Improvements in Telegraphic Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE DINTICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphic Apparatus.
I, FRANS VAN HOUTEN of Heerengracht No. 514 Amsterdam, Holland, Notary
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This my invention relates to improvements in telegraphic apparatus and the
object of my invention is to effect certain new and useful improvements upon the
systems hitherto in use and which will be more particularly referred to in the annexed
description. In order that my invention may be more readily understood reference
should be made to the accompanying drawings wherein like letters indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the figures and in which
Fig. 1. shews a plan view of the transmitting instrument.
Fig. 2. is a similar view with the casing removed.
Fig. 3. is a view of the switch board with the lower portion of the mechanism omitted.
Fig. 3 are enlarged views of the lower portion of the apparatus illustrated in
Fig. 3. in front and side elevations.
Fig. 4. is a distributing apparatus hereinafter explained.
Fig. 5. is a portion of the underside of Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 5.
Figs. 6 & 7. illustrate side and end views of the printing apparatus and
Fig. 8. is a plan thereof.
Fig. 9. is a diagram shewing the connections and line wires of the complete
apparatus.
My invention consists of the arrangement, construction and combinations of the
several instruments illustrated in the figures ànd I will now proceed to describo
the same in detail.
The transmitting instrument A consists of a base plate A' or board upon which
in suitable guides is mounted a hollow metal tube or bar a which is capable of
moving to a limited extent between the stops c c from left to right or vice versa.
Attached to this bar a is a sliding plate d having ears or lugs e e thereon through
which the said bar a passes, the said plated having a similar lugupon the
opposite edge resting and sliding upon a horizontal plate 9 secured to the base
of the instrument.
To the underside of the sliding plated before mentioned are secured flat
springs i,,, which bear upon a longitudinal plate ; secured to the base
parallel to the guide bar a before described, the said springs passing over a serios
of studs and depressions in the said plate j the depressions forming a number of
interruptions in the current as the said springs pass over them.
The sliding plate d of the instrument carries an index finger or pointer which
passes in front of or above a scale h' upon the case or other suitable portion of tho
instrument and upon the said scale are the letters signs or numerals adapted to
be transmitted by the instrument, the said letters being arranged in two rows one
above the other and by moving the sliding plate and indicator needle from left to
right the letters in the upper row are telegraphed and a similar movement from
right to left indicates those in the lower row the said movements of the sliding
plate causing a commutation or reversal of the current by, means of a commu-
tator upon the base of the instrument hereinafter described. The said commu-
tator & consists of a series of contacts. I, l, m, n, o, p, upon which spring or other
arms press in such a manner that the contacts are connected with the
plates m, n, respectively when the commutator is moved to the right and with
the plates o, p, when moved to the left thereby causing a commutation or reversing
of the current as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 9.
The said spring arms lare attached to and move with a longitudinal bar ♬ which

page_text: .
has secured thercon two collars or lugs. The sliding bara before mentioned
carries a similar collar or luga which engages 'one or other of the said lugs in
such a manner that the longitudinal movement of the bar a before described' will
move the said bar and the arms attached thereto thereby causing the commu-
tation of the current as before described!
The switching apparatus B as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 34 consists of a base
board 13 upon the lower portion of the face of which is secured a plate B*:* Upon
the said. plate are lugs or brackets in which is pivotted a bar a upon which are
carried arms. Contacts and c, c³, are secured to the base and the arms a³
are pressed upon the contacts when the apparatus is at rest by the spring bb.
The bar a also carries a projecting, arm which carries a stud or button by
means of which the upper ends of the arms aª are depressed thereby formning contact
with the studs and
'
With this switching apparatus B and the transmitting apparatus: A before
described there are arranged three local batteries D, E, F Fig. 9,. and the
contact studs ³, b₁ c³, c³, are arranged and connected in such a manner that
the batteries D F are normally coupled and upon depressing the. stud
batteries: E will be included in the circuit thereby increasing the current, as will be
readily understood by reference to Fig. 9.
the
Upon the upper end of the base board of the instrument is a switch plate and
handle n of ordinary construction by which the line wires are connected at will for
the receipt or despatch of a message.
