IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Theiler, of SG, Canonbury Road, in the County
of Middlesex, John Edward Wright, of 17, Leadenhall St., in the City of
London, and Meinrad Theiler, of Attenstein Villa, Canonbury Park North,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TELEGRAPHS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS."
Sealed the 12th July 1878, and dated the 23rd March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Theiler, John
Edward Wright, and Meinrad Theiler, at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 23rd March 1878.
RICHARD THEILER, of 86, Canonbury Road, in the County of Middlesex, JOHN
EDWARD WRIGHT, of 17, Leadenhall St., in the City of London, and MEINRAD
THEILER, of Attenstein Villa, Canonbury Park North, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER ELECTRICAL APPARATUS."
The first part of our Invention consists in using the pressure of air, gas, or of a
liquid upon a yielding or moveable body for the purpose of assisting or increasing
the mechanical effect of the line current in telegraphic receiving instruments, or for
the purpose of magnifying either the force or the amplitude of moving parts in
telegraphic sending instruments.
But this said first part of our Invention may also be applied to any electric
apparatus when it is desirable or necessary to produce a comparatively great
mechanical effect by means of a small electro-motive force.
When the mechanical effect of a current is to be assisted or increased we employ
that current only for controlling, regulating, or directing the said pressure.
When the force or the amplitude of a motion in apparatus which establish currents
is to be magnified we control the said pressure mechanically.

page_text: The said pressure can be applied in various ways without deviating from the main
principle of the said first part of our Invention. It may, for example, be applied as
à continuous blast, the force of which we regulate and control either electrically or
mechanically, or the pressure may be applied to an elastic diaphragm or other
yielding body. We prefer to use the latter method because the said pressure can
be more thoroughly utilized, and need not be so great as when using a continuous
blast. We generally cause compressed air or gas to fill a tube or chamber, which is
closed by a diaphragm of india-rubber or any other suitable material. Now, if the
air cannot escape the diaphragm will expand or rise, but it will recede to its former
or normal state as soon as the pressure is taken off or diverted. If a lever or any
suitable object is resting against this diaphragm, or is in any other suitable way
connected thereto, it will necessarily move with it.
To determine the occurrence, duration, or amplitude of these movements of the
diaphragm we provide one or more outlets by which the air or gas can escape, and
open or close it or them by suitable means, which may be put in action either
electrically or mechanically. Closing or opening the outlet or outlets more or less
will cause the diaphragm to move also more or less; or the outlet or outlets may be
neither opened nor closed absolutely, a movement of the diaphragm being obtained
by simply varying the escape, that is, by making the outlet or outlets larger or
smaller.
Instead of providing an outlet for the air or gas we may use two diaphragms of
suitable relative proportion. By moving one of the diaphragms by any of the herein-
before mentioned means the other will respond.
By making the area of the diaphragm and of the outlet of suitable relative pro-
portion a very feeble electro-motive force is capable of producing a comparatively
great mechanical effect, and a small mechanical effect may be greatly magnified by
the same means.
The movements of the said diaphragm, or the force of a continuous blast, regulated
in the herein-before described manner, can be easily transferred either to the contact
maker of a relay or translator, to the marking mechanism of a Morse instrument, to
the syphon or stylus of a recording instrument for submarine lines, or to the
diaphragm of a telephone.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved method and apparatus
for sending currents that are of equal duration, although the lever of the key
be manipulated in the same manner as when sending the Morse code.
Instead of sending currents of unequal duration and spacing them equally
we send currents of equal (short) duration and space them unequally. For this
purpose we construct the key as follows:-The rocking. lever may be of the
usual shape, and its motion limited in the usual way by a contact stud in
front, and one at the back. This motion is magnified by suitable additional
leverage and transmitted to a contact maker. To this contact maker a click
and a suitable guiding piece are attached, which allow it to move only in a
certain line when going downwards, and force it to move in another line when
going back.
This contact maker rubs therefore against one contact in going
down, and against a different one in going up. But before changing from one
contact to the other it touches neither of the two, and the circuit is con-
sequently broken by suitable connections with the line, earth, and battery; this
key will thus send a current of one polarity when going down, and one of
the opposite polarity when going back.
When the motion of the lever is arrested by the contact stud the said contact
maker is in a neutral position, the circuit is broken, and remains so, no matter how
long the lever is held down or is at rest. But as soon as the lever is moved the
circuit is again established and a current is sent to line.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Theiler, John Edward Wright, and Meinrad Theiler
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st September 1878.
