AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND PRINTING.TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co. Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"
'AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND PRINTING.
TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES."-A communication from abroad by Albert Francis
Johnson and Frank Benjamin Johnson, both of Brooklyn, New York, United
States of America, Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March. 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR TRANSMITTING AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES [A communication:
from abroad by Albert Francis Johnson and Frank Benjamin Johnson, both of
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, Gentleman.]
This Invention relates to automatic printing telegraphs and provides means
whereby messages can be sent very rapidly and with great economy, inasmuch as
but comparatively few employès and no skilled operators, are needed in
practising the same. The said invention consists in an improved method of and
improved mechanism for transmitting and printing messages by electro-magnetic
telegraph.
By means of the same a person can either prepare his message in his own office
or home and send it by messenger to the nearest transinitting station for
transmission in an unintelligible form; or he can, if his office is in communication
by line wires with the transinitting station operate by means of electric impulses
sent over the said wires, an instrument located at the said transmitting station,
which is adapted to put his message into unintelligible form for transmission; or if
his office is connected directly with a receiving instrument at the place where his.
message is to be received and printed, he can operate such receiving instrument
from his own office; and in either case the message is printed in typographical
characters and sealed up and addressed automatically by the instrument at the
receiving station ready for delivery to the person for whom it is intended.
According to this invention each letter and character has its corresponding
magnet on the receiving instrument and the said magnets are brought into circuit
by passing through the transmitting instrument a strip or sheet of paper upon
which the message has been perforated or recorded by means of a number of series
of perforations, each series representing a particular letter or character, the said

page_text: '
paper having also a separate series of perforations made thereon to move forward
the message strip in the receiver. Each of the said magnets has connected with
its armature, a lever carrying a type of the letter that it prints, which is brought
into contact with the message-strip every time the said magnet is brought into
circuit by the passage through the transmitter of the perforation which represents
that letter. The said improved method consists in firstly recording the message
on a strip or sheet of paper in the form of several series of perforations, each of
the said series representing a particular and predetermined letter or character;
secondly using at the sending station this prepared message to transmit electric
impulses to the receiving station; and thirdly printing the said message at the
receiving station in typographical characters through the medium of the said
electric impulses, each of which represents and operates to print a particular
predetermined letter or character. In carrying out this method, if the transmitting
station is connected by line wires with the receiving station I employ three special
instruments, namely (1) a perforator operated by hand to make the said perforations,
which perforator has a series of punching rods answering to the number of kinds
of letters or characters employed in sending messages, a series of levers each marked
with a particular letter or character by means of which the said rods are operated,
and a feeding device to move forward a strip or sheet of paper upon which the
perforations are made by the said rods. Each series of perforations therefore
represents the particular letter marked on the lever by which it is operated, and
each of the said perforations when passed through the transmitter, brings into
circuit the magnet which prints that letter; (2) a transmitting instrument having
a series of circuit closers corresponding with the said perforations, through which
the perforated message is passed, the said circuit closers being so arranged that each
is operated by one of the said perforations to bring into circuit the one of the said
magnets that prints the particular letter which such perforation represents; (3) the
receiving instrument above mentioned, having a series of magnets each of which
operates mechanism that prints a particular letter and is connected by line wire
with the circuit closer, on the said transmitter, which is operated by the perforation
that represents such letter; and the said receiving instrument is also provided with
suitable mechanism therein which is operated by a separate magnet, to move
forward a strip of paper upon which the message is printed, and with mechanism
to seal a second strip of paper over the message strip to conceal the printing and
with suitable devices for impressing the message on the said message-strip, which
latter may either be of ordinary paper to receive the message in ink or of sensitized
paper embued with a chemical solution that discharges or changes its colour by
electric action. Batteries and ground lines are provided at the sending and receiving
stations to form properly arranged electric circuits..
