Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1885.
Complete Left, 9th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
I JOHN MARION BIGGS, of Louisville, in the County of Jefferson and State of
Kentucky, United States of America, Telegraph Operator, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a telegraph key in which a slight move-
ment of the fingers will produce a greater movement in the contact point of the key,
thereby insuring greater certainty and rapidity in writing, and diminishing the
movement of the hand required for operating the key.
My invention consists of a key having short and long arms, the short arm being
provided with a finger piece, the longer arm carrying a contact point, and in the
combination with the key arranged in this manner, of a switch and conductor for
conveying the current from the switch to the stationary contact point of the key.
The base which supports all of the parts of the key is recossed on its under surface
and supports the standards, for receiving screws in the inner ends of which are
journaled the trunnions of the key.
The key is a two-armed lever with a short arm projecting beyond the end of the
base, and provided with the usual finger piece, the long arm projecting in the opposite
direction from the trunnions and carrying a contact point. The long arm of the key
is provided with an adjusting screw which passes downward through the key and
touches the base when the key makes the back stroke. The adjusting screw is
prevented from becoming accidentally loosened by a jam nut.
Between the trunnions of the key and the finger piece, an adjusting screw is
received in the short arm of the lever, and is bored axially to receive one end of the
spiral spring, the opposite end of which extends into a cavity in the base. The said
adjusting screw is prevented from accidental loosening by a jam nut.
Above the contact point at the rear end of the key is supported a contact point by
a right angled arm, which is formed integrally with a screw-threaded stud, the arm
and stud being insulated from the base by a collar and insulating washer.

page_text: In the opposite end of the base is secured a stud, which is insulated from the base
by a rubber collar. This stud, supports the circuit closing contact and is connected
electrically with the screw-headed stud and right angled arm, above mentioned, by
the bar received in the recessed underside of the base and extending from one end to
the other thereof and which is secured in place by riveting the studs down upon the
bar. This bar is insulated from the base, and is enlarged and apertured at a point
below the trunnions, to allow another screw-threaded stud to project from the under
surface of the base, which is clamped to a table by wing nuts on said studs.
To the base, is pivoted a circuit closing switch, provided with a handle of insulating
material, which reaches upward above the end of the top of the finger piece within
convenient reach of the finger of the operator. The circuit closer is received under
the circuit closing contact when it is desired to close the circuit.
By making the arm of the key lever, which carries the finger piece, short, and the
other arm long, the movement of the hand required to operate the key will be very
much reduced, and the contact between the contact points may be more rapidly and
certainly made.
The key lever may be made lighter, thus requiring less spring power to move it
after being operated by the fingers. This construction also reduces the wear upon the
trunnions or pivots of the key; it secures a wide separation of the contact points,
thus avoiding sparkling at the contact points and consequent adhesion of the points.
Dated this 16th day of August 1886.
J. M. BIGGS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: I JOHN MARION BIGGS of Louisville in the County of Jefferson State of Kentucky
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 :-
The object of my Invention is to provide a telegraph key in which a slight move
ment of the fingers will produce a greater movement in the contact point of the key,
thereby ensuring greater certainty and rapidity in writing, and diminishing the
movement of the hand required for operating the key.
My Invention consists of a key having short and long arms, the short arm being
provided with a finger piece, the longer arm carrying a contact point; and in the
combination with the key arranged in this manner, of a switch and conductor for
conveying the current from the switch to the stationary contact point of the key.
Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings forming a part of this specification
in which figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. Figure 2 is a plan view,
Figure 3 is an inverted plan view. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures of the drawings..
The base A which supports all of the parts of the key, is recessed on its under
surface and supports the standards B for receiving the screws C in the inner ends of
which are journaled the trunnions D of the key E. The key E is a two-armed lever
with a short arm a projecting beyond the end of the base A and provided with the
usual finger-piece b, the long arm c projecting in the opposite direction from the
trunnions and carrying the contact point d. The long arm of the key is provided
with an adjusting screw F which passes downward through the key and touches the
base A when the key makes the back stroke. The adjusting screw F is prevented
from becoming accidentally loosened, by the jam nut e. Between the trunnions D
and the finger piece b, the adjusting screw is received in the short arm a and is bored
axially to receive one end of the spiral spring g, the opposite end of which extends
into a cavity in the base A. The screw f is prevented from accidental loosening by
the jam nut h. Above the contact point d, is supported a contact point d by the
right angled arm G which is formed integrally with the screw-threaded stud H, the
arm G and stud H being insulated from the base A by the collar i and by the insulating
washer j. In the opposite end of the base is secured a stud 1 which is insulated from
the base by the rubber collar. The stud I supports the circuit closing contact 1 and
is connected electrically with the stud H and arm G, by the bar m which is secured
in place by rivetting the stud I and shoulder of the stud H, down upon the bar. The
bar m is separated from the base by insulation and is enlarged and apertured at a point
below the trunnions D to allow the binding stud J to project from the under surface
of the base. To the lase A, is pivoted a circuit closing switch K provided with a
handle of insulating material, which reaches upward above the end of the top of the
finger piece within convenient reach of the finger of the operator. The circuit

page_text: The
closer K is received under the contact when it is desired to close the circuit.
studs H J are provided with wing nuts o by means of which the key is clamped to
the table.
It will be seen that by making the arm a of the key lever short and the arm c long,
that the movement of the hand required to operate the key will be very much reduced
and the contact between the contact points d and d¹ may be more rapidly and certainly
made. The koy lever may be made lighter, thus requiring less spring power to move
it after being operated by the fingers. This construction also reduces the wear upon
the trunnions or pivots of the key; it secures a wide separation of the contact points,
thus avoiding sparking at the contact points and consequent adhesion of the points.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is;
1. In a telegraph key, the base A having its under surface recessed to receive the
bar m combined with the arm G having a contact point, key lever, the stud I, bar m
connecting stud I and arm G and the circuit closer, substantially as set forth.
2. In a telegraph key, the combination of the key lever E provided with the long
arm c and the short arm a, the adjusting screw F inserted in the longer arm, the
adjusting screw finserted in the shorter arm, the spring placed between the adjust-
ing screw and the base, the base A, the arm G having threaded stud H and secured
to the base but insulated therefrom, the contact points d d carried by the arm and the
koy lever, the stud I connected electrically with the arm G, insulated from the base A
and supporting the circuit closing contact point and the circuit-closing key, pivoted
to the base A and adapted to engage the circuit closing contact point i, substantially
as herein shewn and described.
3. The combination of the base A, the key lever pivotally supported thereon, the
arm G having threaded stud H and provided with a contact point and secured to but
insulated from the base, substantially as set forth.
4. In a telegraph key, the combination of the base, the key-lever, the arm G
provided with a contact point and having a threaded stud H, the stud 1 having a
contact, the bar m connecting the studs H and I, and the circuit closing switch
pivoted to the base and movable into contact with the stud I, substantially as set
forth.
J. M. BIGGS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.