Improvements in Writing Telegraphs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Writing Telegraphs.
I WALTER SAMUEL STELJES of Mount View, Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham, ir.
the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:
This invention has for its object Improvements in writing telegraphs.
The matter which it is desired to telegraph is written with insulating ink on a
surface of conducting material or the writing may be made with conducting ink or
material and the surface may be of insulating material as for instance paper. This
prepared surface I call the "writing." The writing is passed through the
transmitting instrument; it is carried over a roller which I call the "paper roller."
A tracer is made to pass very rapidly to and fro across the writing as it lies upon the
paper roller. The tracer receives this movement from a motor capable of being
adjusted to a suitable and regular speed. The tracer is mounted upon a carrier and
each time that the carrier comes to the end of its course, it liberates an escapement
in connection with the paper roller and allows the roller to be moved forward a short
distance by a train of wheels and a weight or spring. The paper roller thus carries
the writing forward step by step so that the tracer may traverse successively over
every part of it. In connection with the transmitting instrument there is a battery
connected in circuit and when the tracer touches a conducting part of the writing a
current passes in the line wire.
The receiving instrument is like the transmitter except that its battery is switched
out of circuit. By means hereinafter described, which form an important feature of
my invention, the transmitting and the receiving instruments are made to move
sychronously. In the receiving instrument the paper roller carries a paper or
surface to be written upon. The simplest method is to use a chemically prepared
paper and to cause the tracer to mark upon it by electrolytic decomposition whenever
a current passes in the line wire. Or the writing may he reproduced in printing ink
by mounting on the same carrier with the tracer, a small wheel which by a suitable
appliance is inked on its periphery. So long as there is no current in the line the
printing roller does not touch the paper on the paper roller but when a single current
arrives it causes the printing roller to make its mark. An electro-magnet is
energised by the currents in the line circuit and then preferably by mechanical
means a rapid movement to and from the paper is imparted to the printing roller.
The transmitting and receiving instruments are synchronised by the following
means-As the carrier on which the tracer is mounted arrives at the end of its
course it passes a retaining pawl and it cannot return again until this pawl is lifted.
The carrier also as it comes to the end of its course actuates a contact inaker.
the receiving instrument the contact maker is inoperative, the battery being out of
circuit, but in the transmitting instrument the contact maker closes the battery
circuit in such manner as momentarily to send through the line a current of opposite
polarity to the currents which serve to reproduce the writing. This reverse current
serves to bring into operation an electro-magnet having a polarised armature
connected with the retaining pawl. Thus for an instant the retaining pawl is
In

page_text: withdrawn and the carrier in the transmitting instrument passes it in commencing
its return journey. Similarly in the receiving instrument the carrier, if its
movements are properly synchronised, passes the pawl in the instant that it is
withdrawn but if it should attempt to pass at any other time the pawl retains it
until the pawl is again withdrawn when it starts again in unison with the carrier in
the transmitting instrument.
1, WALTER SAMUEL STELJES, of Mount View, Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham,
in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object improvements in writing telegraphs.
The matter which it is desired to telegraph is written with insulating ink on a
surface of conducting material or the writing may be made with conducting ink or
material and the surface may be of insulating material as for instance paper. This
prepared surface I call the writing. The writing is passed, through the transmitting
instrument; it is carried over a roller which I call the paper roller. A tracer is made
to pass very rapidly to and fro across the writing as it lies upon the paper roller. The
tracer receives this movement from a motor capable of being adjusted to a suitable
and regular speed. The tracer is mounted upon a carrier and each time that the
carrier comes to the end of its course, it liberates an escapement in connection with
the paper roller and allows the roller to be moved forward a short distance by a train
of wheels and a weight or spring. The paper roller thus carries the writing forward
step by step so that the tracer may traverse successively over every part of it. In
connection with the transmitting instrument there is a battery connected in circuit
and when the tracer touches a conducting part of the writing a current passes in
the line wire.
The receiving instrument is like the transmitter except that its battery is switched
By means hereinafter described, which form an important feature of
my invention, the transmitting and the receiving instruments are made to move
synchronously. In the receiving instrument the paper roller carries a paper or
surface to be written upon. The simplest method is to use a chemically prepared
paper and to cause the tracer to mark upon it by electrolytic decomposition whenever
a current passes in the line wire.
The transmitting and receiving instruments are synchronised by the following
means-As the carrier on which the tracer is mounted arrives at the end of its
course it passes a retaining pawl and it cannot return again until this pawl is lifted.
The carrier also as it comes to the end of its course actuates a contact maker. In
the receiving instrument the contact maker is incperative, the battery being out of
circuit, but in the transmitting instrument the contact maker closes the battery
circuit in such manner as momentarily to send through the line a current of opposite
polarity to the currents which serve to reproduce the writing. This reverse current
serves to bring into operation an electro magnet having a polarised armature
connected with the retaining pawl. Thus for an instant the retaining pawl is
withdrawn and the carrier in the transmitting instrument passes it in commencing
its return journey. Similarly in the receiving instrument the carrier, if its
movements are properly synchronised, passes the pawl in the instant that it is

