IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF TYPOGRAPHIC OR AUTOGRAPHIC TELEGRAMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the Firm
of Mennons and Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of
No. 53, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF TYPOGRAPHIC OR AUTOGRAPHIC TELEGRAMS."
-A communication from Henry Cook, residing at Florence, in the
Kingdom of Italy.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine
François Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of (Patents,.
with his Petition, on the 6th April 1868:
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons:
5 and Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of No. 53, Rue de
la Chausée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THE TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF TYPOGRAPHIC OR AUTOGRAPHIC TELEGRAMS,"
a-communication, to be as follows:-

page_text: This Invention relates to an improved method of applying syn-
chronism in apparatus used for the electrical transmission and reception
of typographic or autographic signals.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents an application of the
Invention to a printing apparatus; Fig. 2 represents on an enlarged
scale the details of the point carrier hereafter described.
A, A', is a metallic shaft on which are cut two deep screw threads
of identical pitch but running in opposite directions from end to end,
where they join up and terminate together. B, B', arc two steel rails
with bevelled or A-shaped bearing surfaces set one on each side of and
parallel to the screw A, A', and corresponding with the grooved
wheels b, b', fitted to the point carrier or chariot shewn apart in Fig. 2.
B" is a third rail bevelled in V shape at its under surface and acting as
guideway to the third grooved wheel b". a, Fig. 2, is a small rod or
pivot which revolves freely in the collar c, while its lower extremity
d, d, forked saddlewise, constitutes a rider which travels along the screw
propelled by clockwork of any suitable description. C is the tracing
point secured to one side of the carriage frame and regulated by the
adjusting screw D'. The point bearing carriage thus arranged is set
on the rails B, B', the saddle or fork d, d, of the pivot a gearing in the
thread of the screw A, while the whole is secured against lateral or
perpendicular displacement by the central rail B" corresponding with
the grooved wheel ". When during the working of the apparatus the
carriage reaches one or other end of the shaft A the neck a of the saddle
picce d, d, revolves in its collar c, thus gearing in the return thread of
the screw which always rotates in the same direction, so that the
carriage with the tracing point travels over the rails B, B', from A
to A', and vice versa without the slightest check or interruption.
Owing to the synchronic action the revolution of the shaft A at the
transmitting station keeps uniform with that of the corresponding shaft
of the receiving apparatus so that the to-and-fro movements of the point
carriers become necessarily identical at each end of the line. D repre-
sents a composing case carrying the moveable types or signals e, e,
and placed on a small truck E, the wheels ff of which travel over the
cross rails g, g. The motion of this truck is controlled by the gear F, G,
or other equivalent mechanism which impels it forward in a direction
at right angles to the movement of the point carrier at each transit of
the latter to a distance equal to one-fifth of the height of the typos e, e.

page_text: This distance may of course be varied according to the volume of the
signals to be reproduced. The types forming the telegram being set in
the composing case D the latter is placed on the truck E of the trans-
mitting apparatus in contact with the tracing point C, a sheet of
chemically prepared paper being placed under the corresponding point
of the receiving apparatus at the other end of the line. The circuit
being completed the passage of the transmitting point over the types e, e,
produces on the receiving paper a series of marks or signals the length,
position, and other details of which vary according to the duration of
the contact. As above noted the truck E advances automatically at
cach transit of the tracing point by a distance equal to, say one-fifth,
of the height of the types, so that at each fifth passage a complete line
of printing is reproduced on the prepared paper at the receiving station.
The mechanism F, G, may be so arranged as to move forward the truck
at this point to an extra distance corresponding with the space to be
reserved between the lines of the telegram.
The mode of transmitting autographic despatches is substantially the
same as above described for the printing process, the apparatus being so
regulated as to give slower motion to the truck on which is placed the
metallic or sensitized sheet at either end of the line.
In the annexed Drawing the Invention is represented as applied to
the transmitting instrument known on the Continent as the Bonelli-
Hipp system, but it may be adapted with equal facility to any other
synchronic arrangements of like description.
5 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 1st October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons and Telescheff,
0 of No. 53, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-

page_text: first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
Her special licence that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF TYPOGRAPHIC AND AUTOGRAPHIC TELEGRAMS,'
'a communication from Henry Cook, a person resident at Florence, in
the Kingdom of Italy, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
'said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 Marc Antoine François Mennons,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters marked thercon, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to an improved method of applying synchronism
in apparatus used for the electrical transmission and reception of
typographic or autographic signals.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents an application of
the Invention to a printing apparatus. Figure 2 represents on an
enlarged scale the details of the point carrier hereafter described.
A, A', is a metallic shaft, on which are cut two deep screw threads
of identical pitch, but running in opposite directions from end to end,
where they join up and terminate together. B, B', are two steel rails
with bevelled or A shaped bearing surfaces, set one on each side of and
parallel to the screw A, A', and corresponding with the grooved wheels

