Improvements in Telegraphic Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphic Apparatus.
I, SAMUEL VAN BUREN ESSICK, of No. 169 Broadway, New York, United
States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates particularly to improvements in printing telegraphs of the
page type, in which the message is printed upon a page or sheet of paper after the
manner of a type writer, and its objects are:
First: To devise a receiving apparatus in which the paper carriage shall be
positively propelled through the agency of a spring or weight impelled mechanism:
Second To provide improved means for returning the paper carriage to its
normal position at any portion of its forward advancement, thereby avoiding the.
necessity of advancing said carriage to its extreme limit before it is returned to its
normal position ;
Third: To cause the printing to be effected through the agency of power impelled
mechanism controlled by an escapement
Fourth To provide a transmitter and circuit connections adapted to actuate and
control the receiving apparatus.
Fifth The general accomplishment of the several functions attributed to the
entire mechanism hereinafter described.
These objects are accomplished by the mechanism hereinafter described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the entire apparatus.
1
Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus, as seen looking at Fig. 1 from
right to left.
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the paper carriage and its connections, as seen
looking at Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow A'.
Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view of the several levers and their connections
for effecting the printing, the unison of the type wheel, and the restoration of the
paper carriage to its normal condition at any portion of its path, the several shafts
and printing lever together with their supports being shown in cross section.
Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on line, as seen looking from
right to left.
Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view, partly in section, of a part of the releasing
apparatus for releasing the paper carriage both at the end of its excursion and
during any portion of its journey.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the paper carriage and mechanism,
for feeding the paper forward line by line at the end of each excursion of the
carriage.
Fig. 8 is a detail view of the type wheel shaft and its connections with the pro-.
pelling mechanism, together with the unisoning devices.
Eig.-9-is-a-plan-view-of-the transmitter and
Fig. 10 is an elevational view thereof.
Fig. 11 is a detail view of the pole charger.
Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit connections of the entire
system.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
A positive power impelled feed mechanism is controlled by an electro-magnetic
escanement and causes the entire mechanical operation of printing, paper feed,

page_text: unisoning and carriage manipulation to be effected through the agency of power
impelled mechanism, which is controlled in its operation by an electro-magnetic
escapement.
For a full understanding of the invention, reference is had to the drawings, in
which
A represents the base of the instrument, and B B' B' vertical side frames, either
integral therewith or bolted thereto, and provided with the necessary brackets for
sustaining the operative parts of the mechanism.
TT' are two trains of gear wheels, the former being impelled by a weight and
the latter by a spring-driven drum. The last gear wheel of the train T meshes
with a pinion borne by a shaft journalled in the frame, and carrying a gear
wheel and an escapement f controlled by a pallet e under the influence of an
armature lever a borne between two legs of a polarised magnet M located directly
in the main line.
The gear wheel J meshes with a pinion G adapted to run loosely on a shaft I
journalled in the frame between the part B and bracket H', and carrying a type
wheel T2.
W is a unison worm having an arm M8 and a pin po adapted to fit in a hole in
an arm carried by the pinion G, said worm being capable of lateral motion on the
shaft K against the stress of the spring s.
U is a unison lever carried by a shaft Me, and having a pin p' on its lower end
adapted to take against the arm M when the unison screw W is carried to the left
under the influence of said lever U, and as the shaft K is rotated.
Qis an inking roll carried by the arm R pivoted to the bracket B³, and provided
with a weight w for holding it in inking contact with the type wheel T.
One shaft of the train of gear T¹ carries an escapement controlled by a two-
armed pallet e on the armature lever a¹ of the magnet M', and the last wheel D₁ of
this train is geared to a pinion e² carried by a shaft X pivoted in the frame B, and
journalled at its free end to a vertically moving block 2.
This shaft X carries a worm w³ adapted to gear with a rack V₁ secured at its
opposite ends to a paper carriage C C¹.
This paper carriage is borne in grooved run-ways G1 G2 by three frictional
rollers ccc, and is provided with paper guides g¹ g at its opposite edges adapted
to receive a sheet of paper P2 (see Fig. 3).
The gearing between the shaft which carries the escapement f¹ and the pinion 62
carried by the shaft X is such that one complete vibration of the armature lever a',
and hence the pallet e', permits one complete rotation of the shaft X, and with it
the worm w³, as well as a cam c² located at a point between the pinion e² and the
worm.
This cam 2 is adapted to bear once in each revolution upon an arm Nº carried
by a rock shaft Mo pivoted in the frame, the said arm N being returned to its
normal position by a springs after each action of the cam c².
The free end of this arm N is adapted to bear in its forward movement against
the lever V pivotally secured to the frame B' by rock shaft V at points t t.
On the free end of the lever V is a platen 18 adapted to strike against the rear
side of the paper and force it against the type-wheel T2 when the cam c² forces the
arm No into its forward position.
R2 is a rock shaft parallel with shaft X and pivoted in a frame and a yoke, as
shown in Fig. 3. On the outer end of this shaft is an arm c³, having a cam surface
adapted to bear against a pin e fixedly secured to the vertical sliding block F2
which carries the free end of the worm shaft X. The other end of the shaft R
carries an arme extending downward, and provided with a pin po adapted to play
in a slots in the lower end of an arm M integral with a sliding push bar M³ which
rests at one end upon a pinion J2, and is provided with a rack V2 meshing therewith.
The other end of said push bar is provided with a slot for sustaining it in a sliding
position upon a rod or pin attached to the framework of the machine.
M is an angular arm rigidly fixed to the push rod M³, and extending upward

page_text: and over a pin p? on the unison arm U, the upper end of said angular arm being
provided with a hook, as shown in Fig. 4.
is a leaf spring for restoring the push bar M³ to its normal position after said
push bar has performed its function.
D' is a drum secured to the framework by brackets, and provided with a spring
on its inner side, and a cord c attached to its surface at one end, and to a
carriage CC at the other, the function of which is to return the carriage to its
normal position, the tension of the spring in the drum being such that when the
carriage is released it will be drawn forward in a grooved supporting frame G¹ G.
f is a milled or roughened feeding roll journalled in the carriage frame CC,
and provided with a ratchet r and a propelling pawl secured to a lever D³ which
is pivoted to the lower edge of the carriage at p³, and is adapted to move laterally
in a slotted support G³.
Secured to the upper edge of the carriage frame D2 is a fixed angular arm
secured to the frame of the machine and lying in the path of the lever D³, as shown
in Figs. 1 and 7.
F2 is a tension roller pivotally secured to the carriage frame and held against
the paper by spring 2, so that as the pawl is vibrated the paper will be fed
forward. There may be an additional milled roll, the duplicate off, at the
opposite edge of the frame secured to a shaft extending across said frame, and
an additional pressure roll, if deemed necessary, in order to feed the paper evenly.
The electrical connections of the receiver will now be described:
PP are the binding posts for the main line circuit, and P¹ P¹ are similar binding
posts for the local circuit of battery B A.
is the main line coming from the distant transmitter, adapted in this instance to
send constantly recurring currents of opposite polarity.
From the binding posts P2 the circuit passes by wire to and through the two
coils of the polarized magnets M and back again to the binding post P², and thence
to earth at E'
O is a lever pivotally secured at one end to the frame of the machine, and resting
at or near its middle with a detent t³ upon a ratchet 3, having as many teeth as
there are characters upon the type wheel, or bearing a fixed relation thereto, and
adapted, when the escapement is stopped, to close the circuit from the local
battery B A through the magnet M', wires w w at the contact points t t.
The polar magnets M may be replaced by neutral magnets, and a transmitter used
which constantly interrupts the line circuit, and thereby imparts motion to the pallet.
The transmitter whicli forms a part of this invention, and which is disclosed in
Figs. 9, 10, and 11, will now be described:
30, 30 represent the side frames of the apparatus preferably of metal sustained
upon a wooden base, and carrying a train of power impelled gearing 1, the last
gear wheel of which meshes with a pinion carried on a shaft 2 journalled in
the frame 30, and provided with a series of spirally arranged pins 3 corre-
sponding to a series of key levers 4 pivotally secured to the frame on a Cross
bar 7, their inner ends having hooked projections adapted to lie in the path of
the pins 3 when depressed, the free ends of said levers being bevelled and located
each under a particular sliding key 6 having vertical movement in the key-board 5,
said keys corresponding in number to the number of characters used in printing.
Under each key lever is located a spiral spring 8 normally adapted to hold the
free end of the lever, with its hooked stop 9, out of the path of its corresponding
pin 3.
26 represents an angular locking bar pivotally secured to the base of the machine
on a rod 27, and provided with a spiral retaining spring 28 adapted to hold it in
its forward position so as to lock any one or all of the levers 4 when depressed';
and
25 is a finger key, the function of which is to release any lever when depressed.
20 represents an escapement wheel, secured to the shaft 2, having a number of

page_text: escapement teeth equal to the number of pins 3 and the number of key
levers 6; and
21 represents a forked pallet on the end of an armature lever pivotally secured to
a pair of polar magnets 22, 22, said magnets being adjustable with relation to the
position of the armature.
10 represents a ratchet wheel located on one end of the shaft 2, and having the
same number of teeth that are found upon the escapement 20; while
11 represents a forked pallet adapted to take vibratory motion from the
escapement 10, and to impart the same to a pole changer 13 pivotally secured
to a rock shaft 12 by brackets 18 and 19, and to the frame of the machine.
14, 15, and 16 represent the several contact points of a pole changer, the
operative connections of which are clearly disclosed in Fig. 12, but will be more
particularly described in connection with the disclosure of the mode of operation
of the entire apparatus.
In Fig. 12 are shown all of the electrical circuit connections, including the main
line battery M B and a divided local battery S B for controlling the operation of
the printing apparatus. These several features will be thoroughly understood in
connection with the mode of operation, which will now be given :
Suppose the two-point switch and the single point switch to be in the positions
indicated in Fig. 12 at the transmitting station and the same switches to be in a
reversed position at the receiving station, the transmitting and receiving apparatus
being duplicated at each end of the line.
When any one of the keys 6 on the key-board 5 is depressed, therefore, the
lever 4 corresponding to that key is likewise depressed, and the hooked retaining
bar 26 is caused, (by the bevelled end of the key lever last depressed), to
release any key lever which has before been held in a depressed position by said
retaining bar, and as soon as the bevelled end of this last key lever has reached
its lowermost position, the retaining bar will return to its normal position and
retain it firmly, so that the hooked eud 9 will lie in the path of that particular
pin 3 on-the shaft 2 which corresponds to the key lever depressed. The act of
releasing the key lever last depressed permits the power impelled driving
mechanism to set the shaft 2 in rotation, but as this shaft rotates the ratchet 10
causes the pole changer 13, pivotally secured on shaft 12, to be successively
vibrated in opposite directions, and, hence, to automatically reverse the direction of
the battery M B over the line 40, through the polar magnet 22 at the transmitting
station and through the magnet R at the receiving station, as clearly indicated
by the arrows in connection with Fig. 12.
The current passes, first, from the earth Gr by wire 47, polar magnet R²,
wire 47, wire 46, polar magnet 22, wire 46, contact 17, contact 15, pole changer 13,
wire 45, lower half of two-point switch, wire 44, battery M B, wire 43, upper half
of two-point switch-wire 42, pole changer 13, contact 14, wire 41 by the line 40
to the distant station, where it enters in the direction of the arrows, through wire 40
and the single point switch, the latter being on its upper contact at the receiving
station, and passes thence through wire 47, polar magnet R2, wire 47, to earth and
back to the return station.
Each impulse, therefore, sent over the line causes the armature of the polar
magnet R to be vibrated, and as the successive impulses pass the divided
battery S B is reversed from wire 51, polar magnet M, wire 52, and through the
earth, the escapement controlled by the armature of magnet M regulating the
rotation of the shaft which carries the ratchet wheel ³, and hence the printing, as
will be described, the printing magnet M being in a normally open derived
circuit 53, as shown in Fig. 12, or in a local circuit, as shown in Fig. 2.
It will be clearly understood, therefore, that each advancement step by step of
the shaft 2 under the influence of the power impelled mechanism I, causes the pole
changer 13 to vibrate and the escapement pallet at the transmitter, and to
"simultaneously vibrate the armature of the polar magnet R³ and that, therefore,

page_text: the
type wheel shait and transmitting shaft will revolve substantiany
synchronism.
As long as the pallet e continues to permit the advancement of the escapement
wheel under the influence of the polar magnets M, the ratchet wheel continues
to lift the circuit lever O, and, therefore, to interrupt the local circuit at the
points tt'. As this rotation continues the type wheel shaft K is caused to rotate,
and a sliding unison worm W is carried to the left (see Fig. 8) under the influence
of a unison lever U acting in the worm against the stress of a spring s. This
continues until the pin pois released from its engagement with the arm on the
pinion G, and until the pin p' has come frictionally into contact with the arm M³,
thereby stopping the type-wheel shaft, and permitting the pinion G to run loosely
upon the shaft.
.
10
Suppose now the paper carriage to be in its normal position, with the type-wheel
at the extreme left hand edge of the paper, and the transmitter held from action by
the last key depressed. The operator, on depressing the first key of the transmitter,
releases it, and allows it to run forward until it is stopped by the key last depressed.
This permits a specified number of impulses to be sent over the line, and as the
unison lever U was released from the worm W by the last closure of the circuit
at tt', as will be described later on, the type wheel shaft K has again been
connected to the pinion G by the arm M and pinion 20 under the influence of the
springs, and hence the type wheel will be rotated through the desired angle to the
letter it is desired to print.
When the escapement stops, therefore, the detent 3 of the lever O falls into one
of the ratchet notches of the ratchet M³, allowing the local circuit of battery BA to
be closed through the magnet M and wires ww at the contact point tt. This
actuates the armature lever a¹, and allows the spring impelled train of gear T¹ to
advance the escapement one step, and hence through the agency of gear
wheel D¹ to propel the pinion e² one-half revolution, thereby causing the shaft X
to give to the worm w³ one-half rotation, and to advance the rack V₁ a distance
equal to a letter space. The same action causes the cam c² to impart to the
arm N³, and hence to the printing arm V, a forward motion, thereby causing the
printing platen p to strike the paper in the rear of the particular type it is desired
to print.
The pallet lever e¹ holds the escapement, and hence the pinion e² and shaft X,
with its cam c² and printing lever in this position until the circuit is broken by
again starting the transmitter.
Inasmuch as the unison lever U is fixedly secured to the shaft M which carries
the arm No each time a letter is printed, this unison lever will be lifted from the
worm W, and the type wheel shaft will be continuously connected with the
pinion G, unless the apparatus is allowed to run until the pin p is locked with
the arm M, as before described.
The pinion J, (see Fig. 4) is so related in its gearing to that of pinion G on
the type wheel shaft K that the latter will make two complete revolutions while
the former is making one, or at least shall make a greater number of revolutions,
so that the paper carriage will not be returned to normal position for less than two
rotations of the type wheel.
As the carriage advances under the action of the worm w³ each time a letter is
printed, the unison lever U is lifted and carries with it, through the agency of the
pin p', the angular arm Ms attached to the push bar M³, thereby lifting the
rack V2 out of contact with the pinion J³, and allowing the spring s to restore it to
normal position.
However, should the pinion J' make more than two revolutions undisturbed by
the cam c² and the connecting levers N, U and M5, it will cause the rock shaft R
to rotate the cam arm c³ to its extreme position, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby lifting
the block F2, and, hence, the worm w³ out of engagement with the rack V¹, and
permitting the spring drum D', through the agency of the cord c, to return the
paper carriage to normal position.
姜

page_text: This action of restoring the paper carriage to normal position will take place at
any time if the escapement wheel is allowed to run a sufficient time to permit the
pinion J2 to make more than two revolutions, and this is accomplished at the
transmitter by allowing the pole changer to transmit the desired number of impulses
to the magnets M.
When the carriage returns to its normal position after having completed its
advance motion, the pivoted lever D³ rides behind the angular lever D2, and gives
to the free end of said lever, and hence to the pawl p', a forward motion, thereby
imparting to the feed roll f, through the agency of the ratchet r, a forward motion
which advances the paper between said roll and the tension roll F2 one line, and
the apparatus is in a position to print a new line.
This operation continues from line to line as the message is printed, and when it
is desired to complete a sentence at any portion of a line the mechanism is simply
allowed to run, as described, under the influence of the main line magnets M-and
the escapement controlled thereby until the worm w³ is lifted out of engagement
with the rack V₁, as already described.
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. A transmitter for use in printing or analogous telegraphic systems, having a
series of key levers; a power driven shaft, and a locking bar adapted to lock any
one of said key levers in its depressed position, and to hold it until released, in
combination with an escapement for controlling the rotation of the shaft, and a
series of stop pins carried by the shaft and lying in the path of the key levers when
depressed, substantially as described.
2. In a printing telegraphic transmitter, a revolving shaft having stop pins
corresponding in number with the characters on the type wheel of the receiver; a
pole changer operatively connected with the shaft; key levers, one for each pin,
and-adapted to engage said-pin-when depressed, to check the shaft in its rotation,
and hold it until again released by the raising of said key; and an escapement
which regulates the forward motion of the shaft, substantially as described.
