CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATIONS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEX-
ANDER BAIN, of Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Electrical Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her piesent most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of
December 1846, in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heus
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Bain, my exors,
admiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authouty, that I, the said Alexander Bain, my exors, adñors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alexander Bain, my exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING AND
RECEIVING ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATIONS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, tho
said Alexander Bain, should cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Bain, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Diawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
In the arranging and combining apparatus into electrical telegraphs vanous
means have been resorted to for transmitting and for receiving communi-
cations. 'Amongst others, it has been proposed by Mi. Morse to prepare
the communications which are to be transmitted through electric circuits
into mechanically composed foinis which may be likened to forms of type,
and then by suitable mechanism to transmit the subject of such composed
forms through electric circuits to other mechanism suitably arranged for
marking paper by mechanical means, with signs or indents or marks with
pencil or ink, employing electro-magnets as the means of actuating the
mechanical marken, the paper being moved by clockwork, each act of marking
equining the force of the electro-magnet to put the marking instrument
into motion, and then the magnetic force to be broken in order to remove
the marker from the paper. Mr. Davy proposed to employ chemically
prepared fabrics to receive electrical communication transmitted through
electric circuits brought into action by means of finger keys acted on by the
person making the communication, Mr Davy using electro-magnets for
governing the movement of the chemically prepared fabrics, and the signs
or marks were produced by the passage of electric currents through the
chemically prepared fabrics, each mark or sign requiring the electric circuit
to be made and broken, and the receiving chenucally prepared surface
allowed to move a distance by an electro-magnet, the making and breaking
of the attraction between it and its armature being necessary for each time
of marking. And I did, in my former Patent of the Twenty-seventh of
May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-three, describe a mode of
transmitting and receiving clectrical telegraph communications by using a
mechanically composed form, acting with apparatus so arranged as to
transmit the subject thereof through electric cucuits, receiving the same on
,to chemically prepared paper in such manner as to produce a fac simile of
the composed surface to the chemically prepared surface by a multitude of
lines of dots caused by electric currents passing through the chemically
prepared paper, the paper being moved progressively by means of apparatus

page_text: acted on by a magnet. In all those cases the use of magnets necessarily
retarded the speed of transmitting and receiving any communication. Now
the first part of my Invention consists of so ananging or combining apparatus
for transmitting and receiving electrical communications that the commu-
nication may be first mechanically composed, and then transmitted through
an electric circuit or circuits in such manner that the subject of the composed
communication may be received on to chemically prepared fabric, without
equing electro or other magnets to be made and unmade at each act of
maiking, the arrangements being such as to dispense with the use of magnets,
both in governing or giving step by step motion to the fabric, and also to
dispense with the use of magnets for giving motion to the marking instru-
ments; by which airangement of apparatus and means the speed of electrical
communications will be greatly improved and quickened, and the arrangement
of the apparatus is also such that two distinct signs may be made through one
electric cucuit, according as the current is passed in one direction or the
other, the electricity not passing through the chemically prepared surface, but
passing from and to one of two points pressing on the chemically prepared
surface near to each other, the mark being produced on the surface at the
end of the metallic point, fiom which the electric current passes to the surface,
there being no mark produced where the other point receives the electric
curient.
And the second part of my Invention consists of a mode of constructing the
posts on uprights for canying telegraphic wires.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
canied into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nature of the apparatus employed when composing a communication
into a mechanical form suitable for acting with other apparatus for transmitting
the subject the cof to a chemically prepared surface may be greatly vaned,
and I propose to describe two arrangements for this purpose; at the sanie
time I do not confine myself thereto.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an apparatus for setting up a composed
form; Figure 2 is a plan thereof This apparatus consists of a large circulai
plate, the diameter depending on the length of communications desired to be
made. In the periphery of this plate a are numerous notches, into each of
which is placed a short pin or wine b. The periphery of the plate a being
grooved, the pins are retained securely in the notches by winding silk or
thread round the plate, thus pressing on the pins so as to retain them in any

