Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wheatstone; of 19; Park Crescent,
Regent's Park, Knight, and John Matthias Augustus Stroh, of
29, Tolmers Square, Hampstead Road, Mechanician, both in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Wheatstone and
John Matthias Augustus Stroh at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition and Declaration, on the 3rd November
1870, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment
Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
WHEATSTONE, of 19, Park Crescent, Regent's Park, Knight, and JOHN
MATTHIAS AUGUSTUS STROH, of 29, Tolmers Square, Hampstead Road,
Mechanician, both in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FAST SPEED ELECTRO-MAGNETIC TELEGRAPHS, AND IN APPARATUS RELATING
THERETO," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto us, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that we are the first and
true Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Wheatstone and John
Matthias Augustus Stroh, do hereby declare that the following Complete
Specification, under our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, in and by the following statement:-
-
On the Second of June 1858 the said Sir Charles Wheatstone obtained
Her Majesty's Letters Patent, No. 1239, for "Improvements in Electric
Telegraphs and Apparatus connected therewith." This Invention was
stated to be "A new combination of mechanism for the purpose of
transmitting through a telegraphic circuit messages previously prepared,
and causing them to be recorded or printed at a distant station." This
telegraphic system consisted of three distinct parts.
1st. Of an instrument for perforating the slips of paper with the
apertures required in the order to form the message.
2ndly. Of an apparatus called the transmitter, the object of which was
to receive the slips of paper prepared by the perforator and to transmit
the currents produced by a voltaic battery or other rheomotor in the
order and direction corresponding to holes perforated in the slip. The
perforated slip acted upon this transmitter in the same manner as the
cards of a jacquard loom does, allowing pins to enter the apertures as they
present themselves or remain depressed when the blank intervals pass
over them, one row of apertures acting upon the pin, the depression of
which determines the current in one direction, and another row on the
pin whose depression determines the production of the opposite current.
3rdly. Of a recording or printing apparatus constructed in such
manner as to print dots forming what is called the Steinheil alphabet, and
also to avoid in the act of printing any friction or resistance which
would require additional force for the movement of the styles or
pins..
to the soil
Sim
Charles

page_text: modification of the transmitter of the preceeding telegraphic system, the
object of which was to enable the transmitter by means of the perforated
slips of paper therein described to act upon the receiving instrument of a
Morse's telegraph in such manner as to impress on bands of paper in
any required order the succession of long and short marks in the same
line which constitute the alphabet of that telegraph, instead of the double
row of dots required in the former system. The printed lines were
determined by currents. always. in the same direction, and the blank.
intervals corresponded with cessations of the current.
In a more recent Patent, dated the 28th of January 1867 (No. 220),
the said Sir Charles Wheatstone described various improvements on the
three parts of his telegraphic system which removed inany of the former
inconveniences and greatly increased its efficiency. The perforator was
so constructed that all the perforations required to determine the
direction of the currents, and the lengths of the marks and intervals
were simultaneously made by a single touch. The transmitter while
preserving the essential principle analogous to the jacquard loom which
constitutes the chief originality of his Invention was so constructed that'
only one half of the length of the paper band formerly necessary was'
required, and the currents in one direction corresponded with the marks,"
and those in the opposite direction with the blank intervals.. The
printing portion of the receiving instrument was constructed so that'
while marking lines no more force was required than that necessary
to move the extremely light printing roller, all friction usually employed'
to supply ink to this roller or to press the paper against the inker being'
avoided. The way in which these improvements were carried out is
fully described in the Specification.
Since the date of the Patent just mentioned we have introduced
various practical improvements. designed to increase the efficiency of the
system, and having made the necessary trials to prove that efficiency,
we shall describe in the present Specification,.-
1st. The transmitter in its improved form, and point out those parts:
in which it differs from that previously described.
2ndly. A. method of constructing a relay or translator, acting by:
alternately inverted instantaneous currents, so that the retransmission
of the despatches may be effected under the same circumstances, as in:
the original transmission.

