Full circle ringing

Full circle ringing is a method of ringing a bell such that it swings in a complete circle from mouth upwards around to mouth upwards and then back again repetitively.

By ringing in a full circle, it was found historically that the speed of the bell could be altered and the interval between successive soundings (strikes) of the bell could be accurately controlled. A set of bells rung in this manner can be made to strike in different accurate and sustained sequences. Normally there is one ringer per bell, due to the bell weights involved.

The sets of bells range from a few hundredweight (100 kg) up to a few tons (4,000 kg) and are most commonly associated with churches as a means of calling the congregation to worship. There are a few sets in secular buildings.

However, smaller sets of bells, usually known as "mini-rings" have come recently into existence for training, demonstration or leisure purposes, with bells weighing just a few kilogrammes.

There are several variations of the means of exerting control of the bell by the ringers, but the fundamental principal of being able to control and alter the speed of the bell striking is common to all full circle techniques.

The bell is attached to a headstock, historically made of wood but now more often steel. This has to withstand the dynamic force of the bell as it swings, up to three times its static weight. At each end of the headstock are protruding trunnions or bearing pins which are located in bearings attached to the frame. The frame itself is rigidly attached to the fabric of the tower.

Within the bell is a clapper which consists of a solid shaft, (wood, iron or steel) a clapper ball (wrought iron or steel) and a flight. The size of the flight determines the rate at which the clapper swings, and therefore the point in time at which it strikes the bell.

Bells are normally left mouth down (for safety.) Before ringing, the bells are swung in increasing arcs until the bell is mouth uppermost. When the ringer desires to make a stroke, the bell is swung around a full circle, the clapper striking once.

In English full-circle ringing there is no counter-balancing, so the bell accelerates rapidly to its maximum velocity when mouth downwards, and slows down as it rises to mouth upwards. In Veronese full-circle ringing there is a large amount of counter-balancing, so there is little net gravitation pull and the bell accelerates slowly and rotates gracefully. The small out-of-balance weight makes it much easier than English bells to stop the bells mouth upwards. However, English full-circle ringing is capable of much better control of bell speed, as it is independent of the counter-balance effect. The Bolognese style of bell hanging does not have any counter-balancing.

In English full circle ringing "Mini-rings" are used to demonstrate how full-circle ringing on large bells works. These rings can be assembled quickly, but the bells are light and the ringing is fast. However, they demonstrate a difficult concept visually, as both the actions of the ringers and the bells can be seen simultaneously.

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Wikipedia