IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TELEGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brittain, of Bowling Green Lane,
Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Telegraph Instrument
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF TELEGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTS."
Scaled the 14th September 1869, and dated the 24th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brittain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2.1th May 1869.
I, JOHN BRITTAIN, of Bowling Green Lane, Clerkenwell, in the
County of Middlesex, Telegraph Instrument Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF TELEGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved mode of supplying ink
to the marker of printing telegraph instruments.
And, secondly, to a novel arrangement of apparatus whereby an audible
indication will be given to the attendant enabling him to write down
the message as it is delivered, instead of as heretofore reading off the
message from the printed band.. This audible arrangement may be

page_text: applied to printing telegraphic apparatus or used alone. Great
difficulties have hitherto been experienced in keeping the marking
apparatus of printing telegraphic instruments in order, the inking pen
clogging up by reason of the drying of the ink or being indifferently or
unequally supplied with ink. To remedy these defects I insert in an
inking trough a wheel the periphery of which by preference I notch
that it may the better as it rotates lift the ink and present to the pen or
marker a continuous supply. The marker consists of a nipple fitted to
the lid of the trough over which the band of paper to receive the
printed message (being actuated as usual by clock mechanism) passes
and in contact with which it is brought, a rapid rotary motion being
given to the wheel the ink will be carried up and maintained on its
periphery by centrifugal action, and thus a flow of ink to the pen or
marker will be maintained. When I apply my audible arrangement to
this kind of instrument 1 arrange the conducting wire so that the
electricity will pass through a switch that will direct it at pleasure either
to the electro-magnet or into a make-and-break arrangement similar in
action to a Ruhmkorff coil to produce a sonorous vibratory motion of
the armature. The switch lies between two metal surfaces, the one
connected to the wire leading direct to the magnet and the other to a
wire connected with a pillar against an adjustable stop on which the
armature rests, it being held in contact therewith by means of a spring.
When the audible message is required the current will pass through the
switch to the armature and thence through the frame of the instrument
to the magnet. The attraction thus set up will draw down the armature
and break the circuit. The armature will then return to rest which
causes the magnet to be again made and thus the sonorous vibrating
action is set up. This mode of transmitting messages by sound enables
me to construct instruments at a considerably reduced cost as the clock
mechanisin for working the printing apparatus may be dispensed with.
It should also be remarked that the beats of the vibrating armature
may be felt by the attendants, and thus where a confusion of sounds
arising from many instruments congregrated in the same compartment
or from other causes occurs this property of feeling the message might
be availed of to transmit it to paper as it is delivered.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jolin Brittain in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BRITTAIN, of Bowling Green Lane, Clerkenwell, in the County of
Middlesex, Telegraph Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Brittain, Her special licence
that I, the said John Brittain, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Brittain, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF TELEGRAPH INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Brittain, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Brittain, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved mode of supplying.
ink to the marker of printing telegraph instruments.
And, secondly, to a novel arrangement of apparatus whereby an audible
indication will be given to the attendant enabling him to write down
the message as it is delivered instead of as heretofore reading off the

page_text: message from the printed band. This audible arrangement may be
applied to printing telegraphic apparatus or used alone; in the accom-
panying Drawing I have shown it in both forms.
It is well known to all workers of printing telegraph instruments
that difficulties have hitherto been experienced in keeping the marking
apparatus in order, the tendency being for the inking pen to clog up
by reason of the drying of the ink or by the pen being indifferently
or unequally supplied with ink. To remedy these defects I insert in
an inking trough a wheel the periphery of which by preference I notch
that it may the better while being rotated lift the ink and present to
the pen or marker a continuous supply.
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation an instrument, capable of delivering
transmitted messages either by printed signs or by sounds as may be
dosired, or by both means simultaneously, the inking trough being
drawn in section in order to show the wheel which lifts the ink to the
marker. In this instrument the band of paper is drawn as usual from
bobbin and over and between guide rollers to bring it under the
action of the printing apparatus, whence having had the message
impressed thereon in telegraphic characters it is discharged from the
instrument. Clockwork is employed to traverse the band of paper
through the instrument, and from the same source of power the motion
for driving the ink lifting wheel is derived. The instrument in its
general character resembles the ordinary Morse printing instrument.
is the ink trough or reservoir closed by a cover. and in it a metal
disc or wheel b formed by preference with ratchet teeth is mounted.
This wheel is connected by gearing as indicated by the pitch lines of
gearing with the clockwork movement, and it receives a rapid rotary
motion therefrom the whole time the clockwork is in action. It is
mounted in the ink trough or reservoir at such an elevation that it will
just clear the lid thereof. Fitted to the lid of the trough and imme-
diately over the wheel b is a nipple c constituting the marker, over this
marker passes the hand of paper that is to receive the printed message,
(being actuated as usual by clock mechanism) this band is brought
Into contact with the marker from time to time by a pad d carried by
an elastic arm e which is mounted on a rock shaft that carries the
armature of the electro-magnet g. A current of electricity being
passed into the coils of the eletro-magnet g the armature will be
drawn down and with it the clastic arm e, which will hold down the

