Improvements in Electrical Communicating Apparatus, Partly Applicable to Pneumatic and other like Communicating Apparatus.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 7th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Electrical Communicating Apparatus, Partly
Applicable to Pneumatic and other like Communicating
Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM CHADBURN, of 11 Waterloo Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster
Optician and Nautical Instrument Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention there are employed a transmitting and receiving
instrument. In the transmitting instrument there is a suitable contact making device
and in the receiving instrument there is provided an incandescent electric lamp or
lamps. The two instruments are connected by suitable communicating wires and
electricity is supplied from any suitable source.
The apparatus is so arranged and connected that when contact is made at the
transmitting instrument a current of electricity will flow through the connections and
lamps which will thereby be made to glow or become incandescent. The light thus
made I utilize to illuminate words, letters, or figures indicative of orders, conditions
and like communications.
The purposes to which this invention may be applied are all those where orders,
conditions and the like communications are required to be sent and communicated
between one place or position and another or others, such as for hotels, houses,
offices, shops, mines, ships refreshment bar orders in ships, hotels and other places,
railway communicating apparatus for train and signalling purposes, and other like
or equivalent purposes.
The illumination of the words, letters, or figures may be effected by transmitted or
reflected light. These may be obtained by causing the light to be either reflected
upon the words, letters, or figures or by causing the light to be transmitted through
translucent material containing the words, letters or figures, or through apertures.
Or the words, letters, or figures may be delineated upon the globe of the lamp or in
any other suitable way.
In combination with the lamps I may employ electric bells arranged to ring when a
communication is made. The bell may be made to give a short sound or a prolonged
When a prolonged one is required it may be effected by constructing the contact
one.

page_text: 21
maker in the form of an ordinary "button or like contact maker but provided with
a slow recovering action so that contact, may be maintained and the bell will continue
to ring for the desired length of time. This may be suitably effected by an escape-
ment such as a fan or air escapement arrangement which allows air to pass freely to or
from a cylinder or bag when contact is made by the hand and when released a spring
brings back the button or like device to its normal position, slowly, by a small or
contracted admission or escape of air.
Reply communicating apparatus may be fitted in or in connection with the apparatus
above described and the apparatus may be constructed and erected in single sets,
or in multiple sets. The reply device may be worked and arranged in any suitable
way..
The means above specified for obtaining a prolonged sounding or ringing of the bell
may be applied to pneumatic and other like communicating apparatus.
In cases such as where pointers are now used in apparatus of the type herein
described I may employ an electric lamp to travel past or over the words, letters and
figures in lieu of or with the pointer and so the words, letters, or figures will be
illuminated.
Dend this fih dore of Janur 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Communicating Apparatus, Partly
Applicable to Pneumatic and other like Communicating
Apparatus.
1. WILLIAM CHADBURN, of 11, Waterloo Road, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Optician and Nautical Instrument Manufacturer, 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 statenient:-
According to this Invention there are employed a transmitting and receiving
instrument. In the transmitting instrument there is a suitable contact making device
of any known type having single or multiple contacts and in the receiving instrument.
there is provided an incandescent electric lamp, or lamps. The two instruments are
connected by suitable communicating wires and electricity is supplied from any
suitable source.
The apparatus is so arranged and connected that when contact is made at the trans-
mitting instrument a current of electricity will flow through the connection made and
a lamp which will thereby be made to glow, or become incandescent. The light thus
made
utilize to illuminate a word, or words, letters, or figures indicative of a certain
order, condition, or like communication.
The purposes to which this Invention may be applied are all those where orders,
conditions and the like communications are required to he sent and communicated
between one place, or position and another, or others, such as for hotels, houses, offices,
shops, mines, refreshment bar and stateroom orders in ships, hotels and for other
places, or like purpose other than what are known as ships "Engine room
Telegraphs" Steering Telegraphs" "Docking" and "Lookout Telegraphs" and
the like.
::
The illumination of the words, letters, or figures may be effected by transmitted, or
reflected light. These may be obtained by causing the light to be either reflected upon
the words, letters, or figures, or by causing the light to be transmitted through
translucent material containing the words, letters, or figures, or through apertures.
Or the words, letters, or figures may be delineated upon the globe of the lamp, or by
any other suitable way.