page_text: 3rdly. A new arrangement of mechanism, by means of which the
manual working of one or more perforators may be facilitated without
having recourse to hydraulic power.
4thly. A key to be worked by the hand for transmitting alternately
inverted currents which last only during its upward or downward &
motion.
5thly. A manipulating key by which alternately inverted currents of
equal duration are transmitted independently of the speed with which
the lever is moved.
· 6thly. An arrangement for adjusting the printing magnet when 1
oscillating between poles of different magnetic intensities.
Transmitter. Our first improvement consists of a general modification
of the transmitting apparatus of a high-speed telegraph with voltaic.
currents.
66
"
In the form of improved transmitter described in No. 1239, A.D. 1858, 1
the rotation of a handle -
actuates "the mechanism which gives
"motion to the paper strip, and makes the contacts according to the
perforations on the paper, and has also like it a rocking piece with a
groove to receive the paper strip, a spring clip which holds the paper
firmly during the recession of the rocking piece, and three wires or 2
pins placed transversely to the paper strip, which by entering the
"external apertures thereof, or by being prevented from entering the
paper by the absence of apertures, regulate the succession, frequency,
" and direction of the electric currents sent into the telegraphic circuit."
46
"
"
And in the form of improved transmitter described in No. 220,
A.D. 1867, “instead of having a simultaneous vertical motion, the two
"`exterior pins are elevated alternately, one being allowed to rock with
"the middle pin, the other having only a vertical motion.
In the instrument which forms the present improvement the paper
strip instead of having an intermittent motion imparted to it is drawn
forwards with a continuous motion. This is accomplished by a spur
wheel in connection with the mechanism of the transmitter, the thumbs
or teeth upon the periphery of which enter the central row of holes of
the paper strip and draw it through. By this means the central pin and
rocking piece are dispensed with. The number of vertical wires or pins
are reduced to two, which are connected by a system of suitable levers

page_text: with the commutating arrangement for inverting the galvanic currents.
A part of this improvement also consists in the introduction of a second
commutating arrangement, by which after the ordinary current which
determines either a dash or a space has been transmitted a weaker
current in the same direction is sent after it.
A front elevation of the improved transmitter is shown in Fig. 1. The
perforated paper strip is drawn with an uniform velocity between the
fluted roller C and the circular depression in the horizontal ledge B by
the spur wheel M, the teeth of which enter into the central line of holes
and hold it in position. The vertical wires or pins p, p', which enter
respectively into the upper and lower line of perforations of the paper
strip are connected with the bell-crank levers I and J, and are forced
upwards by the spiral springs & and s¹. These levers are placed on
opposite sides of the rocking beam L, and are alternately depressed by
the arms and c, which protrude from it at equal distances from its
centre. When a hole occurs in the paper strip, through which either of
the vertical pins is free to enter, the lever attached to it follows the
beam upwards, remaining in contact with the arm of the beam on that
side, and the circuit remains unbroken; but if no hole occur in the
paper strip the vertical pin rising against it is stopped, and the bell-
crank lever prevented following the beam upwards. The protruding
arm of the beam therefore separates from the lever, and the circuit is
interrupted. When either of the vertical wires or pins rises up through
a hole in the paper it engages with one of the grooves of the fluted
roller C, which carries it forwards until the opposite oscillation of the
beam causes it to be withdrawn. The two bell-crank levers I and J are
connected together electrically through the brass sides of the clockwork;
the brass spiral springs 8 and 8 tend to press those levers into contact
with the pins and c of the rocking beam. The arm 7 is is in permanent
connection with the line. The rocking beam on its right-hand side is
furnished with a third projecting contact arm e in permanent connection
with the earth, and which with the arm c on the same side of the centre
makes (when the beam oscillates) alternate contact with the opposite
faces of the two contact levers G and H. The lever H is in permanent
connection through the slab F with the copper polo; the lever G is in
permanent connection through the slab E with the zinc pole of the
battery. When the right-hand side of the beam is elevated the contact

