Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-09-21
THE WRITING TELEGRAPR.
Description Of Mr.. Corners Interesting
KnresatLoss.
London Times

London Tmes.l
The ingenious writing telegraph invented
by MIR. E. A. Cowper, @. E., is to be exhibit
ed at the conUersazione 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 a
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
uniting and a recording :, instrument,
placed in electric communication, one being
this is the arrangement ut present under
trial, but in carrying it out practically,
which is now being done, there will be a
combined transmitting and receiving instru-
ment at each station, so that messages can
be transmitted in either direction, which at
present they can not be. The principle of
the invention consists in communicating at
all times to writlng-pen placed in the
recording instrument, the exact position of
pencil used by the operator at the trans
uniting 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 Joined to it. it, and and. one Of these Sc
contact-plates, having various resistances
interposed between them and the line wire.
The second rod slides over a second SGT of
similar plates connected to the other wire,
and at the receiving instrument each of these
wires actuate its 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 OF 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 a
strip or ribbon of paper, >hich passes under
his hand, being unwound by clock
work. The message-which is literally
written by him at the receiving
osN~sANAA Az PAONNSSA ~ sAO t1OAA tuOAO OA u
slightly smaller scale than the pencil origi-
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 a 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 Working
stations, a distance of twenty-six and half
miles. The receiving instrument is
placed at the former and the trans
hitting at the latter station, and mes
8 .ges have been transmitted for practice as
well as the regular line messages, which we're
presented during the time the new apparatus
was at work. Various distances have been
worked through requiring only few cells
more or less in the batteries to accommodate
the power to the work. Thus the simple dis
lance of twenty-six and half miles to
Woking has always been worked through,
but on some days resistance coils of wire to
make up sixty-two and half miles, and on
O hers ninety two and half miles have been
added to increase the work the apparatus had
to do. In every case the writing has been
good and perfectly legible. and the work.
ing of the apparatus in every way satisfac-
tory. It was found that the induction of
til, other telegraph wires in no way inter-
fered with the working of the writing tele-
graph. 1t could not be perceived when
message was being written, and when the
instrument was standing and the pen draw
lg straight line, induction was only feebly
indicated by very slight unsteadiness in
the line, which varied ia thickness at times
about one half. The invention is finding
favor with practical men, and the new
double instruments, we understand, will
shortly be at work.