In case the station from which the message is sent is not connected by line wires
with the receiver at the station at which it is to be received, an electrically operated
perforator is employed to reproduce the perforated message at some station which is
in circuit with the receiving station; or if there is no station in circuit with both.
the sending station and the receiving station, then the said prepared message is
successively reproduced until it reaches a station which is in circuit with the
station at which the message is to be printed and delivered. This electrically
operated perforator may be operated either by passing the prepared message
through one of the transmitters located at a station which is connected therewith
by line wires, or it may be operated by a key board located at some distant
station and connected with the said perforator by properly arranged electric
circuits. The said keyboard may also be employed to operate one of the
receiving instruments directly without the use of a perforated paper; its keys or
press-buttons being marked with letters or characters corresponding with those on
the perforator first mentioned, and each operating through the medium of line wires
to bring into circuit the, magnet on the receiver which prints such letter or
character.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR TRANSMITTING AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES." A communication
from abroad by Albert Francis Johnson and Frank Benjamin Johnson, both of
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, Gentleman.
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for, transmitting
and printing telegraphic messages, and the said invention is chiefly designed to
enable messages to be transmitted very rapidly and with a great saving in the
matter of salaries, as no skilled operators and but few employés are necessary under
this improved system.
Moreover by the said invention a person can either prepare a message in his
own office or home and send it by messenger to the nearest transmitting station
for transmission in an unintelligible form; or he can, if his office is in communi-
cation by line wires with the transmitting station, operate from his own office, an
electric preparing instrument located at the said transmitting station, that is
adapted to put his message into an unintelligible form for transmission; and in
either case the message is printed in typographical characters and sealed up and
addressed by the instrument at the receiving station ready for delivery to the
person for whom it is intended.
According to this invention each letter and character has its corresponding
magnet on the receiving instrument which is brought into circuit by the passage
through the transmitting instrument of the perforations on the prepared message
that represents that letter, and the said magnet has connected with its armature,
a lever carrying a type of the said letter, and is operated by cach pulsation of the
magnet to print the said letter on a message strip which is passed through the said
receiving instrument. I therefore provide a separate line wire, extending from
the sending station to the receiving station for each letter or character used in
sending messages, which said line wires are insulated, and may be either carried
through a tube extending from the sending station to the receiving station, or
twisted together to form a cable, in either case the said wires are distributed at
the receiving station, and each is connected with its respective magnet on the
receiving instrument.
The said invention consists in an improved method of automatically transmitting
and printing telegraphic messages, and in an improved system of mechanism
especially adapted for carrying the said method into practical effect, as is hereinafter
fully set forth. .
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1. is a plan of the instrument for preparing a message by hand.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, and
Figure 3 is a partial end view of the same;
Figure 4 is a detail hereinafter explained;
Figure 5 is a portion of a perforated message.
Figure 6 is a plan of the transmitting instrument,
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the same, and
Figure 8 is a detail view hereinafter explained.
Figure 9 is a plan of the receiving instrument.
Figure 10 is a central vertical section of the same.
Figures 11 and 12 are detail views of the feed mechanism thereof..

page_text: Figure 13 shews a modification whereby the instrument is adapted to print the
message on sensitized paper.
Figure 14, represents a portion of a printed message-strip.
Figure 15. is a diagram showing the arrangement of electric circuits.
Figure 16, is a plan view of the electrically operated perforator or message-
- preparer.
Figure 17 is a sectional elevation of the same, on the line x, x Figure 10.
Figure 18. is a plan of the underside of the same.
Figure 19 is a detail view on an enlarged scale herein-after explained.