page_text: until the pawl is again withdrawn when it starts again in unison with the carrier in
the transmitting instrument.
The annexed drawings show a writing telegraph instrument in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 1 is a plan.
Figure 2 is an end elevation.
Figure 3 is a section on the line A. B. in Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows the electro magnet and parts in connection therewith which operate
the synchronising appliance.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams of the cireuit arrangements.
a is an axis driven at an approximately uniform speed by a clockwork or other
motor which is not shown in the drawings.
a is a crank pin which the axis carries round with it.
and
b is a frame which is moved to and fro by the crank pin which thrusts alternately
upon its adjustable fingers b' b. The frame is controlled by suitable guides 6
it has a rack b³ fixed to it. The rack engages with a pinion c¹ on a vertical axis c.
c2 c² are drums on the upper end of the axis c and as the axis rotates first in one
direction and then in the other, the drums c2 wind and unwind the cords d d. These
cords are led round guide pulleys d¹ d to the carrier e to which they are attached.
The carrier e slides on the guide har f which is so carried that it is electrically
insulated from the framework of the instrument.
g is the tracer armed with a contact roller; this tracer is mounted on the carrier
and a spring presses it downwards into contact with the paper roller h, or rather into
contact with the writing or receiving sheet which is interposed between the tracer
and the paper roller. This writing or receiving sheet is held to the paper roller by
elastic bands i i passing around the paper roller and around guide pulleys ¹. The
paper roller is connected with its axis by a ratchet and pawl and a clockwork in
connection with the axis tends to revolve it and also the paper roller. Some only of
the wheels of the clock train are seen at l. The paper roller is however controlled
by an escapement consisting in discs on the paper roller in which pins are fixed
and a slide m with fingers m¹ ml which enter between the pins h. On the carrier e
there are spring pushers e¹ el and as the carrier comes to an end of its course these
operate upon the slide m and move it endways a short distance thereby at one end
disengaging the finger from the pins npon the paper roller whilst causing the finger
at the other end to engage with the pins. Thus each time the carrier arrives at the
end of its course a movement equal to half the distance between the pins is permitted
to the paper roller, and so the writing or receiving surface is carried onwards a short
distance after each traverse of the tracer. The carrier as it comes to the end of its
traverse thrusts also upon an insulating stem o. This stem is jointed to two parallel
metal arms p p pivoted at p' p' to an insulating block and making oontact with
metal pins q q2 3 inserted into this block. A spring tends to hold the arms p in
the position in which they are shown in Figure I that is to say in contact with the
pins q and q³ respectively but when the carrier thrusts upon the insulating stem o
contact is caused to be made with the pins q¹ and q. The battery connections are
thereby reversed in a manner which is rendered clear by the diagrams 5 and 6.
r is a hook which, when the carrier comes to the end of its course engages with
the projection e upon it so that the carrier cannot return until this hook is lifted.
This is done by connecting it with the armature which is jointed to one extremity
of the permanent magnet t whilst the other extremity carries the core of the magnet
coil u. The armature is held off the contact of the core by the spring v but this
spring is overcome. when a suitably directed current passes through the bobbin u.
The circuit connections may now be traced in the Figures 5 and 6. In these
diagrams a switch is shown which so far has not been described. The switch in
connection with each instrument consists of three metal arins 23 pivoted at
their lower ends to an insulating block and also connected together by a bar y of

page_text: insulating material. Also there are five metal pins 21 22 23 inserted into the
insulating block and with these pins the bars a¹ 23 can be placed in contact in the
manner in which the diagrams indicate.
Figure 5 shows the parts as they stand when the carrier is in an intermediate
position.
In
Figure 6 shows the position when the carrier is at the end of its traverse.
Figure 5 connection may be traced from the sending battery w on the left of the
figure by one of the arms p through q' to the carrier e and tracer g, then through
the writing if a conducting portion thereof happens to be in contact with the tracer
to the paper roller h. The paper roller is connected to earth and so the current
reaches the paper roller h of the receiving instrument seen on the right side of
the figure.
It passes through the chemically prepared paper lying on this roller marking the
paper in so doing to the tracer g and carrier e thence to the pin q and to the pin z¹.
From z¹ the current passes by 1 and 2 to the pin 23 and the magnet bobbin u but
the magnet does not attract its armature the current not being suitably directed to
cause it to do so. From u the current reaches 2' and ' with which latter the line
wire is connected. By line the current passes back to the sending instrument at 2³
and by 2 and the magnet bobbin u it reaches 2x²x¹ z² q2 p and so passes to the
battery w. Similarly in Figure 6 the current may be traced from the battery at the
sending station on the left of the figure through p the hook (when contact is
there made) the carrier e tracer g paper roller h to earth and so to the paper roller
of the receiving instrument. It passes onwards by the tracer g and carrier e to the
pin 3 thence to z¹, x1, x2, 23, through the magnet coil u through z' and ' to line
and so to x in the receiving instrument through z' and the coil u to z, x2, x¹, q, and
thus back to the sending battery. In this case the electro magnets attract their
armatures at the moment when the sending carrier makes contact with its hook
as the current then passes through the magnet coils in a suitable direction to cause
the armatures to be attracted. The hooks rl in both the sending and receiving
instrument are lifted and the carriers commence their traverse or if the carrier in the
receiving instrument be out of time it may be detained by the hook and started at
the proper instant when the hook next lifts. The head of the hook on its outer face
is covered with insulating material so that an electrical contact may not be made
upon it but upon the inner face only of the hook.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The method herein described for synchronising the carriers and tracers in the
sending and receiving instruments, consisting in providing hooks to retain the
carriers and tracers at the ends of their respective traverses and causing such hooks
to be lifted simultaneously to liberate the carriers and tracers by electro magnets
which are made to operate simultaneously by a closing of the circuit effected by the
carrier of the sending instrument on reaching its retaining hook.
2. The combination of parts substantially as described consisting of the carrier,
the tracer and the paper roller and means for actuating the same, the retaining hook,
the polarised electro magnet and armature actuating the retaining hook, the contacts
upon the carrier and the hook, the battery and the switch by which the carrier
reverses the battery connections.
3. An electric telegraph writing instrument substantially as herein described.