US556208A - Ceremonial gong - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sl1qet 2.

E. B. QUICK.

CEREMONIAL GONG. No. 556,208. Patented MarQlO, 1896.

M Ilia L5 Quad/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS B. QUICK, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

CEREMONIAL GONG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,208, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed November 1,1894. Serial No. 527,650. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS l3. QUICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gong-Boxes and Striking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel, simple, and effective gong-box and striking mechanism particularly designed for secret and other societies for the purpose of indicating a certain hour or producing musical sounds during ceremonies.

The invention also has for its object to avoid the use of spur-gearing in gong-striking mechanism, and to provide novel means whereby the tone of the instrument is improved and the discord incident to the whizzing of gear-wheels is entirely avoided.

To accomplish these objects my invention consists essentially in the combination of a casing, a sounding-box located within the casing and having a sound-inlet opening and a sound-exit opening, a gong arranged above the sound-inlet opening of the sounding-box, so that. the sound is delivered through the sound-inlet opening into said box, a gongstriker, a rotary handle arranged outside the casing, and devices located within the casing and actuated by the rotary handle for operating the gong-striker.

The invention also consists in the combination of a casing, a sounding-box arranged within the casing and having a sound-inlet opening and a sound-exit opening, a gong arranged in juxtaposition to the sound conductor or conveyer so that the sound of the gong is delivered into the sounding-box, a rock-shaft having a crank-arm and a rod provided with a striker, a spring serving to turn the rock-shaft in one direction, a rotary shaft having a handle arranged outside the casing, and a cam arranged on the rotary shaft inside the casing and acting on the crank-arm of the rock-shaft to turn the latter in the opposite direction, whereby a vibratory motion is imparted to the gong-striker.

My invention also consists of a soundingboX provided with a sound-outlet and having a soundboard in combination with a standard connected with the sounding-box and a gong carried by said standard.

My invention also consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a gong-box and striking mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the striking mechanism.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein it will be seen that the casing is composed of a basepiece, 1, side walls, 2, end walls, 3, and a top piece, 4, constructed to provide a closed structure, except as to sound-exit orifices 5 in one of the walls, preferably in one of the end walls.

The bottom piece is provided on its inside with blocks 6 supporting a hollow SOlllldll'lgbox '7 having a solid end portion 8 secured to the blocks through the medium of screws 0 and upper and lower sound-boards, as sliown. The solid end of the soundingbox supports a post or standard 10, confined at its lower end by a screw-nut 12 or otherwise, and having at its upper end a disk or plate 13, to which a ring 14 is attached by screw 15. The ring and screw serve to hold one end of a gong 16 composed of a volute or spiral scroll wire of spring-steel. This form of gong is preferred; but I do not limit myself to any specific construction of gong or bell.

The upper portion of one of the end walls, 3, is provided with attached bearing-blocks 17, in which are mounted the extremities of a rock-shaft 18 having a crank-arm 19 and a strikercarrying arm 20. The arm 20 is secured at one end to the rock-shaft, and is provided at its other end with a hammer or striker 21, preferably secured in position on the rod by a screw 22, whereby the hammer or striker is susceptible of adjustment along the length of the rod to vary the tone of the gong if the latter is constructed of a volute or spiral scroll wire. The rock-shaft 18 is also provided with an arm 21; against which bears one extremity of a leaf-spring 241, secured at its other extremity to a fixed block 25 by means of screws 26. The block is rigidly supported in the casing and the leaf-spring acts upon the arm 23 with a tendency to turn the rock-shaft in such direction as will force the hammer or striker 21 toward the gong 10.

In the top portion of the casing is arranged a sleeve 27 having at one end a flange 98 by which it is rigidly secured to one of the side walls, 2, through the medium of screws, as at 28. The side wall to which the sleeve is socured is provided with an opening 29, coincident with the sleeve, and through the opening 8!) extends the angular end 30 of a rotary shaft 3], arranged within the sleeve and having at its inner end a duplex cam or tappet 32. The angular end So of the rotary shaft is adapted to receive a crai'ik-handle 3; ,by which the shaft can be turned for the purpose of causing the cam or tappet 32 to lift the crankarm It) and thereby raise the striker-carrying arm 20 in an upward direction against the tension of the spring A.

When the cam or t-appet projections of the rotary shaft pass from engagement with the crank-arm lit, the spring 94; suddenly throws thestriker-carrying arm 20 ina downward direetion and causes the striker 21 to sound the gong. The sound of the gong is conveyed or conducted into the interior of the soundingbox 7 through the medium of a funnel-shaped inlet-open ing or sound conductor or conveyor 2H, supported by the sounding-box and having its receiring-mouth arranged in juxtaposition to the gong. The upper wall of the sounding-box is provided with a sound-escape opening 35, one or more, and thus the sound is delivered into the interior of the casing, from which the sound escapes through the sound-exit orifices The souiuling-box acts similar to a sounding-board and improves the tone of the gong while amplifying the sound for the purpose of producing a very effective instrument.

As before stated,the instrument is designed mrticularly for sounding a certain hour or producing musical sounds during the coremonies of secret or other societies; but obviously the invention can be used for any purpose for which it is adapted.

The duplex construction of the cam or tappct 32 secures two strokes of the hammer or striker for every revolution of the shaft 3 The handle 33 is designed to be removed and replaced, and is preferably in the form of a crank to facilitate the rotation of the shaft 31; but I do not confine myself to any particular form of handle.

The invention entirely avoids the presence of spur-gearing in gong-striking mechanism, which is very desirable for the purpose? in hand, in that the discord incident to the whizzing of gear-whee1s is avoided and harmonious musical sounds are produced by a gong by very simplified devices.

Ilaving thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a casing, a soundin g-box arranged within the casin and provided with a sound-inlet and a sound-exit for conveying the sound into and out of said box, a rock-shaft having a crank-arm and a rod provided with a striker, a spring which operates to turn the rock-shaft in one direc tion to throw the striker against the gong, a rotary shaft having a handle outside the easing, and a cam mounted on the said rotary shaft inside the casing and acting on the crank-arm of the rock-shaft to turn the latter and lift the striker against the tension of the spring, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a casing, a sounding-box arranged within the casing and provided with a funnel-shaped sound-inlet and a sound-exit for conveying the sound into and out of the box, a gong arranged over the funnel-shaped sound-inlet, a rock-shaft having a crank-arm and a rod provided with a striker, a spring acting to turn the rock-shaft in one direction to throwthe striker against the gong, a rotary shaft having a handle arranged outside the casing, and a cam mounted on said rotary shaft and acting on the crank-arm ot' the rock-shaft to turn the latter against the tension of the said spring, substantially as described.

3. In a gong, a sounding-box provided with a sound-outlet and having a sound-board, in combination with a standard connected with the sounding-box and a gong carried by said standard, substantially as described.

t. In a gong, a sounding-box provided with a sound-outlet and having a sound-board, in combination with a standard connected with the sounding-box, a disk carried by said standard, and a gong carried by said disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELIAS It. QUICK.

\Vitnesses:

EnnnsoN W. Q UICK, 'Isxmn: Os'rnmio UDJ.

Images