IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Melville Thomson Neale, of 22, Buckingham Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES."
Scaled the 8th October 1878, and dated the 9th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Melville Thomson Neale at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1878.
MELVILLE THOMSON NEALE, of 22, Buckingham Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES."
My Invention relates to the transmission from room to room, or place to place, of
pieces of paper or other material containing written or printed messages. For this
purpose I use carriers or holders of tubular form, having at one end a tuft of wool
or other analogous substance resembling a brush, for the purpose herein-after
mentioned. These carriers or holders are transmitted from place to place pneu-
matically in pipes or tubes, having at each sending and receiving place an arrange-
ment as follows:-A valve casing formed with a suitable opening to the atmosphere
is connected at one end to the transmitting tube, and at the other end with a
cylinder in which is a piston, made air-tight by a packing composed of pieces of
paper (or similar material), arranged around the periphery of the piston and over-
lapping one another. The piston is kept normally at one end of the cylinder by a
spring or weight; by a cord or rod it may be drawn towards the other end of the
cylinder so as to force air therefrom through the valve casing and along the trans-
mitting pipe or tube. The valve casing is provided with a valve of peculiar form,
constituting also an inclined trough. It is hinged or jointed at one end to the body of
the valve casing, across which it normally lies diagonally in such a position as to receive
and guide into position for transmission the carrier containing a message to be
transmitted, or for the purpose of receiving a transmitted message from the trans-

page_text: mitting pip for tube, as the case may be. Behind the valve is a bell with striker,
so situated that on the arrival of a transmitted message the carrier travelling up
the inclined trough will cause the bell to be rung. A carrier having been slid along
the inclined trough into the mouth of the transmitting tube a stroke of the piston
is effected, forcing air from the cylinder under the. valve (which rises and closes the
opening to the atmosphere) and along the transmitting tube. This air presses
against the tuft of wool or analogous material of the carrier, thus forming a packing
which accomodates itself to any irregularities in the pipe or tube as the carrier and
message are forced along it. On releasing the piston it automatically returns to the
opposite end of the cylinder, air flowing into the cylinder through the opening in
the valve case as the valve descends.
My improvements, as herein-above described, may be used in combination, or
some of them may be used without the others in combination with other apparatus;
for example, the arrangement of valve and casing for transmitting and receiving
messages may be used in conjunction with apparatus differing from that above
described for forcing air into the transmitting pipe or tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Melville Thomson Ncale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1878.
MELVILLE THOMSON NEALE, of 22, Buckingham Street, in the County of Middle-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MESSAGES."
sex.
My Invention relates to the transmission from room to room, or place to place, of
pieces of paper or other material containing written or printed messages. For this
purpose I use carriers or holders of tubular form, baving at one end a tuft of wool
or other analagous substance resembling a brush, for the purpose herein-after
mentioned. The carriers or holders are transmitted from place to place pneu-
matically in pipes or tubos, having at each sending and receiving place an arrange-
ment as follows:-A valve casing formed with a suitable opening to the atmosphere
is connected at one end with a transmitting tube, and at the other end with a
cylinder, in which is a piston, made air-tight by a packing composed of pieces of
paper, parchment, or similar material, arranged around the periphery of the piston
body and overlapping each other. The piston is kept normally at one end of the
cylinder by a spring or weight; and by a cord or rod it may be drawn towards the
other end of the cylinder so as to forco air therefrom through the valve casing and
along the transmitting pipe or tube. The valve casing provided with a valve of
peculiar form, constituting also an inclined trough. It is binged or jointed at one
end to the body of the valve casing, across which it normally lies diagonally in such
a position as to receive and guide into position for transmission the carrier or
holder carrying a message to be transmitted, or for the purpose of receiving a trans-