page_text: under surface, and acting
b, b', fitted to the point carrier or chariot shewn apart in Fig. 2.
B" is a third rail bevelled in V shape at its
as guide-way to the third grooved wheel b". a, Fig. 2, is a small rod
or pivot, which revolves freely in the collar c, while its lower extremity
d, d, forked saddlewise, constitutes a rider, which travels along the
screw propelled by clockwork of any suitable description. C is the
tracing point secured to one side of the carriage frame and regulated
by the adjusting screw D'. The point bearing carriage thus arranged
is set on the rails B, B', the saddle or fork d, d, of the pivot a, gearing
in the thread of the screw A, while the whole is secured against lateral
or perpendicular displacement by the central rail B", corresponding
with the grooved wheel b". When during the working of the apparatus
the carriage reaches one or other end of the shaft A, the neck a of the
saddle-piece d, d, revolves in its collar c, thus gearing in the return
thread of the screw, which always rotates in the same direction, so that
the carriage with the tracing point travels over the rails B, B', from
A to A', and vice versa, without the slightest check or interruption.
Owing to the synchronic action the revolution of the shaft A at the
transmitting station keeps uniform with that of the corresponding shaft
of the receiving apparatus; so that the to-and-fro movements of the
point carriers become necessarily identical at each end of the line.
D represents a composing casc, carrying the moveable types or
signals e, e, and placed on a small truck E, the wheels of which ff,
travel over the cross rails g, g. The motion of this truck is controlled
by the gear F, G, or other equivalent mechanism, which impels it
forward in a direction at right angles to the movement of the point
carrier at each transit of the latter to a distance equal to one-fifth of
the height of the types e, e. This distance may of course be varied
according to the volume of the signals to be reproduced. The types
forming the telegram being set in the composing case D, the latter is
placed on the truck E of the transmitting apparatus in contact with
the tracing point C, a sheet of chemically prepared paper being placed
under the corresponding point of the receiving apparatus at the other
end of the line. The circuit being completed the passage of the
transmitting point over the types e, e, produces on the receiving paper
a series of marks or signals, the length, position, and other details of
which vary according to the duration of the contact. As above noted,
the truck E advances automatically at each transit of the tracing point
by a distance equal to, say, one-fifth of the height of the types, so that

page_text: at each fifth passage a completo line of printing is reproduced on the
prepared paper at the receiving station. The mechanism F, G, may be
so arranged as to move forward the truck at this point to an extra
distance corresponding with the space to be reserved between the lines
of the telegram.
The mode of transmitting autographic dispatches is substantially the
same as above described for the printing process, the apparatus being
so regulated as to give slower motion to the truck on which is placed
the metallic or sensitized sheet at either end of the line.
In the annexed Drawing the Invention is represented as applied to
the transmitting instrument known on the Continent as the "Bonelli-
Hipp system," but it may be adapted with equal facility to any other
synchronic arrangements of like description.
In order to dispense as far as possible with the necessity of perfect or
nearly perfect synchronism, it may be well when the corresponding
stations are situated at a considerable distance from each other to
make use of two tracing points or travellers, the imperfection in the syn-
chronism under these conditions being evidenced simply by an inclination
the right or left of the perpendicular line of the printing.
In this modification the two points, which are necessarily driven by a
the same screw, are arranged in such a manner that while the one
which is travelling to the right or left is lowered so as to touch the
type or paper the other is sufficiently raised to clear it from the types
and thus ensure its uninterrupted passage to the starting point. The
fork or rider which engages the screw is made by a simple lever to effect 2
this alternate raising and lowering of the two points, which being in
the same line, produce the desired result with certainty and precision.
Figures 3, 4, represent in longitudinal and cross sections the modifica-
tions above indicated. In these Figures c, c' are the tracing points
mounted on the horizontal arm D, D, and attached thereby to the 3
lever e, to which motion is given by the change of position assumed by
.the riding forks ff, at the moment of reaching the two extremities,
that on the right lifting the point c, travelling from right to left, and
that on the left lowering the point c' travelling from left to right.
The points are thus enabled to travel over the same line without 3
interfering with each other.

page_text: Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said improve-
ments and the manner of carrying them into effect, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise mechanical details
above laid down, as these may obviously be modified without deviating
from the principle or main features of the Invention; but what I claim
and desire to protect by Letters Patent is, the application in printing
or writing telegraphic instruments of a revolving shaft, provided with
two screw threads, cut to the same pitch but in opposite directions, so
as to communicate by continuous rotation an uninterrupted to and fro
motion to the tracing point or points, substantially as herein specified
and shown in the Figures of the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
have hereto set my hand and seal, this Thirticth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred
and sixty-eight.