Servants Bell Box Indicator -Wiring

[del_bert]

Hi,
I have just bought salvaged Servants Bell Box Indicator but need help with wiring. It is similar to the one in CRT's post 29 may 07.
Inside there are actuators---apply dc? how much? Outside there is bell apply ac? how much?
How would they have been wired up originally?...transformer?
Thank You

 

[JohnD]

DC from a battery originally for indicators and bell. probably about 6v to 12v

 

[del_bert]

Thanks for reply.
The bell would only 'ting' once with d.c. then?

 

[JohnD]

no

bells don't work like that.

it will go brrrrrrrrng

if you examine it I expect you will find there is a contact on the spung arm, that breaks when it is attracted towards the magnet, so it springs back. so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.

 

[jwilliams]

no

bells don't work like that.

it will go brrrrrrrrng

if you examine it I expect you will find there is a contact on the spung arm, that breaks when it is attracted towards the magnet, so it springs back. so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.

Then what happens?

 

[del_bert]

....get the drift.

 

[TicklyT]

These may originally have been supplied by a transformer, or maybe by leclanche cells or lead-acid accumulators (exchanged and recharged by the local radio shop) or maybe even dry cells about the size of beer cans.

A DC bell would probably be equipped with interrupter springs (contact breaker), an AC bell would probably have the coil connected directly.
Sometimes a DC bell can be used on an AC supply.

One form of bell that will operate on DC without an interrupter uses a bell with a loose clapper mounted on a large spiral spring, one pulse of DC sets the bell jangling as it bounces around on the end of the spring. The flags work in a similar way.

The same supply would operate both the flags and the bell, as they are usually connected in series.
The supply voltage would probably have been in the range of 2 - 10 volts.

These days, a few dry cells (say 'D' size or similar)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=31488&&source=14&doy=8m11
or a small plug-top transformer would probably suffice.

I would be tempted to try a small (say 300mA) unregulated transformer with selectable output voltage, and choose the lowest output voltage giving consistent operation.

 

[del_bert]

Hi TicklyT,
Are you suggesting an ac unregulated transformer output? or rectified to d.c.? Don't see how flag actuators work with ac?
Thanks

 

[RF Lighting]

The flag may work by having a bit of metal built into it, which is attracted to a coil.

This causes the flag to stick to it while the call button is pressed. When the button is released the flag will freely swing back and forth for a good few seconds.

You can see the coils (green jobbies with yellow ends) which start the flags swinging in this pic:

Have I got some pictures or what

 

[JohnD]

some flags will latch, and have to be released with a button when the call has been answered.

I call my servants using a cordless bell arrangement.

 

[del_bert]

Tried 5Vdc...actuators turned out to be electo-magnets as RF lightening suggested...they worked fine, but the bell didn't have a breaking contact as JohnD suggested might have...so it only went 'ding' instead of:-

so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.


So tried 12V transformer output with bell in series with each flag electro-magnet. That works fine with one comment that the magnets do buzz a bit with the ac signal but canlive with that....sorted. Thanks for everyone's help & hope this helps someone later on.

 

[bernardgreen]

It would have been battery operated DC. Wet cell batteries were the type used in the early bel systems.

The bell would "ding" once when the button was pressed and the staff were expected to be observant. If the call was urgent or not answered in time than a series of jabs at the button would be made to give a "ding ding ding ding" wake up to the staff.

 

[Spannerthumbs]

some flags will latch, and have to be released with a button when the call has been answered.

I call my servants using a cordless bell arrangement.

Sorry to latch onto a very old post but I have a 8 flag bell box that was bought me as a gift about the time of your post. It has sat there as I don't have any wiring installed and only wanted to install it working. I couldn't get my head around how to mod it to be actuated by wireless bell pushes disguised as regular old fashioned bell pushes, someone suggested a rolling code type garage door actuator electronics board, but not really sure what they meant. Have you looked into this at all?

 

[securespark]

no

bells don't work like that.

it will go brrrrrrrrng

if you examine it I expect you will find there is a contact on the spung arm, that breaks when it is attracted towards the magnet, so it springs back. so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.so it remakes contact. so it is attracted to the magnet. so it breaks the contact. so it springs back.

My grey matter....it aches.....

As to actuating it via wireless pushes, you could try the Friedland gear, they have a unit you can wire into a wired system that is actuated by a wireless push.