Electric bell
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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An electric bell is a mechanical or electronic bell that functions by means of an electromagnet. When an electric current is applied, it produces a repetitive buzzing, clanging or ringing sound. Electromechanical bells have been widely used at railroad crossings, in telephones, fire and burglar alarms, as school bells, doorbells, and alarms in industrial plants, since the late 1800s, but they are now being widely replaced with electronic sounders. An electric bell consists of one or more electromagnets, made of a coil of insulated wire around an iron bar, which attract an iron strip armature with a clapper. When an electric current flows through the coils, the electromagnet creates a magnetic field which pulls the armature towards it, causing the hammer to strike the bell.
See also
- Doorbell
- Oxford Electric Bell, which operates electrostatically rather than by an electromagnet