The distributing apparatus C illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 5 of the drawings is
constructed as follows. It consists of two permanent horse shoe magnets arranged
horizontally a and' a' at one pole of each of which is secured a bobbin B B* having
soft iron cores 6° respectively.
The line current passes through both the said bobbins B3, B4 thereby causing the
cores and to be magnetized. The said iron cores being already magnetized by
induction by their attachment to the permanent magnets it follows that the attractive
power of one of the said cores will be increased by the said current that of the other
will be reduced to practically zero, the current passing through both of the bobbins
in a similar direction. Upon the direction of the current being reversed as before
described the relation of the poles is reversed, the core that was magnetized being
de-magnetized and vice versa.
Opposite to each of the poles of the electro magnets B B are the ends of two
pivotted armatures c c and d d respectively the armatures c, being attracted
to the said poles by a current of the normal strength and those marked d²,,d' being
attracted when the current is increased by the switch B as hereinbefore described.
The attraction of each of the said armatures is resisted by a spring attached thereto
'may be understood by reference to the drawing. The said instrument may be
therefore controlled by the operator at the dispatching: station by the apparatus
illustrated in Figs. 1-3^...
The motions of the armatures respectively serve for the formation of a series
of contacts with e' or 'with g' and with e³ or f' with g' required for the
production of the letters in the apparatus for printing the same hereinafter described.
The other pair of armatures d³d form respectively only one contact p with
and with by attracting the respective armatures in order to move the relay
which relays in turn form contacts for a local battery which in the printing
apparatus direct the type wheel above the paper strip causes the letter to be
printed and afterwards removes the paper strip.
In connection with, the distributing apparatus C just described and the printing
mechanism D hereinafter explained there are provided suitable batteries E, F,G³‚H³
Beo Fig. 9. The two batteries E', and each consist of two half-coupled batteries,
the line wires out of the printing apparatus D being centrally connected between' a
carbon and zinc. clement thereby leaving a carbon and zinc plate at each end by
connecting which in the manner shewn an exchanging current in the printing
apparatus is effected,

page_text: As will be seen by comparison of Figs. 4 and 9 the wires 18 & 19 from the zinc
and copper elements of the battery are connected to the contacts g¹³ respectively
and by the movement of the pivotted armature of contact is made with f¹ the
current passing thence through connection 22 to the printing apparatus D. Thus
it will be understood that the movements of the armature will by its movement
connect either the zino or copper pole of the battery E' with the printing apparatus
through the wire 22.
The wires 17-16 from the battery F are in a similar manner connected to the
contacts g- and' the movement of the armature:e will connect the apparatus. D
with either the zinc or copper element through the wire 23: The action and
purpose of these several currents will be explained by the description of
apparatus D.
The battery G supplies the current for the printing of the letters in apparatus D
the current from the battery being conducted into the transmitting apparatus. C
through the connecting wire 12.
The battery H' is connected by two contacts to the apparatus C as will be
seen by reference to Fig. 9.
The printing machine hereinbeforc referred to which performs the principal
operation of the printing and reproduction of the letters is illustrated in Figs: 6,
7 & 8.
Mounted upon the base plate m is an axis K which revolves and moves
longitudinally in the bearings ff and upon the said axis is secured a toothed
ratchet and a type wheel upon-which is a double row of letters corresponding
in number and position to those upon the apparatus A illustrated in Fiġ..1.
A vertical shaft mounted in suitable bearings carries at its upper extremity
a horizontal arm the outer end of which is forked and engages with a collar
upon the axis K. The vertical shaft is moved or rotated by means of two sets
of small electro magnets 11 under the base plate the respective armatures of
which are each connected to the lower end of the shaft j'. The electro magnets'll
are connected to the respective relays in apparatus C and are thereby connected
with the current from the battery G in such a mannor that the one relay will
operate one of the electro magnets and the other relay will operate the other of
the said magnets. The reciprocal or balancing motion of the armatures will
partially rotate the shaft the rotation of the shaft causing the arm i* connected
thereto to move in a similar manner to an extent limited by the adjustable stops.
