AN IMPROVED PRINTING TELEGRAPH
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Warren Thompson, of 45, Essex Street, Strand,
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PRINTING TELEGRAPH."
Sealed the 3rd February 1860, and dated the 5th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Warren Thompson at
the Offico of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th August 1859.
I, WARREN THOMPSON, of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention' for "AN IMPROVED PRINTING
TELEGRAPH," to be as follows:-
The system employed for my printing telegraph is what is called by clec-
tricians the step or escapement motion to bring forward the letter to be
printed; this is done by a circuit breaker governed by a circular finger board
arranged in the following manner :-I take a common time-piece movement
and make use of the escapement, or one similar, governed by a very short
pendulum which serves to give a perfectly regular number of vibrations in a
given time to regulate the number wanted. I place on the escapement shaft a
horizontal wheel containing thirty teeth, between each of which is a hole
pointing towards the axis, in which are placed a corresponding number of
little pins about of an inch. long; in front of each one of these pins is a
rectangular lever, on the end of which is marked the letter, in pressing upon
which you push in tho pin in front of it, the lever entering between the teeth
of the wheel; as soon as the lever leaves the teeth of the wheel, it starts off,

page_text: and runs until the pin pushed in stops the movement by coming against a
fixed post, which holds it fast until the next letter is made. Each time that
any one of the levers are pressed upon a pin is driven in, and the preceding
one which stops the wheel is pushed out, and lets it run until the last one
pushed in comes and takes its place. The electrical current is made and
broken by the vibrating movement of the pendulum. The apparatus for
receiving the dispatch is also put in motion by clockwork. The type wheel is
placed upon the escapement shaft, and is hitched by means of a coupling
wheel, and is liberated each time a letter is printed by means of a forked
lever which is raised by a cam on the shaft of the printing movement. Each
time the type wheel is liberated it flies back to its starting point, in doing so
it pushes back a spring that holds suspended the coupling wheel, and allows it
to drop and hitch the type wheel to the shaft, to be carried forward as soon as
the vibrations recommence. The printing part consists in a clock movement
of considerable strength, on the fourth shaft of which is a cam wheel of four
cams regulated by an escapement which lets pass an arm, which makes a
revolution each time that the instrument is put in motion. This is done by a
ratchet wheel placed upon the type wheel, which, each time put in motion,
raises a lever or finger, which cannot fall back until the wheel stops; the move-
ment of raising and letting fall the said finger lets pass the arm and prints tho
letter; the arm in making its revolution moves forward the paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Warren Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
4th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WARREN
THOMPSON, of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Warren Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said Warren Thompson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Warren Thompson, 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

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED PRINTING TELEGRAPE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the.
said Warren Thompson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Warren Thompson, 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: —
My Invention consists in a novel arrangement and construction of a printing
telegraph, adapted for general use, without any previous knowledge of the
instrument being required for working it.
My improved apparatus consists in a manipulator and a receptor, the
manipulator being the part operated on to transmit the despatch, and the
receptor the one that receives it; these two parts being connected by the
telegraphic wires.
In the machine represented in the accompanying Drawing, I have supposed
the despatches to be transmitted in ordinary letters and printed on the receptor
in the same characters, but cyphers or any other conventional signs, can be
made use of with the greatest facility.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan of a complete instrument,
consisting in a manipulator and a receptor; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same;
Fig. 3, an horizontal section of the manipulator; Fig. 4, a back view of the
manipulator; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of part of the same; Fig. 6, an
elevation of the receptor, taken on the side on which the electro-magnets are
placed; Fig. 7, an horizontal section of the same; Fig. 8, an elevation of the
same, taken on the opposite side to Fig. 6; Fig. 9 a back view of the same;
and Fig. 10, a detailed view of a certain part of the mechanism.
The manipulator is provided with a finger board, consisting in a certain
number of buttons or stops a, a, (Fig. 1, 2, and 5,) arranged in two con-
centric circles, so as to occupy as little space as possible; on the face of each
button a letter is engraved, and its stem is united to a lever brotating on a
fulcrum point ; each of these levers is provided with an arm b², placed at
nearly right angles with the lever itself, whose inner extremity is lodged.
immediately under a central washer c, attached to a separate disengaging.
in the centre of these different parts is an upright shaft d, ou the top.
lever
93

