Improvements in Electric Telegraph Apparatus to Transmit Visible. Pointer Indications Corresponding to the Movement of a Trans- mitting Handle.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1890-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Telegraph Apparatus to Transmit Visible.
Pointer Indications Corresponding to the Movement of a Trans-
mitting Handle.
I, JOSEPH ROBINSON, of 8, Rutley Gardens, Kennington Park, in the County
of London, Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to telegraphic apparatus by which the movements of a
transmitting handle indicating orders, or other communications from the transmitter,
may be visibly reproduced by the duplicate movement of a pointer corresponding
to that of the transmitting handle.
My improvements consist mainly in the utilisation of the movement of the trans-
mitting handle to automatically unlock the device, and to produce a mechanical
tension in a spiral spring, the re-action of the said spring causing the revolution of
a train of wheels and flyer, and by its motion causing an electrical contact to be
formed in one of three alternative directions, according to the direction of movement
of the transmitter handle, permitting the passage of a current (rendered intermittent
by a commutator to a receiving instrument, consisting of three pairs of electro-
magnets provided with spring armatures, the oscillating movement of which is
communicated by a roller at the extremity of each armature to a star wheel
operating an indicating finger by suitable gearing until the action of the spring
mechanism is satisfied and locked when the indicator coincides with the position of
the transmitter handles.
To carry my invention into effect the transmitter handle is mounted so as to be
capable of rotation about a circular order-plate, marked with the necessary orders
to be communicated; each position of the transmitter handle being marked by a
hole into which a spring pin falls when the transmitter handle is placed at rest.
This catch, or pin, operated by an auxiliary spring lever on the handle, is released
by the action of the grip of the hand. The axis of the said transmitter handle
pressing through the order plate, is attached to a disc carrying a pin, which presses
against an arm coiling up a spiral spring upon the spindle of the said disc. The
other end of this spring is attached also to an arm pressing against a similar
projecting pin on the first motion driving wheel of the train of gearing by which
motion is transmitted to a flyer.
When the apparatus is at rest the two said pins, one on the handle disc, and the
other on the first driving wheel of the gearing lie between the two arms of the said
spiral spring, upon which a "set" or tension, is applied, so that the two projecting
arms of the spring normally tend to press together, but are locked by the said pins.
lying between them.
When then the transmitter handle is operated, the rotation of the disc carrying
the driving pin, presses upon one of the said arms at either end of the coil spring
according to the direction in which the handle is moved. The other arm of the
spring immediately tends to follow the motion from it of the said driving pin,
thereby causing the driving pin of the flyer gearing to follow immediately the
driving handle pin, and to bring the gearing to rest only when it shall br.
once more identically in position with the handle pin as in the normal position (.f
the mechanism.
If the order handle be moved sharply the elasticity of the spiral spring, and the
control of the gearing by a flyer, more particularly hereinafter described, causes
the gearing and recording finger to follow with a fairly uniform & graduated
motion

page_text: I prefer to use a flyer of special construction which causes it to be a better
regulator for uniformity than the usual flyer with fixed vanes.
In my improved flyer the vanes are caused by weights, or spring tension, to lie
normally close to the spindle, and the rotation of the flyer causes the vanes to
gradually extend themselves into a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation
by centrifugal force, as the speed of the flyer tends to increase, & thus to cause a
greater amount of resistance to the rotation of the flyer as well as a larger air
resistance by any increase of speed.
Upon an axis of one of the wheels in the flyer train of gearing I fit a commutator
with three distinct brush fingers, making contact as the commutator revolves by
means of insulated metallic contacts to one or other of the three electro-magnets
operating the recording finger.
The circuits from the electro-magnets are made respectively through the 3 brushes,
& the corresponding commutator contacts, are thus only closed temporarily, &
successively, thus producing alternate, and momentary magnetic action upon each.
armature of the said electro-magnets, successively, and in either direction of
successive action according to the direction of rotation of the commutator, which
obeys, and corresponds with the action of the transmitter lever.
The intermittent successive action of the electro-magnets in either direction
according to that of the transmitter handle and the consequent oscillating move-
ment of the respective armatures operating by the rollers on the extremity of the
armatures upon a star shaped wheel, produce, a step by step rotation of that wheel
in either direction according to that in which the successive action of the electro-
magnets take place.
