US2754504A

US2754504A - Bell ringing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2754504A
Application number: US463349A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter H Shaffer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-10-20
Filing date: 1954-10-20
Publication date: 1956-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1973-07-10

Description

July 10, 1956 w. H. SHAFFER 2,754,504

BELL RINGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1954 8| a? |5 49 7| 53 J 5% 1 G 9| 77. I 27 53 :l I /89 i 3 73 6 T. y 6

-El 6569 9 75 I69 L23 43 m a 5 F|G 2 25 Q5 33 29 57 IN V EN TOR. WALTER H. SHAFFER BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,754,504 BELL RINGING APPARATUS Walter H. Shaffer, Urbana, Ohio Application October 20, 1954, Serial N 0. 463,349

3 Claims. (Cl. 340-398) My present invention is directed to hell ringing apparatus and to improvements therein which provide a compact, light-weight, economical construction having particular utility for churches, schools and so forth.

The relatively high initial and maintenance costs of powered bell ringing apparatus and the expensive nature of a structure usually required to support the same have precluded many organizations including churches from securing such equipment. Further, hand-pulled bell ringing apparatus such as is available in many small churches and schools requires considerable manual effort and for this reason such equipment has tended to fall into disuse with the result that such organizations lack suitable bells.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an economical compact light-weight apparatus for bell ringing which is powered, requires substantially no maintenance, occupies very little space and requires no elaborate structure for its support.

It is a particular object of this invention to providepower driven bell ringing apparatus which simulates soundwise hand pulled bell ringing apparatus.

It is an important object of this invention to provide with a bell ringing apparatus a novel pivotal arrangement of a hammer-carrying lever arm which provides for compactness, economy and light weight.

The invention particularly contemplates the provision of electric motor driven bell ringing apparatus in a remote spacing such as the steeple in a church, and the positioning of an electric motor control for starting and stopping the motor in an accessible location on the main floor or in the basement of the structure. The motor itself when the bell is tolled operates continuously and through suitable power transmission and speed reducing mechanism actuates pivoted hammer-carrying lever arm means, the hammer means of which contacts the bell to sound the same.

Most suitably a pair of hammers, each carried on a separate lever arm, are employed and when suitably spaced, as noted hereinafter, the effect will be much the same as that of a hand-pulled bell ringer.

From the viewpoint of economy the electric motor, although of relatively high speed, is most economical and the power transmission mechanism associated therewith in the practice of this invention has been selected both for reasons of economy and weight.

The equipment is so arranged that it occupies but very little spacing and in fact can be made portable. Accordingly it is not necessary that any particular structural arrangement be provided for the support of the apparatus.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view partially in section illustrating the mechanism of invention and a hood therefor, the apparatus being shown in operative association with a bell;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 1 with the hood removed; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the pivotal arrangement of the lever arms-of the structure of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown an em- Patented July 10, 195% bodiment of the invention which may be employed, for example, in a church steeple, and suitable electrical connections, to be referred to more particularly hereinafter, are indicated for the operation of the apparatus from the main floor of the church.

Thus as shown in Figure 1 the bell 1 is supported on a stanchion 3 which is secured to base 5. This may be any suitable arrangement of bell on a support, the bell itself being fixed.

Adjacent the hell 1 is the housing 7 which encloses the mechanism of invention; as shown hammers 9, 11 extend through an opening in the housing 7 and are adapted to contact the bell 1 when lever

arms

13, 15 which extend longitudinally of the housing 7 are pivoted to cause the hammers to move downwardly. This housing 7 is quite small, it being usual for the lever arms themselves to be approximately 26 inches in length and to extend very nearly the full length of the housing.

Mounted on support 17, which is the bottom closure of the housing 7, is an electric motor 19 having a motor pulley 21. The motor 19 is the usual commercial A. C. motor, operating at a speed of about 1750 R. P. M., and the mechanism now to be described provides for suitable rotational speed reduction for the actuation of the lever arm means, 13, 15.