Figure 20, is a plan of a key-board whereby the electric message preparer may
be operated from a distance, and whereby the receiving instrument may be operated
directly without the use of a perforated message, and
Figure 21 is a side elevation of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
In preparing a message by hand, for sending to a transmitting station the
instrument shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 is used, a a represent a series of levers
arranged side by side and pivotted on a transverse bar 6, secured at each end to
the sides of an upright frame attached to the base P. a¹ is a lever similarly
pivotted. At the outer end of each of the levers is a knob f marked with one
of the letters of the alphabet or such other characters as are employed in trans-
mitting messages. The lever a¹ also has a similar knob f', but without any letter
or character marked upon it. In Figure 1 thirty one of these levers are shewn
but the number may be increased, if it desired. to employ numerals or additional
characters, h, Figure 3 represent a series of punching rods, corresponding in
number with the said levers, and each being operated by one of the same, except
the rod which is operated by the lever a¹. These rods are fitted into horizontal
transverse plates i¹. which have perforations to receive them. Each rod is either
pivotted to one of the said levers a, or arranged so that its lower end rests upon
one of them when in its normal position, and is raised to perforate p whenever the
knob of such lever is depressed. Springs m are fitted on each of the said rods
between the plates i, i for the purpose of bringing the said levers into their
normal position when the pressure is removed. from the knob. Above the plate i
and parallel therewith is another platen having a series of perforations each
directly over the upper end of one of the said rods, and between these plates i
and n the paper to be perforated is passed from a reel p¹ fixed in any suitable
position, so that when one of the knobs f is depressed the rod operated by such knob
makes a perforation in the paper. q is a thin perforated plate fixed parallel with and
between the plates i and n for the purpose of stripping the paper froin the rods when
a perforation has been made. ? is a feed roller having a roughened or friction surface
which presses against the under surface of the plate n (the paper passing between
them), and which is fixed upon a shaft having bearings in the sides c of the
frame. This roller is driven by means of ratchet wheels s fixed upon the ends of
the said shaft and are operated by pawls s pivotted to the upper ends of bent
levers s², which are pivotted on a transverse bar 83. To the lower ends of the bent
levers are secured two parallel transverse bars tt, between which the ends of
the levers a a¹ extend, so that whenever one of the knobs f, f' is struck, the
pawls s' are thrown forward to make a stroke, and the stroke is made by the
return of the said levers to their normal position by the force of the springs m.
These pawls are arranged to make a longer stroke than is necessary merely to
engage with the tooth of the ratchet wheel s, so that the rods h, will have
descended a sufficient distance to clear themselves from the paper, before the latter
is moved forward by the pawl engaging with a ratchet tooth. Whenever one of
the rods his raised by pressing a knob f, the rod h¹ is also raised, and each makes
a perforation in the paper, the former for printing the letter on the message strip
in the receiving instrument, and the latter for moving the said message strip
forward to have the next letter printed. The device employed for causing the
rod h¹ to make a perforation simultaneously with each of the rods is shewn in

page_text: Figure 4, each of the levers a when in its normal position rests with the upper
surface of its end in contact with the under surface of the bar t a space being left
between the underside of each lever and the bar t¹ and the lever a¹, rests with
both its upper and lower surfaces in contact with the lower and upper surfaces of
the bars t, so that whenever any one of the levers a is depressed it raises the
bars tand and thereby also raises the rear end of the lever a' and with it the
rod to make a perforation. It will be seen that the rod h' can be operated
independently of the rods h, and it is raised by pressing the knob f¹ once between
each word and a number of times between the subject matter of the message and
the address, so as to leave a suitable space between them on the message strip G¹.
Bars 3 limit the movements of the levers a, a'; and q¹ q² are guide plates for
conducting the paper 2 to and from the feed roller-pl is a case or cover enclosing
the working parts, and may be of any suitable form.
r"
In preparing a message for transmission the operation is as follows. The end
of the paper p having been passed between the plates g and n, and between the
latter and the feed roller, the knob f which has upon it the first letter in the
message to be sent is depressed, a perforation representing such letter is thereby
made together with another perforation made by the rod then the knob f that
bears the next letter in the message is depressed, and so on until the end of the
first word is reached. Each stroke of any of the levers a, a¹ operates the feed
roller and moves forward the paper p to receive the next perforation. At the
end of each word the knob f¹ is depressed once separately to leave a space on the
message strip between the words. At the end of the subject matter of the
message the knob f' is depressed a sufficient number of times to leave a suitable
space between the message, and the address, on the message strip G₁; after which
the knobs fare depressed as before to make perforations representing the several
letters in the address. A portion of a prepared message is shewn in Figure 5,
having perforations g which when passed through the transmitting instrument
would cause the receiver to print the word "Brooklyn," and a central line of
perforations g¹ made by the rod h¹ to move forward the message strip G¹ while
the several letters in the said word are being printed.
