[Bell Historians] Henry Kingsford Harris's "Automatic Ringer"

[Alan Andrews]

Just done a quick search at http://worldwide.espacenet.com and found 

Improvements in Apparatus for Working Bells.  
Description of GB190824443 (A)
I, HENRY liNq pRI1 IfAnRx5, of Unwell Rectory, Wickford, in the County of Essex,, Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this. invention to.,be as follows:-
This invention relates 'especially to working peals of bells but it 'is also applicable to single 
The rope' actuating the hammer of each bell is fixed to a wheel, part of which is of less radius than the other part. This wheel is intermittently driven by a continuously revolving friction disc bearing against that part of ita circum- ference which is of larger radius thus lifting the, h.mmer.....When the disc cornea to the end of this part the wheel, is arrested by. a lug or. pin upon it coming against a pneumatic buffer spring stop. When this stop is withdrawn the hammer falls causing the wheel to complete -its,revolution whereupon it again comes into contact with the friction disc and. is driven ~until. it. is arrested by the stop and so on.. 

>From the full text and drawings it looks like the apparatus is for clocked bells as opposed to swung bells...

He was quite prolific and has several other patents relating to electro mechanical devices in other areas eg advertising!

Cheers, Alan 

Sent from my mobile device...

On 2 Jun 2013, at 22:12, "dgacrimea" <d.andrews426 at ...> wrote:

> The "Lost Cousins" genealogy site recently reported a newspaper clipping from the Blackburn Standard of 21 July 1900 that included the following:
> 
> "In the parish of Runwell, Essex, an apparatus has been
> lately invented by the rector for ringing the church bells by
> electricity. The origin of the invention is rather curious.
> The rector, finding a difficulty in obtaining bell-ringers,
> rung the bells for three months himself. In order to save the
> labour involved in performing this task, he invented the
> "Automatic Ringer, and erected the apparatus in the church
> tower. By connecting the machine with the electric current
> already in use for lighting the church and rectory, he
> succeeded in ringing the bells with perfect order and precision.
> The invention is in all respects an absolute success, and the 
> apparatus can be worked by oil power instead of by electricity.
> This makes the invention of general interest with regard to
> bell-ringing. The "Automatic Ringer" for which a patent
> has been obtained, can be supplied to churches and buildings 
> whenever required. The profits will be devoted by the rector to
> the fund for restoring the ancient church of Runwell, where
> the invention had its birth."
> 
> The rector was Henry Kingsford Harris. Does anyone know whether his apparatus was ever acquired by any other church or building? St Mary's Runwell does not appear in Dove's Guide, so presumably it no longer has ringable bells.
> 
> David Andrews
> 
> 
           
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