How do steam loco pneumatic bell ringers work?

[mmagliaro]

I mean, I basically understand the idea is that it's a small air piston mounted on the side of the bell.  But look at the photo below.

How does it actually ring the bell?  Does that little piston on the side move a lever up and down out of the top of it, which is linked to the top half of the bell housing, so that it can rock the bell back and forth?  It kind of looks that way, but it's not close or clear enough to tell.  I found diagrams and photos of pneumatic bell ringer mechanisms online, but none like this.     They all seem to actuate the clapper inside directly, or attach to the top, which I think would be a much more modern type of ringer.

I would appreciate any insight from you fine ladies and gentlemen.

(And yes, this is the bell on top of the SP&S 0-6-0 that I'm working on).

[C855B]

In that case it's rocking the bell, more than likely a retrofit for a cord ringer. It looks like the lever for the cord is on the other side with the cord removed. Pneumatic ringers normally are inside and just move the clapper. The ones I worked on were internal and mounted on a yoke for ringing with the cord.

[wcfn100]

That picture seems to clearly show the piston attached to a small lever that would rock the bell.

Jason

[Chris333]

[peteski]

Good video, but the bell sounds very anemic.  I think they silenced one side of the clapper.  Not sure why.

[C855B]

Good video, but the bell sounds very anemic.  I think they silenced one side of the clapper.  Not sure why.

Yes. If you stop the video at the right point you'll see something wrapped around the clapper, with a hunk of red felt on the side that didn't ring.

[Chris333]

I'm sure a bell ringing in a garage would be pretty loud 

[mmagliaro]

Chris, you are amazing!  Where do you find this stuff? 
THANKS.

[Chris333]

Chris, you are amazing!  Where do you find this stuff? 
THANKS.

Little known company goes by the name of Google.

[central.vermont]

So Max I just have to ask this question as I know there are others probably thinking this but...........are you going to make this operational on your 0-6-0? 

Jon

[nkalanaga]

"are you going to make this operational on your 0-6-0?"

If he does it better get written up for one of the major magazines.  I've never seen pictures of a real working bell in any scale smaller than live steam.  Moveable bells, yes, plenty of those, but not actual powered bells.

Remember a few decades ago when "everyone" "knew" N scale would never be a scratchbuilder's scale?

[mmagliaro]

Ha ha ha... no, I do not plan to make a working actuator on the bell.
If I can manage it, I might try to let the little bell pivot in its bracket, but even that is a stretch.
After scaling off the prototype erecting drawing for this bell, I find that it is only .082" high.   So most likely I will just model the bracket, bell, and the little piston on the side all as tiny static pieces.

[Maletrain]

But you are making it live steam, right Max?