The message thus prepared by being put into a form which is unintelligble upon
inspection, may be sent to a station having a transmitter in circuit with the
receiver at the station where the message is to be received and printed for
delivery, and from thence sent to its destination.
The transmitting instrument is shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8-a² a² represent a
series of metallic wire rods connected at one end by means of a series of binding
posts f with line wires f, which extend from the sending station to the
receiving station, each connecting with a separate magnet on the receiver. a³ is a
similar wire rod connecting by a binding post f³ with a line wire f, which Intter
connects with the magnet that operates the mechanism for feeding forward the
message strip G¹ on the receiver. The opposite ends of these rods a²,.a³ rests upon
an insulated metallic roller g2, at a distance apart as nearly as possible equal to
the distance between the punching rods of the preparing instrument hereinbefore
described. When a message is to be transmitted, the perforated paper pis'secured to
and wound upon a roller wits end is then passed under the ends of the wire rods a² as
over the roller g2 and thence to the roller a¹ to which it is secured, and which is
turned by a crank. The several lines of perforations g, each line representing a
particular letter or character, pass under the ends of the said wire rods; as the paper
is passed over the roller g2 by winding it from the roller u to the roller u', when-
ever one of the perforations comes under its corresponding wire, metallic contact is
made between the said roller g² and the said wire. The central wire a coincidės
with the perforations g' made by the rod h¹, and is connected by its line wire f
with the magnet on the receiver that operates the feed mechanism in the latter.
This wire a³ is slightly longer than the others so that the perforation which closes
the circuit to print the letter takes effect first, after which the central perforation g'
closes its circuit to move forward the message strip. A binding screw m¹ carries

page_text: a wire m² which connects the metal roller with the battery at the sending
.station, the said battery having a ground wire from its opposite pole. Each
magnet in the receiver is connected with a battery at the receiving station and
thence with the ground, so that whenever one of the perforations on the paper p
passes under one of the rods a², as it makes contact with the roller g² and an
electric impulse is transmitted along its line wire to the magnet on the receiver
that prints the particular letter represented by such perforation, The rollers u, u¹
may be of suitable diameter so that the paper shall be evenly wound from the one
to the other. The said rollers have bearings in the frame T, being set into slots d, d¹,
in the latter and held therein by springs d², d or other suitable means. The
roller also has bearings in the frame T, and when in position for work it bears
on two eccentrics e e shown in Figure 8, which are lifted by a crank or lever e¹,
thereby stretching the paper p over the roller g², and bringing the line wires f', ƒ³
into connection with the battery wire m² whenever one of the perforations passes
underneath one of the rods a, a³. The said rods are made of spring wire to insure
their resting firmly on the body of the paper passing beneath theui, and making
contact with the roller gå when a perforation passes under them; and are held a
proper distance apart by means of a guide bar e through which they are passed,
As before stated the line wires ff" are each connected with its respective magnet
at the receiving station.
