IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS USED IN EFFECTING TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stratford Andrews, of Hampstead Villa,
Abbey Road, St. John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS USED IN EFFECTING
TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS."
Sealed the 3rd January 1868, and dated the 9th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stratford Andrews
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2 9th July 1867.
.
I, WILLIAM STRATFORD ANDREWS, of Hampstead Villa, Abbey Road,. St.
John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS USED IN
EFFECTING TELEGRAPHIC. COMMUNICATIONS," to be as follows:-
'
My improvements relate to instruments known as the Morse ink writing
arrangement. At present one actuating current only is used; and the Morse
marks in one line only upon the paper band. Signals are formed by com-
binations of long and short marks caused by currents being sent of long and
short duration. In the instrument known as Wheatstone's automatic instru-
ment two lines of dots are made upon a paper band, and these dots are all of
short duration. With this instrument, however, a paper band has first to be
punched," and the receiving apparatus is altogether of a peculiar description.
One part of my improvements relates to adapting the existing Morse ink
writing instruments to the system of working by short currents of equal

page_text: duration, and of opposite polarities on one wire. I apply this part of the
improvements to ink writing Morse apparatus where the marker is moved to
the paper and not the paper to the marker. In ink writing Morse apparatus
known as Jones' improved Morse I use two writing pens instead of only
one, and two levers to depress the pens instead of only one, and two electro-
magnets instead of only one to actuate the said levers. In the trough ink
writer in like manner I duplicate the inking wheel, the levers, and electro-
magnets.
In the "Mourillon" endless inked chain marker I extend the arbors on
which the pulleys are fixed, and attach two or more pulleys and a second
endless chain; I then duplicate the lever and the electro-magnet. I use a
polarised relay actuated in opposite directions according to the polarity of the
working current. This relay is centred by a spring or springs, and plays from
the centre to either side; when it plays to the one side it attracts the one
electro-magnet, when it plays to the other side it attracts the other electro-
magnet of the Morse arrangement. In the picker I use two or four coils and
four magnetized needles, the polarities in the same direction of the two inner
needles and of the two outer needles, and the outer and inner sets being
different to each other. By this means with one electro-magnet I procure 8
forces, and with two electro-magnets 16 forces. With these arrangements I
use the Highton or Tyer, or other double current or "needle" key in general
use. By using for the receiving Morse polarised arrangements instead of
ordinary electro-magnets I can work this double-action ink writer direct
without the intervention of a "pecker." In relay working I connect the
pillars or stop points against which the armatures are set when at rest with a
spring conducting from one of the above to the pecker through two rest points,
against which it presses. When either armature is depressed it depresses
this spring and removes it from its rest point, and thus breaks off the pecker
and prevents local circuiting of the line current.
By these means I obtain the following advantages:-The adaptation of the
ordinary ink writing Morse to work with both positive and negative currents
either "direct" or by the "pecker" actuating local currents through the
different sets of coils; by this means the utilizing both hands of the operator,
who can thus work at greater speed.
The sending only "dots" or currents of short duration, by which time is
saved and greater speed of working secured. The recording these dots upon
two different lines upon one piece or band of paper in different colored inks,
the one colored ink representing "dashes," the other "dots," greatly assisting
the eye of the operator in reading from the band.

page_text: The working by double action, either "direct" by local "pecker," or by
relay arrangements, or by combination of these for long distances.
To obtain the best insulated lines for working the Hughes' type printer and
other apparatus, and to obviate the use of ebonite, with which substance the
bolts of insulators have been covered, and which is found to "sulphur up"
and become a conductor, offering less resistance to the passage of the electric
current, I employ sheaths to the insulator bolts. This sheath to each bolt is
formed with a closed end to cover the upper end of the bolt whilst it extends
down the bolt to its collar, leaving only a small space between the interior of
the sheath and the bolt. This small space is filled with cotton saturated in
paraffine or other suitable "luting." Sheaths so used may have cups or bells
formed in the same piece with them. The sheath may be made of any sub-
stance of good insulating properties, but preferably of earthenware or porcelain,
and it may be so shaped at the top end as to support the wire, or it may be
fixed inside a cup or insulator of the usual bell form in general use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stratford Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STRATFORD ANDREWS, of Hampstead Villa, Abbey Road, St. John's Wood in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Stratford Andrews, Her special licence that I, the said William
Stratford Andrews, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Stratford Andrews, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS USED IN EFFECTING TELEGRAPHIC COM-
MUNICATIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Stratford Andrews, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my; or their, or one of their hands and seals. should par-

