IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARM BELLS FOR BICYCLES AND OTHER WHEEL-VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH BUTCHER a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanical Expert do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARM BELLS FOR BICYCLES
AND OTHER WHEEL-VEHICLES" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to bells for bicycles, tricycles, &. which are operated or
sounded through the medium of the rotating wheel of the vehicle, the purpose of
which is to enable the rider to sound an alarm and thus indicate his approach.
The principal novel features of my Invention consist in the peculiar mounting of
the hammer or bolt which strikes the bell, and in the means employed for actuating
said hammer or bolt through the medium of the wheel of the vehicle or some part
thereof.
3º -
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In the annexed Drawings which illustrate my Invention, Figure 1 is a side
elevation of the bell, and the adjacent parts of a bicycle on which it is mounted
the gong itself being in section the better to show the working parts. Fig. 2 is
a front elevation of the same, the gong itself being in section taken on line 2---2
in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section or sectional plan, taken on line 3 - - - 3 in
Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 3* is a horizontal section or sectional plan taken on line
-3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the application of my bell
to a tricycle, Fig. 4 being a plan with the gong in section on line 4 - - - 4 in Fig. 5;
and Fig. 5 a front elevation with a part of the gong broken away. Fig. 6. is
a sectional plan of the spring mounting for the bell, the spring case being-in section
on line 6-
6 in Fig. 7; and Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 77 in Fig 6.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 A represents the wheel of a bicycle, B its rubber
tyre, and C the usual brake. D is a clamp by which the bell is secured to the brake
and E the gong, mounted on a stem a which projects from the socket piece b in
which the striking-bolt and operating-shaft or rod are mounted. The parts a and b
are formed in one piece with the clamp D. The striking-bolt c is preferably
cylindrical, and is mounted in a socket in being arranged with its axis
substantially parallel to the face of the gong. The spring d which throws or shoots
the bolt is secured at one end to the socket piece and its free end engages a hole in
the bolt or is connected in some convenient way therewith. The spring is so set
that when not under tension it holds the bolt (see Fig. 2) with its striking end a
---
LUC

page_text: little way off from the gong. The result of this arrangement is that when the
bolt is drawn back and let go the spring permits it to strike the gong and then
instantly retracts it far enough to permit the gong to vibrate freely without
touching the bolt. Consequently my construction avoids all the unpleasant rattling
so often found in bells as ordinarily constructed and I also obtain a clear tone from
the gong.
I will now describe the mechanism for operating the bolt and ringing the bell.
In bearings e e on the socket-piece b I mount a rod or shaft f, which rotates on a
substantially vertical axis, and on the lower end of said shaft is fixed a wheel or
disc g, which may be brought into contact with the tyre B on the bicycle wheel by
pushing said shaft down to the position shown in Fig. 2. On the shaft f is secured
a collar h, and between this collar and the lower bearing e is arranged a spiral
spring which embraces said shaft. The function of this spring is to keep the
shaft fraised and the disc g out of contact with the tyre on the wheel. The
upward movement of the shaft f is limited by the contact of the collar with its
upper bearing e, and its downward movement is limited by a collar j on f. On the
collar h is a claw or "tappet" k, which, when the shaft f is pushed down until
the disc g is in contact with the tyre, is brought opposite to, or on the same level
with, the rear end of the bolt c, and as the disc g revolves by reason of the contact
of its periphery with the tyrè, this claw k is caused to engage (see Fig. 3) a recess
in the bolt near its end and draw the bolt back. The continuous revolution of the
shaft causes the claw to draw out of the recess 7, when the freed bolt is shot out by
the spring d and strikes the gong. As long as the shaft continues to revolve this
striking operation will be repeated, and will occur at each revolution. On the top
of the shaft is mounted a pressure-button m (in section in Fig. 2) in which the
shaft turns freely. The rider presses down on this button in order to set the bell
ringing, and as it does not rotate with the shaft f, there is no disagreeable rubbing
or friction on his fingers.
it
As long as the pressure continues and the wheel A revolves, the bell will continue
to ring, but when the pressure is removed the spring d lifts the disc g out of
contact with the tyre and rotation of the shaft ƒ ceases. The claw k is also lifted
above the level of the bolt. As the claw k rises above the level of the bolt c,
might stand out over it and catch on it when pressed down; to avoid this, mount
or form a shield r on the socket-piece b (best shown in Fig. 3) which prevents the
claw from turning out over the bolt when the said claw stands raised, as in Fig. 1.