The receiving instrument is shewn in Figures 9 to 13 inclusive. In the said
Figures F, F¹ represent a series of magnets one coil of each of which is connected
with the transmitting instrument by one of the line wires f*, by means of the
binding posts H, and its other coil is connected, through the medium of binding
screws I fitted upon a copper ring j, with a battery at the receiving station and
thence with the earth. The armatures of these magnets are, hinged, at k and their
inner ends are prolonged and rest upon (or else are pivotted to) the upper ends of
.pivotted bent levers Latz the lower end of each of the said levers carries a
printing type of the particular letter or character represented by the perforation g,
that transmits the electric impulse over the line wire connected with such magnet,
These levers L are pivotted to uprights M, and are radially arranged so that the
types upon their lower ends shall strike one point whenever their upper ends are
depressed by the attraction of the armatures of their respective magnets which
operate them, that point being the portion of the underside of the message strip G¹
which is passing over the undersurface of the feed roller N; the said levers are
retracted by suitable springs O and thus brought to their normal position when
the attraction ceases. The feed roller N is fixed upon a shaft N¹ having bearings
in uprights secured to the base R, and the message-strip G' is passed over its.
under surface from a reel Q supported in any suitable position and is carried from
thence between the said feed roller N and a friction roller N2 and thence through
a tube N3, or other suitable guide to any convenient point. One coil of the
magnet Fis, connected with the line wire f5 by means of the binding part H' its
other coil being by means of one of the binding screws I connected with the copper
ring J and thence with the battery at the receiving station. The armature of this
magnet is hinged at and to its inner prolonged end is pivoted an upright rod 2,
the upper end of which is provided with a pawl that rotates a ratchet wheel / fixed
upon, the end of the shaft N¹, so that the feed roller N is moved forward by each
stroke of the said armature for the purpose of leaving spaces between the letters
and words on the message-strip; and at the end of the subject matter of the
message to leave the space previously mentioned between the said message and the
address. An inking ribbon S in the form of an endless band is interposed between
the message-strip G₁ and the types on the levers L, the said ribbon being stretched
over rollers S¹ S1 and S2 S.,-S3 represents an inking roller for applying the ink.
A pulley (shewn in Figure 9) is provided on the end of one of the rollers S¹ and
is driven by a belt from a similar pulley on the feed roller N for the purpose of
giving motion to said inking ribbon. The ring J is divided at any convenient
point, and the ends of the same are connected respectively. with the two sections

page_text: of a switch R' and from thence with the battery and the earth, for the purpose of
placing the magnets into or out of circuit with the sending station, when a imessage
is to be received and printed a plug R2 is inserted in the said switch, to bring the
receiver into circuit, with the transmitter at the sending station; when the said
plug is removed the currents pass on to the next station having its receiver in
circuit with the sending station.
In order to keep the message secret a second strip G2 is sealed over the inessage
strip by means of the following devices: The said second strip G². passes from a
reel Qand thence between the friction roller N2 and the message strip G¹. as the
latter passes over the feed roller N. A cup N5. containing a wet sponge arranged
to moisten the underside edges of the strip G2, before the latter passes between
the said rollers is suspended from a lever N' pivotted to any suitable support to
the opposite end of the said lever the plug R². is pivotted in such a manner that
whenever the said plug is inserted in the switch R'. the said sponge is in contact
with the edges of the strip G2, as shewn, and the edges of the message strip G¹,
having been previously coated with mucilage, the two strips are sealed together as
they pass between the rollers N and N2 with the printed message between them.
Hence whenever the circuits are closed by the insertion of the plug R² to receive a
message, the cup N³ will be in position to seal the strips together.
All the magnets and binding posts together with the other parts through which
the currents pass, are insulated from the base R and from the other parts of the
instrument.
As the address is printed in the same manner as the subject of the message, it is
necessarily concealed by the strip G2, and the means employed to enable the person
in charge of the receiver to ascertain the same without the subject of the message
being revealed to him, are as follows; a number of arrows or similar marks are
printed on the strip G2 to indicate the direction in which the message is printed,
previous to its being placed on the reel Q. The operator thus knows at which
end of the message strip the address is printed and in order to ascertain the same
he removes the strip G2 until the vacant space between the message and the
address is reached. In order to facilitate the removal of the strip G2, the latter
may be of thin dark colored paper, such color admitting of the use of thin paper
without the printing being visible through it; and it may also be perforated at
its edges so as to be readily torn off, as shewn in Figure 14.
