US3207124A

US3207124A - Bells

Info

Publication number: US3207124A
Application number: US293392A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacob H Malta
Original assignee: SCHULMERICH ELECTRONICS Inc
Current assignee: SCHULMERICH ELECTRONICS Inc
Priority date: 1963-07-08
Filing date: 1963-07-08
Publication date: 1965-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-21

Description

J. H. MALTA Sept. 21, 1965 BELLS Filed July 8, 1963 FIG 5 4 INVENTOR. V JACOB H. MALTA BYffi I g FIG FIG.3

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent BELLS Jacob H. Malta, Doylestown, Pa., assignor to Schulmerich Electronics, Inc., Sellersville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 8, 1963, Ser. No 293,392 13 Claims. (Cl. 116171) This invention relates to hand bells and particularly to hand bells to be used for playing music.

It is desirable to be able to produce and assemble bells easily, and this has been diflicult with prior constructions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a musical hand bell of simple construction which can be easily assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide such hand bell arranged so that it can be struck hard or softly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a hand bell which can be disassembled and then reassembled with the parts in the same relationship.

In one aspect of the invention, a hand bell may include the usual shell having a bell tang opposite the mouth thereof and supporting one portion of index means adapted to register with another portion of index means in the handle block to which a flexible handle is fixed.

In another aspect of the invention, a yoke block may include a threaded hole therethrough adapted to register with a hole within the handle block so that a screw means may fasten the yoke block to the inside of the shell and the shell to the handle block. Registering index means may also be provided between the yoke block and the bell tang permanently to identify the point at Which the striker hits the shell. This index means may be set at the factory to ensure that the bell will have the minimum of wow.

In still another aspect of the invention, the yoke block may hold a yoke to the shell and it may have spaced, parallel legs between which the striker shaft may be mounted. Provision may be made to support, at different points along said legs, resilient band means that restricts the movement of said striker shaft.

In a still further aspect of the invention, a striker may be attached to the free end of the striker shaft, and it may have a groove surrounding its periphery for the reception of an O-ring.

In still another aspect of the invention, the groove about the periphery of the striker may be recessed to receive a resilient tubular element that is held in place by the O-ring and provides a bulge on the striker periphery that produces a soft striking action when it strikes the shell.

In still another aspect of the invention, the striker may include a disk having a molded plastic rim about its periphery and in which diametrically opposed portions of the plastic rim are thicker than the remainder thereof to produce a soft striking action.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following specifi cation and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a hand bell to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a striker;

I FIG. 4 is a plan view of a striker adapted to produce a soft and hard striking effect;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 4;

3,207,124 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 FIG. 6 is a plan View of an alternative striker; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a hand bell including a shell 10 to which is integrally attached a bell tang 11. A handle 12 may comprise a spring tempered steel core insert 13 encased in a cored, extruded plastic cover 14. The handle 12 may be fastened to a handle block 15 by rivets 16 or the like. It has been found that the handle 12 if made of polypropylene gives excellent results.

A disk 12' preferably of polypropylene may be provided with a hole adapted to snugly receive the tang 11, and the handle block 15 may overlie the mating surfaces of the hole and tang 11 to maintain the polypropylene disk in proper position when the bell is assembled.

A yoke 17 may comprise spaced,

parallel legs

18 and 19 joined by a portion 20 (FIG. 2) that passes through a recess 21 within a yoke block 22. The yoke block 22 may be removably attached to the shell 10, and shell 10 may be attached to the handle block 15 by a screw 23 that extends through aligned holes within the handle block 15, the bell tang 11 and a threaded hole within the yoke block 22. An index pin 24 may be provided between the bell tang 11 and the handle block 15 to ensure that handle 12 is always connected to the bell tang in the proper position. It may extend from within a recess in the bell tang to a recess within the handle block. Additionally, another index pin 25 may extend between the yoke block 22 and the bell tang 11 for a purpose to be described later. It may also extend from within a predetermined recess in the bell tang to a prelocated recess within the yoke block or yoke means.

The

yoke legs

18 and 19 of yoke 17 may support a pin 26 extending therebetween, and on which pin a striker shaft 27 is pivoted. The lower end of shaft 27 has a disk 28 fixed thereto by a screw 29. In one form of the invention, the disk 28 may include a peripheral groove 30 of semicircular cross section for receiving an undersized O-ring 31 that may be stretched to fit snugly within the groove. The O-ring 31 may have a durometer reading of about 55.

