to assume a certain inclination relatively to
the axis of the passage aperture. The axle M rests by means of one of its shoulders
upon a plate E E which is stamped as shown in Figure 1, and it carries at
its end a grooved wheel A. A in the groove of which there is fixed a ring or tyre
of rubber I', I'. Towards the other end of the axle M there is keyed a tooth
wheel C gearing with a pin wheel C. This latter is keyed on a shaft supported
and guided by two folds of a sheet metal strip G G bent over as shown in Figure 1,

page_text: and fixed to the bottom of the gong F by means of the screws aa which fix at the
same time this latter to the plate D. The small axle t is fixed by means of screws
or is soldered at its upper part to a small cross piece T or to a small plate to which
are movably jointed two or more small rods carrying the bell strikers or
hammers H, H. When the wheel A is operated, the motion is transmitted by
the tooth wheel C to the wheel C, and the strikers H H, in revolving about the
axle t, strike in rapid succession against the bell gongs inside of which they
revolve. The second gong F1 is arranged above the lower gong F by means of
the sheet metal strip G which is bent to an are of a circle and is provided at its
cther part and has rivetted to it a screw k upon which the gong is adapted to fit,
and is then fixed by means of a milled screw nut K; this arrangement having
for object to allow full liberty for vibration of the gongs.
When the apparatus is placed upon the velocipede in the manner above stated,
the tyre I¹ comes in contact with the cylindrical surface Q of the barrel of the hub
of the driving wheel. The motion of the cycle turns this wheel A by means of
friction and the bell rings constantly until the wheel A is thrown out of action.
This throwing out of action is effected in the following manner :-
The axle of the pulley A passes in a piece m of -shape (Figures 1, 4
and 5) the wing pieces of which are pierced with circular holes to allow of the
passage of the axle M. This part m is capable of sliding in a recess in the
plate EE and of moving in a vertical direction. Upon this _ -shaped piece
there is braced another piece also of shape but the wing pieces of which
are situated in planes perpendicular to those of the wings of m (Figure 4),
A rod N passing through a hole bored in a return right angled piece of the
plate E E engages between the wings of the piece n and is jointed therein
by means of a pin g. A coiled spring R surrounding the rod N bears' at one end
upon the plate E E towards the bottom part, and at the other end against the
bottom of the wings of the piece n. At its lower part, outside of the plate E, E,
the rod N is provided with a pin e which projects on both sides (Figures 3, 5 and
6). Upon the two ends of this pin there bear the ends of the lever f formed of
suitably bent steel wire as shown in Figures 5 and 6, and the other end of which
is formed as a loop to allow of the engagement therewith of a rod or steel wire h
for the purpose of operating the lever. The upper end of the steel wire h hooks in
the eye of one of the two branches i of the part V₁ jointed by means of a screw v
upon one of the two branches of a clamping socket j j firmly fixed on the
upright W of the frame of the cycle. The other branch of the said part 1
is provided at its end with an eye to which is hooked one end of the steel wire l.
This last rod is connected at its other end with a hook of steel wire or of iron o o
which is jointed at the ends of its two branches (Figures 3 and 7) to eyes rr
formed by bending back a lever pp which is also formed of steel wire. This
lever bent back as shown in Figures 3 and 7 engages at its two ends in holes
formed in the straps of the socket clip 7 7 fixed to the upper stay W" of the cycle
frame. The end loop formed by the part serves as an operating handle and
is situated within the reach of the hand of the cyclist for the purpose of
disengaging the bell.
The disengaging parts act in the following manner :-In normal working,
the tyre I bears against the barrel of the hub of the driving wheel of the cycle.
The spring R provides the necessary pressure for transmitting this movement
from the said hub to the wheel A by means of friction. In this case the lever f
is in an approximately horizontal position as shown in Figure 3, the rod N
being kept at the top of its travel by the spring R. The full lines in Figure 3
indicate the position which the other parts for effecting disengagement would have
in this case. When the cyclist desires to throw his bell out of action, he pushes
with his thumb the piece p p in such a manner as to cause it to assume the position
shown in dotted lines against the stay W". The rod acts upon the part 1 and
the rod h is drawn upwards, and the lever f bearing upon the ends of the pin e e
causes the rod N to move down, compressing the spring R, and moving with it

page_text: the parts n and m and the axle M. The latter assumes a certain inclination
which is permitted by the play provided for its passage in the plate D, and the
bottom of the gong F. This axle assumes the position shown in Figure 1 in dash
dotted linesy. The tyre I' is separated from the barrel of the hub and the
pulley A is no longer driven the bell is stopped. The piece p p (Figure 3) acts
with a spring action which is similar to that of the metal closing devices for bottles
so that it will be held by such action in consequence in the position imparted to
it by the cyclist. In order to throw the bell again into action, the cyclist need only act
upon the part pp with an effort which is the reverse of the former one. As the
wires and are no longer stretched by the piece pp, they are returned into their
initial position by means of the spring R which was compressed by the disengaging
operation. The rod N rises under the action of the spring. The shaft M returns
to its original position. Contact is re-established between the tyre I of the
pulley A and the barrel of the hub of the driving wheel, and the bell operates.
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) An automatic bell for velocipedes to be applied to the axle of the driving
wheel and to the left hand branch of the lower fork of the velocipede, said bell
acting automatically when the cycle is travelling, because the bell is operated by
the hub of the driving wheel and is capable of being thrown out of operation at
will by means of a lever arranged within the reach of the hand of the cyclist, as
set forth.
(2) In an automatic bell for velocipedes as claimed in the preceding claim,
the use of a wheel A having a rubber tyre I revolving by friction against the
cylindrical surface or barrel formed by the end of the hub of the driving wheel,
the wheel A being keyed on the shaft M which bears on its other end a toothed..
wheel C rearing with a small pin wheel C¹ whose axle carries a small plate T to
which are jointed the rods of two or more strikers or hammers for the bell, said
strikers or hammers being adapted to strike the superposed gongs F and F¹; the
engagement of the transmitting wheel A of the apparatus, whilst allowing the
metal strip G stamped into suitable form shown in Figure 1, and carrying on the
other hand the upper gongs, as set forth.
(3) In the automatic bell above claimed, the use of a sheet metal plate D cut out
as described and shown, for supporting all the parts of the apparatus, and serving
for fixing the latter in its position for working on a velocipede as set forth.
(4) In the above claimed bell, the arrangement of parts for effecting the dis-
engagement of the tramsmitting wheel A of the apparatus, whilst allowing the
shaft M to assume a certain inclination which determines the displacement of the
wheel A and the cessation of contact between the tyre or rim I' of said wheel
and the barrel constituting the end of the hub of the driving wheel; the disengag-
ing apparatus consisting of a rod N for displacing at will the axle M, operated
by means of a series of levers and steel wires as described and shown, and by
means of a lever operated by the cyclist, the rod N being returned into the engaging
pcsition by means of a coiled spring which has been compressed by said rod in the
operation of disengaging, as set forth.
(5) An improved bell for velocipedes substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
is 16th day of June 1897.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.