[Bell Historians] Silent practice apparatus

[Peter Rivet]

The Seage equipment I've seen has been in Scotland.  I remember seeing a set
in Glasgow (Episc) Cathedral and the Devon article confirms this.  I think
I've seen it in at least one other tower there, possibly Paisley.  As both
towers have Taylor bells it seems to me likely that they had a hand in
recommending, if not installing it.

Peter Rivet


 -----Original Message-----
From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of John Harrison
Sent: 05 September 2011 18:32
To: Bell Historians
Subject: [Bell Historians] Silent practice apparatus



  This came up on ChangeRingers, but no one there gave an authoritative
  answer about the pedigree. Maybe the historians will know.

  I have always believed that Seage's apparatus, aka ting tangs, were a
  single species, but it turns out that they are not. The mechanism
  invented by Epaphras Seage in Devon, and installed in several Devon towers
  is shown about 4/5 down the page here:
  http://groups.exeter.ac.uk/gdr/rrd/mar08/rrd.html

  The mechanisms installed in several Berkshire towers, notably Twyford
where
  they are intact and working, are operated by a chain round the headstock,
  rather than a rocker arm. Alistair Donaldson and I recently took pictures,
  which you can see at:

  You can see the mechanism at:
  http://jaharrison.me.uk/Temp/SilentPractMech.jpg

  The chain hooks onto a loop on the bell side of the headstock, seen with
  the bell up at:

  http://jaharrison.me.uk/Temp/SilentPractHSUp.jpg

  To disengage the mechanism, unhook the chain and hook it onto the adjacent
  loop on the bell frame, see with the bell down at:

  http://jaharrison.me.uk/Temp/SilentPractHSDown.jpg

  David Sullivan suggested that this might have been a Whitechapel design,
  installed before the first war. Can anyone confirm or deny that? And are
  these the only two variants, or are there others?

  Regards

  --
  John Harrison
  Website http://jaharrison.me.uk


  
           
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