cord and pulley under floor...wow!

[atlasfever]

HI,

My georgian flat refurb has already a bunch of nonsense items to manage (schedule of conditions, council stuff, etc), but I must say that the fun moments when you discover something in the floor, wall or ceilings... is just amazing. First, it was georgian wallpaper behind a semi-modern surround, then it was newspaper in the walls, then a shoe in the floor. Now, a whole series of pulleys and cord under the floor. All i can say, is.. wow.

Has anyone come across a website that shows how these pulleys worked? I'm assuming that it was for bells. I'm on the 1st floor and they seem to travel around the rooms under the floor and then exit into the walls (then starts the common space or other conversion flats, so can't trace further. I'd love to know how the schematic works.... any suggestions? just for curiosity.

Thanks.

 

[Nigel Watts]

We found remnants of these in our current house (1840) and our previous one (1850s).

The might have been operated by a handle in the wall like this:

At the other end, in the servants' hall, would have been a series of bells:

 

[LadyArowana]

Oi, how on earth did you get pictures of the bell for my bedchamber ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Feltwell]

Judging by the picture of those bells, your housekeeper needs disciplining Nigel. She's clearly not keeping the cleaning maid in line with those cobwebs!

 

[Owain]

In Edinburgh tenements there would be bell-pulls at the communal front door, with a bell in each flat.

brass bell pulls, four each side of the doorways, with bells linked by pulleys and wires to give each individual home its own clappered bell on a spring. The bells might announce strangers or parcel deliveries."

Edinphoto

Tenement Bell Pulls

Bell spring and crank