Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-20
Cor. Water & Bridge SITS.


! part may be worked together or sepa-
rate'y. If worked together or sepa-
rately IF worked together the type
writer makes a written record of the
matter transmitted in Morse charac-
/ tiers on the wire.
! The telegraph section consists essen
tally of two parts; the motive force,
consisting of a clock work arrangement
operated by motor: and the transmit
ting part. The clock work mechanism
is retarded by an ingenious device. con-
sisting OF two flat faced weights travel
ing in a shallow cup, at opposite ends
of the diameter of the circle the faces
of the weighs resting upon the edge Of
the cup, when they are at the lower
part of the circle in which they travel.
AT the top of the circle they swing clear
and offer no retardation. Each weight
is provided with a flat spring toward
the center of the cup. The cup is sta
tionary, suspended on the axle and
around the axle in front of the cup is
another axle Of about half an inch in
diameter. This axle extends between
the two springs on the weights and is
adjustable, so that when pushed in be-
tween the springs they spread the lat
ter apart in such a manner as to force
the face of the weights closer against
the edge of the cup, thus giving a great
er retardation to the motive force. In
| this manner the speed Of the motor can
screw is brought out at the side of the
| framework, so that the speed device
| can be easily controlled. The gradu-
M n1 I,
chinery is brought in connection with
another smaller wheel attached to an
axle, running the entire width of the
machine. This axle is about an inch
In diameter with a corrugated OF bev-
elled surface. This axle passes through
a number of brass wheels, one wheel
being allotted to each key.
These wheels are convexed to CORE
spond with the axle, but they are sus-
pended by levers controlled by springs
in such a manner that they are just
out of contact with the axle. The
wheels are similar in character to the
commutator of q dynamo. They are of
solid brass with sections cut out and
refilled with insulating material, pre-
ferably of hard rubber. Starting at a
given point on the circumference of the
wheel, we will make the Morse charac-
ter for the letter B which is a dash and
three dots Each dash and dot is made
exactly the same proportionate length
SO that the characters will sound cor
rect to the ear. Taking the letter B,
a section of brass is left to correspond
with q dash, then a section is cut out
and refilled with hard rubber in order
to make a break between the dots and
dashes, then we leave a shorter length
of brass for a dot, followed by two more
dots, thus completing the character on
the wheel At the end of the character,
a short pin is fixed, at right angles to
the surface of the wheel of about a six
teenth of an inch in the clear.
Lying against the surface Of the
wheel on either side are two steel bars
or brushes as they are termed, held in
firm contact to the wheel by a spiral
spring, one for each set of brushes. The
brushes form one of the contacts for
the telegraph wire, the other contact |
being through corrugated axle: flat |
spring lying against the end of the |
axle forming the actual point Of the |
second contact. When the wheel is |
pressed against the axle. the wheel re-
wolves in a rapid manner and as the |
brushes are stationary, the wheel |
passes rapidly under them, and the in |
side of the wheel now being in contact |
as are also the brushes. the wire is |
alternately closed and opened as the |
brass segments or filled in sections of |
rubber pass beneath the brushes. The |
characters are thus made on the wire, |
but if there were not some means of |
stopping them, they would go on for
ever. First, however, is the starting |
arrangement. Levers are bent around |
under the wheels, one half their cir
cumference, one end fitting into a slot |
and the other held up by spiral springs. |
The spring ends pass up under the |
key bars in a horizontal line. The |
key bars pass directly down to these |
levers, each key bar having pin set |
at right angles. When the key is /
pressed the pin comes in contact with, |
and depresses the wheel lever. These |
levers are lined with leather and per-
form a double duty, that of acting as |
brake to the wheels and also as |
support when not depressed to hold |
them away from the moving axle, the |
brushes on the top of the wheels hold |
ing them firmly in place. A key being |
pushed down depresses the brake lever |
and the wheel having been set in mo-
ton and the character made, it must be |
stopped. This is done by a cooking |
device, working in connection with the |
brake lever, so that when the brake |
lever is depressed, this latter device,
which is somewhat difficult to explain |
in words, is cooked. The cooking de-
vice has a small, thin, fiat piece of
STEEL held, when unlocked, quarter Of |
an inch from the wheel. When cooked |
the free end of this small steel bar is |
allowed to fall on the surface of the |
wheel, directly in the rear OF the small
pin on the wheel. The wheel Their
travels around once. when the pin |
coming in contact with the steel bar
the cooking device fiys back and the
brake lever comes up again, pushing
the wheel away from the revolving
axle, and then the next letter can be
| started. This operation takes no long
| er than is required for the Morse char