page_text: arm e presses against the face of G and puts the zinc pole to earth, at
the same time the arm c is pressed against H, which forms the metallic
prolongation of the copper pole. If an aperture occur in the paper strip
at this moment the ends of I and J are in contact with c and I, and the
copper current passes from H through c, I, the springs 8 and s¹, J to 1,
and line. If on the other hand no aperture occurs in the paper strip,
the end of I is prevented following the beam, and the line circuit is
interrupted on that side by the separation of the contact c. When the
beam is in the opposite position a similar action takes place, with the
difference that the other pole of the battery is then put to earth
through e, and that the interruption of the line circuit takes place
between and J in the event of no aperture occuring in the paper strip.
The arrangement for sending a weak current into the line at the end
of a dash or space is effected by the automatic insertion of an artificial
resistance into the battery and line circuit. This is done by means of
the contact lever K centred upon a slab K¹ between E and F, and
which is in permanent connection with a resistance coil, and thence with
the line. The contact lever K is moved from side to side against screw
points upon E and F by the rods I and J', coupled respectively to the
ends of the bell-crank levers I and J. The ends of these rods pass
through suitable holes in the opposite sides of the lever K, but they are
supplied with ebonite adjusting nuts, so that whenever either of the
vertical pins enters alternately into an aperture in the paper strip one
end of its lever follows the rocking beam L, whilst the other thrusts the
lever K far enough to carry it over the centre of the friction wheel d,
which holds it in place until its position is changed to the other side.
When the contact tongue K rests against the screw point of E a zinc
current passes from E through K resistance and line whenever the beam
is depressed on that side, which puts the lever H and arm e in contact,
and therefore copper to earth. The opposite takes place when the
tongue rests against the screw point of F, a copper current passing
from F through K and the resistance R into the line whenever the
rocking beam is in the other direction, which puts zinc to earth. And
these currents can therefore only occur when the rocking beam returns
to the same position it was in when the lever K was thrust over.
Whenever a full current is sent into the line through the levers I
and J and arms cand 1, a parallel current is also sent through the duplicate

page_text: circuit formed by the resistance and contact tongue; and whenever the
beam returns to this position while no aperture occurs in the paper the
lever remains unmoved, and a current in the same direction will be sent
into the line through the resistance only. In this way, as the last
position of the beam during a dash or space is the same as the position
which determined the dash or space, although no aperture occurs just
then in the paper strip, a weak current is sent in the same direction
through the resistance and into the line, because during the formation of
the dash or space the lever K has not been thrust from its first position.
Relay for Induction Currents.-Our second improvement consists of
an arrangement by means of which instantaneous and alternately
inverted induction currents are transmitted by relay or translator along
a line of telegraph instead of voltaic currents, as has hitherto been the
case, so that the retransmission of the despatches may be effected under
the same circumstances as their original transmission. The apparatus
consists of a delicate relay actuated by the alternate instantaneous
currents received from the transmitter. The oscillating tongue of this
relay makes and breaks connection between the primary wire of an
induction coil and a voltaic battery, whilst the corresponding currents
induced in the secondary wire of the coil are used for the further
transmission along the line.
The manner in which this system is arranged may be seen by the
perspective Drawing, Fig. 6. The transmitter indicated in the sketch,
may be any form of transmitter from which alternately positive and
negative instantaneous currents are sent into the line. At the next
station the relay B is placed, the armature of which is oscillated
correspondingly with these currents. Suitable contacts attached to the
curved magnets of the armature 6 alternately close and break the
primary circuit which includes the voltaic battery C and the magnetising
wire of the induction coil D. One end of the secondary wire of the
indiction coil D is connected permanently with earth, the other end
being in connection with the second section of the line of telegraph.
Perforator with Treadle.-Our third improvement consists in the
arrangement of a perforator for preparing the strips of paper in which
the power required to actuate the punches is supplied by means of a
treadle and small fly wheel, which imparts a uniform rotating motion to
the disc A, Fig. 5. The punches are arranged in three sets placed close,
.