page_text: ticularly 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 William Stratford Andrews, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements relate to instruments known as the Morse ink writing
arrangement. At present one actuating current only is used, and the Morse
marks in one line only upon the paper band. Signals are formed by com-
binations of long and short marks caused by currents being sent of long and
short duration. In the instrument known as Wheatstone's automatic instru-
ment two lines of dots are made upon a paper band, and these dots are all of
short duration. With this instrument, however, a paper band has first to be
"punched," and the receiving apparatus is altogether of a peculiar description.
One part of my improvements relates to adapting the existing Morse ink
writing instruments to the system of working by short currents of equal
duration and of opposite polarities on one wire. I apply this part of the
improvements to ink writing Morse apparatus where the marker is moved to
the paper and not the paper to the marker. In ink writing Morse apparatus
known as "Jones' improved Morse" I use two writing pens instead of only
one, and two levers to depress the pens instead of only one, and two electro-
magnets instead of only one to actuate the said levers. In the trough ink
writer in like manner I duplicate the inking wheel, the levers, and electro-
magnets.
In the "Mourillon" endless inked chain marker I extend the arbors on
which the pulleys are fixed, and attach two more pulleys and a second
endless chain; I then duplicate the lever and the electro-magnet, I use a
polarized relay or "pecker," the armature of which is actuated in opposite
directions according to the polarity of the working current. The armature of
this "pecker" or relay is centred by a spring or springs, and plays from the
centre to either side, when it plays to the one side it attracts the one electro-
magnet, when it plays to the other side it attracts the other electro-magnet of
the Morse arrangement. In the "pecker" I use two or four coils and four
magnetized needles, the polarities in the same direction of the two. inner
needles and of the two outer needles, the outer and inner sets consequently
being different to each other; by this means with one electro-magnet I procure
8 forces, and with two electro-magnets 16 forces. With these arrangements

page_text: I use the Highton or Tyer, or other double current ог
key in general use.
"needle "
Figure 1 shows a plan, Figures 2 and 3 side views, and Figure 4 a detail
view of apparatus arranged to work according to the first part of the Invention,
such apparatus having endless ink chain markers applied to it.
a, a, represents the framing of the apparatus; b is a case or frame, in which
is placed clockwork mechanism for giving motion to the apparatus, as is well
understood; c, c, represents a band of paper which when the apparatus is in
motion is drawn progressively forward by means of rollers d, d', the roller d
having motion given to it by the clockwork mechanism in the case b. The
paper band c is conducted from a reel, which is not shown in the Drawings, down
through the guides e under the guide roller e¹, and over the support to the
guide roller e, under which it passes to the rollers d, d¹, by which it is pro-
gressively carried forward; g, g', are pullies supporting endless inking chains
g, g³. The endless chains g, g³, have motion given to them by the pullies g,
which are driven by their arbor g' being in connection with the clockwork
mechanism in the case b. The pullies g¹ simply turn freely on the spindle g5
carried by the adjustable spring arm g6. h is the inking roller which is divided
into two parts, so that when desired it may receive different colored inks, as
shown by Figure 1; this roller is represented out of action in the Drawings
in order that the parts may be more clearly seen, the dotted lines in Figure 2
representing it in position for inking the chains g³, g. i, i, are the printing
bars which are supported by bearings, 3, and are formed at their ends
act on the chains g³, g³, to cause them to descend when required and mark on
the paper band c; 5, x, are rest points (which are insulated at p from the
part p of the pillars p, p*,) against which the ends of the levers i, i¹, are
borne by springs ; and 10, 1, are bank stops for the levers i, i¹; i, i*, are
electro-magnets, the armatures 1, 3, of which are carried by the printing
bars ; k is a polarized relay or "pecker," the armature of which is
formed of four polarized needles k², k³, k, k5, and is centred by means of
springs k, k, k8, aided by the adjustable points . The armature k¹ plays
horizontally from the centre to either side according to the polarity of the
working current when the armature k plays to one side the bar 10 comes
in contact with a screw stop in connection with the electro-magnet ; by
means of the support and the wire 4, and when it plays to the other side
it comes in contact with the screw stop , which by means of the insulated
wire is connected to the wire 7 which is in connection with the other electro
magnet of the Morse arrangement; the stop 12 is insulated from the stop!
at 1. In the "pecker" apparatus k four coils m are shown, but other
to

