Improvements in Telegraph Repeaters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1896-4ccepted, 2nd May, 1896
[Communicated from abroad by BENJAMIN FREDERICK MERRITT, of
77 Montclair Avenue, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United
States of America, Mechanic.]
Improvements in Telegraph Repeaters.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to the class of telegraph repeaters, which are employed at
intermediate stations when messages are to he transmitted long distances, and the
object is to provide a more simple and effective device for this purpose.
The invention consists in the combination with a pair of polarized relays of
any suitable and well known form, a pair of magnets having their coils in different
circuits, armature levers for said magnets arranged with their free ends extending
to an angle, insulated from each other and adapted to automatically interlock one
with the other, and means carried by each of said levers to open and close electric
circuits.
And my invention consists in certain other combinations of parts hereinafter
described and specifically set forth in the claims.
In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved repeater, with its clectric connections
and sources of current,
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the instrument,-the side on which the automatic
interlocking relay is mounted,-and
Figure 3 shows a modified form of the interlocking relay.
Referring specifically to the drawings, A represents the board or base upon
which the relays are mounted; B and C are two polarized relays of any suitable
and well known form not necessary to be herein fully described, and D is the
automatic interlocking relay which I will now proceed to describe. The magnets, D¹
and D of this relay are preferably suspended, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, by
their yokes which are secured rigidly to the levers E' and E". The said levers
are each pivoted at one end to a support, E, as shown in Figure 2, their opposite
ends extend to an angle preferably a right angle, and the said ends lie in close
proximity to each other, so that when one is operated it moves into the path of
motion of the other.
Opposite the poles of the magnets, D', and D", are the armatures F1 and F
firmly fixed to the base A.
It will be obvious that with this arrangement both levers with their respective
magnets cannot be operated or attracted toward their armatures at the same
time.
e, ell are limited spring contacts mounted on the levers. Said spring contacts
are limited by hooks, and f" and make contact with the screws d¹ and d".
As a certain latitude is necessary in the operation of the locking levers at the
point, F, the contact between the levers E and E" and the screws, d and d",
cannot be made rigid, for if rigid the necessary lost motion at the point, F, would
open the contact. In order that the contact may be kept closed while its lever is

page_text: locked, provide the springs e an e". The said contacts can only be separate.l
when a lever is unlocked, and only one lever can be unlocked at a time.
The end of one of the levers, as E", is insulated by any suitable means, as by a
small block, k, of hard rubber or fibre, so that when one moves into the path of the
other there will be no electrical connection between the two.
The actuating batteries W B and E B are connected with the polarized relays in
the usual manner.
I will now trace the circuits or electrical connections, which, for the sake of
clearness, are not connected to the row of binding posts, P', shown in dotted lines.
The circuit from the east line E L runs through the inagnet D1 of the locking
relay to the magnets of the polarized relay, B, and then to the armature of the
polarized relay C.
The circuit from the west line W L passes through the magnet, D¹, to and
through the coils of the polarized relay, C, to the armature of the polarized
relay B.
The contacts, e¹, d', and e", d", are connected with the batteries E B and WB
respectively, through the points or stops for the levers of the polarized relays.
Each set of contacts act as short circuits to the points of their opposite relay, or
the relay to which they are connected. The contacts, e", d", short circuit the
points,, and are connected to the poles of the west sending battery W B, and
the contacts e, d' short circuit the points c', cl, and are connected to the poles of
the east sending battery E B. The batteries are equally divided and their centers
or neutral points are connected together and to ground at G.
The armature levers of the polar relays may rest in their normal position in
contact with the stops, 6, and c, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows-
When an impulse is sent on the east line EL it first passes through the
magnet, D, energizing it and causing it to be attracted with its lever to its
armature Fi
The movement of the lever, E", causes the spring, el, to break contact with the
stop, d, and opens the short circuit from battery W B allowing it to act and the
relay, B, to be put in service. This movement of the lever, El, brings its end at
point, F, under the end of the lever, E', so that it is impossible for its contacts, e', d',
to open to break its short circuit. This locking action keeps the relay, C, and its
attendant battery E B from acting.
The
The current after passing through D" passes through the coils of the polarized
relay, B, actuating its armature and applying the current of the battery W B with
proper phases to the west line W L in the usual and well known manner.
circuit E L after passing through the polarized relay, B, passes to the pivoted end
of the armature of the polarized relay, C, and through it to the stops, cl, or cl, and
through the battery E B to ground G.
It will be obvious that during the operation described the battery E B is held
constantly short circuited by the contacts e¹ and d¹.
When an impulse or a series of impulses is sent from the opposite direction or from
the west line W L the conditions and locking are reversed.
The first impulse sent from either line determines the locking of the levers and
the levers so locked remain in this condition until the current ceases over the
line.
9, gform stops for the inner sides of the levers, E and E, and h, h, are
springs to draw the magnets D', D", from their armatures.
The posts, ', ', for these springs are not shown in Figure 2.
In the modified form of automatic locking relay, D, shown in Figure 3, the
magnets, D', D", are secured rigidly to the base, A, and the levers E and E are
secured to pivoted armatures F, F.
The magnets in this case are not set at an angle with relation to each other, but
are arranged side by side and parallel with each other. The levers E' and E are,
however, curved or bent so that their free ends are extended to substantially a