page_text: of which is keyed a stud plate f, the circumference of which is provided with
a series of horizontal holes, in number equal to the stops on the finger board,
and on each of these holes is inserted a small sliding stud e; this upright
main shaft d is connected by a train of wheels (see sectional plan, Fig. 3),
with a barrel spring U, which imparts the requisite rotary motion to it on
either of the stops being worked. To work this manipulator the requisite
buttons composing a despatch are successively depressed with the finger,
whereby the rotation of the shaft d is effected in the following manner:-
When one stop is depressed, the arm 2 of its corresponding stud e sliding in a
hole in stud plate f, and at the same time the extremity of the lever b raises
the washer c, and with it the disengaging lever g, at the extremity of which is
jointed one arm of a small bell-crank lever h, the other arm of which pushes
from the centre, towards the circumference of the stud plate f, a stud c, which
was resting against a stop, and prevented the clockwork from imparting rotary
motion to the main shaft d. Being thus liberated, this shaft will rotate untill the.
stud or pin pushed in by the lever b, comes in contact with the above-mentioned
stop on the next letter touched this stud will be pushed out from the centre
to its original position, and a second one, corresponding with the stop acted on,
will be pushed inwards and take its place. This action will take place on each.
button that is depressed, the only difference being in the distance travelled
over, which will vary according to the distance each letter operated on is:
situated from the blank stop a', and as the spindle is made to rotate from
right to left, it follows that more space will be travelled over when either of
the stops on the left hand are operated. on than either of those on the right;
on the main spindle d is also fixed an escapement wheel k, which, during its
rotation, imparts a to-and-fro motion to the anchor l. On the circumference of
the wheel are formed a series of circular recesses, and whilst the little roller
on one of the arm of the anchor is at the bottom of a recess, the other will be
riding on the culminating point, separating two recesses, and vice versa ; this
oscillatory motion is made available for two very important objects in the
working of the machine; 1°, to ensure a regular and steady motion; and 2°, to
transmit and intercept the current of electricity to the receptor. This latter
object is effected in the following manner: To one of the arms of the anchor
is affixed a branch l, provided at its extremity with a small plate of platinum,
which, during the to-and-fro motion, comes in contact with and receedes from
a flexible steel plate attached to the button m, fitted on an ivory disk, in
order to insulate it from the surrounding parts; when in this manner
contact takes place, the electric fluid passes to the receptor. It will
be seen from the above, that for the tramission of a dispatch, when a