page_text: number may be employed if desired. The polarities of the inner needles k³, k
of the armature k¹ are arranged in the same direction, whilst the polarities of
the two outer needles k², k, are arranged in opposite directions.
"
In order that the working of the apparatus may be fully understood I will
suppose that the operator has depressed the positive key of either of the key
arrangements before mentioned; a positive current may then pass by the
wire 1 (indicated by the full red line) to one of the coils m of the "pecker"
apparatus k, and from thence as indicated through the other coils to the wire 2,
and from thence to earth; the armature k¹ of the "pecker" apparatus will be
then attracted to, say, the right, and the bar 10 will make contact with the
screw stop, and a positive current will pass by the wire 3 from the battery n
to the magnet i, and from thence by the wire 4 to the stop 1, and then by the
bar 10 and the spindle k to the support 2, and thence by the wire 5 to the
centre of the battery n, thus completing a circuit, in so doing the armature
of the bar i will be depressed and a mark will be made by the bar i depressing
the endless chain g² on to the paper band c representing a letter or a part of a
letter or other sign; upon the operator then depressing the negative key a
negative current will pass by the wire 1 through the coils m, and thence by
the wire 2 to earth, and in so doing will draw the armature k¹ to, say, the left
and make contact between the bar 10 and the stop 1; a negative current will
then pass by the wire 6 to the magnet j*, and from thence by the wire 7 and
the insulated wire 13 to the stop 12, along the bar k¹ and the spindle k" to the
support, and then by the wire 5 to the centre of the battery n, again com-
pleting a circuit, and in so doing the current will have depressed the armature 3
and the printing bar i', thereby depressing the printing chain g³, making a
mark on the paper band c representing another letter or part of a letter or
other sign.
I have not thought it necessary to show the terminals and other means of
connection of the various wires and parts one with the other, as the same will
be readily understood by electro-telegraphists, the full red lines however
represent the course of one set (say, the positive) currents, and the dotted red
line the course of the other (or negative) currents. o is a lever by which the
clockwork mechanism b driving the various parts is stopped. By using
polarized arrangements instead of the soft iron electro-magnets i, j, I am
enabled to work this double-action ink writing "Morse" apparatus direct
without the intervention of a "pecker." In relay working I may connect
33
the pillars p, p, supporting the stop points *,, against which the bars i, i,
of the "Morse arrangement are set when at rest by a spring q, which then
conducts a current from one pillar p to the other pillar p through the two

