Improvements in Telegraphy, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application. 22nd Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphy, and Apparatus therefor.
I, FREDERICK HERBERT WILLIAM HIGGINS, of 17 and 18 Cornhill in the
City of London, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for printing telegraphic
messages in large letters, so that they can be seen at some distance.
The apparatus consists of a transmitter, a motor for driving the paper, and a
receiver for printing the message. The paper motor is fixed at such a distance
from the receiver that the message can appear on the length of paper between.
them.
The message to be sent is first set up in type in a holder, which is propelled
along a guide by means of a weight attached to a string passing over a pulley at.
one end of the guide.
The holder has a rack on one side which engages with a pinion to whose axis a.
ratchet wheel is fixed.
Mounted loose on the axis is a toothed wheel carrying pawls which when the
axis is turning in one direction engage with the ratchet wheel and so drive
the toothed wheel and when the axis is turning in the other, the pawls ride over the
teeth and the wheel remains stationary. The toothed wheel drives a fly by which
the speed of the holder is moderated.
A wavy or toothed cam fixed to the toothed wheel operates a pair of diametrically
opposite rollers carried by the arms of a forked lever, whose tail end is thus caused
to oscillate between two contacts connected as hereinafter described with the-
electro magnets of the paper motor.
The type in the holder slide beneath contacts which close circuits through the
electro magnets of the printing wheels as hereinafter described. These contacts
and also the wheels are preferably arranged in two transverse rows and are pressed
down onto the type by springs which also act as conductors.
The frame, in which the contacts are held, carries the axis of the ratchet wheel
above referred to on one side and on the other a switch to connect the battery..
The switch is operated by a lever which. simultaneously turns two bars carrying
pins for operating the contacts so that by one movemeut the battery can be cut off
and the contacts lifted out of action and thus the holder can be slidden back
without damaging the contacts. A switch may also be placed at the end of the
guide, so that at the end of its travel the holder cuts out the battery.
The paper motor consists of a pivotted lever carrying driving and retaining
pawls engaging with a ratchet wheel or wheels. On the end of the axis of these
wheels is a bevel wheel gearing with another bevel wheel on whose axis is the
paper roller. The paper is kept in contact with this roller by means of small
wheels acted on by springs. A plate is also added to guide the paper.
The pivotted lever is fixed between electro magnets connected with the contacts
on each side of the tail end of the forked lever in the transmitter. By these
means the movement of the paper is always synchronous with that of the type
holder.
The receiver consists of the same number of pivotted levers as there are type
contacts in the transmitter. Each of these levers carries at one end a printing

page_text: wheel, the total width of all the wheels being equal to the width of the letters to
be printed, each wheel printing that portion only of the letter which corresponds
to the portion of the type over which its contact passed. The printing wheels
when out of use are held against an inking roller by means of springs acting on
the levers.
The inking roller is constantly rotated and in this way the printing wheels are
kept inked.
Each lever is controlled by an electro magnet connected to one or other of the type
contacts of the transmitter, so that whenever the type engages with any contact
one of the electro magnets attracts the end of its lever and the corresponding
printing wheel comes into contact with the paper producing a line the length of
which depends on the time during which the circuit is closed.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphy, and Apparatus therefor.
I, FREDERICK HERBERT WILLIAM HIGGINS of 17 and 18 Cornhill in the
City of London Electrician, 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 to a method of and apparatus for printing telegraphic
messages in large letters, so that they can be seen at some distance.
The apparatus consists of a transmitter, a motor for driving the paper, and a
receiver for printing the message. The paper motor is fixed at such a distance
from the receiver that the message can appear on the length of paper between
them.
The message to be sent is first set up in type in a holder, which is propelled
along a guide by means of a weight attached to a string passing. over a pulley at
one end of the guide.
The holder has a rack on one side which engages with a pinion to whose axis a
ratchet wheel is fixed.
Mounted loose on the axis is a toothed wheel carrying pawls which when the
axis is turning in one direction engage with the ratchet wheel and so drive
the toothed wheel and when the axis is turning in the other, the pawls ride over
the teeth and the wheel remains stationary.
The toothed wheel drives a fly by which the speed of the holder is moderated.
A wavy or toothed cam fixed to the toothed wheel operates a pair of diametrically
opposite rollers carried by the arms of a forked lever, whose tail end is thus caused
to oscillate between two contacts connected as hereinafter described with the
electro magnets of the paper motor.
The type in the holder slide beneath contacts which close circuits through the
electro magnets of the printing wheels as hereinafter described. These contacts
and also the wheels are preferably arranged in two transverse rows and are pressed
down onto the type by springs which also act as conductors.
The frame in which the contacts are held, carries the axis of the ratchet wheel
above referred to on one side and on the other a switch to connect the battery.
The switch is operated by a lever which simultaneously turns two bars carrying
pins for operating the contacts so that by one movement the battery can be cut off
and the contacts lifted out of action and thus the holder can be slidden back
without damaging the contacts. A switch may also be placed at the end of the
guide, so that at the end of its travel the holder cuts out the battery.
The paper motor consists of a pivotted lever carrying driving and retaining

