IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,.
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS."-A.
communication from abroad by George Washington Beardslee, of College
Point, State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th January 1863.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC TELE-
GRAPHS," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in the employment of a magneto-electric engine, by
the rotation of which electric impulses are induced alternately in opposite
directions. The electro-magnetic engine is connected by suitable conductors
with electro-magnets, the polarity of which is alternately reversed by the
alternately reversed impulses induced by the engine. An interposed vibrating
permanent magnet or armature at the end of a pendulous lever is, by the
alternately reversed polarity of the electro-magnets, caused to vibrate, and by
means of pallets and arms at the opposite end of the lever will actuate an

page_text: escapement wheel, on the axle of which is an index or pointer, which is made
to traverse round and indicate on a circular series of letters, signs, or figures
the particular sign it is desired to transmit to the distant station. This part of
the apparatus is connected with a mechanism which, as the operator indicates
or designates the characters or signs which he desires to transmit, will operate
the magneto-electric engine, and thereby develop (or generate) the electric
impulses which will transmit such character or sign to the distant station by
actuating a similar arrangement of mechanism at such distant station.
The second part of the Invention consists in combining with the electro-
magnetic apparatus or the equivalent thereof the escapement arrangement
above mentioned, whereby to indicate or develop the character or sign
transmitted.
The electro-magnetic apparatus consists of a wheel of radial
magnets constructed on the plan described in Letters Patent, granted to me
on the 11th day of July 1859 (No. 1647). There are six radial magnets
arranged according to their polarity alternately N. & S. This wheel of
magnets is composed of a series of plates secured to a vertical shaft mounted
in suitable bearings. Above this wheel of radial magnets is arranged a series
of spools or bobbins, there being as many spools in each series as there are
arms in the wheel of magnets. On the lower end of the shaft there is a
cogged pinion which engages the cogs of a wheel, which in turn engages the
cogs of a large wheel, the hub of which turns on a hollow stud secured to
a platform or bed plate. The hollow stud is provided with a ratchet wheel
and pawl to prevent the wheel from turning in the wrong direction. On the
rim of the large wheel are mounted standards; to the upper ends of which.
a ring is secured. The upper end of one of the standards is provided with
a handle by which the operator imparts motion to the large cog wheel,
and thence through the intermediate wheel and pinion to the wheel of
radial magnets. Within the ring at the top of the standards and concentric
therewith is a circular dial, with two concentric circles of characters. In
the centre of this dial is a central shaft, which carries above the dial a
hand or pointer, and below the dial an escapement wheel; with balf as many
teeth as there are divisions in one circle of the dial. The handle is also pro-
vided with a pointer to enable the operator to stop the handle opposite any
one of the divisions on the dial. Below the dial are placed two pairs of
electro-magnets, with their poles at a given and suitable distance apart, and
between these poles is placed a pendulous permanent magnet on a rocking
shaft, and from this shaft a forked arm extends up and embraces each side of
the escapement wheel. The prongs of this fork aro formed into pallets at such
distance apart that in the vibration as one pallet on one side of the axis of the

page_text: wheel acts on one cog to turn the wheel, the other pallet on the other side gra-
dually liberates and permits the cog which it held to escape, so that each vibra-
tion in either direction turns the wheel the distance of half a cog. The wires of
the several spools are connected with each other by conducting wires in the
usual manner of magneto-electric engines; and the first of the series of spools
is connected by a conducting wire with a metallic lug, and the last of the series
is connected with another metallic lug; a metallic conducting switch is
pivoted to a third metallic lug, so that the switch can be shifted at will, and
put into conducting contact with either of the lugs. One of the terminal wires
of the pairs of electro-magnets is attached to one lug, and the other terminal is
connected with the "ground" or other return conductor; while the other lug
is connected with the "line" conductor. The "line" and "ground" or other
return conductors are to be in like manner connected with a similar appa-
ratus at the other station. For the purposes of this description I will
denominate the two stations A and B. When the switch at either station is
in contact with the lug, and the wheel of magnets is by moving the handle
turned one-sixth of a revolution, so as to move any one of the radial magnets
from one of the spools to the next in the series, an electric impulse is
generated, and acts along the conducting wire through the mechanism to
station (B), thence through the instrument at that station, and back by the
6 ground" or other return conductor to and through the coils of the electro-
magnets and other parts of the apparatus at station A. The impulse thus
induced gives polarity to the electro-magnets, by which the pendulous magnet
is vibrated in one direction by the joint attraction and repulsion of the
opposing poles of the electro-magnets. This vibration of the magnet actuates
the escapement wheel, and its hand or pointer the distance of one division on
the dial, so that by the electric impulse generated by moving the handle with
its pointer the distance of one division, the dial index is impelled or caused to
move the same distance. The next notion of the handle the distance of
another division on the dial will generate an electric impulse in the contrary
direction to the first, thereby reversing the polarity of the electro-magnets,.
and causing the pendulous magnet to vibrate in the opposite direction;, and
move the index the distance of another division on the dial, and so on, as the
handle is moved around the dial the pendulous magnet is caused to vibrate.
alternately in opposite directions, and thereby move the index one division,
thus following the handle all around the circle, and stopping whenever the
handle is stopped, and again starting whenever the handle is moved.. Now, as the
electro-magnets at station (B) are in the same circuit with the electro-magnets
at station (A), it follows that the dial index at both stations will be moved alike
.

