An Improved Electrical Signalling and Telegraphic Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electrical Signalling and Telegraphic Apparatus.
We, JOHANN CHRISTIAN SCHÄFER, Electrical Engineer, Terézkörut 35, EDUARD
RENZ, Gentleman, of Arena ut 58, and PAUL LIPPOLD, Gentleman, of Ferenz
Jossef Vakpat 6-7, all in Budapest, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention which forms the subject of our present application is a method or
system of electric communication, and apparatus therefor, botween vessels
approaching one another on sea, in any direction whatever and without regard to
the time and weather, and to simultaneously indicate the direction and distance
of the approaching vessel.
It has been known for some time past that waves of electric energy, known usually
as Hertzian waves, are capable of being radiated or projected so as to act on other
electric circuits placed at a distance, and produce certain effects therein. A
signalling telegraph or an alarm apparatus etc. may be arranged at the receiving
station and thus enable communication between the transmitting and receiving
station to be established; these electric waves or oscillations possess however the
property not to penetrate or pass through certain bodies and it is the special
purpose of the present invention to protect the receiving station by suitable bodies
of similar suitable material in such a manner that these Hertzian waves will only
effect or act on the receiving station when coming from a certain direction and
consequently the position of the transmitting station or the approaching vessel
respectively may be located.
By introducing a resistance in the transmitting circuit or shortening the latter,
the distance between the transmitting and receiving station, which will conse-
quently be the distance between the two vessels, may be indicated directly or
calculated, by means of a suitable table in the former case, in the latter case
when the length of the receiving circuit is proportional to the distance from the
receiving station, the electric oscillations will cease to act or be effective so that
thereupon the distance separating the two vessels may easily be calculated on the
basis of the length of the circuit of the receiving station.
We will now proceed to more fully describe our invention, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 illustrates the receiver B, protected by a suitable plate A.
Figs. 2 and 3 show different cross sections of modifications of the protective
cover A of the receiver B, which cover by being provided with an aperture W
permits the direction of the source of the electric oscillations to be exactly ascer-
tained. These apertures W may be closed by weather proof material, which permits
the Hertzian waves to penetrate.
In Fig. the receiver B is illustrated spiral-like coiled within a protective
casing A This construction is a compendious form of construction of the receiver
shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and described with reference thereto, the long protective

page_text: cover A of these constructions being replaced by a hood surrounding the spiral-
like coiled receiver B; the open side of the hood permitting the receiver B to
be acted upon by the arriving electric oscillations. The arrangement of the
coherer Hinside the hood A is for the purpose of permitting electric oscillations
to reach the receiver B directly. to prevent disturbances by electric oscillations
arriving at the tubes X which enclose the conductors BT.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the manner of elongating the receiver B, which with
regard to Fig. 5 consists in bringing the casing A with the receiver B contained
inside to the desired height and with regard to Fig. 6 consists in attaching to the
upper extremity of the receiver B a rope D of non-conducting material, provided
with a counter-weight Y, permitting by winding the other end on to a drum
at to vary the length of the receiver at will.
Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the transmitting and receiving
station illustrating the mode of operation of our invention.
Fig. 8 represents two vessels and a reef provided with our improved apparatus.
Fig. 9 illustrates a device for measuring distances, the scale of which on intro-
ducing suitable resistances permits the distance to be read therefrom.
Fig. 10 illustrates a Morse telegraph in direct connection with the receiver
and the loose contact or colerer.'
"
Our improved signalling apparatus comprises a transmittor I (see Fig. 7) con-
sisting of a battery Z, induction coil J, Righisparking device R, switch and
key K as well as a receiver II, consisting of a loose contact or coherer H,
battery V, alarm apparatus S, Morse and other telegraph R and a device A B
for detecting the direction of the oscillations, which if required may be put out
of circuit at N.
Transmitting and receiving apparatus may be connected with the aerial con-
ductor B and the earth T by means of the switches L and M respectively.
The operation of the signalling apparatus is effected in such a manner that,
while the electric circuit is completed at h and y, the aerial conductor B¹ at
certain intervals of time alternately by hand or mechanically by means of
switches L and M may be connected at a and c and b and d respectively with the
transmittor I and receiver II respectively, that is to say according to the switches
serves as transmittor or receiver.
If the aerial conductor B₁ is connected to the receiving station B and the
alarm apparatus & sounds, B1 has to be put out of circuit at band B at e, should it
he open, put into circuit and the protective case A by means of a suitable turning
device (see Figs. 5 and 6) rotated around X. On the aperture W coming into
line with the direction of the arriving oscillations, the latter will meet Band
cause the alarm apparatus S to be sounded, simultaneously indicating that the
aperture W of the protective case points to the direction the oscillations arrive
from or in other words indicates the direction in which a vessel that might prove
dangerous is moving.
By introducing a resistance e and H or d and H (see Fig. 7) at rand was
indicated in Fig. and on removing the pole from w in a receptacle a filled
with non-conducting material, it is possible to silence the alarm apparatus by
the said introduction of resistances. An indicator y in connection with will
show at that moment the distance separating the two vessels on a suitable scale.
The receptacle r, Fig. 9, is for this purpose filled with non-conducting material,
which, for instance, may be a liquid. On removing the pole v from w, i.c. elon-
gating the distance separating these two poles, the resistance will be increased
and on approaching to the resistance will be reduced, which resistance will
be nil when the two poles and w touch.
If the receiver B¹ is directly connected to the loose contact or coherer II without
resistances being interposed, on shortening the aerial conductor by means of the
devices E or F (see Figs. 5 and 6) the length of the receiver can be ascertained at
which the electric oscillations do not exercise any influence on it. By the adoption
of suitable calculations on the basis of the ratio between the length of the

