IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND REGISTRATION OF TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michel Doubelt at the Office
-
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th April
1872. A communication from abroad by Pierre Kniaghininsky,
Nicolas Sewastganoff, and Dmitry Dornowo, all of Saint Petersburg,
in the Empire of Russia.
I, MICHEL DOUBELT, of the Grosvenor Hotel, in the County of
Middlesex, General in the Russian Cavalry, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
THE TRANSMISSION AND REGISTRATION OF TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to means and apparatus whereby telegraphic
despatches may be transmitted from one station and printed as soon as
received at another, the object being to ensure the transmission of one
distinct signal or sign by each manipulation of the apparatus, whereby
a great advantage in point of speed is obtained over those apparatus at
present in use.
The chief feature in the Invention consists in the employment of a
cylinder which is marked out into a certain number of divisions, say
into twelve divisions, along its length, and into forty round its circum-

page_text: ference. A portion of the compartments formed by these divisions are
enamelled, and on the other portions the metal is left exposed. This
roller is caused to revolve at a certain speed by means of clockwork
mechanism, or in any other convenient manner.
It is mounted upon
a shaft or axis supported on a frame which also bears at its lower part
another shaft or axis, upon which outside the frame are mounted isolated
from one another two discs of slightly different diameters which are
concentric and firmly united. To the outside of these discs a clutch
wheel is keyed, and on the extreme end of the axis another similar
clutch wheel with teeth which fit into those of the first clutch wheel is
free to slide. Bearing upon the last-mentioned clutch wheel is a fork
of non-conducting material connected to the armature of an electric
battery. As the armature is made to rise and fall in consequence of the
current, so the fork forces the one clutch wheel to gear with the other
clutch wheel, or relieves it therefrom on the pressure being removed.
On each side of the divided cylinder are eleven metal hooks, each set of
eleven being mounted upon a metal plate, and kept pressed by a spring
or otherwise against the cylinder. To each of these hooks are connected
wires which lead to the keyboard of the apparatus, the eleventh hook
of each set being connected respectively to the keys at either end of the
keyboard. This keyboard resembles that of a musical instrument, and
upon each key are marked the letters, numbers, signals, or signs which
can be produced by touching the key to which they relate. The positive
pole of the battery is in connection with the two eleventh hooks of each
series, and with the keys by which they are governed, while the hooks of
all the other keys of the keyboard are in connection with the negative
pole of the battery.
In order to effect the transmission of a signal it is necessary to press
one of the end keys of the keyboard, and that one of the twenty other
keys which bears the signal it is desired to transmit, and thus the circuit:
is opened.
The printing of the message is effected by means of a wheel mounted
outside the frame on the same axis as the cylinder. This wheel is
mounted directly over one of the wheels keyed to the lower axis of the
frame on which is a stop or projection which comes in contact with the
upper wheel in its revolution.
The system above described is more especially applicable to the trans-
mission of despatches through submarine or underground cables or lines,

page_text: but with some modifications it is applicable to ordinary land lines. The
chief modification necessary for this purpose is in the cylinder, which
instead of being divided as already described is divided into a number of
lines in each of which the respective position of two points forms the
signal according to the prearranged code, and sundry modifications are
necessary in the mode of conducting the electric current.