page_text: by the same electric impulses, and that this will be the result whether the
electric impulses be generated by the magneto-electric engine at station (A)
or at station (B).
Instead of connecting the wires from spool to spool in the engine, as above
described, they may be connected with a keyboard provided with keys and rings
having lugs, by means of which any arrangement or combination of coils may
be made, as with the several cells of a galvanic battery, to obtain any amount
of intensity or volume within the range of the number of spools in the engine.
And although I have herein described a method of indicating or
developing characters or signs by a magneto-electric engine, the Invention
may be applied by suitable means to recording signs or characters, as, for
instance, the pendulous magnet may be connected with a marker to record
by dots and dashes, such as constitute Morse's well-known telegraph alphabet,
so that the moving of the handle from division to division on a dial or
its equivalent will impart to the marker or recorder the vibrations required,
so that the operator by simply determining the period of rest will cause a
dash or a dot to be marked, and by a proper combination of these compose
and transmit any message desired; and, in like manner, by the application of
suitable means, obvious to persons skilled in telegraphing, the Invention may
be employed to select the characters or signs to be recorded by printing.
Instead of two pairs of electro-magnets with the permanent vibrating magnet
interposed, a single pair of electro-magnets with a spring armature may be
substituted, the electro-magnets moving the armature in one direction and
the spring in the opposite direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The leading object of this Invention of improvements in magneto-electric
telegraphs is to enable the operator, by the operation or movement which
he makes, to designate or select the character or sign which he desires to
transmit to develope the electric current by which such character or sign is
transmitted.
The Invention consists in the employment of a magneto-electric engine,
by the rotation of which electric impulses are induced alternately in opposite
directions. The electro-magnetic engine is connected by suitable conductors
with electro-magnets, the polarity of which is alternately reversed by the
alternately reversed impulses induced by the engine. An interposed vibrating
permanent magnet or armature at the end of a pendulous lever is, by the
alternately reversed polarity of the electro-magnets when these are combined,
caused to vibrate, and by means of pallets and arms at the opposite end of
the lever will actuate an escapement wheel, on the axle of which is an index
or pointer, which is made to traverse round and indicate on a circular series of
letters, signs, or figures the particular sign it is desired to transmit to the distant
station. This part of the apparatus is connected with a mechanism which,
as the operator indicates or designates the characters or signs which he desires
to transmit, will set the magneto-electric engine in action, and will thereby
develop (or generate) the electric impulses which will transmit such character
or sign.
The second part of the Invention consists in combining with the electro-

