Improvement in Electrical Apparatus for Indicating or Recording at a Distance the Positions of an Index Hand or Analogous Movable Object.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
CUMLELE
Improvement in Electrical Apparatus for Indicating or Recording at
a Distance the Positions of an Index Hand or Analogous Movable
Object.
I, ALPHONS CUSTODIS, Manufacturer, of 73, Gartenstrasse, Dusseldorf, in the
German Empire, do hereby declare the nature this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically indicating or recording at
a distant receiving station the consecutive positions occupied by an index hand on
a dial or graduated base plate on which it is pivoted, or over which it moves.
The accompanying drawings represent a magnetic compass adapted to act on a
distant recording or indicating apparatus, so as to show the position which the
compass needle occupies, or to record the consecutive positions which have been
occupied by the compass needle at given periods of time.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the magnetic compass and transmitting apparatus; Fig. 2 is
a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken at a right
angle to Fig. 2. The receiving instrument is not shown by the drawing.
Underneath the compass needle which takes the place of an index hand, there
are mounted a series of contact pieces e insulated from each other. The drawing
shows them arranged in a circle, which arrangement is not, however, essential for
the present invention. They are supported by a ring r, insulated from the same
by a ring e of ebonite or other insulating material. The metallic ring r is con-
nected by means of arms a¹, with a collar a mounted on the axle of the compass
needle and situated underneath the ring r. From each of the contact pieces e a
separate wire leads to the receiving instrument, which contains a separate electro-
magnet or equivalent device for each wire. Within the circle of contact plates e
is mounted a concentric contact ring e', from which a conductor leads to one pole
of a battery connected at the other pole with the parallel conductors l.
The transmitting instrument or compass-box contains a clock work u adapted
to lift the circle of contact plates e and the inner contact ring et at certain intervals
of time, so as to make contact with the underside of the compass needle or index
hand, or with a thin metal plate fixed to the underside of the same. Consequently,
each time the ring e¹ and plates e are lifted, the electric current will pass from that
contact plate e which is situated immediately under the compass needle to the ring e¹
and thence to the battery, and the electro magnet or other device of the receiving
instrument, which is connected with that particular contact plate, will be set in
action, so as to attract, for instance, an index hand of the receiving instrument, or
to produce a mark on a travelling recording ribbon.
If at the next lifting of the contact pieces e and ring e¹ the compass needle or
index hand occupies a different position, it will make contact with another contact
plate e thus causing the current to pass through another conducting wire 1, and to
operate another electro-magnet of the receiving instrument.

page_text: The periodical lifting of the contact plates e and ring e¹ by the clockwork may
be produced in various ways.
In the example shown by the drawings the loose collar or sleeve a, which sup-
ports the metallic ring r, and therefore the contact plates e and ring e¹, is lifted by
means of a sleeve 6 having teeth or lugs n, and the sleeve b is lifted by means of
cams d fixed on a horizontal axle, which receives its motion from the clock work.
Instead of a continuous contact ring e the apparatus may have a series of con-
tact plates, each of which corresponds to one of the contact plates e and is connected
with the battery by a separate wire. The ring e¹ may be entirely dispensed with,
in which case the conductor / would be connected with the axle or axle-bearing
of the compass needle.
The same effect, that is the temporary closing of the circuits, may be produced
by periodically lowering the index hand, while the contact ring remains stationary.
In this case, the axle supporting the index hand would be lowered periodically by
means of the clock work, so as to place the index hand in contact with the ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. Electrical contact apparatus for indicating or recording at a distance the
positions of an index hand or analogous object, comprising in its construction a
group or series of movable contact pieces placed in proximity to the index hand
and connected with the distant indicating or recording instrument by separate
conductors, and a clock-work adapted to press the said contact pieces periodically
against the index hand, in order to close one of the electric circuits which control
the distant indicating or recording instrument, substantially as described.
2. Electrical contact apparatus for indicating or recording at a distance the
positions of an index hand or analogous object, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of February 1898.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.