Machine-stamped Bells
By about 1870, machines were developed to stamp sheet brass into bells. The process is faster than hand casting, and less brass is used per bell. Both of these factors greatly reduced manufacturing costs. The downside is that most types of stamped bells are more fragile than their cast cousins. Some bells were stamped from one piece of brass -- the jingle (arctic) bell is an example. Other styles, such as the stamped egg and beehive bells, were created from two pieces of lightweight brass crimped together in the middle. Almost all stamped brass bells are all fairly small -- no more than 1 3/8 inch in diameter. Lightweight sheet brass is not rigid enough to be formed into bells much larger than this. One exception to this is the sturdy "improved Swedish" bell that can be as large as 3 inches in diameter. Many stamped bells were plated with nickel or chrome. The original makers attached stamped bells to a strap with copper or mild steel rivets. The bells were typically spaced 1 3/8 to 2 1/2 inches apart on a dark leather strap about 1 inch wide. Some of these bell straps were edged or lined with one or more layers of thin leather -- or possibly an oilcloth textured to look like leather. Edging material was sometimes cut with a pinking machine. When sewn to a bell strap, this pinked edging created an attractive zig-zag border along the strap. The color of the decorative edging or lining was usually dark to match the bell strap. Sometimes the manufacturer chose a bold, contrasting red -- or less commonly white, green or yellow -- for the lining or edging. Stamped bells usually have a lighter, higher tone than cast bells of the same diameter. Some people like the bright, shimmering sound of stamped bells, but others do not. |
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Typical two-piece egg bell. Egg shaped, light-weight brass, nickel plated. This bell is on a strap with an attractive scalloped edge probably from Bevin Bros. Mfg. Co. |
Beehive bell. Two piece design, nickel plated. Probably from Bevin Bros. Mfg. Co. This bell is popular with Native American dancers for its unique shape and distinctive sound. |
Octagon-shaped bell. Two-piece design, originally nickel plated. |
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Fragile "Sunday" strap bell probably from the early 1900s. Two-piece chrome-plated egg-shaped bell, riveted to a metal plate. The plates are linked together with wire loops to form the strap. |
One-piece jingle bell, also known as an arctic bell. Similar to the "patent" bells shown below, this bell is made of heavier brass than most stamped bells. About 1 1/4 inch in diameter. |
Delicate one-piece "triple throat" bell. The throats divide the bell into thirds. About 1 inch in diameter. |
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One-piece "patent" bell by George Tucker of Waterbury, Connecticut. The bell has two throats similar to the jingle bell shown above. About 1 1/4" diameter. The base is circled with the dates of Tucker's patents. The rivet is still in the base of this bell. |
Another Tucker bell about 1 1/8" diameter. The rivet that once attached it to a leather strap is still in the base of this bell. Unlike the bell on the left, which has two throats, this patent bell is unusual because it has only one throat. |
Tucker bell with the typical "PAT. OCT 24. 76 & MAY 14. 78" clearly stamped on the base. Not all patent bells are as old as their 1870s patent dates. We think several versions of Tucker's bells were produced through the early 1900s. |
More about Major George W. Tucker and the American Ring Company: The maker's mark on many (but not all) "patent" bells is a diamond with a small dot in the center. Located at the base of the bell, the mark is usually found in conjunction with patent dates of "PAT. OCT 24. [18]76 & MAY 14. [18]78" or just the single patent date of "PAT. OCT 24. [18]76" Tucker's patents described the manufacture of a sturdy machine-stamped bell. The bell was probably produced by the American Ring Company of Waterbury, Connecticut. Tucker, a prominent citizen of Waterbury and officer in American Ring, was dismissed in disgrace from the company in 1886 for embezzling a substantial sum of money. (10) |
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