page_text: magnetic apparatus or the equivalent thereof the escapement arrangement
above mentioned, whereby to indicato or develope the character or sign
transmitted.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a top view of the apparatus with
part of the dial plate removed to shew the escapements; Fig. 2 is a vertical
section taken at the line A, a, of Fig. 1, but with the pointer or needle
and handle for operating the apparatus in a different position; Fig. 3 is a.
horizontal section taken in the line B, b, of Fig. 2.
a, a, represents a wheel of radial magnets constructed on the plan described
in Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 11th day of July 1859,
No. 1647. There are six radial magnets arranged according to their polarity
alternately N. and S. This wheel of magnets is composed of a series of plates
of the form represented, and secured to a vertical shaft b, mounted in
suitable bearings. Above this wheel of radial magnets is arranged a series
of spools or bobbins c, there being as many spools in each series as there
are arms in the wheel of magnets. On the lower end of the shaft there
is a cogged pinion d, which engages the cogs of a wheel e, which in turn,
engages
the cogs
of a large wheel f, the hub g of which turns on a hollow
stud h secured to the platform or bed plate i. The hollow stud / is provided
with a ratchet wheel; and pawl k to prevent the wheel from turning in the
wrong direction. On the rim of the large wheel fare mounted three (more
The
or less) standards 2, to the upper ends of which is secured a ring m.
upper end of one of the standards is provided with a handle n, by which the
operator imparts motion to the large cog wheel f, and thence, through the
intermediate wheel e and the pinion d, to the wheel of radial magnets a.
Within the ring m and concentric therewith is a circular dial o, with two
concentric circles of characters, divided each into thirty equal parts marked
with the required characters. In the centre of this dial is a central shaft p,
which carries above the dial a hand or pointer q, and below the dial an
escapement wheel r, with fifteen teeth, that is, half as many teeth as there
are divisions in one circle of the dial. The handle n is also provided with
a pointers to enable the operator to stop the handle opposite any one of
the divisions on the dial. The proportions of the cog wheels, which com-
municate the rotary motion from the handle n to the wheel of magnets a
is five to one, so that the wheel of magnets shall make five revolutions
for each revolution of the handle and its pointer, and as there are six magnets
in the circle, and each magnet in passing a spool will give an impulse, there
will be thirty electric impulses given for every revolution of the handle,
and therefore as many impulses as there are divisions in one circle of the

page_text: dial. Any variation may be made in these proportions, provided the number.
of magnets and the revolutions of the magnets bear such a relation to the.
dial that one impulse shall be given for each division of the dial. Below,
the dial are placed two pairs of electro-magnets t, t. The two pairs are.
placed with their poles at a given and suitable distance apart, and between
these poles is placed a pendulous permanent magnet u on a rocking shaft v,.
and from this shaft a forked arm w extends up, and embraces each side
of the toothed escapement wheel r. The prongs of this fork are formed.
into pallets a, a, at such distance apart that in the vibration as one pallet.
on one side of the axis of the wheel acts on one cog. to turn the wheel,
the other pallet on the other side gradually liberates and permits the cog
which it held to escape, so that each vibration in either direction turns
the wheel the distance of half a cog, and as the wheel has but fifteen. cogs,.
each vibration in one direction will move the pointer q the distance of one
division of the dial. The wires of the several spools are connected with
each other by the conducting wires y in the usual manner of magneto-electric
engines, as represented in Fig. 3. The first of the series of spools is con-.
nected by a conducting wire with a metallic lug a¹, and the last of the
series is connected by the conducting wire 6' with another metallic lug c¹.
A metallic conducting switch d'is.pivoted to a third metallic lug e¹, so that the
switch can be shifted at will, and put into conducting contact either with the
lug a¹ or the lug c. One of the terminal wires f¹ of the pairs of electro-
magnets is attached to the lug e¹, and the other terminal 9' is connected with the
ground," or other return conductor, while the other lug c¹ is connected with
the "line" conductor. The "line" and "ground," or other return conductors
are to be in like manner connected with a similar apparatus at the other station.
For the purposes of this description I will denominate the two stations A
and B. When the switch d' at either station is in the position represented
by full lines, and therefore in contact with the lug a¹, and the wheel of
magnets is by moving the handle turned one-sixth of a revolution, so as
to move any one of the radial magnets from one of the spools to the next
in the series in the direction of the arrow, which is effected by moving
the handle n and its pointer s the distance of one division on the dial o,
an electric impulse is generated. This impulse acts along the conducting
wire 6, through the lug c¹, to and along the "line" conductor to station B,
thence through the instrument at that station, and back by the "ground"
or other return conductor to and along the conducting wire g¹ to and through
the coils of the electro-magnets t, t; from thence it is conveyed by the
terminal conductor f¹ to the lug e¹, through the switch d', to the lug a¹,
66

