Purpose for Bell on Brass and Wooden Rotary Dialers

I remember all about dialers for rotary phones but when I was looking for pictures, I ran across pictures of several with bells. We've been guessing for the purpose but - all guesses. Does anyone know the real reason for the bells?

 

There'll be NO sneaking around HERE trying to make a sneaky phone call (back when...)

 

That was certainly one of our guesses! Also, calling folks to dinner. My thought was, since it was 'attached' to the dialer, maybe it was the 'polite' way to call folks to the phone. Instead of YELLING!

 

Hello, Paul. Can't give you any help, but what an interesting item. Hard to understand the bell, Does not look like it would tinkle while you were dialing. If you held it with the bell hanging down, with the way it is attached it would be easier to make the entire bell swing, not just the clapper. I must be missing something here.

 

It has me befuddled too. A lot of old phones had those horrenous metal clacking sounds, thought it might be to gather the troops around when a call came in.

 

Just occurred to me. We had a 'party line' when I was a kid. I wonder if the bell would be for one person in your house to man the phone - then announce the line was clear to make a call?