The

legs

18, 19 may be provided with aligned grooves at spaced intervals therealong for the reception of a resilient band member 32 to vary the amount of force required to cause the

striker

28, 31 to hit the shell 10, and to vary the speed with which the striker is caused to leave the shell after striking. The index pin 25, previously referred to, is located at the factory after the best point of striking between the striker and shell to provide a minimum of so-called wow. Accordingly, subsequent disassembly ensures the reassembly of the parts in the proper order.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a striker 33 similar to striker 28 may be provided with a semicircular recess 34 between the walls of a peripheral groove 35. A small section of resilient tubing 36 may be held within recess 34 by an undersized O-ring 37 within the groove 35. The tubular section 36 may be made from a plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the striker may comprise a disk 38 having a central rim 39 of one diameter and on each side thereof,

portions

40, 41 of an equal but less diameter than rim 39. The rim 39 may be removed at diametrically opposed points 42, 43 (FIG. 6). A plastic ring 44 may be molded to the periphery of the disk 38 and may be circular in form. Accordingly, there will be provided diametrically opposed

portions

45, 46 of the plastic ring 44 of greater thickness than that of the remainder of the ring so that when said portions strike the shell 10, a soft strike is produced, and when the diametrically opposed, thinner portions of the ring 44 strike the shell, a hard strike is produced. The ring 44 may be made of a high impact polyethylene or polypropylene.

Although the various features of the improved hand hell have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose two embodiments of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others Without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke; means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; and a handle attached to said handle block.

2. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke; means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and bandle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; a handle attached to said handle block; and index means extending from another point on one of said bell tang and handle block to within a recess in the other of said tang and handle block.

3. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke; means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; and a handle attached to said handle block, said handle comprising a spring tempered steel core encased in a plastic covering.

4. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke; means, a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and bandle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; a handle attached to said handle block, said handle comprising a spring tempered steel core encased in a plastic covering; and index means extending from another point on one of said bell tang and handle block to within a recess in the other of said tang and handle block.

5. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke; means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a peripherally grooved disk; an undersized O-ring within the peripheral groove of said disk; and a handle attached to said handle block.

6. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a peripherally grooved disk; an undersized O-ring having a duroml eter reading of about 55 within the peripheral groove of said disk; and a handle attached to said handle block.

7. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to Within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; a handle atached to said handle block; aligned grooves in spaced relation along said yoke; and resilient band means within said grooves for control ling the action of said striker shaft.

8. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a peripherally grooved disk; an undersized O-ring within the peripheral groove of said disk; a handle attached to said handle block; aligned grooves in spaced relation along said yoke; and resilient band means within said grooves for controlling the action of said striker shaft.

9. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; a handle attached to said handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and said bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a peripherally grooved disk; a semicircular recess formed between the walls of said peripheral groove at a point therein; a resilient tube section within said recess such that its axis is transversely arranged relative to said clapper; and an undersized O- ring within said groove and holding said tubular section within said recess.

10. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; and a handle attached to said handle block, said handle being made from polypropylene.

11. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end; a polypropylene disk having a central through passage adapted snugly to receive said tang; and a handle attached to said handle block and having a transverse dimension greater than the diameter of the hole in said polypropylene disk, said handle being made from polypropylene.

12. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a disk having a molded plastic periphery that has diametrically opposed portions of greater thickness than the remainder of said periphery; and a handle attached to said handle block.

13. In a hand bell, a shell having a bell tang integral therewith; a yoke means; a handle block; screw means passing through said yoke means, bell tang and handle block; index means extending from a prelocated point on one of said yoke means and bell tang to within a prelocated recess in the other of said yoke means and bell tang; a striker shaft pivoted in said yoke means having a clapper at its free end, said clapper comprising a disk having a molded plastic periphery that has diametrically opposed portions of greater thickness than the remainder of said periphery; a polypropylene disk having a central through passage adapted snugly to receive said tang; and a handle attached to said handle block and having a transverse dimension greater than the diameter of the hole in said polypropylene disk, said handle being made from polypropylene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Menelly 116-150 Regester 116-150 Volger 116-171 Mayland 116-149 Deagon 116-171 Deagan 116-149 Kline 116-149 Clay 116-167 Miller 74-5585 LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

LEO SMILOW, Examiner.

Claims

2. IN A HAND BELL, A SHELL HAVING A BELL TANG INTEGRAL THEREWITH; A YOKE; MEANS; A HANDLE BLOCK; SCREW MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID YOKE MEANS, BELL TANG AND HANDLE BLOCK; INDEX MEANS EXTENDING FROM A PRELOCATED POINT ON ONE OF SAID YOKE MEANS AND BELL TANG TO WITHIN A PRELOCATED RECESS IN THE OTHER OF SAID YOKE MEANS AND BELL TANG; A STRIKER SHAFT PIVOTED IN SAID YOKE MEANS HAVING A CLAPPER AT ITS FREE END; A HANDLE ATTACHED TO SAID HANDLE BLOCK; AND INDEX MEANS EXTENDING FROM ANOTHER POINT ON ONE OF SAID BELL TANG AND HANDLE BLOCK TO WITHIN A RECESS IN THE OTHER OF SAID TANG AND HANDLE BLOCK.