Whenever a message is to be sent to a station not in circuit with the sending
station an electric preparing instrument is employed, for reproducing the prepared
message at some station which is in circuit with the sending station and the
receiving station or if there is no station in circuit with both then the said message
is successively reproduced until it reaches a station which is in circuit with that
at which the message is to be received and delivered. This electric preparing
instrument is shewn in Figures 16 to 19 inclusive, It is provided with a set of
punching rods 2 and 3 corresponding with those in the hand preparing instrument
previously described, the said rods are placed in the same relative position, that is
to say, each of them makes a perforation to represent the same letter or character
represented by its corresponding perforation in the original perforated strip; so
that when a message prepared by this instrument is passed through a transmitter
it will close the same circuits and in the same order that the original would have
done if it had been passed through the same transmitter. These rods ² h³ are
pivotted at the ends of levers 1, which form the armatures of the magnets F³ F³,
whenever one of the said arinatures is attracted by its magnet, the rod pivotted
to its end is raised and makes a perforation on the paper p². The said armatures
are pivotted, as shewn at 8 their outer ends being secured to the cores of the outer
lines of coils of the said magnets.
The paper p on which the message is to be perforated is held on a reel Q³ and
from thence passed between the perforated plates n¹ and i2. One coil of each of
the said magnets is connected by means of the binding posts fe, with a line wire f4.
extending to the station from which the instrument is operated; and its other coil

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:
is connected with a local battery through the medium of a copper ring J5 and
binding screws I. The ring J. is divided, and its two ends are respectively
connected with the two sections of a switch P² so that the instrument can be
thrown into or out of circuit at pleasure. The levers 1 are retracted by springs 2,
and their throw is adjusted by set screws jt. The central lever 1 is prolonged,
and at its end is pivotted a pawl 3 which rotates a ratchet wheel 4 fixed upon
the same shaft as is, a feed roller 5 for feeding the paper along to receive the
perforations. The rod is operated by the said central lever through the medium
of the, magnet F3, and answers to the rod herein before described, and makes
perforations g which operate the feed-mechanism of the receiver when passed
through, them and also feeds forward the paper p as just described, by means of
the ratchet wheel 4 which rotates a feed roller 5 consisting of a serrated dise fixed
upon the same shaft as the said ratchet wheel. The switch P is connected with
a local battery and the earth. The prepared message thus reproduced is passed
through one of the transmitters in the same manner as the original perforated
message and operates the receiver also in the same manner. The parts above
described are all insulated from the base É and from each other.-I do not deem
it necessary to particularly indicate the points where the parts are so insulated,
either in this or in the other instruments herein described, as the necessity for
such insulation will be readily apparent. This electric preparing instrument in
addition to its use for reproducing a perforated message by passing the latter through
a transmitter, connected by line wires with the receiver, as above described, may
also be used for preparing an original message, at a distance; as for instance a person
may prepare his message in the telegraph office while in his own office or home.
The mechanism for effecting this is shewn in Figures 20 and 21, and consists of a
key board or set of press buttons v, vi representing letters and characters similar to
those on the preparing instrument first described, the said press buttons are respec-
tively connected with the line wires ff so that when one of them is depressed
it operates the electric perforator, just described to. make a perforation, (at a
distant point where the said electric perforator is situated) which is the exact
counterpart in relative position and in purpose as its corresponding perforation
made by the said hand perforator. The buttons v, v₁, are fixed upou the ends of
spring bars 2, 3 which are connected with line wires extending to the station
where the electric perforator is located, and are connected respectively with the
several magnets F2, F3 on the latter, the button bearing any particular letter being
connected with the same line wire that the knob f of the hand perforator bearing
that particular letter is connected with. The said spring bars are connected
respectively with the binding posts 13, 14 and thence with the line wires, whenever
one of the said spring bars is depressed, it makes metallic contact with a metal
plate M³ one end of which terminates in a switch N³, and is connected with a local
battery and the ground. The knob v' is connected by its line wire f³ with the
magnet F3 that operates to make the perforations for feeding the message strip
forward in the receiver and it is arranged to make contact with the plate MS
whenever any one of the buttons vis depressed, but it may also be depressed
separately. This may be accomplished by means of a spring wire secured in a
post, and extending under each of the knobs v but out of contact with them
until they are depressed, and terminating in a projection on the underside of the
bar that carries the button v' as shewn in Figure 21, so that when one of the
buttons vis depressed it strikes the wire and thereby causes the button v to
make contact with the said plate M³ and thus brings the magnet F³ into circuit
vare bars for limiting the throw of the spring bars v2, v3.