The relative placing of the electro-magnets, and the points of their oscillating
armatures, with regard to the number of points of the star wheel, and to their
relative position to one another is important, and is such that when one armature is
drawn down and the roller point of its armature is accordingly depressed to the
bottom of the gap between two points of the star wheel, the other two roller points
of the other two armatures not depressed come exactly outside the two points of
two adjacent spokes of the star wheel, so that when called into action by the
successive depression of their armatures, the star wheel will be rotated in one
direction or in the other according to which of these two armatures is first depressed.
One convenient and correct disposition of this gear, I find to be when two armatures
acting on opposite sides of the star wheel, are parallel to one another and the third
at right angles to the other two, there being in such case five points to the star
wheel.
Upon the axis of the said star wheel, which by multiple gearing operates the
recording finger, I place another triangularly toothed wheel upon which rests a
spring pressed roller, so as to form a spring check or brake, when lying exactly
between two triangular points, so as to hold the said axis in any position until
mechanically moved out of its position by the aforesaid mechanism.
In conjunction with the train of wheels as aforesaid I fit a spring pressed locking
lever, which when the transmitter handle has been accurately placed in any particular
predetermined position to define an order, locks the mechanism and stops the afore-
said flyer, until the said lock is again released by the following mechanism upon the
movement of the transmitter handle to a new position. This mechanism is as
follows: Under the transmitter handle disc is an annular cam face upon which ride
a pin passing through a boss in the driving wheel and pressing upon an annular disc
surrounding the axis of the said wheel.
The formation of the cam face causes the pin to be forced down on this annular
disc, the movement of which is utilized to release the aforesaid spring pressed locking
lever.
This said locking lever enters with a nose in a suitable number of slots in the
axis or hub of the first motion driving wheel and engages an arm of the flyer
between two paws whilst locked.
I may in addition use an auxiliary lock upon the receiving part of the instrument,

page_text: say upon a disc fitted to the star-wheel axis. The engaging bolt may be the core
of a solenoid engaging by gravity and lifted out of locking by the action of the
current led to the rotation producing electro-magnets being first passed round the
said solenoid:
Mah 1000
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Electric Telegraph Apparatus to Transmit Visible
Pointer Indications Corresponding to the Movement of a Trans-
mitting Handle.
I, JOSEPH ROBINSON, of 8, Rutley Gardens, Kensington Park, in the County
of London, Instrument Maker, 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 :—
My invention relates to telegraphic apparatus by which the movements of a
transmitting handle indicating orders or other communications from the transmitter
may visibly be reproduced by the duplicate movement of a pointer corresponding to
that of the transmitting handle.
My improvements consist mainly in the utilization of the movement of the trans-
mitting handle to automatically unlock the device and to produce a mechanical
tension in a spiral spring, the reaction of the said spring causing the revolution of a
train of wheels and flyer, and by its motion causing an electrical contact to be
formed in one of three alternative directions, according to the direction of move-
ment of the transmitter handle, permitting the passage of a current, rendered
intermittent by a commutator, to a receiving instrument, consisting of three pairs of
electro-magnets provided with spring armatures, the oscillating movement of which
is communicated by a roller at the extremity of each armature to a star-wheel
operating an indicating finger by suitable gearing, until the action of the spring
mechanism is satisfied and locked, when the indicator coincides with the position of
the transmitter handle.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
Figure 1 is a back elevation of my transmitting mechanism mounted on a dial
plate.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a detached enlarged detail of the main spring and transmitter handle
fingers, with one of the pillars supporting mechanism frame on first motion
wheel.
Figures 5 & 6 are an enlarged outside elevation and transverse section respectively
of the automatic regulating flyer.
Figures 7 & 8 are enlarged transverse section, and part outside elevation
respectively, of the spring drum locking mechanism.
Figures 9 & 10 are an outside elevation and plan respectively of the recording
mechanism.
Figure 11 is a back elevation of the indicator pointer mechanism.
Figure 12 is a diagrammatical view of the electric circuits between my trans-
mitting and recording mechanisms.
The transmitter handle A is mounted so as to be capable of rotation around a
circular order plate B marked with the necessary orders to be communicated which
may be any number required each position of the transmitter handle being marked

page_text: by a hole into which a spring pin a falls when the transmitter handle is placed at
rest.
This catch or pin a is operated by an auxiliary spring lever a¹ on the handle of
the transmitter lever A and is released by the action of the grip of the hand. The
axis of the said transmitter handle A passing through the order plate B is attached
to a disc C carrying a pin (shown in detail at Figure 4) c which presses against an
arm or finger d attached to one end and coiling up a spiral spring D about the
axis of the said disc.
