Lace catcher
The clapper scavenger is for the European Alps (Austria and South Tyrol, occasionally also in Southern Germany and the Czech Republic) typical apparatus with which the clapper of a bell is held at ringing so that an oscillation of the bell without striking of the clapper is possible.
construction
The clapper consists of a magnet, a pulling device that is connected to the magnet and can be moved up and down, a safety catch and a pawl. The pawl, which is made of steel, is attached to the lower end of the clapper and has the shape of a U that is screwed together with steel pins at the open end. The safety catch is just a small hook that holds the clapper on the outermost steel pin when the bell swings. When the bell is rung, the magnet folds down a little above the safety gear, the pulling device to which the hook is attached, thus no longer lifting the steel pin and the clapper falling down. Often the pawl is used as a safety gear and connected to the pulling device. Accordingly, the actual safety gear is on the clapper.
function
A lace catcher can be installed in two ways. It can either be mounted directly in the bell (inner catcher), or it can be attached outside the bell (outer catcher), the latter being more common. Outside the bell, the catcher is attached to the yoke and holds the clapper on one side. With the help of this technique, a targeted ringing of the bell can be achieved. A bell with a clapper is characterized by a sudden ringing of the bell without a ringing or ringing phase.
When using the mallet catcher, two buttons are required. The first is to turn on the motor that makes the bell vibrate. When the set ringing angle is reached, the second button can be pressed. An electrical impulse is sent to the magnet, which opens the pulling device to which the safety gear is attached, so that the bell clapper is released. As a result, the bell reaches its full ringing force at the exact point in time. Newer models only allow one button that can be switched in two stages.
In newer bobbin-catchers the clock mechanism (usually a hammer) is located directly on the bobbin-catcher. This means that the time can be struck even when the bell is vibrating without damaging the hammer.
use
Bobbin catchers are mainly used in the European Alpine region, especially in Tyrol, South Tyrol, Salzburg, Vorarlberg and Carinthia. They are less common in southern Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Usually catchers are mainly used for larger bells (from a weight of about 300 to 400 kg), although smaller bells (mostly in South Tyrol) also have a clapper. A loud bell with the fully equipped clapper catchers is in the Salzburg Cathedral .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Depiction of an external bobbin catcher ( memento from June 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive )