IN- PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC ALARUMS FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Ernest Ragon, of No. 4, Bernard Street,
Russell Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC ALARUMS FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Pierre Jules Emile Vinay, of 27, Place
Dauphine, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 29th August 1862, and dated the 1st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st March 1862.
Ì, ADOLPHE ERNEST RAGON, of No. 4, Bernard Street, Russell Square, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC ALARUMS FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing electric alarums with differential
wires for the purpose of destroying all residuary magnetism, and for rendering
the said instrument so delicate and sensitive as to obtain during the
transmission of the electric current the maximum of effect of the "line
battery." This destruction of the residuary magnetism dispenses altogether
in this alarum with the necessity for employing any kind of regulating or
winding mechanism, at same time the adjustment of the alarum is not in any
way deranged or affected by the wood stand on which the alarum is mounted
and fixed.

page_text: An alarum constructed according to this Invention is self-regulating, that is
to say, at a distance of 140 miles it acts with all its force with the station
battery, and as this improved alarum does not require any mechanical setting
or regulating and winding up, as is now the case with alarums of the ordinary
construction, it follows therefore that this improved alarum will, when put in
action, sound for a comparatively indefinite period of time, and until it is
intentionally stopped.
The construction of this improved alarum is as follows:-To a stand of
wood I affix in a vertical position a zinc plate, also three pieces of brass or
posts at three corners of the aforesaid stand; one of said posts has the wires
of the line battery attached thereto, another post has the wires of the station
battery attached thereto, and the third post is for carrying off the residuary
magnetism; all of these posts are connected to the before-mentioned zinc
plate. Two reels are also affixed to said plate, and are each mounted upon
a separate axis; the upper reel contains fine wire, and the lower reel coarser
wire. In connection with these said reels are two steel bars, connected
together at opposite points by a piece of metal and wood screwed to the zinc
plate aforesaid, and situate between the two reels. One of these steel bars
is fixed to the axis of the upper reel, and the other bar to the axis of the
lower reel, and to this last-mentioned bar a spring hammer is affixed by its
lower end. The bar of the upper reel aforesaid has another steel bar, which
I call a pallet bar, hinged thereto, at the bottom of which a projecting
piece is fixed or formed, which operates on a pallet for exposing the symbol
reply" to view when the alarum is set in action as hereafter described.
"
The operations of this alarum are as follows:-The electric current entering
by the post connected with the wires of the line battery, enters the upper reel
aforesaid, the wire around which is kept completely insulated by covering the
axis of said reel with paper, and the magnetizing of said axis produces attraction
of the pallet bar before mentioned, and knocks off the sign answer. This
result is effected by the following means:-The removing of the sign answer
puts the zinc plate of the alarum in communication with that post which is
connected by a wire or wires with the station battery by which the electric
current passes into the axis of the upper reel, thence into the axis of the lower
reel, and thence into the wire thereof, and is finally lost in the ground by
the post in connection therewith, the effect of which is to destroy the residuary
magnetism, and put the hammer of the alarum into action, and to give greater
intensity and continuity of sound thereof at the station battery.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, fileḍ
by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, ADOLPHE
ERNEST RAGON, of No. 4, Bernard Street, Russell Square, in the County of
"Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in, the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,, the said
Adolphe Ernest Ragon, Her special licence that I, the said Adolphe Ernest
Ragon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC ALARUMB FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," upon the condition,
amongst others, that I, the said Adolphic Ernest Ragon, my executors,
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Adolphe Ernest Ragon, 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
following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in constructing electric alarums with differential wires
for the purpose of destroying all residuary magnetism, and for rendering the
said instrument so delicate and sensitive as to obtain, during the transmission
of the electric current, the maximum of effect of the "line battery." This
destruction of the residuary magnetism dispenses altogether in this alarum
with the necessity for employing any kind of regulating or winding mechanism,
at same time the adjustment of the alarum is not in any way deranged or
affected by the wood stand on which the alarum is mounted and fixed...
An alarum constructed according to this Invention is self-regulating, that is