The other end of this spring is attached to a similar arm or finger about the axis
of the first motion driving wheel E of the train of gearing by which latter motion
is transmitted to a flyer F (shown in detail at Figure 5) and to a commutator G
by which the electrical current is transmitted to one or other of the three pair of
electro-magnets on the recorder (see Figure 9) to produce their desired successive
operations rotating the recording indicator pointer. When the apparatus is at rest
the finger of the transmitter lever disc lies between the aforesaid arms or
fingers d & d' attached to either end of the spiral spring D upon the axis of the
first motion driving wheel and pressing in opposite directions upon one of the
pillars d (see Figure 7) of the main driving wheel. The lever disc pine coincides
in position when the apparatus is at rest with this pillar of the main driving
wheel and the two arms or fingers d & d' at either extremity of the spiral spring,
thus in normal position, at rest, press against one another with a normal set or
tension which is thus satisfied.
When then the transmitter handle is operated, the rotation of the lever disc C
carrying the driving pin c with it presses upon one of the said arms d d' at either
end of the coil spring, according to the direction in which the handle is moved.
The other of the said arms d d attached to the spring immediately tends to follow
the motion from it of the said driving pin c, and pressing upon the pillar d" of the
first motion-wheel causes the said wheel to revolve, until the pillar d" once more
has come back to its normal position coincident with the driving pin e, as in the
normal position of the mechanism at rest. If the transmitter handle A be moved
sharply, the elasticity of the handle spring and the control of the gearing by the
flyer F (more particularly hereinafter described) causes the first motion wheel, the
train of gearing, and recording finger by its mechanism as shown in Figures 9, 10
and 11 (hereinafter to be more fully described) to follow the transmitter handle
with a fairly uniform and graduated motion.
I prefer to use a flyer of special construction shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6,
which causes it to be a better regulator for uniformity, than the usual flyer with
fixed vanes.
In my improved flyer the vanes F are caused by the tension of a spring f upon
the axis, or by weights, to lie normally close to the spindle, as shown in dotted lines
Figure 6, and the centrifugal force of the flyer vanes, when rotated, causes them to
gradually extend against the reaction of the spiral spring finto a direction. per-
pendicular to the axis of rotation, as the speed of the flyer tends to increase, and
thus causes a greater area offering resistance to the rotation of the flyer as well. as
a larger air resistance by an increase of speed.
Upon the axis of one of the wheels in the flyer train of gearing I fit-a com-
mutator G with three distinct brush fingers g' g" g making contact upon certain
conducting sections of the commutator as it revolves, to one or other of the three
pair of electro-magnets, operating the recording finger-only one metallic contact
through one brush being made at any one time. The general arrangements
of the circuits are shown diagrammatically in Figure 12 where the electro-
magnets HH" H" are shown connected each one respectively to the.com-
mutators g g and the corresponding commutator contacts are thus, only
temporary and successively closed, thus producing alternate and, momentary
magnetic action upon armatures K K K of the said electro-magnets, succes-
sively in either direction of successive action, according to the direction of rotation
of the said commutator G which obeys and corresponds with the. action of the

page_text: transmitter lever. The main current from a battery L or other suitable source of
electric current is made through a set screw m and a spring m' which is opened or
closed by the movement of the locking lever M operated as hereinafter described.
The three electro-magnets H' H" H" are connected to a common return L which
leads back to the battery.
The intermittent successive action of the electro-magnets H' H" H"" in either
direction according to that of the transmitter handle A, and the consequent
oscillating movement of the respective armatures K' K" K operated by the
roller pins k attached to the said pivotted armatures, upon a star shaped wheel P,
produces a step by step rotation of that wheel in either direction according to
that in which the successive action of the electro-magnets takes place. The
relative placing of the electro-magnets and the pins k of their oscillating
armatures K K K with regard to the number of points of the star wheel,
and to their respective position to one another, is important, and is such, that
when one armature is drawn down and the roller pin and armature are accord-
ingly depressed to the bottom of the gap between two points of the star wheel,
the other two roller points of the other two armatures are not depressed, but
come exactly each on opposite sides of two spokes of the star wheel, so that
when called into action by the successive depression of their armatures, the star
wheel P will be rotated in one direction or the other, according to which of these
two armatures is first depressed.
One convenient and correct disposition of this gear I find to be when two
armatures are arranged to act on opposite sides of the star wheel, are parallel to
one another, and the third at right angles to the other two, there being in such
case seven points to the star wheel.
