AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DESPATCHES AND SMALL ARTICLES BY THE AGENCY OF ELECTRICITY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATEN
to Fenry Cook, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DESPATCHES AND SMALL ARTICLES BY THE AGENCY
OF ELECTRICITY."-A communication from abroad by Gaetano Bonelli, of
Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy.
APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DESPATCHES AND SMALL ARTICLES BY THE AGENCY
OF ELECTRICITY."-A communication from abroad by Gaetano Bonelli, of
Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy.
Sealed the 4th July 1862, and dated the 8th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Cook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
January 1862.
I, HENRY COOK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DESPATCHES AND SMALL ARTICLES BY THE
AGENCY OF ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
My Invention of an improved mode of and apparatus for propelling by the
agency of electricity, relates to a novel method of transmitting despatches, by
means of electricity. Instead of transmitting telegrams by means of signals
as is now practised, I propose to forward written despatches through a tube.
The vessel, chamber, or case containing the despatch or despatches is placed in
a tube and drawn forward or propelled therein by the agency of electricity.

page_text: It is well known that a wooden bobbin surrounded with coils of insulated
iron or copper wire, has the power when the above-mentioned wire has a
current of electricity passed through it, of attracting in its interior a bar of iron
of the length of the bobbin. Upon this principle I have constructed my electric
propeller which I intend to employ for transporting despatches, letters, and
other small articles. To this end I place in a horizontal or nearly horizontal
position, a tube of a rectangular or other suitable or convenient form, in
which at its lower part I secure continuous rails. This tube is at intervals
surrounded with coils of insulated iron or copper wire, arranged in separate and
independent coils. The two extremities of each coil are open throughout, and
in the tube is placed a small carriage with an iron casing and containing
a battery. When the carriage which is made to rest on the rails at the bottom
of the tube has been introduced for one-third of its length into the first coil
which surrounds the tube, a momentary contact is established with the two
ends of the coil, by means of springs which are in communication with a
battery contained in the same carriage. An electric current is thereby set up
in the coil, and this current gives an impulsion to the iron carriage, which is
obliged to advance not only into the coil, but also to continue along a portion
of the tube beyond the coil, owing to the velocity it has acquired. The distance
traversed in this manner being calculated, the carriage will be found to have
penetrated into the second coil, where, by the electric current therein induced,
the carriage will receive a second impulsion which will oblige it to run
into the third coil, and so on, gradually augmenting its speed until it reaches
a high velocity, and is carried from end to end of the tube. It is evident that
the arrangement of the several parts admits of considerable modification, but
the principle of operation will always remain the same, the battery may
however be stationary, and the form of the coils, the rails, the carriages
and other parts may be varied considerably. The essential feature of novelty
in the Invention, is the adaptation of the tractive power of electric coils to
cause an armature of iron constructed in the form of a hollow vessel or casing
made to contain articles of various kinds to pass along lengths of tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Cook, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 35
Cook, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Cook, Her special license that I, the said Henry Cook,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Cooke, 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 Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OP AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DESPATCHES AND SMALL ARTICLES BY THE
AGENCY OF ELECTRICITY," being a communication from Gaetano Bonelli, of
Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Cook, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Henry Cook, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say).:-
This Invention of an improved mode of and apparatus for propelling by
the agency of electricity relates to a novel method of transmitting written or
printed despatches, letters, or other small articles, by means of electricity.
Instead of transmitting telegrams by means of signals, produced by a current
of electricity, as is now practised, the telegram, despatch, or information to be
transmitted is to be written or printed on paper, which is then to be enclosed
in a case and conveyed along a line of railway, laid in a tube or pipe formed
of a series of hollow electric coils, or electro-magnets. The vessel, chamber; or
case containing the despatch or despatches or letters, is placed on the line of
rails in the tube or pipe above mentioned, and is drawn forward or propelled
along the same by the agency of magnetic electricity, which is induced in the
hollow coils by a travelling battery inclosed in the vessel or carriage containing
the letters or despatches that are to be transmitted. It is advisable that the
line of rails and the travelling carriage should be enclosed in a tube in order

page_text: to protect them from injury, but it is not otherwise absolutely necessary that
the tube should be continuous throughout.
It is well known that a bobbin surrounded with coils of insulated iron or
copper wire has the power, when the above mentioned wire has a current of
electricity passed through it, of attracting into its interior a bar of iron of the
length of the bobbin. Upon this principle the electric propeller which
I intend to employ for transporting despatches, letters, and other small articles
is constructed. To this end I place in a horizontal or nearly horizontal
position either one long tube or a series of short ones of a rectangular or other
suitable or convenient form. A continuous line of rails is laid along the
interior of this tube or tubes for the purpose of supporting the carriage in
which the written or printed despatches or letters are to be placed. If the
tube be a continuous one, it is at intervals to be surrounded with coils of
insulated iron or copper wire, arranged in separate and independent coils, but
if separate tubes arranged at intervals along the line are employed, each of
these must be surrounded with coils of insulated iron or copper wire; all these
coils are therefore hollow and open throughout, so that the carriage containing
the written or printed despatches may pass or travel through them from end
to end of the line. This carriage is made of an iron outer casing, mounted on
wheels, which run on the rails placed along the tubes within the coils, and in
it is placed a powerful Smee's or Bunsen's battery, constructed in the ordinary
manner, and formed of any number of elements that may be desired, according
to the tractive power required. On the top of the carriage are placed two
thick insulated metal plates or blocks, which stand up above the top of the
casing. One of these blocks is connected with one pole of the battery inside
the carriage, and the other block with the opposite pole of the battery. It
will be understood that we have now an electric circuit interrupted by the
separation of the insulated metal blocks. From one end of the stationary
hollow coils, two spring connections communicating with the two poles of the
coil are made to project in such a manner that when the carriage, which is
made to run on the rails at the bottom of the tube has been introduced for
one-third of its length into the first coil which surrounds the tube, the
projecting spring connections will come in contact with the insulated blocks
on the top of the carriage, and thus establish a momentary communication
between the stationary coil and the travelling battery contained in the carriage.
The electric current will then be completed, and the coil being converted into
an electro-magnet, will attract and draw forward the metal carriage inside.
The electric current thereby set up in the coil, and the magnetic attraction to