The 3 inch motor pulley 21 through V-belt 23 drives a 12 inch pulley 25 which is secured on a shaft 27 journaled in bearing blocks 29, 31 which are themselves mounted, respectively, on

upstanding members

33, 35. Shaft 27 also carries a 2 inch pulley 37 which through V-belt 39 drives a 12inch pulley 41. Pulley 41 is secured on shaft 43 which is journaled in the bearing blocks 45, 47 secured, respectively, to the sides of the

upstanding members

33, 35. Shaft 43 carries a 2 inch pulley 49 which through V-belt 51 drives a 12 inch pulley 53 on shaft 55, and which shaft is journaled in bearing blocks 57, 59 also supported on the sides of the

upstanding members

33, 35, respectively.

Cams

61, 63 spaced apart upon the shaft are arranged to be actuated at an interval of 120 degrees and in the rotation of the shaft 55 the cams contact the rearward extensions of the

lever arms

13, 15 to pivot the same as now will be noted more particularly.

Referring first to the arrangement of the lever arms the shaft 43 approximately centrally thereof carries

pillow blocks

65, 67 which house suitable bearings and the blocks are freely supported on the shaft 43 for pivotal rotation with respect to the shaft. The lever arm 13 is secured to the pillow block 65 by bolts indicated at 69, while the lever arm 15 is secured to the pillow block 67 by bolts 71. Thus when the

blocks

65, 67 are rotated with respect to the shaft 43 the

arms

13, 15 pivot such that the hammers 9, 11 are raised or lowered, depending upon the direction of the pivotal rotation of the blocks on the shaft '43.

Collars 73, set screwed to the shaft 43 retain the pillow block 65 against longitudinal movement of the shaft, while

collars

77, 79 perform a similar function with respect to the block 67. The lever arms thus extend longitudinally and approximately centrally of the support 17 and are pivoted on a shaft of the power transmission and speed reducing mechanism in such manner that there is no interference with the pivoting of the arms and the hammers are thus so arranged that they strike hell 1 at very nearly the same location on the bell.

A bearing 81 between the

pulleys

41, 49 serves to adequately support the shaft, the bearing being supported from the base 17.

The rearward extensions of

arms

13, 15 each may carry

rollers

83, 85 for smooth rolling contact with the

earns

61, 63. Such rollers are not necessary, but may be employed if-desired.

Forwardly adjacent the bell 1 and beneath thearms 13, within the housing 7 there is positioned a laterally extending block 87 which mounts

soft rubber cones

89, 91. When the

arms

13, 15, after having struck the bell, tend to rebound the

cones

89, 91 effectively prohibit oscillation of the arms, and thus any tendency toward a vibratory action of the arms is inhibited. The arms are so arranged with respect to the cones and the hammer weight that the cones are slightly compressed when the hammer drops to actuate the bell. The cones provide a suflicient resistance to inhibit, as already noted, any vibratory or rebound action of the hammer.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3 the

earns

61, 63 carried on the shaft 55 are of involute form, rotate (Figure 2) in a counterclockwise direction and in their rotation engage the

rollers

83, 85 carried on the extensions of the

arms

13, 15. The cams are so shaped that there is a long period of wiping contact between the cams and the arm extensions and asthe cams passalong the arms the extensions move downwardly, the arms pivoting on,

the shaft 43 to raise the hammers 9, 11. As the cam passes off the extension of the. lever arm the extension and accordingly the hammer end also are released and the hammer falls to strike the bell. a wiper and lever motion in which engagement of a cam and lever arm extension raise the hammer, and disengagement of the cam and lever arm extension or follower permits the hammer to drop.

I have found that by setting the cams in such manner that the cam 61 is actuatedabout 120 degrees ahead of the cam 63 that the sonic response of the bell is very similar to that attained when a hand-pulled. bell is used. As will be noted from the drawing in Figure 3 there is a dwell period of about 240 degrees between each cycle, a cycle being constituted by a striking of the bell 1 byeach of the hammers 9, 11.