page_text: position to which they may be slided. The communication is composed by
means of the handle c. which moves horizontally on the pin or axis d, which
15 fixed on the 1ocking frame e, moving on necks or axes e¹, as shewn. fis a
stop to prevent the handle descending too low on that side of the axis e¹. By
this arrangement the handle c can move horizontally on its axis d, and vertically
on the axes e¹. In the handle is fixed a forked instrument g, so that when the
handle c is moved to the right or left as far as it will go it will cause one of the
pins to be moved. h, h, are two springs tending at all times to bing the
forked instrument and its handle into a central position, and in this position
the handle c is to be raised, by which means it will by the projection c¹ act on
the lever i which moves on an axis at 2, and is constantly borne upwards by
a spring, as is shewn, the other end of the lever having a diver 2 hinged to it,
which driver, descending with the lever, bungs the diver under another wire
b, the stop k preventing the lever descending too low. The wues baie
capable of being placed in thice positions: first, in a central position,
secondly, in a lateral position to the night hand; and, thudly, a lateral position
to the left hand, the wires 6 being neutial when in the central position, the
wires acting differently by electric currents according as they are pushed
laterally to the right hand or to the left hand, as hereafter explained. In
using this apparatus, before composing a communication, all the wires are to
be brought to a central position, and then the wires are to be moved to the
right hand or to the left, according to the succession in which they are to come
into action, as hereafter explained in making electric circuits, and it will be
understood, that whenever any wie or succeeding wires b are desired to
remain in the central position, then the person composing the communication
is simply to raise the handle, and thus to cause as many wires 6 to remain in
the central position as the nature of the communication may require
order in which the apparatus of wires are set for making a communication
may be varied, but I have at No. 1 shown a convenient arrangement of signs
for an alphabet and other telegraphic signs, which will be readily understood
by examining the card No. 1, at the same time keeping in mind that the two
rows of marks are made by the pressing the wires to the night and left, whilst
the spaces between the groups of marks are caused by omitting to move some
of the wues to the right or to the left. The communication being arranged,
the apparatus is to be lifted into the frame, Figure 3, where a similar appa-
ratus is shown in plan; and the axis a' is to have an uniform rotation com-
municated to it by clockwork, by which those wires 6 which are moved to the
right hand will come in contact with the spring (1), having a wire to a battery
at A, and those wires 6 which have been pushed to the left hand will coine
The

page_text: in contact with the spring (2), which also has a wire attached to the battery
at B, and the two batteries are at their other ends in connection with a situ-
able conducting surface in the earth at C. The long telegraphic wire is in
metallic connection by means of the brass spring a³ with the axis of the trans-
mitting apparatus at one end, and with the marking instrument hereafter
described at the other end, and according to the position and grouping of
these marks or lines so will be the nature of the communication made. It
will not be necessary to enter into a description of any particular arrangement
of the marks for making a code of signals by such marks, as different persons
will arrange them differently to suit their particular objects. By the appa-
ratus above described the dots or marks will be all alike, and it will only be
by their being placed in one or other of the two lines, and by their being
differently grouped, that different indications will be transmitted. The card
No 1 above mentioned is not for the apparatus above described, but is
applicable thereto so far as where all the lines or maiks are alike, but where
the lines are of greater length, they apply to other apparatus hereafter
explained
Figure 4 shows a front view of the apparatus used for receiving the com-
munications the aid of chemically prepared surfaces, Figure 5 shows a
front view thereof with doors removed; Figure 6 shows a transveise section,
Figure 7 is another section thereof. is a roll of paper (on the cylinder 7),
which is the material I prefer to use, and I saturate the same as here-
after explained, preferring to use a mixture of six parts of water to one part
of sulphuric acid, which being first allowed to cool down to the temperaturo
of the atmosphere, two parts of a saturated solution of prussiate of potass are
to be added, and this solution is to be employed in such manner as to saturate
the paper. I would, however, state, that other chemical preparations may be
used, and the same separately are not claimed by me. The paper from the
roll is conducted under the roller m, which is partly immersed in a cistern
containing the chemical preparation used, by which the paper will become
saturated. The paper then passes over the roller n down over the rollers o, o,
there being a pressing roller n¹ on the roller n, and in order to support and
facilitate the motion of the paper I employ elastic bands of india rubber in
grooves on the rollers n, o, o. I also apply a wide band of india rubber (as
wide as paper) on the rollers m, m³, for the same purpose. p is a glazed
front to the apparatus by which a person may see the passing paper, and
read the signs which are being marked or made by means of the passage of
electric currents from the apparatus above described, which is at a distant
place. is an axis having thereon a pulley 2, which receives motion by

page_text: means of an endless band put in motion by the pulley r, such pulley being
diven by suitable clockwork contained in the cases, there being a weight
used for giving motion to such clockwork, the cord to the weight passing
over a pulley on the axis of the roller n moves the paper. And I
prefer that the motion of the clockwork should be governed by a governor
consisting of two balls t, as is well understood. I have not thought it
necessary to show the wheelwork of the clockwork, as the same is well
understood, and is not of my Invention; and I would only state in respect
thereto, that it is arranged to move the paper about a quarter of an inch
during a quarter of a revolution of the axis q The axis q carries four aims
of haid wood, each aim having two metal springs v, v', one below the other,
each spring v, v, having a copper point or marker, which press against the
paper, and the spings v, v, at the other ends, v³ ³, come to and press
against the two fixed curved plates w, x, which are separate and insulated
from each other; they thus become the means of conducting the electric
currents from the transmitting apparatus above described, in the manner
hereafter explained, to the surface of the paper This receiving apparatus
is to be kept in constant motion throughout the day by clockwork, as before
mentioned, there being paper introduced of sufficient length to occupy that
length of time in being unwound And thus, in addition to a person being
able to read a communication (as it is being made) through the glazed front
of the apparatus, a record of all the communications made throughout the
day will be kept on the paper. The springs v, v, are so arranged in respect
to the plates w and r, that as one pair leaves contact with those plates the
next pair will come in contact therewith, and will produce two lines of marks
at a distance from the two previous lines of marks (that is, supposing electric
currents are being transmitted, otherwise the paper will pass on, and remain
plain), the lines of marks being in curves produced by the marking points
moving about then axis q, combined with the right line motion of the paper
The curved plate w is in connection with the long telegraphic wite, and the
plate is put in connection with the earth at D, so as to be enabled to obtain
an electric encuit between the distant place, where the transmitting apparatus
is located, and the receiving apparatus now under description The consc-
quence of this arrangement will be, that when a wire b comes against the
spring (1), the circuit will be complete, and an electric current will pass from
the copper end of its battery through the spring (1), then through the
apparatus, through the long telegraphic wie, through the curved plate w of
the receiving apparatus, through the spring v³, v, to the point or marker in
contact with the paper, by which a mark will be made. The electric current

page_text: will pass from the point of the spring v¹ to the point of the spring v, and by
the other end of the spring v to the plate x, and then through the earth
back to the zinc end of the battery, as indicated. And when the wires b
come in contact with the spring (2), the course of the electric current will be
in the reverse direction, passing from the copper end of the battery through
the earth, then through the plate x, and through the spring v³, v, to the paper,
thence through the spring v', v, to the plate w, and through the long tele-
graphic wire to the transmitting apparatus, and fiom it thro' the spring (2) to
the zinc end of a battery. I have before stated that the tiansmitting appa-
atus may be varied in its character and parts; and such is the case in respect
to the construction and nature of the mechanical form in which a communica-
tion may be prepared for being transmitted by electric currents to a distant
apparatus suitably aanged for receiving the communication on suitable
chemically prepared surfaces, moved continuously by power during the time
of making the communication The points or markers constantly pressing
against the prepared moving surface are continuously in a position to transmit
the currents of electricity, to mark the surface without the aid of electro or
other magnets, to cause a step by step movement to the chemically prepared
surface, and also, without the aid of any electro or other magnet, to give motion
to or to govern the motion of the marking instrument, as have heretofore been
considered necessary.
I will now describe another arrangement of apparatus for transmitting and
receiving communications by electrical means, such apparatus being arranged
for transmitting and receiving communications at intervals, the apparatus both
for transmitting and for receiving remaining quiet when not required for tians-
mitting a communication. The apparatus is, however, so arranged that when
I work mechanically composed communications may be transmitted with far
greater rapidity than by any other arrangement or system of electrical tele-
graphic communication heretofore used or proposed, owing to the circumstance
of dispensing with the use of magnets and having continuous motion, both
in respect to the mechanical composed form, and also in respect to the
1eceiving sui face, and also in respect to the marking instrument, the appa-
atus according to my Invention dispensing with the step by step motion
consequent on the use of magnets heretofore employed, either for giving or
governing the motion of the receiving surface, as in Davy's, and also in my
former apparatus, or for giving or governing the motion of the marking
instrument, as in Morse's apparatus, before mentioned.
Figure 8 is a side view and Figure 9 shows a plan of an apparatus for
tiansmitting and receiving communications by electric means Figure 10 shows

page_text: a plan, Figure 11 is an end elevation, Figure 12 is a vertical section, and
Figure 13 is a front view of the apparatus, Figure 13" shewing two distant
apparatus (connected by a long telegraphic wire), such as are used for trans-
mitting and also for receiving communications, the apparatus at each end being
such as to be used either for transmitting or receiving a communication, and
I recommend that the apparatus at both ends or at the two distant places should
at all times be in a condition to receive a communication; and if the party
attending to either of the apparatus be desirous of making a communication,
then to remove the prepared paper, and to introduce the mechanically com-
posed form of the communication he desires to transmit. The present apparatus
being used to transmit a communication from paper, and to receive it on
chemically prepared paper, hence the same instruments are applicable at
both ends. And the apparatus at each end, when at work, is to be kept in
motion at corresponding rates by mechanical means I prefer to do so by
clockwork, such as is shewn, by which arrangement the mechanically prepared
paper having the communication will be moved continuously during the
transmission of a communication therefrom at the same speed, or as nearly
so as may be, as that of the chemically prepared surface at the other end
of the apparatus at a distant place. The apparatus shewn at Figures
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 13*, are suitable for being worked by one telegraphic
wire, using the earth as the means of completing the circuit, as is now well
understood I will suppose that the communication is to be made from tho
apparatus marked London, and received at the apparatus marked Edinburgh.
The apparatus is so arranged as to be held by a stop or detent, which may
be moved out of the way by means of an electric current put in motion by
the person making the communication, as is well understood, and now com-
monly practised when removing a detent or stop for allowing an alarum to get
into motion. The consequence of removing such detent or stop a out of the
way of the arm b of each apparatus will be that the descent of the weight c
of each apparatus will be no longer restrained, and will begin to descend,
and the wheelwork of each apparatus will be simultaneously put in motion,
and will remain in motion so long as the stop a is out of the way of the arm b,
the arm being affixed on the axis d, moves 1ound with it Motion is
communicated from the weight c by means of the corde, which is wound on
the barrel f, on the axis of which is placed the cog wheel g The catches f¹
taking into the ratchet wheel fixed on the barrel f fix the banel and the cog
wheel g together, yet allow of its being turned to wind up the cord. The cog
wheel g takes into and drives the pinion h, on the axis of which is fixed the
cog wheel i, which takes into and drives the pinion 3, on the axis of which

page_text: s fixed the cog wheel k, which takes into and dives the pinion 1, on the axis
of which is fixed the bevilled toothed wheel m, which takes into and drives
the bevilled toothed wheel n, which is on the axis d of the governor, which
s similar to what has heretofore been used, the expanding aims of
the governing balls being adjusted or controlled by raising or lowering
the external tube d', within which the upper parts of the aims revolve.
The paper, whether it be the chemically prepared paper or the one having the
mechanically composed communication, is to be placed on the barrel of the
avis (1), and it is conducted over the barrel o on the axis 1. thenco over
the roller (2), thence over the roller (3). And to facilitate the movement of
the paper and to support it, there are grooves formed in the barrel o, also in
barrels (2) and (3), in which endless india iubber bands are applied, as
shewn at (4) and (5). On the axis of the pinion is fixed the barrel o, shewn
in section separately at Figure 14, which is composed of three parts, o², 03, 0³,
the part of being insulated from the other two parts, the other parts o¹,0³, being
in metallic communication with each other. This apparatus is worked with one
clectric cucuit in the following manner -The apparatus is shewn arranged
for transmitting a communication from the apparatus marked London, the
end of the apparatus marked Edinburgh being shewn in a condition for receiving
the communication, and in the event of it being desired to use the apparatus
marked Edinburgh as the one from which a communication is to be made,
and received at the end marked London, then these apparatus will respectively
be put into the conditions the reverse of that now shewn, which will readily
be done by the persons at the respective places. The mechanically composed
communication consists of a perforated paper, which is cut (by a punch), as
is shewn on the portion of the paper at the apparatus marked London, the
paper wherever it is perforated being so cut that each hole shall either extend
partly over the parts of and o³ of the barrel o, or clse over the parts o³ and o¹
of the barrel o, the effect of which will be that electric currents from a
galvanic battery stationed at A, at the end of the apparatus marked London,
will be transmitted through the marking instruments p and q at the end of
the apparatus marked Edinburgh, and by them to the passing chemically
prepared paper (in a moist state), the maik being at all times produced by
the marker p 012, from which the electric current is for the time being
caused to pass, and the arrangement of the apparatus is such that the current
passing from either instrument p or 9 will go to the other instrument p or q
and thence back to the battery at the distant place The instruments p and q
are two metal springs, each carrying a copper point at its end, which con-