In combination with the lamp I employ an electric hell arranged to ring when a
communication is made. The bell may be made to give a short sound, or a prolonged
one. When a prolonged one is required it may be effected by constructing the
contact maker of the transmitting instrument in the form of an ordinary "button,"
or like contact maker, but provided with a slow recovering action so that contact may
be maintained and the bell will continue to ring for the desired length of time. This
may be suitably effected by an escapement, such as a fan, or air escapement arrange-
ment which allows air to pass freely to, or from a cylinder, or bag when contact is
made by the hand and when released a spring brings back the button or like device
to its normal position slowly by a small, or contracted admission, or escape of air.

page_text: Reply communicating apparatus may be fitted in, or in connection with the apparatus
above described and the apparatus may be constructed and erected in single sets, or in
multiple sets. The reply device may be worked and arranged in any suitable
way.
The means above specified for obtaining a prolonged sounding, or ringing of the
bell may be applied to pneumatic and other like communicating apparatus.
Apparatus according to this Invention, namely one in which communications are
made between two points, or parts by putting electric lamps in, or out of illumination,
suitable for houses, hotels, shops, or when conditions similar, or equivalent to those
existing in houses, hotels and shops are found, is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
In these
Figure 1 is a view showing a receiving instrument and system of contact makers
or transmitters and electric leads, or wires diagrammatically.
Figure 2 is a modified form of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a detail of a transmitting instrument, that is a contact button mechanism.
In the Drawings A are the transmitting instruments. B is the receiving instrument.
D are the electric lamps and E the gongs. With reference to Figure 1 the trans-
mitting instrument A consists merely of ordinary "button" contact, or circuit makers,
and one of these instruments is placed in each room when the apparatus is in a
hotel, or house which it may be assumed for simplicity this example is applied to-
in the ordinary way. Each of the instruments A therefore will have a corresponding
lamp in the instrument B connected to its transmitter by a separate circuit, or lead f
These circuits and leads effect the illumination of their respective lamps in an
indirect manner, namely each circuit, or lead excites a magnet j-when the contact
is made at the transmitter A-which draws a rocking armature having a catch j
to it. These circuits, or leads have a common return wire to the battery E¹. When
the armature is not attracted by the magnet j the catch holds a lever as shown.
This lever is also a rocking one and is pivotted and is kept up to the catch by a
spring at its opposite end. On this lever there is a projecting piece k³. Now
when the armature j is drawn to the magnet, the catch is withdrawn from the
lever and thereupon the spring k² causes the other end of the lever to rise and in
so doing the projection presses upon the lower of the two spring -whose
normal relative position is apart as shown and brings it into contact
with the upper spring . It is this contact-indirectly affected by the magnet j-
that causes a circuit to be made and the current to pass through one of the lamps D,
corresponding with the button, which made the circuit through the magnet. After
leaving the lamp D, the current passes through the gong upon its return. The
source of electricity in this local circuit is a battery L and the current from it travels
by a lead, a branch from which leads to each of the lower contact springs 1 (and
when these springs are in contact) and through the upper spring 1 to the lamp from
whence it returns by a return branch wire to the main return lead l. This lead
passes through the gong E and sets it ringing and so long as one, or more lamps are
in illumination, the gong will continue to sound. Thus attention is called to one, or
more orders, as the case may be, which is, or are sent. When they have been taken
notice of the attendant may put the lamps out of illumination and simultaneously stop
the gong ringing by pulling down the levers until they re engage with the catch
of the armature. This may be done by a mechanism such as is ordinarily used in
hotel electric communicating apparatus by which all the levers of the lamps which
happen to be illuminated are pulled down by a lever, or handle common to them all,
or it may be done by providing each of the levers with a handle n which projects
outside the casing of the instrument. By this action the contact springs will fly apart
and so the lamp and gong circuit is broken. It may be noted that in this instance the
length of time required to send an order is very small and as soon as the finger is
taken off the button A the armature is drawn instantly from the magnet j by a slight
spring s. The strength of the battery may be such as to bo capable of putting three
out of twenty lamps in illumination as it is improbable that more than this proportion
of lamps will be required to be in operation at the same instant.