page_text: rest points p¹, p³, against which such spring q presses, the rest point p³ being
in connection with the "pecker" of another "Morse" arrangement which
acts as a relay. When either armature or 13 of the apparatus for the time
working is depressed one end of the spring q is raised, and supposing the arma-
ture depressed to be the bar i will remove one end of the spring q from its
rest point p', and thus connection with the "pecker" of the relay apparatus is
broken off and local circuiting of the line current prevented. q' is a support to
the spring q.
Figure 5 represents an outline plan of so much of two sets of apparatus
(A, A', and B, B',) such as before described, arranged for relay working as
will enable the Invention to be understood. The same letters are employed
to indicate corresponding parts and wires, so that it will only be necessary to
trace the course of the currents through the various parts. In this arrange-
ment the parts are arranged in duplicate, and one or other of the springs q
(which are not required in direct working) is used. As already referred to
these springs q connect the supports p, p, of each "Morse" arrangement, and
are employed in this case to conduct a current (entering the relay apparatus
from the distant station) from one pillar p to the other pillar p* through the
rest points p¹, p³, against which the spring g presses. The rest points p¹, p³,
of one apparatus (say A) being in connection with the magnets m of the
"pecker" (say B') of the other apparatus which acts as the relay. When
either of the armatures or of apparatus (say B) is depressed one end of
the lever i or i¹ raises one end of the spring q and removes the end of it so
raised from its rest point p¹ or p³, as the case may be; connection with the
"pecker" k is then broken, and local circuiting of the line current is prevented.
There is a piece of insulating material placed upon the levers i and i¹, upon
which the springs q rest, whereby metallic contact between the springs q and
the levers, i, is prevented. The upper parts p³ of the pillars p, p³, carrying
the stops,, are also insulated at p from the lower parts p' of those
pillars.
In order that a working of the apparatus may be clearly understood I will
suppose a positive current to be entering the instrument A from the distant
station in the direction of the arrow by the wire 8. The current passes from
the wire 8 to the bearing or support, then by a wire or other metallic
connection 9 to the support P, from which the current passes by the wire 10
to the column p, up which it is conducted to the rest point p¹, and thence by
the spring q to the rest point p³, from which the current passes down the
column p to the wire 11 corresponding with the wire 1 of Figure 1, by
which it is conducted to the coils m, m, m, m of the "pecker" apparatus B',

page_text: and from thence by the wire 2 to earth; the armature k¹ of the pecker
apparatus B is then attracted to the right, and contact will be made with the
stop ; the positive wire 3 of the local battery n will then be connected
with the coils of the printing bar i and a current will pass by the wire 4 to
the contact piece 1, and from the contact piece by the bar k¹ and spindle k¹¹
to the support k, and thence to the wire 5, by which the current will be led
to the centre of the local battery n; the armature will be then attracted, and
the end of the bar i lifted up, thereby raising the spring a from its rest point p¹
and breaking communication with the coils m, m, m, m, of instrument A¹;
the bar i then makes contact with the fixed point, connected with the line
battery r, and the centre of the line battery r being connected with earth a
positive current passes from the battery r by the wire 12 to the column p, up
the interior of which it is conducted by an insulated connection to the stop 1º,
and from the stop along the bar i to the bearing 3, and then by the wire 9,
to the other bearing, which conducts it on to the distant line wire 8
attracting the instrument at the distant station. Suppose the current received
by the wire 8 instrument A to have been of the opposite (or negative) polarity
the armature k¹ of the pecker apparatus k will be attracted to the left and
contact will be made with the stop 12 and connection will be made between
the negative wire 6 of the local battery n and the coils of the printing bar i¹
and the current will pass from those coils j* by the wire 7 to the contact
piece of the pecker apparatus k, and thence by the arm 10 and spindle k"
to the support k¹, and from thence by the wire 5 to the centre of the local
battery n, thereby completing another circuit; one end of the spring q is
then raised from the point p2; the line battery contact is then made by the
bar pressing against the stop *, which is in connection with the wire 13
from the line battery r; a negative current then passes from the battery r by
the wire 13 to the pillar p, up the interior of which it passes by an insulated
connection to the point and from the point along the bar to the
bearing and on to the line 8, by which it is conducted to the distant station,
where it will act on the receiving instrument. The full red lines are supposed
to represent the course taken by one set, say, the positive currents, the dotted
red lines the course taken by the other (or negative currents) passing in one
direction, whilst the blue lines represent the wires not in use at that time;
they are however similarly connected and are used in a similar manner when
sending currents in the opposite direction. By these means the following
advantages are obtained: --The ordinary ink writing Morse is adapted to work
with both positive and negative currents, either "direct" or by the "pecker,"
actuating local currents through the different sets of coils; by which

