The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-17
THE WRITING TELEGRAPH.
Description of Mr. CosuDer's I,atercstSng
a 1nUe7atiOa.
ITnplov,

Description of Mr. CosuDe1's IntercstSng
InUe,atiOss.
| London Timesl
The ingenious writing telegraph invented
by Mr.. E. A. Cowper, @. E., is to be exhibit
| ed at the conversasione of the British asso-
citation al Sheffield. Before noticing the re-
suits of it's working it will be desirable to
describe the apparatus in general terms. We
| may premise that the invention enables q
person to write at distant station many
miles away, just as though he were present
there himself, without requiring the use of
any special signals, codes, or signs Ito spell
| each letter, as is now the practice), and with
out the assistance of any person to trans
late the signals as received. The
apparatus consists of trans
hitting and recording instrument,
placed in electric communication, one being
at one station and one at another. At least,
this is the arrangement at present under
trial, but In carrying it out practically,
which is now being done, there will be q
combined transmitting and receiving instru-
ment at each station, SO thar messages can
be transmitted in either direction, which at
present they can not be. The principle of
the Invention consists in communicating at
oil times to writing pen placed in the
recording instrument, the exact position of
a pencil used by the operator at the trans
hitting instrument through two line wires.
In other words, it means that the latitude
and longitude of the pencil are continually
given, the vertical position Of the pencil
being communicated by one wire and its
horizontal position by the other. The
pencil has two light contact-rods
joined to it, and one of these
slides over the edges of a series of
contact-plates, having various resistances
interposed between them and the line wire.
The second rod slides over second set of
similar plates connected to the other wire,
and at the receiving instrument each of these
wires actuate it's own needle. These two
needles, which are placed at right angles to
each other, and are provided with light
springs, are so arranged that they actuate
writing pen, to which ink is constantly sup
Piled. This pen moves up or down Or back
ward or forward in exact obedience to the
motions of the pencil which is guided by
the operator at the transmitting instrument.
The message is written by the sender ON q
strip or ribbon of paper, which passes under
his hand, being unwound by clock
work. The message-which is literally
written by him at the receiving
statlon-is produced by the pen there on q !
slightly smaller scale than the pencil origi- J
nal, and upon similar ribbon paper, moved |
under the pen, also by clock work. The |
message, when completed at the receiving
station, is sent to its destination, while
that at the transmitting end can be pre-
served as record. This apparatus, which
IS IN every respect perfect writing tele-
graph, has lately been brought thoroughly
under the test Of practical experience on
the Southwestern railway, and has been
working between the Waterloo and Woking
stations, distance of twenty-six and half
miles: The receiving instrument is
placed at the former and the trans