Se sort of formula -- nerd alert

[Nitpicker]

Is there some way (other than time) for determining how much of a load can be hung from a steel bracket? I have this fire extinguisher cylinder "bell" to be hung from the loop at the top of the picture, outside the shop . The bell and clapper weighs in at 16 pounds. The bracket is 1"x 1/8 bar stock, the legs 17", and needs only some Evaporust, sanding and paint to be put back into service. The question is how can I judge deflection on the bracket--and how may fasteners (lag bolts) through wood and into a brick masonry wall to hold it secure and minimize pull away from the wall when ringing?

 

[willymakeit]

Screw or bolt it to a wall where convenient. Measure, hang bell ,remeasure, difference is your deflection.
That bracket looks like am75# bracket .

 

[matt_i]

Unfortunately no formula I know of deals with the scrollwork. Unfortunately the outermost scroll wraps under, it would be more effective if it joined the two distal ends of the bracket.

I agree with Willy about hanging it up in an unfinished basement or closet, someone else's unfinished garage, a barn, etc, to test.

From the seat of the pants view, it seems a little lightweight to me for a 16# bell to be swinging. You could improve the structure by tacking on another 1/8" x 1" x 17, down the center of the top bar, to created an inverted "T" profile as viewed from the end. Ideallly the 1" wide end of that bar would also be welded to the upper flat stock that backs against the wall. I would use tig welding for this, but other processes could work.

Tapcons may be difficult to drive because of the scrollwork. Epoxied studs would be ideal, although more expensive due to the tube of material "consumed" when its opened. Then you'd just have a hex nut and could easily reach with a box or oe wrench.

 

[driftpin]

Looking at your bracket, I believe the horizontal aspect is the vertical aspect in use. You would bolt it top & bottom, avoiding any clearance issues inside the scrollwork. I think a long-enough 1/4 tapcon to catch the masonry behind the stucco should give you plenty of support. Probably 2-1/2", figuring the stucco is somewhere between 1/2-1".

What's the purpose of the huge ring? Is that solid steel or cast-iron? Adapting another hanger in-place of that would lighten your load considerably, I suspect you could halve the weight of the bell, or better. I suppose it might be for hanging the bell from the open-end scrollwork at the vertical aspect in the bracket picture?

Here's a shot of a fire bell rescued from a Miami-Dade County FL schoolhouse. It's probably older than I am, and I am collecting Social Security now. It's the black round object at the top of the partition between the doors. It has a spring-loaded striker hanging-down, you pull-down until it 'unloads/releases' and it re-sets. Looks to be cast-iron. My 5 year-old grandson calls it the 'Pizza Bell,' when he rings it he's letting everyone within earshot know what he wants for the next-meal.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would be more concerned with the attachment to the wall/post ! If it is outdoors, mounted to a wooden post and you actually USE it as a bell, you might want to consider through bolting at least the top bolt.

My buddy has a similar "bell" made from 1/2 of an old Scuba tank !

 

[Nitpicker]

The bell hangs by the ring and nests nicely in the open scroll at the end of the bracket. The ring is an old cast iron mooring ring from the Annapolis docks. In thought it would isolate the (cylinder) bell so it could ring louder. The clapper hangs inside the bell and is rung by pulling on a turned wood handle which will hang by a chain below and is attached to a 4 lb clapper weight.
By the way the legs are 1/4" x 1 not the 1/8" x 1 of the scroll portion. My mistake.
A neighbor suggests the addition of a longer leg for attachment to a stout stand alone 6x6 post. That might be a better choice and more convenient to ring and fix if necessary.

 

[dutchgray]

Personally I reckon that will hang the 16lb no problem, just use decent fixings and have it tight so the bracket doesn't wobble side to side.

 

[gearhead1]

There are some ways, just not cost effective for home use.

1) Perform a finite element analysis (FEA).

2) Install strain gages and test.

 

[shedfullatools]

Hang it underneath and see what happens?

 

[bczygan]

Test it the way they test airplane wings.

Hang the bracket and load it with multiples of the weight it will hold.

You could load it until the fasteners fail or the bracket does, but no need to do that.

Just hang 3 or 4 times the weight as a test, and if that holds, you're good.

Bill