page_text: stantly presses against the passing chemically prepared paper. These spring
are fixed to the bariel r of hard wood, and the barrel has at one end som
ratchet teeth formed on a circular plate r², and by means of the spring catel
the degice of pressure of the springs p and y is regulated by winding the
barrel r more or less round on its axis. To the spring p the telegraphic
wite from the distant place is fastened by a screw, and to the sping q
affixed the short wire, putting the spring 9 in communication with the earth
as is well understood. At the end of the apparatus marked London the
bairclr has four spings affixed to it, in like manner to that above described
in respect to the springs p and q, which are marked t and v and wand v. Fiom
the copper end of the battery at A a wire proceeds which has a branch, so that
it may be in connection with the springs w and v From the zinc end of the
battery a wire proceeds, which also has a branch by which that end of the
battery is put in connection with the springs t and v, by which anangement an
electric circuit may be completed by means of the barrel o, acting either with
the springs wand v, or with the springs t and v The apparatus as shewn
would, at the supposed moment of time, be transmitting, by the aid of the springs
t. v, there being a hole through the paper, so that the points of these springs
are in metallic communication with the parts o³ and o, whilst the other
springs wand will be insulated from the bauel o by the unperforated
paper under the points of those springs. The electric current will therefore at
such instant of time be proceeding through the wire from the copper end of
the battery at A, thence through the spring v, working in combination with t,
and from the part of of the banel o, through the telegraphic wie, which
is at at all times in communication with the part o³ of the barrel by means of a
metal spring, as is shewn. Hence the electric curient will pass through the
sping p at the other end, and thus make a mark thereby on the chemically-
prepared paper. Then it will pass to the point of the spring 9, and thence down
to the earth, and from the earth it will by the wue & pass to the spring a¹,
fixed on the barrel r, and from that spring to the barrel o, and from the part o³
of the barrel o the electric current will pass through the spring t, and thence
to the zine end of the battery. In the event of the next perforation in the
paper coming under the points of the springs wand v, the current of electricity
will pass in the opposite direction, that is, through the earth, by passing
from the copper end of the battery through the spring w to the part o¹, and
from thence to the wire a to the earth, and thence to the spring 7, which in
this case would be the making instrument, and from the spring 1 to the
spring p, and thence through the telegraphic wire to the part o" of the barrel o,

page_text: rom which it would pass by the spring v, which works with w, to the zine end
of the battery; and it will be evident that if it be desired to make long marks,
15 shewn in the table or caid No 1, the paper will be cut accordingly.
Figure 15 shows a plan and Figure 16 a side view of parts of like apparatus
o that above described, but worked by the aid of two batteries. in which case
the banel would only have two springs t and v, and the perforation in the
paper would be cut so as to come under the point of only one of these springs,
and the spring t would be in connection with the copper end of one battery, and
the spring v would be in connection with the zinc end of the other battery,
the opposite end of each battery being by a branch wire connected with the
carth The telegraphic wire being in connection with the cylinder o, which in
this case will be a simple cylinder of metal, the receiving end of the apparatus
would be fitted or arranged as before. The apparatus is shown in the position
of having a perforation in the paper under the point of the spring v, by which
means the circuit will be opened through the earth to the spring q, which will
make a mark thence to the spung p, thence through the telegraphic wine to
the cylinder o, and fiom it to the spring v. and thence to the zinc end of the
batteries; and in case the next hole through the paper come under the springt,
the curient of electricity would be in the reverse direction, for it would pass
through the spring t from the copper end of its battery, thence through the
cylinder to the telegraphic wic, then through the sping p, which would
make a mark on the passing chemically-prepared paper, then through the
spring g to the earth, and by the carth to the zinc end of the battery. Two
telegraphic wires, kept well insulated from each other, may be used in trans-
nitting and icceiving communications, as shown at Figures 17 and 18, which
Figures show a plan and side view of so much of the apparatus as will enable
me to explain this arrangement. In this arrangement the bariel o would be
made of two parts, insulated from each other, and one of the telegraphic wires
would be in connection with one part at one end and also with the spring p at
the other end, and the other telegraphic wire would be in connection with the
other part of the cylinder o at one end, and also with the spring 7 at the other
end, and the cylinder o at the receiving end of the apparatus would by a
bianch wie and spring be in connection with the earth, the springs t, v, at
the transmitting end of the apparatus, being in connection with one end of a
battery at A, the other end of the battery being in connection with the carth.
The perforated paper in this case is like that last described, the perforations
only coming under one of the springs tor v, and the electric curients will pass
The direction of the currents in this
through the paper to the barrel o.
apparatus will readily be traced as they pass from the battery at A to one o

