Servants Bell

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Hbr1

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Hi, I’ve just bought a electric servants bell from eBay that was sold as working and it appears to be, however when the bell is connected (at the bottom) and you press one of the bell push switches all the flags are moved. If you disconnect the bell the flags work independently to each bell push.

Any ideas on how to wire and include the bell i.e. one bell push equals one flag and bell sound?

Any help gratefully received.
 

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Hbr1 said:
Hi, I’ve just bought a electric servants bell from eBay that was sold as working and it appears to be, however when the bell is connected (at the bottom) and you press one of the bell push switches all the flags are moved. If you disconnect the bell the flags work independently to each bell push.

Any ideas on how to wire and include the bell i.e. one bell push equals one flag and bell sound?

Any help gratefully received.
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I have long since forgotten how they wired those. All I remember is that the flag would continue to wave, for a few seconds after it was triggered.

How to wire it so only one single flag waves and yet the bell works, with only one bell...

Run it on a DC supply and use diodes between bell pushes and bell, one diode per bell push. --|> -- is the diode..

+ve --Bell push ---|>-----Bell ---- -ve

Individual flags are connected between bell push and diode.
 
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Thanks, for acompletre nutty when it comes to electronics electrics, are there different size diodes>? Could you draw a diagram?> Thanks
 
the bell-push is connected to a solenoid which tips the flag. As the solenoid is pulled, it closes a switch which sends power to the bell. No diode required.

Some rely on the flag continuing to swing, some (later) have the solenoid pull an indicator which stays in position until it is reset by pressing a mechanical button on the end of the box. This was also found at the jailor's desk by the cells of police stations. It requires positive action by the person who is supposed to have responded.
 
Thanks, this doesn’t have a reset as the idea is you see the flag that has been set off swinging. However when the bell is connected and you press a bell it triggers all flags. I’m trying to work out what the wiring needs to look like so that when the bell is in the circuit it works with all flags but each one is operated individually.
 
Usually the flag and push are wired in series individually, then the bell is wired in series with [all the flags]. You've probably got your bell in parallel with the flags.
 

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AndyPRK said:
Well I never would have expected a question like this on here lol. Interesting though it is.
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I think you'll find that it's not the first time! In fact, I'm sure it's not, since I remember discussing here the ancient 'call system' in my parents' house when I was a youngster!

Kind Regards, John
 
Eee, that took me back a bit. When I was an apprentice in 1981, we were still taught at college how to wire these things up. Even then I remember thinking this must be a very old course.....

Servants Bell.jpg

.....we also learned about Thermionic Emission even though we had just entered the microprocessor age, although I suppose in reality it was really all about learning about various types of circuitry.
 
Your college books were a lot neater than mine :D
My notes were 20 years earlier and thermionic emission was how everything worked
It's somewhat ironic that a hot valve circuit was a good sign whereas a warm semiconductor circuit is the opposite
 
Hi all, just a note to say thanks, it all works perfectly now. On a slightly separate note does anyone know where you can buy annunciator solenoids from?
 
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