page_text: When the crank B
very close to but
When the trigger
side by side and transversely to the path of the paper. Behind the three
sets of punches is a hammer or lever C, formed of a flat blade of steel,
which is turnable horizontally in two directions upon the centres c and c¹
at right angles to each other. The lateral motion for placing it behind
one or other of the sets of punches before it is struck forward is imparted
by suitable guides brought into action by rods attached to the finger
keys H. The forward motion for urging the punches is imparted to it
by the screw head m when the crank B is elevated. The crank B which
is turnable about the centre b carries upon its longer arm an eccentric
cam D. A projection d on the rim of the cam D is held when at rest
against the lower end of the trigger E by the force of a flat steel spring i,
which presses upon a pin on one side of it. The backs of the finger
keys H are pressed up against a bell-crank lever G, centred at 9, and
push forward a rod F, which releases the trigger E.
is at rest upon the india-rubber buffer the cam D
does not quite make contact with the rotating disc A.
is released, however, the spring i causes the eccentric cam to rotate far
enough to bring it into contact with the revolving disc, which carries it
round quickly, and in doing so lifts up the one end of the crank, pressing
the other end against the hammer C. The cam is only allowed to make
one revolution each time a key is depressed. This is provided for as
follows: When the cam rotates, the trigger being centred upon the
bell crank B is lifted up with it and its upper end carried beyond the
bolt F, so that it is enabled to resume its proper position before the cam
has completed its revolution, and to re-engage the projection d as the
latter comes round. If the operator still continue to press upon the
finger key when the lever B falls into its position of rest, the upper end
of the trigger E carries down the bolt F with it away from the screw
point I, the bolt being held in position only by the spiral spring 8.
is
Simple Reversing Key.-Our fourth improvement is a method of
constructing a manipulating key for directing into the telegraphic
circuit alternately inverted currents from a voltaic battery, which last
only during the upward and downward motions of the lever; the
`separation of the battery from the line and the connection of the latter
with earth being effected when the lever reaches the two limits of its
motion.
On the insulated stand M, N, (Fig. 2) is mounted the manipu-
bearing of a Tinon the back of the lever

page_text: are prolongations formed by two metallic blades D and E, which are
permanently in connection through spiral wires one with line through
the binding screw O, the other with earth through the screw P. The
extreme ends of these blades press against the sides of small curved
blocks of ebonite, so shaped that when the key is depressed the blades
ascend on the right-hand sides, and when it is elevated they descend on
the left-hand sides of the blocks. On each side of each of these curved
blocks is inserted a small piece of metal flush with the side face of the
ebonite, against which the metallic blades rub and make contact in their
passage up or down. The two pieces of metal which face each other on
the inner sides of the curved blocks are connected to the zinc pole of
the battery through the binding screw G. The two metallic contact:
pieces on the outer sides of the blocks are permanently connected with
the copper pole through the binding screw F. By this arrangement
when the key is depressed a current is sent into the line in one direction,
and while it is being released a current in the opposite direction is
transmitted. Between the terminal screws O and P is a vertical metallic
pillar H provided with flanges with which the blades D and E make
contact at their extreme points of elevation or depression, so that
during each ascent or descent before the extreme ends of the blades
leave the ebonite blocks they are put into contact with each other,
and the line put for an instant into contact with the earth and
discharged.
Reversing Key with Fly.-Our fifth improvement consists of an
inverting key by which the battery is cut off the moment after its
inversion, enabling currents of equal duration to be transmitted into the
line independently both of the time the key is allowed to rest at either
of its limits and of the rate at which it is moved.
The first part of the instrument consists of an inverting key, which
may be of the ordinary construction, and is provided with the usual
commutating contacts for inverting the battery between the earth and
line terminals. The second part of the instrument consists of a
mechanical interruptor which is inserted in the line circuit, and whose
velocity of motion determines the duration of the currents sent by
the key.
The inverting key. is shown in perspective in Fig. 3. It consists
of a lever K. K. provided at the back with a spring prolongation A upon.

page_text: which on opposite sides are fixed two metallic blades E and L, the
former being permanently connected through the spiral wire E¹ with
earth, the latter being permanently connected through the spiral wire L'
with the mechanical interruptor, and thence with the line terminal..
The metallic blades play between four contact anvils upon the pillars Z.
and C and the studsz and c. The pillar C and stud c are connected
with the copper-pole of the battery, whilst the pillar Z and stud z are
connected with the zinc pole. Thus when the blades are elevated
against C and Z, zinc is to earth and copper to line; whereas when the
key is in its position of rest, as shown in the Drawing, copper is to
earth and zinc to line. This portion of the apparatus therefore forms
a double current or reversing key, which may also be of the usual
construction.
c
The second part of the instrument is connected with the key by a
rod K¹ attached to the vertical prolongation of the lever K. This rod K¹
is coupled to an arm J attached rigidly to a vertical arbor pivotted in
a suitable frame F. Attached to a collar on this arbor are two
adjustable parallel blade springs 8, 81, the further ends of which embrace
two pins, one upon the arm J, and the other upon one side of the oscil-
lating system G, H, I. This oscillating system is carried upon a vertical
arbor, upon the lower part of which the quadrant (Q) of a spur wheel
engages with a pinion P, the shaft of which carries a fly above it.
Half-way up is a block of ebonite I, carrying a small triangular metal
slab. H in connection with the blade L of the key, through the spiral
wire and screw L. At the top of the oscillating arbor is a small cross
with two contact screws G, G', both of which are to earth through
the arbor and frame. The slab H is provided with a vertical pin, which,
when the system oscillates, rubs against the face of a spring 8" which
is connected electrically with the line terminal of the key. The line
circuit between the blade L and the line terminal is therefore made and
interrupted between the pin on H and the spring s". When the key is
at rest the rod K' draws the arm J forwards, and keeps the left-hand
spring s pressed against the pin upon the quadrant Q; the oscillating
system is therefore held at rest, as is shown in the Drawing, the line
spring & being pressed from contact with the pin upon H by the front
contact screw.
.G, and the line is therefore to earth. When the knob D
of the key is depressed, the blades E and L being
raised to the upper

page_text: pass
anvils C and Z, the direction of the current is reversed. At the same
time the rod K' is thrust back, causing the right-hand spring s¹ to press
against the pin upon the quadrant Q and make the system rotate as
fast as the fly will allow it to. In rotating, the screw G (earth) leaves
the spring 8, which falls for an instant upon the pin upon H, thereby
completing the line circuit with L, and L and allowing a current to
into the line. This is however immediately afterwards interrupted again
by the further screw G', which as it comes round forces the spring 8ll
from the contact pin. When the key is released again the rod K' pulls
the spring & against the pin of the oscillating system, causing the
quadrant and fly to rotate in the opposite direction, and the current
(inverted by the blades L and E) to be transmitted in the opposite
direction for an instant as the contact pin of H passes by the spring »¹¹.
When the key is not in use for transmitting signals it is placed in its
position for receiving. For this purpose the metal block B carrying
the bearings of the lever K is made turnable about a vertical pin.
When receiving therefore the knob of the lever is drawn towards the
left by which the blade L is brought to rest upon a stud R connected
with the receiving instrument. The horizontal movement of the lever
also has the effect of releiving the tension of both the springs 8, 8¹, of
the interruptor, so as to allow the oscillating system to assume a central
position and the pin upon H to rest in contact with the line spring 8".
Currents therefore arriving at the station pass from the line terminal
over 8¹¹, pin on H, L, spiral wire L₁, blade L, and stud R to the
receiving instrument.
Adjustment of Printing Magnet.-Our sixth improvement consists
in an adjustment of the printing magnet. When the wire coils upon
the two sides of the electro-magnet act with different moments upon the
curved permanent steel magnets which oscillate between them we
eliminate the difference by introducing the tension of a spiral spring
on one side or the other of the zero position. The arrangement for
effecting this is shown in Fig. 4. The axis of the printing magnet A, A,
is provided with an arm 6 from which a spiral spring c is stretched to
a small fusee chain d, d, passing over suitable pulleys and round a
small drum with a micrometer screw and graduated dial. When the
micrometer screw is turned so as to cause the fusee chain to bring the
lower end of the spring c in a line parallel with the axis of the printing

page_text: magnet no tension is put upon the latter, whilst by turning it to
either side a bias is given to the deflection upon that side of the neutral
position of the magnet, and the inequality in the moments of the electro-
magnet coils is thus balanced.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Wheatstone and John
Matthias Augustus Stroh, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.