IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michael Henry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd April
1861. A communication from abroad by Ernest Gabriel Baptiste
Guillier, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent,
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS," communicated to me from abroad by Ernest
Gabriel Baptiste Guillier, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, to be as
follows:-
The object of these improvements is to render telegraphic communications
easier, cheaper, and more exact. They relate to arrangements for increasing
the contacts of manipulators to lightning conductors with strong contact; to
alarm relays so contrived that a single alarm arrangement may suffice for a
night station, whatever the number of apparatuses at work, and so that a single
impulsion of the corresponding station may work the alarm to a permutator
for putting any two wires into communication; to an apparatus for six or a
less number of lines for putting any two of the lines in communication,
whether direct, simultaneous by relays, or simultaneous by deviation of the
current.
The manipulator.-At the base there is a lever through which passes a
copper axis threaded at the ends, and fitted with screws; it is driven forward
by a spring fixed to the suspending appliance fitted to the base. The contacts
are all of an alloy of 16 copper and tin; those of the base are cupped and

page_text: concave.
The contact of the second lever has a threaded part separated by a
rivet from the round part which terminates of a thimble-end shape; each
contact has an orifice with a pin to regulate the lever's play. The back one,
when once screwed in, is not to be touched; the front one is fixed by a
countersunk screw, which is not to be disturbed when the lever is adjusted.
The first lever should have but slight play; the contacts which receive the
wires are fixed to the wood by countersunk screws, and through them pass
the above contacts.
The lightning conductor.-The parts are similar to those of the mani-
pulator, except in respect of a lever and a contact; the lever has at each end
a thimble end screw. One contact is recessed, and has a perforated copper
pin receiving a bare platina wire, the other end of which twines round the
screw, and acts on the lever; this wire is pressed into a groove in the lever by
the spring, which is overcome by the resistance, and communication established
between the line and the apparatus; but if a storm injured the apparatus, the
burnt or damaged wire would break, and instantaneous communication be
established with the earth. The wire is protected by a wood and copper frame
with sliding glass.
Alarm relay. This relay consists of a varnished mahogany base with
rounded angles, four round feet and four contacts connecting the lines by copper
plates with the corresponding points, two reels or coils, two round connecting
contacts pillar, vertical wheel on a headed axis threaded at the other end, and
fitted with a screw for adjusting it; the wheel is for extending and slackening
the spring that passes through the upright rod between the reels. The spring
is attached to a hook which carries an ivory rod mounted on a soft iron
pallet placed opposite the coils on two stems, one with a screw, which, with a
pillar, regulates the play of the pallet; this pillar has a screw through it.
An oval metal indicating plate, with two arms fixed to another plate over the
reels, stands on the end of the ivory rod, which has a spring held by a cross
piece, one end touching a pillar when a current comes from the line; the
pallet is attracted, the ivory rod thrown back, and the metal rod touches the
pillar-screw. The indicating plate falls till stopped by the spring of the rod
which is pressed against the pillar, and establishes a continuous current; the
vertical rod between the coils is connected to the alarm wire; the current thus
acts on the alarm, which acts till contact is interrupted by raising the plate by
means of a rod on the box. The plate bears the name of the line on which
the relay is mounted. The apparatus is in a frame with an opening.
Screw permutator for putting any two wires into communication.-This
consists of an arrangement of copper plates placed at right angles on each

page_text: side of a varnished mahogany table, the side of the square being in connection
with the permutator power; the table has at back a frame. The whole is
fixed to the wall; the back plates have countersunk screws; there are more
than the necessary number of screw heads. The heads screwed quite down
establish a perfect contact. The plates embedded in the wood extend in the
direction of the thickness of the table, and have a screw at each end, and
rise upward, and have an orifice; a screw presses on the line wire placed in
the other orifice; these screws are numbered. To render the communications
regular within the station, a copper frame and glass is hinged to the per-
mutator at one side, turning down on a copper plate with an arched stop, so
that the apparatus may be locked up.
Inversion plates.--For six line wires this semicircular plate has at top six
screw contacts; 25 contacts quite similar receive the four wires (wall-insulator
alarm apparatus.) The line wire may be connected by the conductor to two
arms on a fixed support at right angles to the table.
By nine round screw chamfered contacts on the circumference described by
each conductor, and connected by copper plates and other contacts not
chamfered with indications for establishing relay communications, there may
be established, by copper plates like those described, placed above and below
the table, a communication between any two of these lines. In case of storm,
one or more, or all of the lines may be connected with the earth by contacts.
The current may be sent to all the lines together; one battery would transmit
the same message to three wires, so that if three relay stations were esta-
blished on ench wire, nine apparatuses working together might produce the
same signals in opposite directions; an uniform mode of mounting for all the
stations, all the apparatuses being on the same table, prevents internal dis-
turbance.
The apparatus can be much simplified if constructed for fewer wires. I do
not restrict myself to the materials, details, and accessories mentioned in the
course of this Specification.