page_text: mitted message from the transmitting pipe or tube, as the case may be. Behind
the valve is a bell with striker, so situated that on the arrival of a message the
carrier or holder travelling up the inclined trough will cause the bell to ring. A
carrier having been slid along the inclined trough into the mouth of the trans-
mitting tube a stroke of the piston is effected, forcing air from the cylinder under
the valve (which thereupon rises and closes the opening to the atmosphere) and
along the transmitting tube. The air presses against the tufted end of the carrier,
and the wool (or other analogous substance of which the tuft is composed) forms a
packing which accomodates itself to any irregularities in the pipe or tube as the
carrier and messages are forced along it. On releasing the piston it automatically
returns to the opposite end of the cylinder, air following into the cylinder through
the opening in the valvo case as the valve descends.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 is a view, partly in central longitudinal section, of the
valve case and other parts; Fig. 2 is a plan of the valve case and other parts;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is an end view; Fig. 5 is a cross section
in the line A, B, of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the carrier or holder; Fig. 7
is a central longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 8 is a plan of the valve; Fig. 9 is a
side clevation of same; Fig 10 is an end view thereof; Fig. 11 shews in side
elevation a transmitting tube with two sets of combined sending and receiving
apparatus, one air-compressing cylinder only being shewn.
The carrier or holder (Fig. 1, 6, 7), consists of a tubular part 1, having at one
end a tuft of wool 2 (or its equivalant) in the form of a brush, as shown. The paper
or other material containing the message to be sent is inserted in the open end of
the carrier, as shewn, dotted, at 3, in Fig. 1.
The valve casing 4 is formed with a recess 4*, into which the valve 18 normally
rests. At each end of the casing is a tube or mouth 6 and 7; the end 6 is connected
with the transmitting pipe or tube, and the end 7 is connected by a flexible or other
tube to the air-compressing cylinder 9 (see Fig. 11).
The valve 18 (shewn in detail, Figs. 8, 9, 10) is formed of wood, vulcanite, papier
mache, or other light material, and is jointed or hinged to the valve casing at 19
(Fig. 1). Around the valve 18 is a flange 18° covered with leather or other suitable
material 18º.
The top part of the valve casing is open to the atmosphere, and around the edge
is attached a flange or plate 5ª (see more particularly Figs. 1 & 5); the undeside
of this plate or flange may be coated with leather or its equivalent, as shewn 5**,
When therefore air is forced into the mouth 7 of the valve casing, the valve 18 rises
to the position shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the flanges 18° of the valve
coming in contact with the flange or plate 5 of the valve casing, prevents
the escapo of the compressed air through the opening at the top of the valve
casing.
The valve 18 has a trough-like channel 18ª for the purpose of acting as a guide
for the carrier or holder when a message is either being transmitted or received, as
will be hereafter explained.
A bridge or arch 18b is formed across one end of the valve, or it may be attached
to the valve casing itself; the object of this is to prevent the carrier or holder from
escaping or falling out of the trough when a message is received.
To the valve casing is attached a bell or gong 19*, as shewn. A striker or
hammer 20 is attached to a frame 21, which works freely on a joint or joints 22.
A plate or flange 23 is attached to the frame 21, and normally rests in such a posi-
tion that when the carrier or holder arrives through the mouth 6 and up the trough
of the valve 18, the end of the carrier or holder, or the protruding end of the paper
or other message, comes in contact with the said plate 23, and causes the bell or
gong to ring, thereby announcing its arrival. The position on arrival of a carrier
or holder is represented by dotted lines at c (Fig. 1). The plate 23, (and conse-
quently the striker 20,) automatically resumes its normal position immediately after
striking the bell or gong 20.

page_text: To transmit a message the carrier or holder 1 containing it is slid down the groove
or trough 18 of the valve 18 into the mouth 6 of the valve casing, in the position
shewn by dotted lines at D (Fig. 1), and compressed air being admitted through end
or mouth 7 of the valve casing, the valve 18 rises and closes the opening at the
top of the casing, as before described. The air by pressing against the tuft of wool
(or other analogous material) of the carrier, it forms a packing accomodating itself
to any irregularities in the pipe or tube, and the carrier and message are forced along
it until they arrive at their destination.
The air-compressing cylinder 9 may be made of any suitable material, preferably
papiér maché.
A piston 10 is connected to a piston rod 14, at the end of which is a handle, or
cord, or other suitable attachment 13. The piston is retained normally at one end
of the cylinder 9a by an india-rubber or other spring 12, or its equivalant, one end
of the spring being attached to the frame 16.
The cylinder may be hung vertically by the hook 17, but it is evident that it may
be used in any other position.
The piston 10 is composed of a circular plate 10, around the periphery of which
pieces or strips of paper, parchment 11, or other suitable material, are fastened;
these strips are arranged to overlap each other. When therefore the cord or handle
13 is pulled, and the piston drawn towards the opposite end of the cylinder 9b, the
air is compressed, and the piston becomes air-tight through the pressure, causing the
strips 11 to be forced against the inside of the cylinder. At the end 9b of the
cylinder is fixed a nozzel, as shewn, to which is connected the tube 15 (800
Fig. 11).
From what has already been stated it will be evident that (the opposite end of
the tube 15 being attached to the end 7 of the valve casing) it is only necessary to
make one or more strokes of the piston 10, by pulling the cord or handle 13, when
it is desired to transmit a message through the tube 8. The tube 8 is laid on in any
desired position, according to the situation of the rooms or places to be communi-
cated with.
The valve casing and its parts, as shewn, are designed to be portable, and may act
as a paper weight; but it will be evident that the details may be more or less
modified without departing from the essential character of my Invention; also that
besides using my herein-above described improvements in combination, as described,
some of them may be used without the others apparatus; for example, the combina-
tion of valve and casing may be used in conjunction with other air-compressing
apparatus.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
1st. In a message transmitter, the combination with a valve case or chamber of a
valve arranged to lie normally in an inclined position, so as to guide and receive a
carrier or holder, and on compressed air being admitted for the purpose of trans-
mitting a message, to close the aperture leading to the external atmosphere, sub-
stantially as described.
2nd. The valve case, consisting of the chamber 4, recess 4*, opening 5, flange or
plate 5*, and tubular extensions 6 & 7, as described and shewn, for the purpose
specified.
3rd. The combination of the valve case with the combined guiding trough and
valve 18, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
4th. The combination with the valve case and combined guiding trough and
valve of the bell and striker, the whole constructed, arranged, and operating as
described, for the purpose specified.
5th. In combination with the valve case, guiding trough and valve, bell and
striker, the cylinder 9, with its piston 10, spring 12 (or its equivalant), the whole
constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described, for the purpose
specified.

page_text: 6th. In combination with the cylinder 9 the piston 10, constructed, arranged, and
operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Melville Thomson Neale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness to the signature of
of }
Melville T. Neale
FRANKLIN PASHLEY,
19, Red Lion Square,
London, W.C.
MELVILLE T. NEALE. (L.S.)