CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Vincent Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th November 1858.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obviate the necessity of insulating the
submarine, subaqueous, or subterranean conductor employed in an electric tele-
graph. To this end the conductor is made to form a portion of the battery,
used to generate the electricity for setting the telegraph in operation, the action
being set up by the water surrounding the conductor, or by the moisture
contained in the surrounding earth.
In carrying out the Invention, it is proposed to employ the electro-magnetic
system of telegraphing, and the instruments known as Morse's, with a local
battery and relay magnet at each terminal station.
The Invention may be applied in several ways, and by the use of one or
two conducting wires. When two conducting wires are used through the
whole length of the line, one may be of copper and the other of brass or
other metal positive to copper. These are to be submerged in the water or
buried in the earth, a sufficient portion at the extremities of each being
reserved to make the connections with the instruments. The wire of positive
metal is connected directly with the anvil of each operating key, and the copper

page_text: wire with each relay magnet, which is connected with the key lever, the
register, and the local battery at the same station in the manner common to
Morse's telegraph. When the key at one end of the line is closed, and that at
the other end open, the wires become a battery, and a current of electricity is
caused to pass along the positive wire towards the closed key, and from thence
through the helices of the corresponding relay magnet along the copper wire,
and to complete its circuit through the water to the positive wire. This current
charges the relay magnet at the station where the key is closed, and attracts
the armature thereof, thus closing the local circuit, which attracts the arma-
ture of the register magnet, and brings the pen or style of that instrument into
action; when a message is completed the operator closes his key, so that
messages can be sent from the other end.
Another way of applying the Invention is to use two similar wires and two
large plates, one of copper and the other of brass or other positive metal, all of
which are submerged in the water or buried in the ground, very near but not
touching each other, and at opposite ends of the line. The copper wire is con-
nected with the two relay magnets, and the positive wire with the two positive
plates. The usual systein of connections is made between the relay, the
register, and the local battery at each end of the line, and one extremity of the
helix wire of each relay magnet is connected by a copper wire with the copper
plate at the same end of the line, and the copper plate is connected by a
copper wire with the anvil of the operating key. Each positive plate of
positive metal is connected by a wire of similar metal with the lever of the
key at the same end of the line. When the key at one end of the line is
closed, and that on the other is open, the submerged wires become a battery,
of which the plates are a portion, and a current of electricity is caused to pass
along the positive wire to the closed key, and thence through the said key
along the copper wire through the helices of the corresponding relay magnet,
and again along the copper wire through the helices of the relay at the other
end of the line to the copper plate, whence it passes through the water to the
positive plate and positive wire, thus completing its circuit. The current thus
produced charges both relay magnets, and hence brings both local circuits
into operation, and attracts the armatures of both register magnets, and throws
their pens or styles up against the paper.
In this mode of applying the Invention both keys are left open when no
message is being. When only one conducting wire of the whole length
of the line is used (which should, be of copper), the wire is connected with the
helices of the relay magnets at the extremities of the line, and each of the
magnets is connected in the usual manner with the key lever, the register, and

page_text: the local battery at its end of the line. At each end of the line there is a
large copper plate, and another large plate of brass or other positive metal,
both submerged in the water or buried in the earth, and these are respectively
connected by wires of similar metal with the wooden stands of the operating
keys at different points, so that either may be brought in connection with the
anvil of the key at its end of the line by means of a switch piece. When the
switches at the two ends of the line are adjusted to connect the copper plate
at one end and the positive plate at the other end with their respective keys,
and both keys are closed, a galvanic action is established between the con-
nected positive plate, the copper conducting wire and the copper plate at the
opposite end, and a current of electricity is caused to pass from the positive
plate through the key and helix of the relay magnet at its own end of the
line along the wire to and through the helix of the relay magnet, and through
the key at the other end, and thence to the connected copper plate, completing
its circuit to the connected positive plate through the water or earth. The
current thus produced charges both relay magnets, and brings both local
circuits into action, and raises the pens or styles of both registers into contact
with the paper.
In this mode of applying the Invention both copper plates are coupled with
the keys, and both keys closed when no message is being sent, and in that
condition of the parts there is no battery-like action, but when a message is to be
sent the operator couples the positive plate at his end of the line with his key,
and by opening and closing his key he operates the pens or styles of the
registers at both ends of the line.
To facilitate the laying of the conducting wires when two are employed the
whole length of the line, and at the same time insure them being kept out of
contact with each other, both may be bound together by a yarn or strand of
cotton or other fibrous substance so applied as to interpose itself between
them.