The equipment is actuated through a suitable stopstart switch 88 located in a. conveniently accessible portion of the building structure as indicated schematically in Figure l, the electrical connection between switch 88 and motor 19 being indicated at.90. Accordingly to operate the apparatus it is simply necessary to press the starting button and the operation will continue until the stop button is pressed, the bell tolling at intervalsin a cycle determined. by the number. and arrangement of the lever arms and cams.

The arrangement of the power transmission speed reducing mechanism to either sidev of the arms and on opposed sidcsof the support 17 provides for attainment of the required speed reduction with inexpensive means in a compact arrangement. Supporting the arms on a transverse shaft of the power transmission mechanism also reduces expense, and requires the provision of only a minimum number of bearings in the equipment.

The hood of the housing 7 protects the equipment from exposure to rain, sleet, ice and so forth, and further provides means for transporting the equipment should the same be desirable. Further the housing and flexible drive transmission afforded. by the belts reduce noise to a minimum.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adopt it to different usages and conditions and accordingly it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In bell ringing apparatus, a pair of substantially parallel, horizontally extending hammer-carrying lever ams, pivot means for the lever arms supporting the same between the ends thereof, means to rock the arms on the pivot means to raise the hammer-carrying portions of the lever arms, the means to occasion the rocking comprising rotatably mounted cam means operable in a vertical plane and extensions of the lever arms engageable with the cam means in the rotation thereof, and drive Thus the action is,

mechanism, including an electric motor, rotatable shafts and power transmission speed reducing means on the shafts, cooperable with the cam means to rotate the same, the cam means being involute in form and engageable with the arm extensions over only a portion of the cam means, the hammer-carrying portions of the lever arms being free to fall when the extensions are not engaged by the cam means, the pivot means for the lever arms comprising a single shaft of the power transmission mechanism and bearing, blocks freely supported on the said single shaft, the arms being secured between their ends to said blocks well rearwardly of the centers of the lever arms and remote from the hammer-carrying ends of the lever arms.

2. in hell ringing apparatus, a longitudinally extending support having a forward end, an electric motor on the support at the forward end and having a driving shaft, power transmission speed reducing mechanism including driven shafts extending transversely of the support thereabove, the driven shafts being spaced longitudinally of the support and having flexible drive means connecting the same together, a forward one of the driven shafts being in drivingrelation to a rearward one of the driven shafts, a pair. of bearing blocks spaced apart and loosely mounted on said forward one of the driven shafts for rotation with respect to said shaft, a pair of substantially parallel horizontally extending hammer-carrying lever arms secured between their ends one on each bearing block and the arms extendinglongitudinally of the support and having the rearward extensions of the arms remote from the hammers and adjacent the rearward of said driven shafts, and a pair of involute cams operable in a vertical plane secured to said rearward driven shaft and each adapted to engage with anddisengage from a said lever arm extension in cam rotation, the cams being arranged to disengage with the lever arm at an interval of about 120 of rotation and to provide adwell period of about 240 of rotationthe lever arm, being pivoted by engagement with the cams to raise the hammer-carrying portions thereof, the hammer-carrying portions being free to fall upon disengagement.

3. In bell ringing apparatus, a base support, a housing over the base and of greater length than width, the housing having a forward end for positioning adjacent a bell to be rung and said forward end having an opening therethrough, and within the housing mounted on the support, in combination, an electric motor and power transmission speed reducing means operably connected with the electric motor, the power transmission means including driven shafts extending transversely of and wholly within the housing, a pair of substantially horizontally extending hammer-carrying lever arms in substantially parallel side by side relation extending longitudinally of the housing and centrally of the support and each pivotally mounted between ends thereof on one of the driven shafts, cam means rotatably operable in a vertical plane to engage and disengage the lever arms to cause pivotal movement of the arms, the hammer-carrying portions of the lever arms being forward of the driven shafts and extending through the opening of the housing, and resilient means within the housing at the forward end thereof beneath the lever arms and adapted to engage the lever arms resiliently upon downward movement of the hammer-carrying portions thereof.