AN IMPROVED MODE OF OPERATING RECORDING OR PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC. APPARATUS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Buckwell, of Phoenix Stone Works.
East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF OPERATING RECORDING OR PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC.
APPARATUS."
Scaled the 17th October 1860, and dated the 21st April 1860..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Buckwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
21st April 1860.
I, WILLIAM BUCKWELL, of Phoenix Stone Works, East Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF OPERATING RECORDING OR PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to ensure accuracy and dispatch in the
transmission of information by means of telegraphic apparatus. At present
recording or printing telegraphic instruments constructed on the Morse
principle (which is the principle most approved of for quick working) ensure
no accuracy in the transmission of messages and news, as the signals actually
sent, whether made accurately or not, are recorded, their accuracy depending
in great part on the proper relative duration and rate of succession of the
passing currents, which are determined by the finger of the operator. To
ensure a certain relative proportion in the length of the dots and strokes that
form the letters of the telegraph alphabet, and also that of the intervening

page_text: spaces, as well as the length of those that separate the letters from each other,
I propose to set up messages or other information required to be transmitted
in type of a font corresponding to the signs or letters suited to telegraphy, or
now used by telegraphists, and to employ this type for actuating the signalling
lever. The type may either be set up in a line in a composing stick, or placed
helically around a cylinder. In either case the type is caused to traverse so
as to actuate the circuit breaker, and send currents through the line wire of
such duration and at such regulated intervals as shall ensure an accurate
record of the message or news set up in type. The letters or signs recorded
by the receiving instrument will be so formed and spaced as to be a counter-
part in all points (as respects proportion) of the type employed, thereby
removing all liability of error in the reading of the telegram or transmitted
information.
This Invention will be found particularly applicable in transmitting abstract
reports of the same news to various localities in succession.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Buckwell in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
20th October 1860. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUCKWELL, of Phoenix Stone Works, East Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Buckwell, Her special license that I, the said William Buckwell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Buckwell, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF OPERATING RECORDING OR PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Buckwell, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, 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 William Buckwell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed 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) :-
The object of this Invention is to ensure accuracy and despatch in the
transmission of information by means of telegraphic apparatus. At present
recording or printing telegraphic instruments constructed on the Morso
principle (which is the principle most approved of. for quick working) offer,
no security for the correct transmission of messages and news, as not only the
speed of succession but the accuracy of the signals sent and recorded depend
on the manipulativo skill of the operative. This will be readily acknowledged
when it is remembered that the alphabets used consist of groups of strokes
and dots, the rendering of which accurately depends in great part on the
proper relative duration and rate of succession of the passing currents, which
are determined by the finger of the operator. To ensure a certain relativo
proportion in the length of the dots and strokes that form the letters of the
telegraphic alphabet, and of the intervening spaces of the group, as well as the
length of the spaces that separate the consecutive letters from each other that
form words and the spaces between the consecutive words of a sentence, I
propose to set up messages or other information required to be transmitted by
the printing or recording telegraph in type of a font corresponding to the
signs or letters suited to telegraphy, or now used by telegraphists, and to
employ this type for actuating the signalling lever. The type may either be
set up in a line in a composing stick, or placed helically around a cylinder.
In either case the type is caused to traverse so as to actuate the circuit
breaker, and send currents through the line wire of such duration and at such
regulated intervals as shall ensure an accurate record of the message or news
set up in type. The letters or signs recorded by this receiving instrument will,
be so formed and spaced as to be a counterpart in all points (as respects
proportion) of the type employed, thereby removing all liability of error in the
reading of the telegram or transmitted information.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in several views a trans-,
mitting apparatus suitable for carrying this Invention into practical effect ;,
but other efficient arrangements may, doubtless, be devised for attaining the
like obiect.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the instrument for transmitting, through the
medium of my Invention, currents of electricity to a recording instrument ;
Fig. 2 is a side or back elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is a cross section.
The type I propose to cast in the form of single telegraphic letters, or in
telegraphic words to facilitate composition, and with this type, which is shown
at a, a, I compose the message to be transmitted, setting it up in one con-
tinuous line in a composing stick b, b, which is shewn detached at Fig. 4. In
this stick the type is securely held, and by its means the type is traversed for
the purpose, to be presently explained, under a small bowle c mounted in
bearings in a fixed bracket arm d attached to the table of the instrument.
The composing stick is dropped into a groove on the face of an endless
chain e, e, which is carried by a pair of chain wheels f, to one of which rotary
motion is given by a winch handle attached to its axle. In the groove of the
links of this chain are cross pins, which take into notches made in the under
side of the composing stick for the purpose of propelling it forward. A table g
is placed below the upper links of the chain for it to slide over. Within the
space circumscribed by the chain e, e, and immediately opposite the bracket d,
is a rock lever h, which is forked at one end to carry a pair of bowles h', k'.
These bowles are borne up against the under side of the composing stick at
the part that is for the time being immediately below the bowle c by means of
a spring h² that presses against the under side of the lover h. The other end
of this lever carries an adjusting screw for making contact with a similar
screw supported by a fixed bracket arm i attached to the table of tho instru-
ment. On the under side of the longer limb of the rock lever h is a projection
for making metallic contact with a plate on the table. From this plate
passes an insulated copper wire from the bracket i passes a second wire m..
and from the bearing of the rock lever passes a third insulated wire. The
recording instrument is brought into the circuit completed by the wires m, n,
and the wire is used to complete the circuit for the passing current when the
recording instrument is thrown out of the circuit by the action of the circuit
breaker. It will now be understood, that on motion being given through the
endless chain e, e, to the line of type, the projections on the face of the type
will, by coming into contact with the bowle c, cause the levor h to rock and
produce metallic contact with the adjusting screws. A current of electricity
will then be transmitted to the recording instrument, the duration of which
current will (supposing the chain to be driven at an equable speed) be
determined by the nature of the projection on the face of the type brought
into contact with the bowle.c. Thns, if the projection be a line, the current
will be sustained sufficiently long to mark a line on the passing band of the

page_text: recording instrument, or if a dot the duration of the current will be pro-
portionately short. When the projection has passed the bowle c the rock
lever will resume its normal position, and the circuit will be broken, the
current of electricity passing off by the wiro 1. The continued progress of
the chain will bring up the several projections on the type in succession, and
cause the circuit to be alternately made and broken with a precision as
respects the relative duration of the flow and cessation of flow of the current
hitherto unattainable, whereby the message or telegram will be recorded in a
manner exactly to correspond to the composed type. I have stated that tho
type might be set helically around a band, but the arrangement would be best
confined to stereotyped messages, or such as have to be frequently repeated.
The barrel would, of course, be required to move in the direction of its axis as
well as around its axis, to keep the helical line of type under the bowle c, or
its equivalent. I have not thought it necessary to shew an arrangement of
mechanism for carrying out the Invention in this form, as I do not apprehend
that it will equal the arrangement of the type in a straight composing stick.
I would further remark, that besides the accuracy which the use of my
Invention is calculated to effect in the transmission of messages, it will be
found particularly applicable (owing to the speed with which the apparatus
may be worked) for transmitting abstract reports of the same news to various
localities in succession.
Having now set forth the nature of my "Improved Mode of Operating
Recording or Printing Telegraphic Apparatus," 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, operating the circuit breaker of
instruments for transmitting signals to recording instruments by means of
type, or its equivalent, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Buckwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
Ono thousand eight hundred and sixty.