page_text: letter has been depressed on the finger board, the partial rotation of a central
main spindle is effected, and during its rotation, and varying with the extent of
it, a certain number of regular pulsations or alternate transmissions and
interceptions of the electrical current are affected and imparted to the receptor.
The office of this instrument is to receive these pulsations, and by their aid to
impart a similar extent of rotary motion to its own main spindle, on which is
fitted a type wheel, having the same number of letters on its circumference as
there are stops on the finger board; a selection of letters forming the dispatch
are caused to be successively printed on a continuous band of paper or other
appropriate substance. The electric current from the manipulator is directed
into the bobbins m', m', of the receiver, and on these latter being charged they
attrack a plate n, suspended on two sinall screws n¹, n', which plate on the
interception of the current is caused to return to its former position by the
small spiral spring n². The tension of this spring is regulated according to the
intensity of the electric current by means of the spindler (Fig. 6 & 7),
a silk thread, one end of which is attached to the extremity of the said
spring, and the other end wound on the cylinder fitted on the said spindle. The
oscillatory motion of the plate n is caused to liberate an escapement wheel p,
fitted on the main spindle 9 of the receiver by means of the upright arm n³,
provided with a pin working in a forked lever o¹, fitted on the horizontal
escapement spindle o, carrying the escapement plates o²; the wheel has fifteen
teeth, and they are so arranged and commanded by the plates of that half a
tooth will pass at each single vibration of the spindle o; the barrel spring T,
with train of wheels, shewn in Fig. 6 & 7, serve to impart the necessary
rotatory motion to the spindle 7 each time it is liberated by the escapement, but
as for the efficient working of this instrument, the stopping and starting of the
said spindle must be instantaneous, and the power for that purpose transmitted
from the barrel T would be too slow for starting, and would, when started,
have acquired impetus to such an extent as to greatly impede its intantaneous
stoppage, I have provided the spindle 2 with a separate spring coiled in a small
barrel g, which is kept constantly wound up by the larger spring T; on the
escapement wheel being liberated, this spring causes the spindle to rotate
instantaneously, and at its stoppage it has merely to overcome the impetus of
its own parts; this intermittent rotary motion of the spindle q will continue in
the receiver untill the corresponding stude of the manipulator which has been
pushed in towards the center is arrested by the stop j. It is thus evident that
the stud wheelf and main spindle d of the manipulator, and the escapement
wheel P and main spindle 9 of the receiver, rotate in unisoon, and as the type
wheel is fitted on this spindle, when the rotation of the stud plate f is arrested

page_text: by contact of the stud e against the stops, the rotary motion of the type wheel
will also be arrested at the same moment, and it will present to the pad for
being printed the same letter as the one depressed on the manipulator.
. I will now describe how the requisite feed is given to the band paper,
and the operation of the printing apparatus. The power for working both
these parts is obtained from a separate barrel spring C, with its train of wheels
E, E, terminating with the pinion E' fitted on spindle D', which at its lower
extremity carries a lever, resting against the horizontal rod x, and thus
preventing the rotation of the spindle D'. This pinion E' is liberated when the
main spindle rotates, by means of the ratchet wheel p² and the following
parts: The ratchet wheel is made fast on the main spindle 7, and on its
circumference are cut thirty teeth, being double the number of those on the
escapement wheel P; thus on the spindle rotating and passing half a tooth of
the escapement wheel, the ratchet wheel will have passed one entire tooth; on
the said wheel moving it throws back the pall 2, which communicates a
partial rotation to the spindle u, to which it is made fast. This spindle at its
lower, extremity carries a cross lever u³, to each arm of which is jointed one
of the rods and a; by the motion thus communicated the first rod x, against
which the arm was previously resting, receedes, and allows the said arm to
rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, untill it comes in contact with the
second rod a, which has advanced to oppose it; these different parts
remain in this position untill the main spindle has terminated its motion, and
then the rod a reccedes to its previous position, allowing the lover to pass and
continue its rotation untill it again comes in contact with the rod x, which has
advanced while the other was receeding; the rocking motion of the spindle u is
regulated by the position of a small weight attached to and capable of sliding
on the army, and the pall u² is called back into gear by a spiral spring u.
Fig. 10 represents another method of regulating the motion of the spindle u,
wherein the weight on arm y and the spiral spring u are replaced by a
double vertical lever u oscillating on its fulcrumu. When the apparatus is
in action, the arm on which the weight is placed assumes a nearly. vertical
position, inclining, however, sufficiently to the right hand that the same weight
may have sufficient leverage to cause the lever to fall in position represented in
the Drawing on the apparatus stopping; when it starts again the rod y strikes
the other arm of the lever, and causes the said lever to oscillate untill the
weighted arm reassumes a nearly perpendicular position. In order that the
pressure of the lever ³ be not too great on the extremities of the rods x and x,
I cause the greater part of it to be exerted on a lever fitted to the extremity
of an horizontal spindle w, round which is wound a spiral spring w¹, the ten-
.