The said movement will cause the shaft. K to be moved longitudinally in its
bearings and also the type wheel mounted thereon:
The current passing through both of the electro magnets traverses the lino
wire 29, into the electro magnets au under the base plate and causes them to
attract their respective armatures the said armatures are secured to the shorter
end of a lever u pivotted between the brackets u the other end' of which passes
the paper strip, the attraction of the said armatures therefore causes the paper
strip to be pressed against the type wheel thereby printing the letter thereon (a
spring Borves to hold' down the lever until the movement of the type wheel is
accomplished) at the same time a tangent rod is depressed' or drawn' down: As
soon as the letter is printed and the current leaves the electromagnets ; the
paper roller drops down while the tangent' rod is driven upwards by a spring
and engages with the ratchet wheel y whereby, the paper roll and the strip supported
thereon is moved:
The revolution of the long axis or shaft K is effected in the following manner:
Upon the base plate at opposite sides of the said shaft are secured electro-
maguets p p p p which each respectively have as an armature: al permanent
horse shoe inagnet og mounted in the brackets .r,
Each set of these electro magnets is (as before mentioned) a local battery E* & F?
and the current is regulated and distributed in the following manner.
As before mentioned the armatures in the apparatus C-format; each extremity
a different contact (in one position connecting with the zinc and at the other with

page_text: the copper) and by their movement the respective currents alter with every motion
connecting the respective poles with the pivotted contacts respectively whence the
current is conducted through the line wines into the apparatus D where these
currents pass through the said electro magnets thereby magnetizing the cores the
poles of the cores changing with the direction of the currents. It will be observed
that the electro magnets ppp and are coupled in pairs in opposite directions
so that if the poles of one pair are opposite to the other poles of the permanently
magnetized armature the said armature will be drawn with united force in that
direction while the other armature will remain perfectly stationary. If however a
commutation or reversal takes place by the movement of the armatures of
apparatus C then the.magnet will be attracted in the opposite direction.
The magnet armatures y³y are each connected by means of a connecting
rod W W with the tangential rods W W respectively the said rods passing
through guides and operating the toothed or ratchet wheel g³. Thus it will
be readily understood that the vibrating movement of the armatures will communi-
cate a corresponding rotary movement of the axis K in a backward or forward
direction. Helical springs v vl serve to regulate the movement of the rods and
also assist in retracting the same after they are thrust forward by the movement of
the armatures.
The apparatus is also provided with small inkrolls z z' at either side of the type.
wheel which press upon and follow the motions thereof and provide the letters
with the necessary printing ink.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In a printing telegraph a transmitting instrument consisting of a casing in
combination with a suitable base plate upon which are mounted a horizontal rod,
a sliding plate mounted on the said rod a series of springs upon said plate, a notched
bar, a commutator and suitable connections the whole being constructed arranged
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a printing telegraph a switch board consisting of a suitable baseboard or
plato in combination with a pivotted arm a spring and suitable contacts, the whole
being constructed arranged and operating substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a printing telegraph a distributing apparatus consisting of a base plate in
combination with a pair of permanent magnets, electro magnets secured thereto
pivotted armatures and contact posts suitable relays together with suitable connec-
tions the whole being constructed arranged and operating substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a printing telegraph a printing apparatus consisting of a suitable base plate
having mounted thercon in suitable bearings a horizontal axis carrying a type
wheel and a ratchet in combination with means for rotating the said type wheel
and for shifting the axis longitudinally a pivotted lever carrying the paper strip
electro magnets; for actuating said lever suitable inking. rollers and connections the
whole being constructed. arranged and operating substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The hereinbefore described telegraph instruments arranged in combination
with each other, and with the respective batterics, and constructed arranged and
operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of July 1891
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.