This, or some similar device is the more important as the rider cannot readily turn
the shaft owing to the button m being loosely mounted thereon; and if the
claw should catch on the bolt, the disc g could not be brought into contact with
the tyre.
The clamp D enables the bell to be adjusted up or down to adapt the operative
mechanism to the wheel of the bicycle. The disc g may be made to contact with
the metal of the wheel rim instead of the tyre.
I may, of course, employ my bell on other vehicles than the bicycle, by mounting
it on some part over the wheel; but in tricycles, for example, I prefer to employ
the construction shown in the last 4 figures of the Drawings. In these the gong E,
the bolt e, and its spring & are mounted and arranged to operate the same as in
the construction described. The bell is mounted on the frame C¹ of the tricycle,
and is adapted to be swung laterally on its bearing, until an operating lever h¹
borne by it engages a spoke B¹ of the wheel, when the said lever is caused to ring
the bell.
The clamp D comprises a stud plate n and stirrup o; these are best illustrated
in Fig. 7. The socket-piece b is on the end of an arm el, on the other end of
which is a cap-bearing e, mounted on the stud on plate n, and held in place by a
screw p. Within the hollow of the clamp D is arranged a spring i, one end of
which is fixed to the stud plate n, and the free end of which presses against the
inner face of e' in such a manner as to exert a lateral pressure toward the left in
Figs. 4 and 6. When the bell is swung or pressed to one side, as in Fig. 4, the

page_text: tail of the lever his brought into the path of the spokes B₁ which depress it.
The other end, ¹, of the lever engages a hole or recess in the bolt c and draws
the latter back, and when the spoke passes the tail of the lever, the spring d shoots
the bolt and sounds the gong. In order to prevent breakage of the parts should
the tricycle wheel be turned back while the tail of the lever h¹ is in the path of
the spokes I construct the lever so that it may swing back freely, and provide it
with a weak spring a to bring it back to the normal position after the spoke has
passed. The lever is pivoted on an arm projecting from the socket-piece b, and
the spring q is mounted on some part of said socket-piece.
On the bell is fixed a suitable thumb piece m' whereby it is pressed over toward
the wheel, and when the bell is released, the spring returns it to its normal
position represented in Fig. 5.
The spokes b' are represented in cross section in Fig. 5, and the dotted lines in
this figure show the several positions the tail of lever h¹ may assume.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sail
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An alarm-bell for a bicycle, or other wheel-vehicle having a striking bolt
arranged to slide longitudinally in a socket, as described, and said bolt provided
with an operating spring adapted to shoot the bolt and then slightly retract it,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an alarm-bell for bicycles or other wheel-vehicles, the combination with the
striking bolt, and its spring, constructed and arranged substantially as described,
of means substantially as described for actuating said striking bolt, as set forth.
3. The mechanism for causing the rotating wheel of the vehicle to actuate the
striking bolt, comprising the combination of the shaft f, the disc g, the collar / and
its claw k, the spring i, the bolt c, provided with a recess l, and the spring d, all
arranged substantially as set forth.
4. The shaft f, provided with a disc g fixed to its lower end, and the button m
mounted rotatively on its top, in combination with the collar h and its claw, the
spring i and the striking bolt, and its spring, all arranged to operate substantially
as set forth.
5. The combination with the shaft f, provided with The disc g, button m, claw k
and spring i, and with the recessed bolt c, of the shield r, mounted on the socket-
piece b, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 5th day of April 1884.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicant.