Automatic Transmitter for Submarine Cables or Long Telegraph Lines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Transmitter for Submarine Cables or Long
Telegraph Lines.
1, THOMAS JAMES WILMOT, of Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland, Superiu-
tendent of The Commercial Cable Company, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an automatic transmitter for sending currents of
electricity positive and negative through submarine cables or long telegraph lines
where the siphon recorder, mirror, or other similar receiving instrument is used.
The instrument consists of a suitable clockwork, to which is connected a device
by which currents of electricity positive and negative may be automatically
transmitted through the cable or telegraph line to the receiving instrument. The
currents are determined by holes punched in the proper positions in a paper ribbon
which is carried through the instrument by the clockwork.
A rocking-beam, to which is fixed a metallic stud, is kept in constant motion by
a crank connected to the clockwork. Under the stud there are two crank levers
pivoted independently but abreast of each other. These crank levers are pressed
upwards against the stud by a spring so as to follow the movements of the rocking-
beam. These crank levers actuate the contact levers by means of connecting rods.
The contact levers are each provided with a jockey wheel and spring which give
firmness to the electrical contacts. Attached to each crank lever there is a small rod
which controls the motion of its crank lever. The rods are so arranged that when
a hole punched in the proper position in the perforated paper passes one of them it
rises and allows its crank lever to follow the motion of the stud in the rocking-beam.
The crank lever acts on the contact lever which makes the connection for sending
a current positive or negative as the case may be to the line. When paper is
passing without any punched holes the rods are kept down and the crank levers
are prevented from following the motion of the stud, and thus no current passes to
the line. In order to send a current to the line one or other of the two rods must
rise through a hole punched in the paper. The paper is prepared in one of the
ordinary Wheatstone perforators modified so as to punch the holes according to the
particular arrangement required by this system.
Dated this 6th day of September 1890.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Transmitter for Submarine Cables or Long
Telegraph Lines.
I, THOMAS JAMES WILMOT, of Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland, Superin-
tendent of The Commercial Cable Company, 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 :-
This invention relates to an automatic transmitter for sending currents of
electricity positive and negative through submarine cables or long telegraph lines
where the siphon recorder, mirror, or other similar receiving instrument is used.
The instrument consists of a suitable clockwork, to which is connected a device
by which currents of electricity positive and negative inay be automatically
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transmitted through the cable or telegraph line to the receiving instrument. The
currents are determined by holes punched in the proper positions in a paper ribbon
which is carried through the instrument by the clockwork.
A rocking-beam, to which is fixed metallic studs, is kept in constant motion by an
eccentric connected to the clockwork. Under one of the studs there are two crank
levers pivoted independently, but abreast of each other. These crank levers are
pressed upwards against the stud by a spring so as to follow the movements of the
rocking-beam. These crank levers actuate the contact levers by means of con-
meeting rods. The contact levers are each provided with a jockey-wheel and
spring which give firmness to the electrical contacts. Attached to each crank
lever there is a small rod which controls the motion of its crank lever.
The rods are arranged that when a hole punched in the proper position
in the perforated paper passes one of them it rises and allows its crank
lever to follow the motion of the stud in the rocking-beam. The crank lever nets
on the contact lever which makes the connection for sending a current, positive or
negative, as the case may he, to the line. When paper is passing without any
punched signalling holes the rods are kept down and the crank levers are prevented
from following the motion of the stud, and thus no current passes to the line. In
order to send a current to the line one or other of the two ruils must rise through a
hole punched in the paper. The paper is prepared in one of the ordinary Wheat-
stone perforators modified so as to punch the holes neconding to the particular
arrangement required by this system.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawing- in the several
figures of which corresponding parts are ninrked with the same letters of
reference.
Figure 1 shows the front view of the mechanism; whil-t
Figures 2. 3, and 4 are diagramatic and show the various positions of the
mechanism when in operation.
The instrument consists of a device for transanitting electrical currents of either
polarity worked by a train of clockwork of the ordinary pattern used for the Wheat-
stone system of automatie telegraph and controlled by the holes in a punched slip
or tape of paper. A star-wheel a. Figure 1, engages the punched paper, carrying
it forward at a uniforin speed, and the usual form of rocking-beam B, pivoted at
Figures 2, 3, 4, controls the electrical device. Projecting from the rocking-beam
through holes in the front plate of the instrument body are two steel pins p, p².
The left-hand one is attached to one end of a spiral spring 8, the other end
of which is attached to the body of the instrument for the purpose of balancing
the mechanism. The pin on the right-hand side operates on the two crank
levers, which are pivoted areast to the body of the instrument, and which are
caused to press upwards against the pin by the spiral springs S'S' when no paper
is passing through. To the horizontal arm of each crank levere, el is pivoted a
small steel rod r. r, which is adjustable in the vertical position, being maintained in
position by a small spiral spring S³, S, and stop d, Figure 1, and which receives,
subject to the control of the punched paper slip, an up and down motion com
municated to the arm of the crank lever to which it is pivoted by the pin pof the
rocking-beam. To the vertical arm of each crank lever is pivoted a small steel
rod, made with n thread so as to receive the insulated units, ², and ², u³,
the positions of these nuts being adjustable on their rods, the free ends of the roils
being turned down smooth in order that they may slide freely in the guide plate C,
Figure 1. Pivoted perpendicularly at right angles to these rods are two steel
contact levers 1, 1 both mounted on the same pivot e, Figure 1, but carefully
insulated from each other with ivory, ebonite, or other suitable material. There
contact lovers play between the contact screws N, N, and P, 1", both levers
and screws being suitably provided with platinum contact joints, receiving the
impulses from the pin p' of the rocking-beam, which are communicated to the said
contact levers by means of the insulated nuts n, n', n², n³, as shown. For this

page_text: purpose the horizontal rods pass through a hole in the lower end of its contact
levers L, L, the said hole being sufficiently large to prevent the rod, which need
not therefore be insulated, from touching the contact lever. Over each of the
contact levers is a jockey-wheel and spring J, J', for the purpose of emphasizing
the contacts of the levers L, L', with the battery contact screws N, N', and P, PT.
The front contact lever L' is connected to the "earth" terminal of the instrument,
and the rear one L to the "line" terminal. The contact screws N, N' screw into
a piece of brass which is attached to, but insulated from, the body of the instrument,
and connected to one pole of the battery. P, P¹ similarly screw into another piece
of metal attached to the instrument in a similar manner, and are connected to the
other pole of the battery.
The normal position of the instrument is when it is running with blank paper
slip, that is the paper tape, with only the middle or "rack" row of holes which are
engaged by the star-wheel of the clockwork; both of the perpendicular rods r, p
boing pressed down, as shown in Figure 2. The crank levers c, care placed beyond
the reach of the pin p' of the rocking-beam. The insulated nuts n and n³ force the
contact levers L, Lover into connection with battery contact screws N, N', in
which position they remain, causing the line to be connected to earth so long as
and whenever they are in that position. When a hole in the upper part of the
paper slip corresponding with a "dot" in the telegraphic alphabet, as shown in
Figure 3, the vertical rod rises through it; the crank c follows upward the pin p' of
the rocking-beam, and the nut n' pushes the contact lever L over into contact with
the battery contact screw P, while , c, L, etc. remain in the normal position. The
"line"lever thus being in connection with one side of the battery, and the "carth'
lever with the other, a signal is sent out, as shown at Figure 3. The depression of
the pin of the rocking-beam follows immediately after, which places the whole
mechanism in the normal position, and the line discharges to earth. When a hole
occurs on the lower part of the paper slip corresponding with a dash of the
telegraphic alphabet, the other set of levers etc. are brought into operation and a
current of the opposite sign passes to line and forms a signal. The downward
motion of the pin of the rocking-beam after, each signal, restores the mechanism
to the normal, and the line discharges to earth while it remains so.
The instrument is provided with two switch handles, one of which controls the
clockwork, and the other the electrical connections, switching the four wires, line,
earth, positive of battery and negative of battery to the transmitter, or to a "key
for hand sending at will.
In the instrument above described, no dot or other signal is sent to line unless the
punched slip is running with the proper signalling holes punched; the electrical
device is totally self-contained, there being no electrical connection whatever
through the rocking-beam; the instrument completely discharges the cable or line
to earth after each signal and when no signals are being sent; and, as the whole
battery reverses with each reversed signal it is not necessary to use a split battery
with earth connection in the middle.
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 :-
1. The instrument for automatic transmission of signals through submarine cables,
substantially as described.
2. The peculiar combination of levers, rods, and jockey-springs, substantially for
the purpose and in the manner as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of March 1891.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.