Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-05-19
Houses Telegraph.

We gave, few days ago, pretty full
description of Bain's Telegraph, together
with the views of an intelligent writer in
an Ithaca IN. w paper in regard TO the
practical difficulties in the way of its gene
raj adoption rs n means of Telegraphic
Communication. We now insert a notice
of another invention that bids fair to prove
superior to both Morse's and Bain's me-
thods. The improvement in the charac.
tiers used for the communication of mes.
sages is manifestly very great on Houses
instrument, as it substitutes the ordinary
letters of the alphabet for the dots and
marks that are now employed frequently
with no other effect than to mystify and
confuse. The subjoined article we find in
the N. Y. Express -
HOUSES PRINTING TELEGRApH--The line
between this city and Philadelphia has been for
some days in complete working order, and the
news received by the steamer Britannia, on the
morning after the 9Th May instant, embracing
1927 words, was transmitted to Philadelphia in
the short space of one hundred and fifty minutes,
being about 20 words, or 1873 letters, per minute.
Even this can hardly be considered a fair test of
the capabilities Of the machine, for during an
experimental trial, a short time since, repeating
a single sentence of some 80 or more letters,
there were printed 10 letters per minute, the
impressions being distinct, clear and legible.
The great advance in rapid telegraphing which
Mr.. House has made,--among other ingenious
contrivances, --beyond his competitors, is due
to his invention of the OBTAINING key board, or,
to be more explicit, the invention of set ofkeys
which will arrest the motion OF the machinery
employed to break and close the electric circuit,
and enable the operator TO maintain the circuit
broken or closed, at his pleasure.
But important as this rapid transmission of
intelligence is its value is still farther increased
BY the circumstance that the message is record
ed or PRINTED. as the name given to the inven.
ton indicates in the ordinary letters of the al.
phabct. This, and the novel keyboard in its
peculiar combinations which makes it necessary
to use but single wire to form the Geographic
line, may perhaps he considered the most i'm.
portant parts of the invention.
The following brief description will serve to
give better idea of the construction and opera
ton of the telegraph:
" A part ofthe machinery consists Of wheel, upon
the periphery of which - types: &c OF these
the remaining one n hyphen this wheel is caused TO
revove by mechanical force, but its motion controlled
by the magnet, that by keeping this electric circuit
broken closed it can be stopped by the operator who
Is sending the message from the other end OF the line.
Near the typc-whee is a cylinder with paper around
it, and when the wheel stops, the cylnder--be
ing moved by mechanical force which is regulated
by the motion Of the wheels brought against it,
and the paper receives impression from OF the
types.
The magnet controls the type wheel, by moving
valve and admitting The atmosphere TO press upon
piston, the side OF which is partial vacuum this
piston in turn gives motion dead heat escapement
working against pins upon the side OF the type wheel,
so that at each motion OF the magnet up down, as
the circuit may happen to be broken closed the
capement liberates the type wheel, and allows it TO
make l25 OF revolution that is, the periphery moves
through space equal to the distance from one type
to the next The operator al the other end of the line
sits al key board having % ivory faced keys,
like those of piano forte 26 OF these represent the
letters OF the alphabet, the dot or period, before
spoken OF, and the other the hyphen. Beneath the
Key board is horizontal shaft extending the whole
length OF the board, and having % small pins projecting
from ITS faoe these pins placed beneath each
key, and form spiral line about the shaft making
slngle turn from end to end. Upon one end OF the
shalt is wheel having fourteen teeth Its periphery
These teeth, with the IL spaces between them cores
pond to the pins the shaft, and serve to break
close, the case may be- the electric circuit i'll the
following manner one of the poles of the battery or
generator OF electricity the negative say is in conn-
ued contact with the side OF the wheel the other,
postVe pole rests or presses, upon tile END oil the
teeth--the shaft, and, consequently the wheel are set
in motion by mechanical force, and rs the wheel re-
wolves the circuit is closed whenever the positive pole
passes tooth, and is broken whenever it passes
over space. The motion OF the shaft is controlled
by the operatothus from the under side Of each key
projects a flat pin, against which, when the key is
pressed down, the corresponding pin the shaft will
catch us it around in its revolution and causes
the shaft to stop. Now in order transmit any par
ticular letter the other end OF the line, is only nee
essary for the operaor-the parts of the machine
the two ends Of the line having been put in coincidence
TO press down the key representing the letter. stop
the key shaft maintain the circuit broken closed
the positive pole may happen TO be on the space
tooth indicating the letter the circuit wheel when
the type wheel will be stopped the paper cylinder
brought up to it, and the paper receive an impression
Of the letter represented by the key pressed down.