A NEW ARRANGEMENT OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH SIGNALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cromwell Fleetwood Varley, of No. 1, Charles Street,
Somers Town, St. Pancras, Middlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW
ARRANGEMENT OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
SIGNALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the, said Cromwell Fleetwood
Varley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th February 1854.
I CROMWELL FLEETWOOD VARLEY of No. 1 Charles Street Somers Town
Saint Pancrass Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A NEW ARRANGEMENT OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPH SIGNALS" to be as follows
My Invention consists of three parts dependent on & necessary to each other.
One part is call'd a key, to transmit the signals along the line wire. Another
part is a pecker to govern a local circuit either to print or otherwise render
those signals inteligible. The third is a switch placed on the same board as
the key. It is used to connect the line wire to the key when sending & to the
pecker when receiving a communication the key has a handle kept up (as
usual) by a spring, which being successively depressed & allowed to rise
produces the required signals. This handle when at rest causes an electric
20205-1. G 145.

page_text: current to flow along the line wire but while being depressed it first inter-
cepts & immediately afterwards reverses the current. These currents after
traversing the line wire enters the pecker to actuate by its means a local
battery circuit. The pecker consists mainly of a permanent magnet so mounted
that gravity causes an arm on its axle to rest against a spring stop completing
the local circuit this circuit is kept broken by the current which enters the
pecker from the line wire when the key is at rest.
To make a signal the key handle is depressed, the line current as aforesaid
is first stopped and then reversed acting with gravity in the pecker to complete
the local circuit.
The use of a current in conjunction with gravity or any similar acting power
to complete a local circuit & an opposite one to break it renders the action of
the local battery both rapid and certain. My Invention is therefore well adapted
for transmitting signals thro' extended metallic conductors."
The switch while in the act of turning the line wire from key to pecker &
vici versa connects the wire to the earth thereby discharging any residual
electricity. The key does the same at the intervals between the change of
currents. In circuit with the pecker is placed a common indicator needle to
call attention. My pecker arrangements may be used for relay currents for
very extended or branch lines..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cromwell Fleetwood Varley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th August 1854.
ΤΟ
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I CROMWELL
FLEETWOOD VARLEY of No. 1 Charles Street Somers Town St. Pancras
Middlesex send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Sixteenth day of Febuary in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said Cromwell Fleetwood Varley Her special licence that I the said
Cromwell Fleetwood Varley my executors, administrators and assigns, or such
others as I the said Cromwell Fleetwood Varley 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 law-

page_text: ully 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 "A NEW ARRANGEMENT OR APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC. TELEGRAPH
SIGNALS" upon the condition (amongst others) that I the said Cromwell Fleet-
wood Varley 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 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 Cromwell Fleetwood Varley 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 fol-
lowing statement;
The retardation of & fluctuation of power in electric currents by induction
when traversing submarine or subterranean wires of great length which unfits
them for ordinary printing telegraphs are obviated by my contrivance which
latter enables me to work to much greater distances & with less power than.
heretofore.
My Invention consists of three parts dependent on & necessary to each other:-
One part is call'd a key Fig 1 & 2 to transmit the signals along the line wire
to which it is connected by the terminal L. Another part Figs 3 & 4 is a
pecker (or relay) to govern a local circuit either to print or otherwise render
those signals intelligible. This & the key are connected by wire from their
mutual terminals P P. The third part is a switch 5 & 6 placed on the key-
board Fig 1 & 2 its handle has two positions marked send & receive it being
used to connect the line wire to the key when sending & to the pecker when
receiving a communication both ends of the line being furnished alike with
a key pecker & switch.
The key handle a is kept up by springs 6 & c (in electric union with the:
terminals CZ) this being successively depressed & allowed to rise produces
the required signals. Whilst the handle is up it allows an electric current to
flow along the line wire to another station but on being depressed it at half.
way connects the line wire direct to the earth & discharges it when down to
the stop 26 it reverses the current. These currents after traversing the line,
wire circulate thro' the distant pecker to actuate by its means a local battery
circuit. The pecker consists mainly of a galvanometer magnet it has one
end heaviest Figs 10 & 11 & so mounted that gravity causes an arm or
contact pieced on its axis to rest against a spring stop e Fig. 7 thereby