page_text: means both hands of the operator are utilized and he is enabled to work at
greater speed, and as only "dots" or currents of short duration are sent time
is saved and greater speed of working secured; also by recording these dots
upon two different lines upon one piece or band of paper in different colored
inks, the one colored ink representing "dashes" the other "dots," the eye of
the operator in reading from the band is greatly assisted. I am also enabled
to work by double action, either "direct," by local "pecker," or by relay
arrangements, or by a combination of these for long distances.
The improvements relate, secondly, to the insulated supports employed in
supporting conductors used in effecting telegraphic communications. To obtain
the best insulated lines for working the Hughes' type printer and other appa-
ratus, and to obviate the use of ebonite, with which substance the bolts of
insulators have been covered and which is found to "sulphur up" and become
a partial conductor, and consequently to offer less resistance to the passage of
the electric current, I according to this part of the improvements employ
sheaths to the insulator bolts; the sheath to each bolt is formed with a closed
end to cover the upper end of the bolt, whilst it extends down the bolt to its
collar, leaving only a small space between the interior of the sheath and the
bolt; this small space is filled with cotton saturated in paraffin or other
suitable "luting Sheaths so used may be fixed inside a cup or insulator of
the usual bell form in general use or they may have cups or bells formed in
the same piece with them. The sheath may be made of any substance of
good insulating properties, but preferably of earthenware or porcelain, and it
may be so shaped at the top end as to support the wire without the use of a
cup or bell.
"
Figure 6 represents a side view, Figure 7 a plan, Figure 8 a vertical
section, Figure 9 a horizontal section, and Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13,
detailed views of an insulator arranged according to this part of the Invention.
a is the insulator bolt which is affixed to a bar b from a post or other support;
c is a sheath formed by preference of earthenware or porcelain, but which may
be formed of other substance of good insulating properties; this sheath c is
formed with a closed end c¹ to cover the upper end a¹ of the bolt a, and it
extends down the bolt to the collar a², leaving only a small space d between
the interior of such sheath c and the bolt a; the space d is filled up by means
of cotton saturated with paraffin or other suitable "luting," which is by pre-
ference applied to the exterior of the bolt a previous to its having the sheath c
applied to it. In the arrangement shown the sheath c has applied to it a cup
or insulator of the usual bell form; this cup or insulator may however if
desired be formed in the same piece with the sheath c. g is a second cup,

page_text: such as is now employed with insulators of the ordinary character, and forms
no part of this Invention.
Figure 14 is a side view, Figure 15 a plan, Figure 16 a vertical section, and
Figure 17 a horizontal section of a modification of this part of the Invention.
In this case the sheath in place of having a cup formed or applied to it is
formed with an enlargement c³ having a groove in it adapted to receive and
support a telegraphic wire applied to it.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details shown and described, as these may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I do claim
is,-
First, the arranging or combining means or apparatus used in effecting
telegraphic communications, whereby instruments of the character of those
called "Morse" ink-writing instruments are adapted to make indications by
means of short currents of equal duration and of opposite polarity on one wire,
substantially as described.
Also I claim the arranging apparatus used in effecting telegraphic com-
munication so as to obtain relays between distant parts when communicating
to long distances, in manner substantially as described.
And, secondly, I claim the mode of arranging insulating supports for sus-
pending conductors used in effecting telegraphic communications, substan-
tially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stratford Andrews, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
W. ANDREWS. (L.S.)