The Helena independent., 1889-07-18
IMPROVING ON EDISON.
INVENTION BY a FARMER.
Telegraphing .and TeIephoning Over
the Same Wire, the Taiker and
Ticker in No Way interfering.

Buffalo y. " speciAi: William Burn
ley, a farmer living H1aF northeastern
Pennsy lyania, was recently awarded letters
patent on combined telephone and tele-
graph instrument, the exact nature 0f
which was something of mystery nntlI
to-day Mr.. Burnley called in the expert
electricians, J. +. Mckinstry, general
superintendent OF the Cleveland Telephone
company and several other western com
pAnies, and j. W. stern, superintendent oi
the New York, PennsyIvania and Ohio
Telephone companies, with several other
professional men to inspect the Invention.
The electricians found the telephone to
be fine talking machine. Ii was run BY
means OF a dry battery, which be had IN
vented. The device was cylinder ABOUT
three and hall Oy SIX inches, VIII the
regulation carbon ana zinc, but the con-
tents of the cell were hermetically sealed
with parsthDe.
The test demonstrated that the dry bat
terry was valuable invention, precludlng
sucn annoy gances as the free Elng and evHp-
Grafton OF the liquids, Gnd enabling
novice 70 renew batteries without expense
10 his company.
tiUns, however, is the combined telegraph
and telephone device. This was tested
upon circuit one mile in leugth. Ii en-
aDles two persons 70 use one wire Tor the
double service OF telephOning and tele-
graphing at the same time. This has never
been accomplished before, and as II iG well
known 1t has hitherto been cut OF The ques-
uOn 10 string telephone wires on to tele-
graph poles On account Ot the Interference
from induction
AT the test Mt. McKInstTy TOOK the tele-
phone receiver. and after ringing up MI
Burnley, who was at the other end OF the
line, began taking To hlm, and al the same
with another person 10y means OF the tele-
graph instrument, using the same line.
Mr.. Mckustry found NO interference At
al from the make AMI break Of the tele-
graph instrument Mr.. Burnley has freed
the telephone from the make and break by
the gradual increase Of the line OF resist
ance through the agency OF a small cup Of
nuld IN the line circuit. This mlnlA-
ture tank Is filled with a non conducting
tiuid. Into this fluid dips a depending
needle, which Is attached 10 lever, also in
the circuit. In the lower end OF the needle
is inserted a nOn-cOnductIng tip which
sinks into the liquid as the lever is de
pressed by the operators hand IS he writes
When the needle comes into contact with
the 1uid circuit, equivalent 10 metallic
circuit, is formed. As the bar is raised by
the operators hand thin hlm Of the fluid
adheTes 20 the Tip through which the cleo
tric current passes, admitting OF the use of
the wire for telephOning, but not of suff-
cient amount TO close the telegraph circuit.
AAt al4ouIN Vi - 81 cuEul as
not To operate the armRtures the same as in
the Morse system. The currents unbrOken
and undulating, and, being constant, no
injurious effects In the way of induction
could be experienced on contiguous lines.
The inventor claims that a wire a thous-
and miles in length may be indiscrimi-
nately and pTOmiscuOusly tapped by tele-
phone and telegraph and practically used
Tor both purposes as etfectua!ly as when |
used for either one under the old system.
The most important advantage presented |
by the Burnley system Is that messages
connot be taken from the lines by induc-
ton, as Is very often the case with brokers
and others having private wires.
Mr.. Burnley is getting ready TO make a
test OF the combined system on a long
stretch of wire.