bell profiles

[David Bryant]

Bell profiles obviously vary according to founder and date, and here I only
intend to look at true-harmonic bells by the three main foundries. My
knowledge is far from complete, and I'm sure other members of the list will
be able to provide more information.

Taylor's - True harmonic profile Mark I was devised in about 1896, although
some of the early true-harmonic bells may not conform exactly to this. Bells
cast to this profile are characterised by flattish crowns and sharply-angled
shoulders.

In 1924 the Mark II profile was introduced. Bells cast using this have more
rounded shoulders and taller crowns. It is still in use today.

Whitechapel - True harmonic tuning was introduced here in the 1920s (anyone
have an exact date), and from what I can gather there was initially some
experimenting with profiles (e.g. the ex-Birmingham twelve). This evolvd
into the Mark I profile, used until about 1970, when the present Mark II
profile was introduced.

Gillett & Johnston - I know less about these, but I believe TH tuning was
introduced in about 1907, and they appear to have used a number of profiles
by the time of the closure of the foundry in the 1950s. Both Taylor's and
Whitechapel will cast bells to G&J profiles when requested to do so.

To return to Jim's original question, I do not believe that different
profiles were generally used for chimes. I do know of few exceptions. One is
long-waisted tenors in chimes by G&J. The other is the Taylor 'B' gauge
chiming profile, which was longer waisted that ringing profile. So far as I
am aware, it was only used in the first few years of TH tuning, and had
fallen out of use by 1900 or not long afterwards.

As regards rings, it was quite usual to cast long-waisted trebles for
higher-number rings. I also know of a couple of rings of twelve where
special moulding gauges were made for the two trebles.

In York we've got five rings made up of chimes, and with the exception of
the G&J bells at St Wilfrid's, (back 8, tenor already mentioned), the bells
are all by Taylor's and of standard profile for the time when they were
cast. The Illingworth chime (1937, Mark II profile) was split to form the
back four of eight at St Martin-le-Grand and the front four are the back
four of six at Clifton. THe front four have the slight peculiarity of no
moulding wires at the bottom of the soundbow, but this is found on a number
of Taylor bells of the 1930s, both ringing and chiming, so is not particular
to chimes.

The back four at All SS North Street are 0f 1920, and standard Mark I
profile.

The eight at St Laurence are all Mark II, made up of the new (1999) bells,
four out of a five-bell 1947 clock chime (from Charrington's Brewery,
London), and one of the duplicate set for the Albany City Hall carillon.
They are all standard profile bells. The 3rd and 4th are a little lighter
than would be the case in purpose-cast ring, and this is because they are
part of the 1947 clock chime and were cast to chiming profile (i.e. lighter
than ringing profile). The smallest clock bell, equivalent in note to 2/8,
was not used as it was too light.

Now someone else's turn - I'm sure there are people who know a lot more than
I do on the subject!

David