page_text: to say, at a distance of 140 miles it acts with all its force with the station
battery, and as this improved alarum does not require any mechanical setting
or regulating, and winding up, as is now the case with alarums of the ordinary
construction, it follows, therefore, that this improved alarum will, when put
in action sound for a comparatively indefinite period of time, and until it is
intentionally stopped.
The construction of this improved alarum is as follows:-To a stand of
wood I affix in a vertical position a zinc plate, also three pieces of brass or
posts at three corners of the aforesaid stand. One of said posts has the wires
of the line battery attached thereto. Another post has the wires of the station
battery attached thereto, and the third post is for carrying off the residuary
magnetism. All of these posts are connected to the before-mentioned zinc plate.
Two reels are also affixed to said plate, and are each mounted upon a separate
axis. The upper reel contains fine wire, and the lower reel coarser wire. In
connection with these said reels are two steel bars connected together at
opposite points by a piece of metal and wood screwed to the zinc plate afore-
said, and situate between the two reels. One of these steel bars is fixed to
the axis of the upper reel, and the other bar to the axis of the lower reel,
and to this last-mentioned bar a spring hammer is affixed by its lower end.
The bar of the upper reel aforesaid has anothar steel bar which I call a pallet
bar hinged thereto, at the bottom of which a projecting piece is fixed or
formed, which operates on a pallet for exposing the symbol "reply" to
view when the alarum is set in action as herein-after described.
.
The operations of this alarum are as follows:-The electric current entering
by the post connected with the wires of the line battery enters the lower reel
aforesaid, the wire around which is kept completely insulated by covering
the axis of said reel with paper, and the magnetizing of said axis produces
attraction of the pallet bar before mentioned, and knocks off the sign answer.
This result is effected by the following means:-The removing of the sign
answer puts the zinc plate of the alarum in communication with that post
which is connected by a wire or wires with the station' battery, by which the
electric current passes into the axis of the upper reel, thence into the axis
of the lower reel, and thence into the wire thereof, and is finally lost in
the ground by the post in connection therewith; the effect of which is to
destroy the residuary magnetism, and put the hammer of the alarum into
action, and to give greater intensity and continuity of sound thereof at the
station battery.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into

page_text: practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of refer-
ence marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved electric alárum com-
plete and ready for use; Figure 2 a front clevation of the mechanism of the
alarum; Figure 3 a top plan view thereof. At each of the foregoing Figures
I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far
as such parts appear, or can be seen at each of such said Figures respec-
tively.
A is the stand of the machine (of wood), to which are affixed the following
parts; B, a zinc plate; C, 'C, studs screwed thereinto, and employed for
holding the reels D, E, in proper position by means of the bar G and screw
nuts a, a, which tighten said reels between pieces of wood b, b, c, c, shown
partly by dotted lines at Figure 2. The upper reel D contains fine wire, and
the lower reel E coarse wire, the ends of said wires being respectively fixed
to the posts N, O, P, as exhibited. JI is a cranked piece of metal screwed to
the piece of wood c, c, the cranked parts 1, 2, are respectively connected to
one end of the axes of the reels D, E; and to said cranked part 1 the spring
hammer I is screwed, and to the part 2 the pallet bar K is connected by pivot
screws 3, 3. L is a small spring for keeping the pallet bar K out of contact
with the axis of the reel E, and thus supporting by the pallet 4 the small
rod d fixed on one end of a long collar e; the opposite end of said collar has a
piece of metal f fixed thereto, on which is inscribed the word reply or
answer; g is a small rod screwed into the zinc plate B, said rod being
employed to carry the collar e; M is a strip of metal or bar fixed at the back
of the zinc plate B by screws at 5, 5; N, O, are posts or pieces of metal
connected by the screws at 5, 5, to the plate B, but isolated therefrom by
washers made of any material which is a non-conductor of electricity; P is
another isolated post, connected by a screw 6 to the plate B, and by the rod h
to the post P¹, to which the line battery is to be connected; Q is another
isolated post connected by the rod i with the post R, to which the station battery
is to be connected. The post O, which is connected with the post R by the
rod k, is employed to carry off the residuary magnetism through the agency
of the post N and bar M.
The operations of this improved alarum are as follows:-The electric
current entering by the post P enters the lower reel E, the wire of which is
kept completely insulated by covering the axis of said reel with paper, and the

page_text: magnetizing of the point of said axis produces attraction of the pallet bar K,.
and knocks off the sign "reply" or "answer," thus exposing same to view as
at Figure 1. When this symbol reply or answer is thus moved down, the
electric current coming from the post R connected with the station battery
is now put into communication with the zinc plate B, and passes thence
through the post S, the spring 7 whereof touching the hammer, puts it into
action, and conveys the current to the axis of the lower reel E, and thence
through the cranked bar H to the axis of the upper reel D through the
wire coil thereof into the post N, thence by the bar M and post O into the
ground, thus carrying off effectually the residuary magnetism from the pallet
bar K, the bammer I continues to strike tho bell Z so long as the communi-
cation with the station battery is preserved.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of this
Invention for "Improvements in Electric Alarums for Telegraphic Purposes,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, I hereby declare this Invention to consist in, and I claim,
first, constructing electric alarums with differential wires in combination with
the other parts of the alarum as. described and represented, and especially I
claim the rod d and pallet bar. K for connecting the alarum with the station
battery and by these means causing the residuary magnetism to be carried off
as above stated.
In witness whereof I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.