RICHARD THEILER, of 80, Cannonbury Road, in the County of Middlesex,
JOHN EDWARD WRIGHT, of 17, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, and
MEINHAD THEILER, of Attenstein Villa, Cannonbury Park North, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS
BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER ELECTRICAL APPARATUS."
According to our Invention we employ the pressure of air, gas, or other fluid
under pressure upon a yielding diaphragm to enlarge or increase the mechanical
effect of the line current in telegraphic receiving instruments, the line current
being used only for opening or closing a valve, such as is herein-after described, or
other valve for controlling the pressure of the fluid on the diaphragm. As the
pressure varies so will the diaphragm move inwards or outwards.
A lever drawn against the diaphragm by a light spring will follow the move-
ments of the diaphragm, and can move to and fro the syphon or stylus of a recording
instrument, or the contact maker of a relay or translater, or other part of an electric
telegraph receiving instrument; or other analogous means may be used for enabling
air, steam, or other fluid under pressure to give notion to the recording instrument
or other moving part of electric telegraph receiving instruments, or relays, or
translators.
The Drawing annexed shews a diagram view of an electric telegraph receiving
and recording instrument arranged as above described.
B is a chamber or cap fixed to a tube S which is in communication with a gaso-
meter or any other suitable source for the supply of compressed air or gas, or it
might be stean or other fluid. The chamber B is closed on one side by a disc or
plate A fixed in such a manner that the pressure of air may push it out. For this
purpose the disc A may be attached to B by means of two intervening india-rubber
or leather rings 1, 2. Against this moveable disc A the lever C is planted, which
may have its fulcrum at d, the spring g keeping it pressed against A. This lever C
may itself terminate in a stylus f, as shown in the diagram, or it may merely not
as the prime mover of any recording, or indicating, or contact making mechanism.
The pressure of air upon A thus pushes the lever C on one side, but the slightest
diminution of pressure will cause A, and therefore C, to recede. This diminution or
variation of pressure, which alone will produce any motion at all of C, is effected in
the following manner:-In delicate receiving instruments, such as are employed on
long submarine lines, for example, the suspended coil armature or other prime mover
is kept nicely balanced at zero point by two springs, which enable the said coil
armature to move to the right or left by means of a very feeble electro-motive force,
and cause it to fall back to zero point on the cessation of the current. Now if the
air in B can only escape through one of these springs h, when the latter is stretched
apart a diminution or variation of pressure upon A is effected whenever the coil
or armature M moves to the right or left. In this manner the lever C will exactly
repeat every movement of M, but with much greater force, and without impeding
the free motion of M in any way; M has thus no additional friction whatever to
overcome, the real work of recording or contact making is done by C, which is
actuated by a much greater force than that acting upon M. Nevertheless it is
advisable and sometimes necessary to reduce all friction upon C to a minimum, and
for this purpose we do not make the arm which carries the stylus frigid all its
length, but attach the said stylus to a spring which will yield to any uneven-
ness in the paper ribbon K, in addition to which we use paper with a polished
surface.
Sometimes in place of affording a passage for the air between the coils of the
spring valve by the uniform stretching of the spring, the passage for the escape, or

page_text: in some cases it might be admission of air, may be opened by the bending of the
spring.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim in telegraphic
recorders or instruments indicating the variations of electrical potential in a line
wire or conductor,―-
First. Giving motion to the pen, or recording, or marking instrument or part by
means of the pressure of air or other fluid which is caused to vary by the opening
and closing of a valve under the control of the electrical apparatus, substantially as
described.
Second. The use of a valve (or valves) under the control of the electrical
apparatus giving passage to air or other fluid into (or from, or both into and from)
a partially closed vessel more or less rapidly than the air or fluid escapes from (or
enters) the said vessel, so as to give rise to variations in pressure, which variations
in pressure cause movement of the pen, or recording, or marking instrument, sub-
stantially as described.
Third. The use to control the passage of air or fluid influencing the pen, or
recording, or marking instrument, or other part of electrical apparatus of a valve
consisting of a coiled spring, the convolutions of which are caused to separate or
close together, substantially as described.
Fourth. The arrangement of apparatus, substantially as described, and represented
in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Theiler, have herounto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
D
כד זMEL
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