page_text: and from that by the conductor z to the series of coils of the engine. The
impulse thus induced gives polarity to the electro-magnets t, t, by which
the pendulous magnet u is vibrated in one direction by the joint attraction
and repulsion of the opposing poles of the electro-magnets. This vibration
of the magnet u actuates the pallets x, x, which turn the escapement
wheel and its hand or pointer 7 the distance of one division on the dial o,
so that by the electric impulse generated by moving the handle n with
its pointer s the distance of one division, the dial index or pointer q. is
impelled or caused to move the same distance. The next motion of the
handle n the distance of another division on the dial will cause the wheel
of magnets to turn to the extent of another division, which will generate
another electric inpulse in the contrary direction to the first, thereby reversing
the polarity of all the electro-magnets, and causing the pendulous magnet u
to vibrate in the opposite direction, and move the index hand or pointer q
the distance of another division on the dial. As the handle n is moved
around, the dial in passing cach division the pondulous magnet u is caused
to vibrate alternately in opposite directions, and at each vibration it moves
the index hand or pointer 9 tho distance of one division, thus following the
handle all around the circle, and stopping wherever the handle is stopped,
and again starting whenever the handle is moved. Now, as the electro-
magnets at station B are in the same circuit with the electro-magnets at
station A, it follows that the index hand or pointer q at both stations will be
moved alike by the same electric impulses, and this will be the result whether
the clectric impulses be generated by the magneto-electric engine at station A
or at station B. The object of the switch d¹ is to enable the operator
at either station to throw his magneto-electric engine out of the circuit,
leaving his electro-magnets in the circuit with the other station; this is
effected by simply shifting the switch from the lug a' to the lug c', which
will close the circuit outside of the engine, as, for instance, if the switch at
station A be so shifted, the impulse from station B coming along the ground
conductor will, after passing around the electro-magnets at station A, pass
along the terminal f¹ to the Jug e¹, thence along the switch d¹ to the lug c¹,
and thence by the shortest way to the "line" conductor, so as to return to
the engine at station B without passing through the coils of the engine at
station A, and so in like manner with the other station if the switch be
there shifted. When the operator at either station desires to transmit a
message, he simply shifts the switch to the lug a¹ which connects his engine
in the circuit with the electro-magnets at both stations. Without this,
every impulse given at one station would be required to pass through all

page_text: the coils of the engine at the other station, which would tend to reduce tho
power of the impulses, while at the same time it might be injurious to tho
magnets.
From the foregoing it will be seen that whatever characters may be on
the dials, the operator at one station, by turning the handle n and stopping
its pointer & opposite the character or sign on any one division of the dial,
will cause the hand or pointer 7 at the other station to stop opposite the
same character or sign on the dial at that station, the hand or pointer q at
his own station coming to and stopping opposite the like character or sign,
which simply verifies, but it will be obvious that the connection may be
directly between the engine at one station and the electro-magnets at the
other station, in which event the operator will simply lose the advantage of
having before him tho verification of the character or sign which bo has trans-
mitted. Instead of connecting the wires y from spool to spool in the engine
as above described, they may be connected, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2,
with a keyboard h', provided with keys and rings j, having lugs k', by
means of which any arrangement or combination of coils may be made, as
with the several cells of a galvanic battery, to obtain any amount of
intensity or volume within the range of the number of spools in the engine.
Although I have herein described a method of indicating or developing
characters or signs by a magneto-electric engine, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to such method, as the Invention may be applied
by suitable means to recording signs or characters; for instance, the pen-
dulous magnet may be connected with a marker to record by dots and dashes,
such as constitute Morse's well-known telegraphic alphabet, so that the
moving of the handle from division to division on a dial or its equivalent
will impart to the marker or recorder the vibrations required, so that the
operator by simply determining the period of rest will cause a dash or a dot
to be marked, and by a proper combination of these compose and transmit
any message desired. In like manner, by the application of suitable means,
obvious to persons skilled in telegraphing, the Invention may be employed
to select the characters or signs to be recorded by printing. It will bo
obvious that instead of two pairs of electro-magnets with a permanent vibrating
magnet interposed, a single pair of electro-magnets with a spring armature
may be substituted, the electro-magnets moving the armature in one direction
and the spring in the opposite direction, but by such substitution the impulse
will have to overcome the tension of the spring, and therefore such substitu-
tion will be inferior to the mode hereiu fully described.

page_text: What I claim as new in the above described Invention, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is, the magneto-electric engine connected with the
electro-magnets operating a vibrating magnet or armature, substantially as
herein described, in combination with a mechanism which, as the operator
indicates or designates a character or sign which he wishes to transmit, will
operate the magneto-electric engine, and thereby develope the electric
impulses, which transmit such characters or signs, as set forth.
I also claim, in combination with the above arrangement of parts, the
employment of the escapement or the equivalent thereof, operated by the
vibrating magnet or armature, to indicate or develope the character or sign
transmitted as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have herc-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, .in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.s.)