page_text: which it gives rise, imparts an impulsion to the iron carriage, which is obliged
to advance not only into the coil, but also to continue along the rails beyond
the coil, owing to the velocity it has acquired from the first impulsion. The
electric circuit between the battery in the carriage and the stationary external
coil must, of course, be interrupted at the proper moment, so as not to interfere
with the momentum of the carriage. This will be effected by the spring
connections of the coil quitting the projecting insulated metal blocks or plates
on the top of the carriage, as the latter proceeds onwards. The distance
traversed in this manner being calculated, the carriage will be found to have
penetrated into the second coil, wherein by the electric current therein induced
the carriage will receive a second impulsion, which will oblige it to run into
the third coil, and so on, gradually augmenting its speed until it reaches a bigh
velocity, and is carried from end to end of the line. It is evident that the
arrangement of the several parts admits of considerable modification, depending
upon the inclination of the line of rails, the length or size of the coils, the
weight of the internal carriage and battery, and the weight of the carriages to
be propelled, and various other circumstances; it would therefore be impossible
to give any precise details as to the distance from each other at which the
coils should be arranged. The principle of operation will, however, always
remain the same, whatever may be the arrangement of the several parts;
I would observe, however, that if desired a series of stationary batteries may
be employed, and the form of the coils and the arrangement of the rails, the
carriages, and other parts may be varied accordingly.
From the foregoing explanation of the principle upon which the apparatus
is constructed, it will be seen that the essential feature of novelty in the
Invention is the adaptation of the tractive power of induced electric coils to
cause an armature of iron, constructed in the form of a hollow vessel or casing
made to contain articles of various kiuds, to pass along or through lengths of
tube surrounded by such electric coils.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of part
of a line of railway constructed to carry out the objects of the present Inven-
tion. It will be seen that in this instance the tube is not continuous, but is
constructed in lengths, such parts only of the tube being employed as are
surrounded by the electric coils. A is an electric coil, which is composed of
insulated iron wire, wound round a rectangular metallic frame, shewn detached
in perspective in Fig. 2, leaving a hollow space inside measuring about fifteen
inches long by six inches square in sectional area. At the commencement of
the line these coils may be arranged at gradually increasing distances apart,
commencing at about three feet from each other.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan view, shewing part of a tubular electric coil, and portions
of the line of rails B, B, on which the carriage to be propelled runs ;
Fig. 4 is an end view, shewing the carriage C on the rails B, B, which are
laid along the inside of the coil A. I would remark that, although I prefer
the coil of insulated wire to be wound round a rectangular metal frame such
as that shewn at Fig. 2, a thin sheet metal rectangular tube may be employed
as the hollow core for the coil, and these separate tubes or hollow coils may be
arranged at suitable distances along the line, as before mentioned. This tube
may, however, be continued from end to end of the line without break, if
preferred, the coils being wound round it at intervals, as before mentioned.
The carriage C consists of a rectangular box, provided with running wheels c, c,
Figures 1 and 4, or sledge irons, whereby it may be supported on the rails, and
may be moved thereon with very little friction. Inside the carriage C is to be
placed the Smee's or Bunsen battery, consisting of any desired number of
elements according to the power desired, and wires from the two poles of the
battery are connected to the insulated metal plates or blocks d, d, on the top
of the carriage. The spring connections a¹, a¹, of the coil A project therefrom,
and when the carriage C enters the interior of the coil, these spring con-
nections come in contact with the surface of the blocks d, d, and thereby
complete the electric circuit, and convert the coil A into an electro-magnet,
which will attract and draw forward the metal carriage C, and will com-
municate such an impulse to the carriage as will drive it forward to the next
coil. In order that the action of the second coil shall not be interfered with
by the action of the first after the impulse has been given, the electric circuit
of the first coil is interrupted by the metal blocks d, d, passing from under the
spring connections a¹, a¹. In order to increase the power of the apparatus
the carriage C should be filled as far as practicable with iron wires, leaving
only space enough for the battery and for the written or printed messages or
letters. It is preferable, however, that the despatches or other articles should
be placed in a separate carriage, which may be attached or connected in any
convenient manner to the first carriage which may be considered as the
locomotive or traction engine of the train which runs through the coils. It will
of course be understood that not only one, but two, three, or more carriages
to convey despatches or letters may be connected together in the form of a
train, if desired, the weight to be drawn being dependent upon the power or
tractive force of the electro-magnet.
Having now described this Invention of "An Improved Mode of and
Apparatus for Transmitting Despatches and Small Articles by the Agency of
Electricity," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into

page_text: effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, the application of the
tractive power of electric coils to cause an armature of iron, constructed in
the form of a hollow vessel, casing, or carriage, (made to contain articles of
various kinds,) to pass along a continuous line of rails placed within, and
extending throughout a series of tubular electric coils, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
HENRY COOK. (L.S.)