IMPROVEMENTS IN GONGS OR BELLS FOR USE ON BICYCLES AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I THEODORE EDWARD WARE of Glendower House, Clifton in the City and
County of Bristol, Accountant do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GONGS OR BELLS FOR USE ON BICYCLES AND FOR OTHER
SIMILAR USES," to be as follows:→
My invention relates to gongs or hemispherical bells for use on bicycles and
other vehicles and for other similar purposes and consists in improved means for
sounding the said gongs or bells or silencing the same as may be desired.
In carrying out my invention the gong or hemispherical bell is secured to the
bicycle or other object, in the ordinary manner. The said gong or hemispherical
bell is struck by a hammer secured to the, free end of a suitable spring, the said
spring being arranged within or outside the said gong or bell in such a manner
that the vibration of the bicycle or other object to which the bell is attached will
cause the said spring to vibrate and the hammer to repeatedly strike the bell.
The gong or bell is silenced by means of a suitable catch or device for preventing
the haminer from striking the said gong or bell: Two or more of the said hammers
and springs inay be used if desired, and the gong or bell may be provided with the
ordinary hammer for striking the same by hand.
My improvements may be applied to any description of gong or hemispherical
bell.

page_text: curved downward over the gong and spring in such a manner as to allow sufficient
space between the said plate and the gong for the spring 6 to vibrate freely and
the hammer d to strike the gong. The said plate e has a longitudinal slot e¹ and
in the said slot à pin or stop f slides freely but can be secured in any position
by the thumb-nut f¹. The said stop has a transverse slotted bar fi beneath the
plate e and the spring b passes through the slot in the said transverse bar. When
the said pin or stop is at the upper extremity of the slot e¹ the spring can vibrate
freely, but when the said pin or stop is drawn to the lower extremity of the
slot e the free end of the spring b is drawn up to the plate e, its vibration pre-
vented and the hammer held and prevented from touching the gong, thus leaving
the said gong free to be struck by a hand-striker.
The above described means for silencing the bell may be modified and varied
without departing from my invention provided the hammer is thereby held out of
contact with the gong or bell leaving it free to be struck by a hand-striker. The
said spring and hammer may also be arranged either inside or outside the gong or
bell, and may be applied to any description of gong or hemispherical bell.
I also provide the said gong or hemispherical bell, when desired, with a suitable
arrangement for striking the said gong or bell by hand. Figure 3 shows an arrange-
ment for this purpose. g is a strong spring secured inside the bell. The said
spring extends downward from the upper end of the standard a¹ and carries at its
lower end a suitable hammer or clapper h. The spring passes over a bracket or
armi on the standard a¹ and beneath the said bracket or arm is arranged another
bracket having its end j bent at right angles. The spring g passes behind or
inside this portion j' and thus the spring is held back and the hammer prevented
from striking the gong except when operated by the hand. Or the hand-striker
may be arranged as shown in Figure 4 the hammer or striker being carried by a
rod hinged to a bracket inside the bell and operated by a spring and lever. Or
when two or more springs b and hammers d are employed one of them may form
the hand-striker by making the spring of such a strength as to prevent the hammer
carried by the said spring from striking the gong except when operated by hand.
I do not confine myself to any particular means for striking the gong by hand as
my improvements may be combined with any means suitable for this purpose.
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
First The combination, substantially as herein described, of a gong or hemi-
spherical bell with one or more vibrating springs b arranged either inside or outside
the said gong or bell, and carrying hammers & so arranged as to continually strike
and ring the said gong or bell by the vibration of the object to which it is attached
and with plates e and stops for other suitable device or devices by which the
vibration of the springs can be stopped and the hammers held out of contact with
the bell when desired.
Second-The combination substantially as herein described, of a gong or hemi-
spherical bell, with one or more vibrating springs b carrying hammers & and with
plates e and stops for other suitable device or devices for stopping the vibration of
the said springs and holding the hammers out of contact with the gong or bell
and with any suitable means for striking the bell or gong by hand when desired.
Dated this on 1.
AD 100.