page_text: Figure 3 is a section on the line x y Figure 1.
The message to be sent is shown set up in type in the holder a which is propelled
along a guide b by means of a weight c attached to a string passing over a pulley d
at one end of the guide b.
The holder a has a rack e on one side which engages with a pinion to whose
axis g a ratchet wheel is fixed. Mounted loose on the axis g is a toothed wheel j
carrying a pawl & which when the axis g is turning in one direction engages with
the ratchet wheel and so drives the toothed wheel j, and when the axis g is
turning in the other direction, the pawl k rides over the teeth and the wheel j
remains stationary. The toothed wheel drives a Hy by which the speed of the
holder a is moderated.
A wavy or toothed cam m fixed to the toothed wheel ; operates a pair of
diametrically opposite rollers n n carried by the arms of a forked lever o, whose
tail end is caused to oscillate between two contacts p p¹ connected as hereinafter
described with the electro-magnets of the paper motor.
6
The type in the holder a slide beneath contacts 9 g¹ 9² 9³ 9ª 9º 9ª which close
circuits through the electro magnets of the printing wheels as hereinafter
described. These contacts and also the wheels are preferably arranged in two
transverse rows as is shown in the drawings. The contacts are pressed down onto
the type by springs p²² 56, which also act as conductors.
3
The frame, in which the contacts q q¹ 9³ 2³ 7* qª 9º are held, carries the axis y of
the ratchet wheel h above referred to on one side and on the other a switch-s to
connect the battery.
The switch s is operated by a lever which by means of a prolongation t
simultaneously turns two bars u ucarrying pins v vl y d y d y t for operating the
contacts q q³ 9 9³ q* qª 9º so that by one movement, the battery can be cut off and
the contacts lifted out of action and thus the holder a can be slidden-back without
damaging the contacts. A contact w may also be placed at the end of the guide b,
o that at the end of the travel the holder a cuts out the battery:
The paper motor is shewn in Figures 4 5 and 6.

page_text: Figure 5 is a front elevation.
Figure 6 is a section on the line a y.
The motor consists of a pivotted lever a carrying driving pawls & band
retaining pawls e c¹ engaging in the ratchet wheels d d'. On the end of the axis e
of the wheels d d' is a bevel wheel gearing with another bevel wheel g on whose
axis is the paper roller h.
The paper is kept in contact with this roller h by means of small wheels jj acted
on by springs k. k. a plate is added to guide the paper.
The pivotted lever a is fixed between electro-magnets m m' connected with the
contacts p p on each side of the tail end of the pivotted lever o Figure 3.
By these means the movement of the paper is always synchronous with that of the
type holder a, (Figures 1 & 2).
The receiver is shewn in Figures 7. 8. and 9.
Figure 7 is a plan.
Figure 8 is a vertical section.
Figure 9 is a view of the front plate shewing the connections and the inking
roller.
the
The receiver consists of the same number of pivotted levers a a¹ a² a³ a² a³ aª as
there are type_contacts
The levers a. a a² g. 9' 92 93 995 9ª in the transmitter (Figures 1. 2 & 3).
a carry at one end printing wheels b. bb bb b³ bº₁₂
total width of all the wheels being equal to the width of the letters to be printed,
each wheel printing that portion of the letter which corresponds to the portion of
the type over which its contact passed. The printing wheels b. 6 6² b³ b² b³ bo
when out of use are held against the inking roller c by means of springs acting on
the levers a. a¹ a² a³ a¹ a³ aª.
The inking roller e has on its axis d a wheel e which receives motion by means
of a band from the wheel on the same axis as the paper guide roller g; in this
way the printing wheels b. b 2 are kept inked.
The levers a. a' a² a³ a² as a are controlled by electro-magnets h. h¹² h³·h* h* h®
connected to the type contacts.q. q¹ 9² 9³ 9ª 9º 9º (Figure 1) of the transmitter, so
that whenever the type engages with any contact, one of the electro-magnets h
attracts the end of its lever a and the corresponding printing wheel & comes into
contact with the paper producing a line the length of which depends on the time
during which the circuit is closed.
In Figure 7 the paper passes in between the rollers jj' and out between the
rollers g g', the rollers g, being held loosely at the ends of pivotted bars k. l.
so that the required tension is put on the paper while the printing
wheels b. bb³ ³° are operating.
The paper motor is arranged at such a distance from the printing receiver that
the message is visible between them and it corresponds with the length of the
holder a Figure 1.
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 telegraphic transmitter in which type representing the message to be
sent close circuits actuating printing wheels in the receiver substantially as
described.
2. In a telegraphic transmitter a type holder which is automatically and
uniformly driven past contacts substantially as described.
3. In a telegraphic transmitter a rack on the type 'holder actuating a pivotted
lever which breaks and closes a circuit for driving the paper motor substantially as
described.
4. A telegraphic transmitter substantially as described and shewn in
drawings.
the
5. In a paper motor a paper roller driven by a pivotted lever fixed between

page_text: electro-magnets in the same circuit as contacts in the transmitter substantially as
described.
6. A paper motor substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
7. A telegraphic receiver consisting of pivotted levers carrying printing wheels,
the levers being controlled by electro magnets in the same circuit as contacts in the
transmitter substantially as described.
8. In a telegraphic receiver a number of printing wheels in the same circuits as
contacts in the transmitter the total width of all the wheels being equal to the
width of the letters to be printed substantially as described.
9. A telegraphic receiver substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated the 18th day of January 1896.
F. H. W. HIGGINS.