page_text: completing the local circuit but the current from the line wire which is
passing thro' the pecker whilst the distant key is at rest keeps this circuit
broken by deflecting the arm d from the spring e as shown in Fig. 7.
PASSAGE OF THE CURRENTS THRO THE APPARATUS.
The key handle a is fixed to an axis C Z made in two parts which are in-
sulated from each other & also united by an ivory center piece as shewn in
section Fig. 8. These are by their springs & c always in connection with
the ends C & Z of the battery. The ivory central disc is surrounded by two
half circles of metal which do not touch each other one half is united to the
handle a & end Z the other half to the end C. The handle being up in
Fig. 2 the zine current flows thro' it into the spring f thence underboard
to a spring on which the switch pin is pressing this receives & leads
it underboard to the terminal L & thence along the line wire to the distant
station where it enters their key board at the terminal L Fig. 1 & thence
underboard to the switch 5 which is turned to receive it passes thro' the
pin & spring i to the terminal P thence to the pecker entering at P Fig. 3
where by traversing the coils of the magnet it deflects it so as to remove the
contact arm d from e & breaks their local circuit as before stated.
The passage from P is up the coated wire p thro' q & the coils of the
common indicator r down the wire ss up the spiral t thro the coils u u
enclosing the magnet which it deflects according to the current right or left
& out thro' the spiral v & terminals v¹E to the earth. Oft as the distant
correspondent depresses his key so often is the current reversed then deflection
that way is assisted by gravity to make sure & instant contact with the parts
d & e, deflection the other way overcomes gravity & again separates them.
To make a signal place the switch as at 6 the key handle is to be depressed
as Fig. 1 this while passing. midway down removes the end of the curve Z
from the knob & brings the end of the opposite half C just under & for
that moment connects it & the line wire direct to the earth thro' the under or
earth spring (both springs bearing for a moment on the same semicircle) &
relieves it of its induced charge, the next moment the under end m of the
half circle Z passes on to the earth spring k & the current is reversed. The
halves C & Z having mutually changed springs & thus stopping current &
joining line wire to earth occurs at the middle of every rise & fall of the
key handle, or between every change of current. The curve C being a little
more than half gives space for the two springs bearing momentarily on it as
they are changing halves.

page_text: These alternate changes making & breaking contact in the local circuit
enables that circuit to actuate any of the telegraphic apparatus calculated to
work by local battery.
There is under the switch a third spring n connected to the earth & a
corresponding switch pin o which momentarily touches it while being turned
over from send to receive & vice versa to releive the wire of its charge
direct to the earth at every change & so preserve the magnets from the
powerful currents which wou'd otherwise traverse the coils surrounding them.
The circuit of the local battery begins at e Figs 7 & 9 (its plate w being
insulated from the dial by thin horn under it & horn collets under the screw
heads) & proceeds along the wire a thro' the ivory hole y, & cover'd spiral z
to the terminals 1 & 2 Fig. 3 from thence thro' its portion of local circuit to
print or otherwise reuder signals according to the apparatus used, & returns to
the terminal 3 up the wire 4 to the frame 5 along the magnet axis to the
contact armi d which is ready to touch or to be separated from the spring e
according as the line current shall determine.
The indicator a plain galvanometer, is mounted as usual its dovetail'd
bar 6 sliding into a metal groove 7 which is screwed to the back, board 8. The
dial frame 5 of the pecker magnet is in like manner fitted to a box 9 but this
box has an axis 10 fitted into a hole 11 & is moveable by the handle 12.
This movement is to turn the dial more or less round as Fig 3 & so adjust
the force with which gravity shall aid the current to make contact between the
parts d&e. The place of the spring e is determined by a pin 13 & the right
degree of tension is given by moving the tail 14 & fixing it by the screw 15.
The motions of the arm & spring d are each limited by their adjusting
screws 16 17. Fig. 4 shows two pillars 5. 5. which make up the pecker frame
these are left out in Fig. 9. The cross bar 18 which holds the coils u u is
insulated from the frame by thin horn 19 interposed this bar being the con-
necting link between the two coils, In Figs 3 & 9 an arm 20 supports the
magnet axis, in Fig 7 a part is broken away to show the contact arm &
spring de. Fig" 10 & 11 two separate views of the magnet, axis, & contact
arm d Fig. 12 one of the coil frames a separate 21 Fig. 4 section of case
with glass front 22 22 Fig 3 its guide pins 23 a screw to fix it. The
dial has divisions & a fixed index 24 shows how much it is moved,
motion of the key handle a is both adjusted & limited by the screw & screw-
post 25 & 26.
The
This arrangement is capable of working with much less power than was
heretofore required. Leakage from one wire to the other (known technically
as contact) does not interfere with my apparatus unless it becomes stronger

page_text: than the working amount received because the, contact, piece is held by current
either to one side or the other.
CLAIMS.
The arrangement of the key for reversing the currents & discharging the
line, wire between each alternation.
The arrangement by which the switch at every move releives the line wire
of its induced charge & so protects the magnet
the magnet from the demagnetising
influence of these powerful discharges.
The use of a galvanometer for a pecker whose local circuit contact is made
by rubbing against a spring, thus making very small power sufficient for tele-
graphic purposes, the deflection for contact being assisted by gravity, the reverse
current overcoming gravity & holding back, thus using the sum instead of the
difference of the acting forces.
The power used to actuate the galvanometer being small the contact piece
d is made to strike obliquely against the spring e which yeilding to the touch
gives a sliding contact which effectually rubs away the slight cushion of air
which wou'd otherwise prevent that immediate sure contact so necessary for
rapid communication; & to secure the best action gold is used for these delicate
parts of contact but this I do not claim.
Fig 7. 9. 10. 11. & 12. are full size the other Fig" half size.
In witness whereof I the said Cromwell Fleetwood Varley have hereunto
set my hand & seal this 14th day of August A.D. 1854.
CROMWELL FLEETWOOD VARLEY. (L.S.)