From the above
description it will be understood that by fingering the key-board, a perforated
message is produced at a distant place, such message being an exact counterpart of
the one that would be produced by fingering the corresponding knobs of the hand
preparing instrument in the same order. Thus a person having frequent occasion
for sending telegrams may have one of these key-boards in his office connected by
line wires with an electric perforator at the nearest telegraph station having a

page_text: transmitter, and thus be enabled to prepare his messages at such station and
putting them into unintelligible form for transmission. Or if he has a branch
office he may have a complete telegraphic communication with the same by con-
necting a receiving instrument by line wires with one of these key-boards. In
such case the receiver would be operated directly by means of the key-board.
If desired the messages may be printed by the receiver on sensitized paper
instead of being printed with ink. For this purpose the modification shewn in
Figure 13 may be employed, the inking ribbon and inking roller being dispensed
with. The feed roller N, and friction roller N2 with the other parts of the
receiver previously described, remain in the same positions and are operated in the
Bame manner as before. The message strip G'. is of sensitized paper, or paper
imbued with a chemical solution that is discharged or caused to change color by
electric action, and may be prepared by any of the well known processes suitable
for the purpose, and instead of being directly in contact with the underside of the
feed roller, a thin metallic plate is interposed. This plate is secured to an insulated
binding post connected with the battery wire. The magnets F, are arranged as
previously described and hence when one of them is brought into circuit the type
on the end of its lever L strikes the message strip as it is stretched over the
plate w and makes the impression, it being understood that the uprights M to
which the levers L are pivotted, and the retracting spring O, are both insulated.
In this case the feed roller N is covered with soft india-rubber for the double
purpose of insulating it and providing a yielding surface.
I do not confine myself to the specific forms or constructions of mechanism
herein before described, as it is obvious that modifications may be made in such
construction in each of the instruments without departing from the principles of
our improved method of telegraphing. And it will be readily seen that by means
of our improvements, telegraphic communications can be made very rapidly as
well as with secrecy, and that comparatively few employés and no skilled operators
are needed in practising the same.
Figure 15 represents a diagram of electric circuits formed in the practical working
of the system. The said circuits are essentially similar between the transmitter
and receiver, the key board and the electric perforator, and the key-board and
receiver, and therefore for the sake of simplifying the description and avoiding
repetition I have shewn outlines of the key board and receiver for this purpose;
As will be seen, cach line wire f, f runs to a separate magnet FF' on the receiver,
and the said magnet prints the particular letter marked on the knob or press
button which brings it into circuit. So represents the battery at the sending
station and S7 the battery at the receiving station; and as the circuits may bo
readily traced, it is not deemed necessary to extend this description, further than
to remark that the press buttons are differently disposed in the diagram than as
shewn in Figure 20 for the purpose of shewing the line wires more clearly. It is
obvious that the disposal of the same is immaterial so long as that which represents
a certain letter, or character is connected by its line wire with the magnet which
prints that letter or character.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim.
First. The method of automatically transmitting messages over telegraph line
wires, through the medium of a perforated strip of paper and printing such
message at the receiving station, the said method consisting in putting the message
into a form in which each letter and character therein is adapted to automatically
transmit a separate and distinct electric impulse over the line wires connecting the
receiving station with the sending station, and causing each of the said électric
impulses to print one particular letter or character, and no other, at the said
receiving station, as herein before set forth.
