Improvements in Gong Bells, or like Bells.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Gong Bells, or like Bells.
I, NORMAN TAYLOR MILLS, of Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex and
State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Inventor 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 that class of bells, commonly called "gong bells"
wherein the hammer carrier has a rotating motion, and more particularly to
bicycle bells, the object of this invention being to simplify, cheapen the cost, and
improve the construction of such bells, whereby all rattling of the parts is prevented,
and a better operation attained.
Fig. 1 shows in section and elevation a bell embodying my invention, the section
being taken on the irregular line ✗-—X, Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the bell, with the gong, hammer carrier, and one
of the gears omitted.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bell, taken on the line X¹-X',
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the bell with the gong removed.
Figs. 5 and 6 are greatly enlarged views of the hammer carrier, in plan and side
elevation respectively.
Fig. 7 is a detached plan view of the actuating lever and its segmental gear; and
Fig. 8 is a detail view of the locking gear, to be described.
The base a bas secured thereto by an upturned stud a', threaded at its upper end
at a² to receive the threaded hub 6x of the gong b, one member of a clamp,.shown
as a plate e, bent down centrally, and upturned at its ends to form lugs cl
which are extended into slots in the base a, to aid in rigidly securing the fixed
member of the clamp thereto.
An adjustable clamp member is oppositely bent, and connected to the fixed
member by adjusting screws cx, the base a being provided with holes a*, see Fig. 3,
to receive the inner ends of the screws when fully turned up, the clamp serving to
attach the base to a bicycle or other desired object.
The stud a² is surrounded by a thin plate a³ resting on the base, posts a* and a³
rising from the plate, the post a serving as a pivot for a pinion d having at its
upper end an attached pinion. d, while the post a acts as a pivot for the actuating
lever e, shown separately in Fig. 7, having an internal segmental gear e¹ at its
inuer end.
A springs secured at one end to the actuator e inside its pivot a³ is attached, as
by a screw 5, at its other end to the base, to normally retain the actuator in position,
shown in Figs. 2 and 4.
The stud a¹ is surrounded loosely at its lower end by a pinion f, resting
preferably on a washer fx, and a gear f¹ is secured to or forms a part of the
pinion f, said gear being shown separately in Fig. 8.
This gear has a portion of its periphery 2 blank, or not toothed, the toothed
portion engaging the pinion d, while the pinion f is engaged by the internal
segmental gear or rack e', whereby movement of the actuator e will transmit
rotation to the pinion f, and thence by gear f¹ to pinion d and gear d¹.

page_text: The blank portion of the pinion f¹ is of such length that when the actuator e
is at either extremity of its throw the teeth of the pinion d will lock against the
blank, so that the said pinion cannot rattle when the bell is not operated.
A pinion g having an extended hub g¹, see Fig. 6, is mounted loosely on the
stud a above the pinion f, and to said pinion the hammer carrier is rigidly
attached.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 7 the actuator e has attached thereto near its inner end
a curved stop pin e, which normally rests against the hub gl and prevents it and
its connected parts from rattling, a great desideratum in bicycle bells, as a bell
whose mechanism constantly rattles is very objectionable to riders.
The gear d¹ meshes with the pinion g and rotates it and the hammer carrier
when the actuator is swung by means of the finger piece ex projecting through a
slot 10 in the base a in usual manner.
The hammer carrier is shown as a plate h having a hole h¹ at each end to
receive loosely headed studs 2, on which the hammers, shown as metallic discs h³,
are mounted.
A lug is struck up from the plate h at each side of its centre, to receive
and hold one end of a peculiarly shaped spring, said spring being composed of
two coiled portions s¹ and s², at right angles to each other and connected by a
straight portion s*.
The coils surrounds the stud 2 between its upper head and the top of the
hammer, pressing the latter against the plate h, while the coil s¹ is interposed
between the stud and the lug 4, and normally maintaining the hammer pressed out
towards the end of the hammer carrier in a yielding manner.
By this construction the hammers are prevented from rattling, and one spring
serves the double purpose of seating and pressing the hammer outwards to
engage a projection 610, see Fig. 1, on the interior of the gong b as the hammer
carrier is rotated.
The bell herein described is very simple, cheap to construct, efficient in operation,
and consists of a comparatively small number of parts, and is entirely free from
all rattling and improper vibration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. The use in a bell, of the base and its gong, a vibratable actuator having a
segmental gear, a rotatable hammer-carrier having an attached pinion, and
connecting gearing, including a locking gear, between the segmental gear and the
hammer-carrier pinion, substantially as described.
2. The use in a bell, of the base and its attached gong, a rotatable hammer-
carrier having an attached pinion and an extended hub, a segmental actuating
gear, gearing intermediate it and the hammer-carrier pinion, to rotate the latter,
and a stop on the segmental gear to normally engage the hub of the hammer-
carrier pinion, substantially as described.
3. The use in a bell, of the base, its attached gong, a hammer-carrier within
the gong, actuating mechanism to rotate it, and means to normally prevent rattling
of said mechanism, substantially as described.
4. The use in a gong bell, of a rotatable hammer-carrier having a hole at one
end, a disc-like hammer, a headed stud extended through said hole and the hammer,
and a spring to normally hold the hammer upon the hammer-carrier and also to
maintain the hammer pressed outwardly, substantially as described.
5. The use in a bell, of a base, a clamp consisting of a down-curved member
centrally attached to the base and upturned at its ends to form ears which enter
the base and prevent rotation of said clamp member, a movable up curved member,
and adjusting screws to draw the members of the clamp together, substantially as
described.

page_text: 6. A bell, of the class referred to, having its parts constructed and arranged or
combined substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.
Dated the 20th day of December 1895.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.