page_text: receiver and the distance separating the transmittor from the receiver, the dis-
tance between the two vessels may easily be ascertained. By putting and gout
of circuit and inserting fa and c, it will be possible by means of the key K and
writing telegraph R' to communicate with the approaching vessel, B3' in this case
forming the transmittor and B the receiver.
The conductors B and B respectively which may either be exposed or insulated
consist of wire or any other suitable material shape and cross section, and the
coherer H in order to simplify the construction may be arranged inside the pro-
tective casing A and the protective casing A suitably arranged may itself transmit
and receive oscillations instead of the transmittor or receiver conductors. Like-
wise the transmittor 11 when arranged in a partially open protective casing may
be employed for transmitting electric oscillations in a certain predetermined
irection.
We have shown in Fig. 10 a modification of the receiving station, which is for
the purpose of receiving telegrams in Morse types automatically and without
regard to the presence of the attendant of the apparatus. With this end in view
one or more coherers H are arranged inside the printing telegraph and rotated
by means of the clock work of the printing telegraph. The two extremities of the
colerer or coherers H are by means of springs and m connected with the aerial
conductor and earth in such a manner that on electric oscillations meeting the
conductor B, an electro-magnet n will attract the armature o the latter in its turn
releasing the locking wheel g, thus permitting the action of the clock work. The
electro-magnet r and armature s will now effect communication in the well known
the arma-
manner. For the purpose of permanently releasing the locking wheel
ture o is to be kept in its downward position by means of an eccentric p.
toothed wheel i in connection with spring k causes the disturbance of the metal
filings in the rotating coherer H.
A
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:--
1/ In an electrical signalling apparatus for preventing collisions or accidents
and for establishing direct communication, an aerial conductor which according
to switching may act as transmittor or as receiver of electric oscillations commonly
called Hertzian waves, substantially as described with reference to Fig. of the
accompanying drawings.
2/ In combination with an electrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus a
protective casing of any suitable cross section for the conductor (B) open on one
side for the purpose of permitting electric oscillations to meet the conductor only
in the direction of the source of said oscillations or to permit the emission of the
latter from the conductor (B) only in one direction respectively, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3/ In combination with an electrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus
arranging the protective casing (A) rotatably around its axis in such a manner
that its opening (W) may face every point of the compass for the purpose of
enabling electric oscillations to meet the conductor (B) or to emit them from same
in the desired directions respectively, substantially as set forth.
4/ In combination with an electrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus con-
necting the protective casing (A) with the aerial conductor (B) in such a manner
that for the purpose of ascertaining the distance of the transmitting station either
the protective casing (A) with the conductor (B) is lowered or raised, or the con-
ductor (B) alone is shortened or elongated respectively, substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3/ In combination with an clectrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus intro-
ducing a resistance before the coherer (H) which in separating or approaching the
two poles (and) in a space filled with non-conducting material, according
to the position of an indicator shows the distance separating the transmittor and

page_text: receiver station on a suitable scale, substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings.
6/ In combination with an electrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus a
printing telegraph containing one or more coherers (H) rotated by the clock work,
and tapped by means of a spring (), substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings.
In combination with an electrical signalling or telegraphing apparatus the
arrangement of an electro-magnet (n) in the Morse printing telegraph, which
attracts an armature (0) thereby releasing a locking wheel (g) and causing the
clock work automatically to operate in such a manner that after completion of
the message the armature (0) again locks the locking wheel (4) thereby causing
the stoppage of the clock work, so that messages may be received automatically
without the presence of an attendant, substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings.
8/ An electrical signalling and telegraphing apparatus the whole constructed
and adapted to operate substantially as described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
UILIS en day of January 1099.
B. REICHHOLD
International Patent Office, 24, Luisen Strasse, Berlin, N.W., Germany,
Agent for the Applicants.