Upon the axis of the said star wheel P which by multiple gearing Q (Figure 11)
operates the recording finger R (see Figure 11), I place another triangularly
toothed wheel q.upon which rests a spring pressed roller q' so as to form a spring
pressed brake when lying exactly between two triangular points, so as to hold the
said axis in any position until mechanically moved out of its position by the afore-
said mechanism.
In conjunction with the train of wheels as aforesaid, I fit a spring pressed
locking lever M pressed by the spring m² which also forms the metallic conductor
for the main circuit, when pressed up against the set screw m..
When the transmitter handle A has been accurately placed in any particular
predetermined position, to define an order, this lever locks the mechanism and stops
the aforesaid flyer F by two pivotted jaws N allowing a pawl n to enter between
them but to be locked there, until the locking lever is released by a fresh movement
of the transmitter handle.
The mechanism is as follows:-
Under the transmitter handle disc C (Figures 7 & 8), is placed a bell crank
lever S, which, when the apparatus is at rest, normally engages in a recess s in the
ring e supported by pillars d upon the first motion driving wheel E. The other
end of the lever provided with a pin s' is thus depressed as shown in Figure 7.
When the transmitter handle and disc C is moved the end of the bell crank lever S
engaged in the recess niche of the ring e, attached to the first motion wheel E, is
carried out of the said niche or recess so as to bear upon the inside face of the
ringe and thus the pin end S! is caused to raise the end of the jointed lever T
from the face of the disc and pivotted at t upon the frame.
The end of this lever where it comes into contact with the locking lever M is
provided with a wedge face bearing against a pin on the said locking lever M thus
forcing up the end of the lever M on which the spring m¹ is lying, thus making
electrical contact with the set screw m releasing a detent from the wheel t on the
commutator, and releasing the flyer pawl n from the detaining jaws N at the
other end.
The train of wheels is thus free to revolve, both the commutator and the flyer
mechanism until by this rotation the first motion driving wheel E has brought back

page_text: the niche or recess s in exact juxtaposition to the end of the bell crank S, wherever
that may have been placed by the operation of the transmitter handle.
The bell crank S thus falls back into its normal position, as shown in Figure 7
and allows the pivotted lever to fall back on to the face of the disc wheel, and
thus once more to lock and engage both the commutator notched wheel t' and the
flyer pawl n.
I may if desired use an auxiliary lock upon the receiving or recording part of
the instrument, say upon the disc fitted to the star wheel axis.
The engaging bolt may be the core of a solenoid engaging by gravity and lifted
out of locking by the action of the current fed to the electro-magnets H'H“ H™
being first passed round the said solenoid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1st. In an electric telegraph transmitting and recording apparatus the combi-
nation of a transmitter lever, operating, when moved in either direction round the
centre of an order plate, one of either ends of a coiled spiral spring with tensional
set on it, the other end of the said spring causing a first motion wheel controlled
by a train of a wheels and a flyer to rotate a triple commutator distributing a
constant closed current successively direct or in reverse order to three electro-
magnets in a recording device to produce the rotation of an indicating or recording
pointer in a similar direction and to the same extent as the motion of the trans-
mitting lever.
2nd. In an electric telegraph transmitter a revolving commutator with conducting
surfaces so disposed as to offer insulated contacts to a brush or brushes lying
thereon in order that a continuous current may be distributed successively and
intermittently to a series of electro-magnets, so that by the successive movement of
their armatures, they may be enabled to give a step by step rotation or movement
to an indicating or recording finger, the number of steps bearing a definite ratio to
the number of revolutions of the said commutator.
3rd. In an electric telegraph transmitter a train of wheels operated by a first
motion wheel following by spring tension a transmitter handle in combination with
a flyer, constructed with vanes pivoted near the axis of the said flyer, so that they
will extend outwards against the reaction of a spring or weight under the centrifugal
force developed by the speed of the flyer, substantially as described.
4th. In an electric telegraph transmitter a bell crank lever carried on the
transmitting lever disc releasing a locking lever, locking the flyer and commutator
of the recording and current distributing mechanism, when the record is finished
and the apparatus comes to rest.
5th. In an electric telegraph recording instrument, three electro-magnets, two
placed with their pivotted armatures parallel to one another and the third per-
pendicular thereto in combination with a star shaped wheel placed in between the
said pivotted armatures having pins upon them so that the vibrations of the said
armatures may rotate the said star-wheel with a step by step movement substantially
as described in relation to Fig. 9.
6th. The construction and combination of parts of the electric transmitting and
recording telegraph apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated herein.
Dated the 31st day of December 1890.
FELL & WILDING,
Per R. A. H.,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.