3. In a transmitter for a printing or analogous telegraphic system, a series of
pivoted levers having a locking bar adapted to lock any one or all of said levers in
a depressed position, in combination with a releasing device for releasing any one
or all of the levers, and a series of sliding keys, one for each lever, each of said
levers (when depressed) being adapted to release the lever last depressed,
substantially as described.
4. In a transmitter for a printing or analogous telegraphic system, a power
inipelled shaft provided with spirally arranged stop pins; a series of pivoted key
levers, one for each pin; a series of sliding keys; a locking bar for locking any
one or all of said keys in a depressed position; an escapement carried by the rotary
shaft, and having half as many teeth as there are key levers; a pole changer
operatively connected with the shaft; a polar magnet having an armature
carrying an escapement pallet and electrical connections, substantially as described.
5. A printing telegraph receiver of the page type, having a type wheel carried
by a rotary shaft, connected through a sliding unison worm and pin with a loose
running gear wheel which meshes with a power impelled train of gear; a paper
carriage geared to a second source of power, in combination with escapements and
mechanical connections as described, whereby the carriage is moved athwart the
type-wheel, printing effected, and the paper advanced line by line, substantially as
described.
6. In a printing telegraph receiver or analogous printing device, a type wheel
carried by a rotary shaft, geared to a continuously acting source of power; a
paper carriage geared to a second continuously acting source of power; escape-
ments for the type wheel and paper carriage; a printing platen carried by a
printing lever mechanically connected to the second source of power; mechanical

page_text: and electrical connections, whereby printing is effected in page form, substantially
as described.
7. In a printing telegraph receiver or analogous printing device, a type wheel
and paper carriage, and an actuating motor provided with an escapement for
operating each; a retractor for moving the said paper carriage backward; feed
mechanism for advancing the paper line by line, and mechanical connections between
the type wheel and paper carriage for releasing the paper carriage at any point in
its forward movement, substantially as described.
8. In a printing telegraph receiver or analogous printing device, a type wheel
carried by a rotary shaft geared to a continuously acting source of mechanical
power; a paper carriage geared to a second continuously acting source of power; a
printing platen carried by a lever having mechanical connections with the second
source of power, and an escapement for each source of power, substantially as
described.
9. In a printing telegraph receiver or analogous printing instrument, a paper
carriage positively connected to a power impelled train of gear through a rack and
worm gear; in combination with mechanism for releasing the worm from the rack
at any part of its journey, said releasing mechanism consisting of a cam lever and
rock shaft, and mechanical connections with a power impelled train of gear as
described, additional means being provided for returning the carriage to normal
condition when released, all of said parts being regulated in their operation by an
escapement, substantially as described.
10. In a printing telegraph receiver, a type wheel geared to a constantly acting
source of power; a paper carriage geared to a constantly acting source of power:
a printing platen carried by a printing lever mechanically connected to the latter
source of power in combination with a pair of electro-magnetic escapements, the
former controlled by an electro-magnet in the main line, and the latter controlled
by a second electro-magnet in a local circuit, and electrical connections, substantially
as described.
11. In a printing telegraphic receiver, a power impelled type wheel; a power
impelled paper carriage; an escapement controlled by line currents for regulating
the rotation of the type wheel, and a second escapement controlled by a local
circuit connected to a mechanical circuit closer actuated by the first escapement for
regulating the advancement of the carriage, substantially as described.
12. In a printing telegraph, the combination of the following elements: a power
impelled type wheel, an escapement therefor; a power impelled carriage and an
additional escapement therefor; a unisoning device for connecting at will the type
wheel to the shaft which carries it, and mechanical connections, substantially as
described.
13. In a printing telegraphic receiver, a type wheel borne by the shaft carrying
a loose running pinion meshing with a train of gear; a spring pressed worm and
unison lever and connections, whereby the shaft and gear train are connected and
disconnected at will, substantially as described.
14. In a printing telegraphic receiver or analogous printing instrument of the
page type, a paper carriage having a rack connected by worm gear and shafting to
a source of power; a spring impelled drum connected to the carriage for restoring
it to normal position; ratchet and pawl feeding mechanism connected to the
carriage and frame, and releasing mechanism, consisting-of-a-rock-shaft, cam-lever,
and mechanical connections operatively connected to the worm gear and the source
of power substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.