REF ID:A67399 

D R A F T 

Invention of an Electronic Translator or Co~biner for 

Printing Telegra,iiy and Other Purposes 

In order to explain the invention, r few extracts ~ill be quoted 

from Harrison's nprinting Telegraph Systems and Mechanisms~ 

~e.ge 218: 

Page 221: 

The mechanical basis of many translators rests 

on the use of a comparatively small number of differentially slotte~ 

permutation bars, the varying arrange~ent~ of rhich 

allow at any one time one of a larger number of cross 

bars to move in a manner thet subsequently determines 

the printing of the desired letter. 

The operation is the inver~e to that effected 

in the case of the composing keyboard. There any 

one of a large number of keys operates on a small 

number of differentially notched be.rs to arrange 

them in various ways to determine one of a number 

of letter signals. 

Fig. 217 represents five differentially slotted 

bars in their normal position. If they are shifted 

singly, or in combination, to the right an aligned 

slot will be presented to one of thirty-one cross 

bars CB, ~hich rest on their top faces. The figures 

opposite the top bar indicate which bers have to be 

shifted, in order that the cross bar may be selected. 

Obviously the bars may become discs with the 

cross bers surrounding them, the discs having to be 

independently moved through a small ~ngle. 

Baudot has devised many ell-electric methods 

based on a principle which Fig. 220 will serve to 

explain. Two groups of levers, 1-5 F.1.nd 11 -51 , have 

resting and oper&ting contacts connected each to 

each, but the connections of the levers of one group 

are seen to be the inverse of the other gro'..lp. 

lA\pproved for Release by NSA on 09-10-2013 pursuant to E.O. 1352§ 
REF ID:A67399 

-2-

In series \V1th lever 1 of one group end 51 of 

the other group is a batter) B and printing magnet 

PM. If group 1-5 is set by line signals to al'.11 

permutation, and levers 11 -51 are ~echanically caused 

to successively form the thirty-one 2ermutetions, 

the circuit will be closed when they make the oermuta tion corres90nding to the setting of the levers 1-5. 

A translator based on this principle is shown 

in Fig. 221. Five discs are differentielly notched 

and mounted on a continuously roteting shaft carrying 

a type ••heel. Five bell cranks or 11 ieeker levers" 

are pivoted to the frame, and by means of rollers 

rest on the edges of the discs. The upper ends of 

the levers hrve contacts as sho~n. As the discs 

D1-D5 rotcte the levers 11 seek11 for the combinstion 

whicfi is stored in a set of reley armatures, ~nd tts 

printing magnet circuit will be closed as expleined 

in connection •1th Fig. ~20. 

There are many ways in which the discs 1112.y be 

arranged '''1th respect to eech other, but the !>Srticuler 

arrangement of Fig. ~22, sketch A, wrs the one chosen 

on account of a peculi£r property which is ·rorth noting. 

If we stagger the discs with res~ect to one Enother 

and re-arranbe the seeker levers, as in sketch B, the 

result will be the same, i.e. the Emme letter \!'•ill be 

printed for any setting of the relays ~ith either A 

or B. But B can clearly be reduced to the sincle 

disc of C, and we arrive at the modific~tion of Fig. 

223, which requires no explanation. The methods of 

Figs. 221-223 can be modified, in thRt commut~tor 

discs may take the place of the notched discs, ~nd 

a rotary contact brush • rm the five seeker levers. 

Fig. ?24 explains this. Here five pairs of commutator 

discs have spacing and marking segments in accordance 

with the series 2, ~' 8, 16, 32, half of the segments 

in ea.ch pair being marking, and the other half spacing. 

For any setting of relay armatures -R~, a point will 

be found on the commutators a.t which tha circuit to 

the printing magnet will be closed. Baudot called 

this apparatus a combiner, since it co~bines any of 

the thirty-one letter signals into the sin&le printing 

impulse. This arrangement of Baudot's is in use 

to-day on the Siemens and Halske high-speed automatic 

system. 

~Y invention consists in employing a cathode tube in which the 

stream of electrons is f oi:usdd into ~ beam and the beam acted upon by 
REF ID:A67399 

-3-

properly positioned deflecting plates on which rlternating current 

is impressed from an oscillator thus causing the b~am to be set into I 

rotation. The speed of rotatio~-- the circumference described by the 

beam as it hits the anode1 etc. are deterllll.ned by factors controlled 

by the 

~ 

position of the deflecting plates and the imp~aesaa voltages~nd 

frequencies~thereon. 

The anode takes the form ot a segmented disc in which the segments 

are insulated from one another and each segment is then connected to 

a contact point outside the tube. In the construction in mind there 

would be 32 such segl!'ents. In'front of this segmented anode if1 a 

- ~ '1\0'VI. .. ~ .... ~, " 

series of plates ,..circUla.r in form. There a.re 5 such plctes in c9Jtc!'~f.ric 

h.A- ... -...4aUl~~4~"P4Ml 1l 

s rrAngement. Fig. shows I\ such e. pl.L te. I;acTi !)lE tel\ cont::-ins 32 I\. holes 

5 slotted permutation bars of the Baudot translator. Nhen potential is 

applied to these 5 pletes in combinations corresponding to the Baudot 

code and the electronic beam is set into rot~tion there ~ill be one end 

only one alignment of gride which 1vill ~erMit the beam to hit a segwent 

on the ~e behind the 5 plates. Since the bePm can be set into .. 

rotation at varying speeds from very low to very high speeds, it is 

clear that this electronic transletor, having no inertia, can operate 

at corres9onding speeds.