The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-05-25
From n T., o'clock 81 minutes, p. H.,
May %, 1913. {

chairman pro. tenn.
HOUSES PRINTING TELEGRAPH.
The line between this City and Philadel-
phia is now in working order. The news
received by the steamer Britannia on the
morning Of the Sth of May inst embracing
2,227 words, was transmitted to philadelphia
according to the certificate of the Clerk in
the New York office, in the space of one hour
and so minutes, being about 90 words or %
letters per minute. During an experimental
trial Il short time since, repeating single
sentence Of some 80 or more letters, there
were printed 10 letters per minute, the i'm
pressions being clear and distinct. The adj
vance i'll tclcgraphine which Mr.. House has
made is among other ingenious contriyances
or, to be more explicit, the invention of set
of keys 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 the rapid trans
mission Of intelligence is, its value is still fur
Their increased by the circumstance that the
message is recorded or printed, as the name
given to the invention indicates, in the ordi-
nary letters Of the olpha5et. This and the
keyboard, r its peculiar combinations which
makes it necessary to use but single wire to
form the telegraphic line may perhaps be
considered the most important features of the
invention.
A part of the machinery consists Of a
wheel, upon the periphery Of which are %
types; 2G Of these are the letters of the alpha-
bet, ono is dot or period, and the remaining
one hyphen; this wheel is caused to rcvolve
by mechanical force, but its motion is con-
trolled by the magnet, so that by keeping the
electric current broken or closed it can be
stopped by the operator who is sending
message from the other end of Tie line.
Near the type wheel is cylinder with pa
per around it, and when the type wheel stops,
the cylinder-bcing moved BY a mechanical
force which is regulated by the motion of the
type wheels brought against it and the pa
per receives an impression from one of the
types. The magnet controls the type wheel
by moving a very ingeniousl y-arrangcd valve,
and admitting the atmosphere to press upon
a piston, on the other side of which is par
tial vacuum; this piston in turn gives motion
to dead beat escapemcnt working against
pins upon the side of the type wheel, so that
at each motion Of the magnet up or down, as
the circuit may happen to be broken or
closed, the cscapement liberates the type
wheel and allows it to make 1-2Sth Of rev
olution, that is the periphery runs through
space equal to the distance from one type 10
he next.
The operator at the other end Of the line |.
lis at keyboard having % ivory faced !
seys, not unlike those of a pianoforc &c Of
hese represent the letters of the alphabet, /
me the dot or period before spoken of, and !
he other the hyphcn. Beneath the key
BOARD is horizontal shaft extending the |
whole length of the board, and having % |
mall pins projecting from its face; these
,ins are placed one beneath each key and .
orm spiral line about the shaft, making a
inglo turn from end to end. Upon one end
# the shaft is a wheel having Ii teeth on its
these teeth, with the II spaces
,etween them, correspond to the pins on the
haft and serve to break or close, as the case
nay be, the electric circuit in the following
One of the poles of the battery or
generator Of electricity, the negative say, is
II continued contact with the side of the
Wheel the other, or positive pole, rests or
rcsses upon the end of the teeth; the shaft
nd consequently the wheel are set in motion
y mechanical force, and as the wheel re-
Olives the circuit is closed Whenever the pos
i've pole passes over a tooth, and is broken {
'hencver it passes over space. The motion
f the shaft is controlled by the operator {
hus: From the underside Of each key pro-
,cts a flat pin, against which, when the key {
pressed down, the corresponding pin on
he shaft will catch as it comes round in its t
notion and causes the shaft to stop Now in t
rider to transmit any particular letter to the t
Their end of the line, it is only necessary for f
nc operator--.the parts Of tho machine at the t
vo ends of the line having been put in coin {
press down the key representing t
nat letter, stop the key-shatt, maintain the '
ircuit broken or closed as the positive pole
Jay happen to be on the space or tooth, in !
icatng the letter on the circuit vince, when $
he type wheel will be stopped, the paper cyl c
,dcr brought up to it and the paper receive !
n impression Of the letter represented by the f
ey pressed down.
Arrangements are now being made to put c
p lines from New Yolk to Boston, New York |
} Buffalo and Philadelphia to Washington, i
por which this ingenious instrument will be t
sec" N EIiiJnnc. 4