page_text: right angle. The pivots of the levers extend horizontally in Figure 3 while in
Figures 1 and 2 they extend vertically.
I do not limit myself to the precise form of construction shown and described
herein as it will be obvious that the details may be changed or modified without
departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a pair of polarized relays, of an
automatic locking relay having a pair of vibratory levers adapted to move one in
the path of the other, a pair of batteries and connections, means carried by said
levers to short-circuit the batteries, and contacts for the levers of the polarized
relays in said connections, as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a pair of polarized relays, of
an automatic locking relay having a pair of vibrating levers extending at an angle
to each other and adapted to move their free ends one in the path of the other, a
pair of batteries and connections, means carried by said levers to short circuit the
batteries, and contacts for the levers of the polarized relays in the said connections,
as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a base and a pair of polarized
relays, of a pair of electro magnets, levers adapted to be operated by said magnets
and to move one in the path of the other, limited spring contacts carried by said
levers, stationary contacts to engage the spring contacts, a pair of batteries having
their centers connected to ground and their poles connected to the contacts carried
by the said levers, contacts for the armature levers of the polarized relays in the
connections between the batteries and the first mentioned contacts, and line circuits
passing through said magnets and the relays, as set forth.
4. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a base and a pair of polarized
relays mounted thereon, of a pair of electro magnets arranged at an angle to each
other, levers secured to said magnets, stationary armatures secured to the base,
yielding contacts for the levers, insulation on the end of one of the levers, stops to
limit the movement of the levers, a pair of batteries connected to the yielding
contacts through the contacts for the levers of the polarized relays, and the line
circuits connecting the coils of the relays with the said magnets, as set forth.
5. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a base, and a pair of polarized
relays mounted thereon, of a pair of electro magaets, levers arranged at an angle
to each other, operated by said magnets and adapted to interlock one with the
other, spring contacts carried by said levers, stationary adjustable contacts to
engage the spring contacts, hooks on the levers to limit the movement of the
springs, a pair of batteries having their centers connected to ground and their poles
connected to the said levers, contacts for the levers of the polarized relays connected
to the poles of the batteries, and the line circuits connecting the polarized relays
with the magnets of the locking relay, as set forth.
6. In a telegraph repeater, the combination with a base and a pair of polarized
relays mounted thereon, of a pair of electro magnets, arranged at an angle to each
other, levers secured to said magnets, stationary armatures secured to the base,
yielding contacts for the levers, insulation on the end of one lever to insulate it
from the other, stops to limit the movement of the levers, springs to retract the
magnets from their armatures, a pair of divided batteries having their neutral points
connected to ground, connections leading from the poles of the batteries through
the contacts of the levers of the polarized relays to the yielding contacts, and the
line circuits leading through the said magnets and the polarized relays, as and for
the purpose described.
7. In an automatic relay, the combination of levers extending at an angle to each
other and adapted to move one in the path of the other, insulation carried on the
free end of one lever, spring contacts, stationary contacts, hooks on the levers to

page_text: limit the movement of the springs, magnets to operate the levers, and battery
connections controlled by the movement of the levers, as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of January 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.