page_text: travelling paper upon the marker a greater or less length of time, thus
causing the marker to make on the paper a dot or a dash as the case
may be, arbitrary combinations of which marks (as is well known)
constitute the letters of the telegraphic alphabet. While this action
of the electro-magnet is taking place a rapid rotary motion will be given
to the wheel b, and the ink will thereby be carried up and maintained
on its periphery by centrifugal action, and thus a flow of ink to the pen
or marker will be maintained. When I apply my audible arrange-
ment to this kind of instrument I arrange the conducting wire so that
the electricity will pass through a switch that will direct it at pleasure
cither to the electro-magnet or into a make-and-break arrangement,
similar in action to a Ruhmkorff's coil to produce a sonorous vibratory
motion of the armature. This arrangement is clearly illustrated by
the diagram, Fig. 2, where A is the switch, B the battery, and C the
electro-magnet. The switch A is placed between two metal surfaces
the one connected to the wire 1 leading direct to the magnet, and the
other to a wire 2 connected with a pillar against an adjustable stop on
which the armature rests, it being held in contact therewith by means
of a spring.
Referring again to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the armature is held
down by a spring on to an adjustable stop carried by a metal
pillar D up which the electric current passes on its way to the electro-
magnet. Above the armature is a regulating stop for limiting the
movement of the armature. When now the audible message is required
the current will pass through the switch and by a wire 2 (Fig. 2) to the
armature, and thence through the frame of the instrument to the electro-
magnet g. The attraction thus set up will draw down the armaturo
and break the circuit. The armature will then return to rest, which
causes the electro-magnet to be again made, and this being repeated
rapidly so long as the operator maintains the current a
vibrating action will be set up that may be read off with certainty.
This mode of transmitting messages by sound enables me to construct
instruments at a considerably reduced cost as the clock mechanism for
working the printing apparatus may be dispensed with. It should also
be remarked that the beats of this vibrating armature may be felt by
the attendant, but where a confusion of sounds arising from many
instruments congregated in the same apartment or from other causes
occurs I prefer to employ the modification shown at Fig. 3, which is an
sonorous

page_text: audible receiving instrument. In this instrument the armature of the
electro-magnet is caused to beat upon a sonorous spring E, instead of as
in Fig. 1 upon an adjustable stop, and thus a musical tone is produced
which will be clearly distinguished by the attendant. This spring E
is made fast to a metal bracket I, to which the wire from the positive
pole of the battery is connected, and it is in metallic contact therewith.
An adjusting screw serves to regulate the position of the spring with
respect to the armature G which is carried by a spring projecting from a
bracket II, and this bracket is connected by a conducting wire with the
metal frame I that carries the electro-magnet K. A tendency is. given
to the spring which carries the armature to hold it (or a platinum point
with which it is furnished) against the spring E, but so soon as the
current is established it will flow through the spring to the armature,
and thence by the bracket II and frame I to the electro-magnet which
neting on the armature will draw it from the spring. The circuit being
thereby broken the spring of the armature will press back the armature
and cause it to strike the spring. The circuit being thus restored the
current will re-enter the electro-magnet, and the actions described will be
repeated and maintained until the operator removes his finger from the
key which admits the current to the conducting wires.
I would remark that an important advantage of my audible signal
receiver over those hitherto used is that the attendant interprets from the
duration of the sounds and not from the duration of the silence between
the intermitted sounds, that is to say, his car measures sounds which
are positive instead of pauses which are negative and far less easy of
appreciation than sounds.
From the above explanation of the vibratory action of the armature it
will be understood that the skilled attendant may with great accuracy
read the messages by simply feeling the pulsations of the armature, and
can commit them to paper as they are delivered notwithstanding the
noise that may surround him.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Construction of Telegraph Instruments, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. Maintaining a supply of ink to the marker of printing telegraph
instruments in the manner above described.

page_text: Secondly. Causing the armature of the electro-magnet of receiving
instruments to deliver to the attendant the messages transmitted by
sustained sounds or vibrations as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brittain, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
JOHN BRITTAIN. (L.S.)