IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPHS.A communication from Monsieur Brequet.
Sealed the 22nd May 1855, and dated the 5th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th December 1854.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature, of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," a communication from Monsieur Brequet, a foreigner
resident abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction or arrangement of electric tele-
graph apparatus, which may be placed in connection, when desired, with any
part of the line wires of a railway telegraph; or employed in mines, manu-
factories, private houses, public or government offices, and, colleges. The
improvements consist in so arranging the whole of the apparatus necessary for
receiving and transmitting intelligence, that it may be contained in a box or case,
which may be carried about with facility. In this box are fitted the battery,.

page_text: the manipulator, the receiver, the alarum, and all the requisite apparatus for
transmitting and receiving messages. I may here observe that I do not con-
fine myself to any particular detailed form or construction of the telegraphic
apparatus so combined, as many of the existing arrangements may, by slight
modifications, be brought into a portable form, and so rendered applicable to
the purposes herein-hefore described, the Invention being the so arranging
telegraphic apparatus as to render it easily portable. The following is the
arrangement, however, to which I give the preference:-A-battery of eighteen-
or more elements is contained. in the bottom of a shallow mahogany or other
box, fitted with suitable handles for carrying it by. On the top of this box is
fixed a small wooden case, opening by a hinge joint, & containing an alarum,
manipulator, & receiver. The hinged portion of this case, which opens back,
contains a nautical compass, two coils of wire, & a lightening conducter.
The battery, which is of sulphate of copper, is (for the purpose of transport)
necessarily of a different construction to the ordinary batteries. In place of
using water in a liquid state, I employ sand moistened with water for the zinc,
and with sulphate of copper for the porous cells. When the apparatus is
required for use, the hinged cover is turned back, & the operator attaches
the end of the wire from one of the two coils to a rod or chain, which is then
suspended from or otherwise connected to the line wires of a railway or other
telegraph. The circuit is then established by connecting the wire of the second
coil or bobbin to a conductor (either wire or.earth). The operator then works
the handle of the manipulator, bringing it over a contact point, and observes,
from the deviation of the magnetic needle, whether the current is passing,
whereupon he may transmit and receive messages to or from any desired
station on the line, with as great certainty and facility by the fixed apparatus
at present in use.
SPECIFICATION in. pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign, did,

page_text: for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT
OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," a communication from Monsieur Brequet, a foreigner
resident abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
.
The said Invention relates to the construction or arrangement of portable
electric telegraph apparatus, which may be placed in connection, when desired;
with any part of the line wires of a railway telegraph, or employed in mines,
manufactures, private houses, public or government offices, and colleges. The
improvements consist in so arranging the whole of the apparatus necessary
for receiving and transmitting intelligence, that it may be contained in a box
or case, which may be carried about with facility. In this box are fitted the
battery, the manipulator, the receiver, the alarum, a compass, and all the requi-
site apparatus for transmitting and receiving messages. I may here observe
that I do not confine myself to any particular detailed form or construction of
the telegraphic apparatus so combined, as many of the existing arrangements
may, by slight modifications, be brought into a portable form, and so rendered
applicable to the purposes herein-before described, the Invention being the so
arranging telegraphic apparatus as to render it easily portable. The following
is the arrangement, however, to which preference is given-A battery of
eighteen or more elements is contained in the bottom of a shallow mahogany or
other box, fitted with suitable handles, for the facility of transport. On the top
of this box is fixed a small wooden case, opening by a hinge joint, and containing
an alarum, manipulator, and receiver. The hinged portion of this case, which

page_text: opens back, contains a nautical compass, two coils of wire, and a lightening
conductor. The battery, which is of sulphate of copper, is (for the purpose of
transport) necessarily of a different construction to the ordinary batteries.
In place of using water in a liquid state, I employ sand moistened with water
for the zinc, and with sulphate of copper for the porous cells. When the
apparatus is required for-use, the hinged-cover is-turned back, and the operator
attaches the end of the wire from one of the two coils to a rod or chain, which
is then suspended from, or otherwise connected to, the line wires of a railway
or other telegraph. The circuit is then established by connecting the wire of
the second coil or bobbin to a conductor (either wire or earth). The operator
then works the handle of the manipulator, bringing it over a contact point,
and observes, from the deviation of the magnetic needle in the compass,
whether the current is passing, whereupon he may transmit and receive mes-
sages to or from any desired station on the line with as great certainty and
facility as by the fixed apparatus at present in use.
And in order that the said Invention may be more properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Draw-
ings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of the
apparatus opened for use; and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan and partial
section of the same. The portable telegraph apparatus is contained in a small
wooden box, fitted with handles, 2, the lower part A of which box encloses
a battery of eighteen or more pairs, according to the strength required. The
upper part B of this box is made in two parts, hinged together, and contains
the alarum C, the manipulator D, and the receiver E. The upper part F of
this second box B, when opened back for use, as shewn in Figure 1, forms.a
box in itself, containing the needle or compass G, the coils H, H', and a
conductor.
The battery I, which is of sulphate of copper, is, in consequence of its
portability, rather differently constructed to the ordinary ones. In place of
employing water in its liquid state, it is proposed to employ sand moistened
with water for the zinc, and with sulphate of copper for the porous cells.
When it is necessary to use the apparatus, the operator opens or turns back
the part F of the apparatus, and taking the wire of the coil H¹, brings it into
communication with the telegraphic or line wires; the circuit is then completed
by attaching the wire of the second coil H to any conductor (either the earth
or another wire) for that purpose. The attendant then works the handle y,
and by keeping it in contact he will see if the current passes by observing the
needle of the compass. On ascertaining that the circuit is completed, he may

page_text: send bis message and receive an answer precisely as he would at any ordinary
telegraph station.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the combination of all the requisite accessary apparatus of an electric
telegraph, so as to form one single apparatus enclosed in a box, and rendered
perfectly portable.
Second, the application and use of portable electric telegraph apparatus, in
the manner herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of battery for portable
electric telegraphi apparatus, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fifth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.