page_text: sion of which can be regulated by the screw w². The action of this spring is
such as to cause the arm to come and offer itself to the lever, and receive
the greater part of the pressure it exerts, when the rod x receedes, however it
does not offer sufficient resistance to oppose alone the rotation of the lever ;
it therefore also gives way, and assume a similar position in proximity to the
roda, and on this latter receeding, it reassumes its former position not by
continuing its rotation, but in returning back from whence it came, ready to
assist in opposing a second revolution of the lever. I have thus described
how the spindle D' is caused to rotate; it feeds forward the paper in the fol-
lowing manner:- On the said spindle is made fast a circular disk*k*, provided
on its circumference with one projecting tooth, which at each revolution gears
into one of the notches of the cross D made fast on the spindle D2, and
therefore imparts a circular motion to the said shaft, on the upper part of
which is made fast a roller D³, provided with a certain number of needles'
points on its circumference, which penetrate into the paper passed between it
and the pressure roller D, and thus a sufficient quantity of the band of paper
at each revolution of the spindle D' is pulled forward or enrolled for receiving
the impression of one letter, the printing is effected by a small pad T, which
at the proper time pushes the paper in contact with the letter presented by
the type wheel s. The pad is impelled forward by the horizontal cam wheel
fitted on the upper extremity of the spindle E2, which makes one quarter
of a revolution for every complete revolution of the spindle D', and after
printing the letter it is returned to its previous position by the action of the
spiral spring wound round the spindle of the pad. For marking the letter on
the band of paper, I prefer making use of a band of colored carbonic paper,
wound up with, and feed forward with the despatch paper, or it may be wound
on a separate roller, and fed forward with the dispatch paper, the two uniting
near the pad; I can dispense it with the carbonatic paper if required, by
causing the indentation of the letter to be
being sufficiently elastic for that purpose.
before striking off' a second one, the type wheel
position. The power required for this action is obtained from a small separate
barrel spring attached to the under side of the type wheel S, which wheel is
loose on the spindle q, but provided on its upper face with coupling teeth, into
which those of a clutch S' gear into, this clutch is made to slide on a feather on
the spindle, or it may be square, or otherwise fitted; when the letter is printed,
a cam, keyed on the spindle E, lifts the lever L jointed on the standard S²,
which raises the clutch and disengages the wheel, when the clutch is raised
in order to maintain in that position untill the wheel has returned to its primi-
produced in the paper, the pad
When the letter is printed, and
has to return to its primitive

page_text: tive position, a small spring K enters the hollow ring G cut on the circum-
ference of tho clutch stem, and maintains it whilst the barrel springs sends
back the type wheel; on its arriving at its primitive position, a stop M throws
out the spring K, and the clutch impelled by the spiral spring N redescents, and
gears into the teeth on the face of the type wheel ready to carry it round for
the next letter. Instead of the barrel springs U, T, and C, I can impart
motion to my apparatus by means of weights suitably disposed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, its mode of construction
and operation, what I claim as the Invention to be secured by these Letters
Patent is,―
Primo, the arrangement, construction, and combination of the stud wheel f,
with its accessory parts available for the purposes of transmission.
Secondo, the arrangement, construction, and combination of the escapement
wheel, and accessory parts, for the purpose of ensuring a regular steady
motion, as well as that of transmitting and breaking the electrical current.
Tertio, the particular mechanism applied to the escapement wheel of the
receiver, for the purposes bereintofore described.
Quarto, the arrangement, construction, and combination of the mechanism
for regulating and ensuring an uniform feed motion to the band of paper, or
other substance to be printed on.
Quinto, the arrangement, construction, and combination of the mechanism
for striking off on the despatch paper, each successive letter presented by the
typo wheel.
Sexto, the arrangement, construction, or combination of the differents parts
berintofore described, for returning the type wheel to its primitive position
each time a letter has been presented and struck off.
In witness whereof, I, the said Warren Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WARREN THOMPSON. (L.S.).