page_text: other of the springs t, v, and thence through one or other of the electric wiles
to the spring p, q, and thence to the earth, and from the earth to tho other end
of the battery.
I have not thought it necessary to enter into any description of the means of
giving signals, by alarums or otherwise, between distant places, where my
Invention as herein described may be applied, the same forming no part of
my Invention, and I would state that my apparatus may be used separate
from other means of electrical telegraphs, or may be used in conjunction with
other means of electrical telegraphs, which latter may by some be considered
the most preferable, as all communications are not required to be written and
recorded. And I would state that in some cases parties may be desirous of
receiving the written communications in such a state that others could not read
it, in which cases it will only be necessary to saturate the paper with the solu-
tion of sulphuric acid, and deliver the paper (after it has received the electrical
written communication from the correspondent at a distance) to the party in
that state, when the party receiving the paper may bung out or rendeı visible
the writing by subjecting the paper to the other part of the solution above
mentioned, and should the paper not be delivered to the party in the appa-
rently unmarked state, he will know that the paper has been acted on
improperly between receiving the communication on to it and its being
transmitted to him.
In like manner an apparatus may be arranged for working with only one
marking point and one transmitting point, as shewn at Figures 19 and 20,
which shew a side view and a plan of so much of the apparatus as will,
aided by the description already given, enable a person at once to understand
this arrangement.
It should be stated that in all cases the receiving cylinder o, as shown,
is a simple cylinder of metal. The card or table No. 2 shows a suitable
arrangement of signs for this apparatus.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention. Figure 21 shows a
post or upright, constructed according to this part of my Invention Figure 22
15 a transverse section of the same, full size The object of the Invention is to
make the posts of several pieces, framed together and combined by cast-iron
hoops, which will have a tendency to descend on any shinkage taking place.
The post shown is made of four pieces, a, b, c, d, which separately are compaia-
tively light and thin, but framed together, as shewn, they are stiff and firm.
is a e strong haid piece of dry wood, fixed at the upper part of the post or
upright into which the various brackets are fixed, as is shewn, there being
washers and tubes of india rubber or other suitable non-conductor of

page_text: electricity to keep the metal brackets insulated, and at the upper part is a cap f
which covers the upper part of the post, and thus is the whole interior kept diy.
9, 9, are the cast-iron hoops which bind the whole of the parts together, and as
the post is larger at bottom than at top, any shrinkage will not injure the
stability of the post, as the hoops will descend and retain all parts secure.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the details as heicin descubed, so long as the
peculiar character of either part of my Invention be retained
claim 15,
But what I
Fust, tho mode of arranging and combining apparatus for transmitting and
receiving electrical telegraph communications, whereby mechanically-composed
communications are transmitted through electic circuits, and are received by
chemically-prepared surfaces, both apparatus being kept in motion by mecha-
nical means, without the aid of magnets, thus avoiding the comparatively slow
process heretofore consequent on the making and unmaking of electro-magnets
at each time of producing a maik.
And also I claim the mode of airanging electric apparatus so as to obtain
two separate and distinct marks or signs by one electric circuit, as herein
described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing posts or uplights for supporting
telegraphic wires for electric telegraphs, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I. the said Alexander Bain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.