New or Improved Means for the Indication of Telepathic and like Messages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means for the Indication of Telepathic and like
Messages.
I, COLIN EDMUND CAMPBELL, of 34 Lower Belgrave Street, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Classical Coach, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to new or improved means for the indication of automatic,
telepathic, and spiritistic messages.
According to my invention, I employ a disc of wood or other suitable material
around the periphery of the face of which are marked the letters of the alphabet,
the numerals, words of common occurrence in conversation, and also, if desired,
any suitable signs.
Pivotted centrally as regards the said disc are one, two, three, or more horizontal
radial arms and a horizontal radial index or pointer all moving together. The
said radial arms are each furnished with a convenient handle for manipulation,
and the pointer by its movements around the disc, which are regulated by
automatic, telepathic, or spiritistic communication to the person or persons having
hold of the manipulating handles, spells out the message.
By a slightly modified arrangement the pointer may be fixed, and the disc
rotated by convenient handles provided thereon; or, the pointer may be fixed at
right angles to a spindle or axis passing freely through the centre of the disc
and provided with a handle or handles, the message in this case being spelt out
by rolling the disc upon some surface such as a table for example; or, the disc
may be fixed vertically and the pointer secured to a rocking bar or rod provided
or not with handles and working on horizontal pivots.
It is obvious that in all cases (except where the apparatus is intended to be
rolled upon a table) I may substitute a surface of other shape than circular for
the disc.
New or Improved Means for the Indication of Telepathic and like
Messages.
I, COLIN EDMUND CAMPBELL, of 34 Lower Belgrave Street London in the
County of Middlesex, Classical Coach, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide new or improved means for the
D
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page_text: indication of telepathic and like messages. With this object I employ apparatus
of a kind now to be described in reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
like letters indicate similar parts throughout.
In the main embodiment of my idea (Figs. I and II), I employ, and rest upon
a table or the like, a disc of wood or other suitable material marked with letters
and also, if desired, words, numerals and other signs, round a portion, preferably
about one-third, of its circumference, in conjunction with an arrangement of a
horizontal radial pointer extending to the letters and one or more horizontal radial
handle-bearing arms, which arms and pointer all rotate together about a pin fixed
in the centre of the above-mentioned disc.
Parallel with this embodiment is a second (Figs. III and IV) in which the
indicating disc or board revolves while the pointer is stationary.
If these arrangements be supposed as inverted, so that the indicating disc in
each case shall be at right angles to the plane of the table, and such alterations be
then introduced as shall render the invention practically workable under these
conditions, two modifications will arise, represented the one by Figs. V and VI,
the other by Figs. VII and VIII, the former (the rolling-wheel arrangement)
corresponding with the inversion of Fig. III, the latter (the rocking-bar arrange-
ment) with that of Fig. I.
To particularise further:
Fig. I is a representation of the main embodiment as viewed from above,
Fig. II a representation of it as viewed from the level of the disc.
a a, a, are the
handles, preferably revolving on screws, bb₁ b, are the arms, c is the central boss,
d the pointer, e the pin, fff, rests for the disc.
Figs. III and IV are similar representations of the parallel embodiment, in
which the pointer d is fixed while the disc revolves. The handles may be affixed
at prominences from the disc as in the illustration, or entirely within the sweep of
the circumference.
Figs. V and VI are front and side views of the rolling-wheel arrangement, the
pointer & being affixed to the spindle, which is either fitted with handle-bearing
crossbars at a convenient distance from the wheel, or bears handles itself as in
the illustration. It is obvious that by the motion of the wheel along a table or
the like the various letters will be brought in turn before the pointer, just as
in the arrangement of Fig. III they are brought under it by the revolution of
the disc when parallel with the table.
Figs. VII and VIII are front and side views of the rocking-bar arrangement, in
which, according as one or other arm is depressed the different letters are indicated
by the pivotted pointer. A weight may be attached to the arrangement of pointer
and arms at its centre, to steady it; handles may be provided at the end of the
arms.
It is, plain that the actual indicating board may, in the first, second and fourth
variations, be of various shapes, so long as the curve of the lettered part be not
interfered with.
'
As typical of the method of working my invention I will now explain the
operation of the main embodiment. The disc is rested upon a table or the like,
and one or more persons hold one or more handles lightly, in readiness for the
indication of a message or answer to some question formulated by themselves,
such indication being effected by the stoppage of the pointer at various letters
in succession; if the person or persons are of 'a temperament suitable for the
reception of spiritistic or telepathic messages, sentences may then be spelt out
obtained from such sources and possibly conveying information unknown to the
operators; the larger number of messages however are "automatic," i.e. com-
munications from the subliminal consciousness finding expression through muscular
workings controlled in a method hitherto only imperfectly understood in the
invention and construction of my device I have aimed especially at sensitiveness
through absence of friction, so that the interpretation of these muscular workings
may not be vitiated through the misinterpretation of any stoppage tendency,

page_text: which, while apparently "automatic," is, in reality, due to imperfection in the
working of the instrument.
The operation of the other modifications is apparent from that of the main
embodiment.
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. In apparatus for the indication of telepathic and like messages, wherein is
employed the conjunction of an indicating disc or board, a pointer pivoted on or in
direct connection with said disc or board, and handles connected directly with the
board or pointer, the combination of these three items in such a manner that
indication is effected by a direct operation substantially identical with that utilised
in the bereinbefore described device throughout its several modifications.
2. In apparatus for the indication of telepathic and like messages the conjunction
of a board or disc bearing letters round a portion of its circumference with an
arrangement of horizontal radial arms and pointer rotating together, substantially
as described and illustrated.
Dated this 15th day of August 1895.
COLIN EDMUND CAMPBELL,
Applicant.