Second. The combination of mechanism constituting an automatic printing
telegraph and consisting essentially of the following parts, namely, a perforating.

page_text: M
instrument constructed to make a number of lines or series of perforations, each
of the said series representing a certain specified letter or character, and another
series for operating the feed mechanism of the receiving instrument, a trans-
mitting instrument arranged to close a separate electric circuit between the
transmitting and receiving instruments by the passage of each of the said series
or lines of perforations through the same, a receiving instrument having a series
of magnets corresponding with the said perforations each of the said magnets
being connected by a separate line wire with the said transinitting instrument
and each provided, with mechanism to print the particular letter or character
represented by the perforation by means of which the said magnet is brought
into circuit upon a message-strip fed through the receiving instrument by
suitable mechanism operated by a separate magnet connected to the transmitting
instrument by a separate line wire, and a series of separate line wires cach
connecting one of the said magnets on the receiving instrument with the trans-
mitting instrument, together with battery wires forming properly arranged electric
circuits all as herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Third. The combination of a perforating instrument adapted to be operated
from a distance by properly arranged electric circuits and having a series of
punching rods connected with suitable mechanism each to make a separate line
or series of perforations representing a certain letter or character, on a strip or
sheet of paper fed through the instrument, and provided with a corresponding
series of magnets which respectively operate punching rods and are each connected
by a separate line wire with a press button that represents the said letter or
character, a transmitting instrument constructed to close an electric circuit with
one of a series of magnets on the receiving instrument by the passing through the
said transmitter of the perforations in each of the said series, of perforations and a
receiving instrument having a series of magnets corresponding with the magnets
on the said perforating instrument and provided with mechanism to print the
particular letter or character represented by the perforation which brings it into
circuit through the medium of properly arranged electric circuits, all as herein before
set forth.
Fourth. The hand perforating instrument. having a series of levers a cach
provided with and operated by a knob f representing a particular. letter or
character, a lever a provided with and operated by a knob f' a series of punching
rods h, h¹, each operated by one of the said levers, and, a. feeding device consisting
of the feed roller r, ratchet-wheels 8, pawls s¹ and bent levers 82,-the said feeding
device being operated by the said levers through the medium of the bars t, t¹ in
the manner, and for the purposes, herein before set forth.
Fifth. The receiving instrument consisting of the following parts in combination
namely, the series of magnets F each connected by a separate line wire f* with the
sending station, and each having a hinged armature provided with a printing
lever L constructed to operate as described, the separate magnet F' connected with
the sending station by a separate line wire f³, the feed-mechanism composed of the
rollers N N, ratchet wheel and rod operated by the armature of the said
magnet F', the ring J connecting each of the said magnets with a local battery, and
the strips G1 G2 to receive and conceal the printing, the whole constructed and
operated as described, for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. In the said receiving instrument, the combination of the strip G², message
strip feed roller N and friction roller N2, cup N5, lever N and switch R¹
provided with the plug R2, as, and for the purpose; set forth.
Seventh. In the said receiving instrument, the combination with the strips G¹, G²
and printing levers L constructed and operated as described, of the inking ribbon S,
inking roller S3, rollers S₁ S3 and pulley ³, all constructed as shewn and described,
for the purpose set forth
Eighth. The electrically operated perforating or preparing instrument for
automatic printing telegraphs consisting of the following parts in combination,
namely, the series of punching rods h² each representing one particular letter or

page_text: character, the punching rod h³ for making a separate line of perforations to operate
the feed-mechanism of a receiving instrument, the feeding device composed of the
pawl 3, ratchet-wheel 4, and roller or disc 5, to feed forward the paper p², the
electro-magnets F2 F3 each provided with a lever-armature 1, constructed to operate
the said rods h2, h3, and having one of its coils connected with one of the line
wires f, and its other coil connected with a local battery through the medium
of the copper ring J5, the whole being constructed as described, for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of September in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.