page_text: According to the modification shown in Figures 2 and 3 instead of allowing the
lamps to be kept illuminated and the gong to be sounded until stopped by the atten-
dant they are kept illuminated and the gong is caused to ring for a certain specified
time say about of a minute. In this case there is no operating mechanism in the
receiving instrument B except the gong E and this is actuated by the return wire i,
which is common to all the lamps D. The device for carrying out the time signal, or
order consists of an escapement mechanism placed in the transmitting instrument A
(see Figure 3). In this device a piston e constitutes the contact maker and works in
a cylinder o. The piece with which it is brought into contact to make the required
circuit. is designated d and is fixed to a spring p which is secured to a cylinder
cover c² of non conducting material. The normal position of the piston c is that
shown in the Drawing namely out of contact with the piece d. This position is
maintained by the springy and the position of the spring p shown in the Drawings-
this being its normal position-is its limit of natural extension. The circuit leads
and are connected respectively to the spring and cylinder o.
P
If then the piston
is brought in contact with the piece d by pressing the button a down to the full
extent, not only will a circuit be made but the air before existing between the piston
and the cover will have been expelled through the piston, holes for the purpose
being provided as shown and covered by a light valve which is kept up to its seat
upon the piston by a light spring. Upon removing the finger from the button a the
spring tends to press the piston e back to its normal position, but the holes in the
piston being covered by the valve the speed of recovery of the piston will be depen-
dent upon the amount of opening allowed for the air to pass into the space between it
and the cover c. This admission may be effected by making a small hole in any of
the parts of the device enclosing that space. During the time the piston is recovering
its position the corresponding lamp in the receiving instrument B will be illuminated
and the gong sounded but as soon as the piston leaves the piece d the circuit is broken
and the lamp goes out and the gong ceases to sound. The return common lead i is
led to the battery E' as in Figure 1.
In the receiving instruments the number of the room may be delineated upon the
lamp globe as shown, or otherwise and the cases a³ of the instrument B are of the
ordinary type.
The instrument set forth with reference to Figure 3 is applicable to pneumatic
communicating apparatus as well as the electrical apparatus herein specified. It will
be evident that when so applied the spring p and electric leads and g would not be
required and that the pneumatic pipe would be connected to the cylinder o and at that
end of it which the system employed may render necessary. That is to say if the
pneumatic system employed be the compression of air within the tubes, the tube would
be connected to the cylinder on that side of the piston in which the air is locked, or
imprisoned when the piston is returning to its normal position. In the case where a
rarification of air is the means of communicating in a pneumatic system the converse
of the arrangement above stated would be employed.
The above description with reference to the Drawings set forth an apparatus for
communicating, or calling attention between separate rooms which are numbered in
the way ordinarily adopted in Hotels; and the electric lamps are therefore also provided
with corresponding numbers which they illuminate; but to suit other purposes a
certain word, or words, or letters would be used and illuminated by a lamp. The
precise words, or letters used would depend upon the requirements or circumstances of
the application of the Invention. For instance each lamp may illuminate a certain
refreshment bar order, or a shop, office, house, or other like order.
Having now particularly described this Invention, it must be stated in conclusion
that I am aware that the use of electric communicating, or signalling apparatus in
which electric lamps are employed (the signalling being effected by lighting and
putting out such lamps) has been proposed for communicating between different
positions, or parts on board ship and I therefore make no claim to the use of such
method, or apparatus in principle of operation but only in so far as they are constructed

page_text: and operate substantially as hereinbefore described for the purposes specified, that is
to say, what is claimed in respect of this Invention is :-
First. An apparatus for transmitting orders, or notifications by electricity from one
part of a Hotel, house, shop, or other like places, or structures to another part, or for
transmitting ships stateroom, bar and like orders, consisting of one, or more trans-
mitting instruments A and a receiving instrument B having electric lamps such as D
arranged therein and a gong E common to the said lamps, the said transmitting
instruments A and the lamps D of the receiving instrument being arranged in separate
normally open circuits, all operating and arranged as, or substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Second. An apparatus for transmitting orders, or notifications by electricity from
one part of a Hotel, house, shop, or other like places, or structures to another part
thereof, or for transmitting ships stateroom, bar and like orders consisting of one, or
more transmitting instruments A placed in separate circuits and connected with the
receiving instrument B, each of such circuits being provided with an electro magnet
by which a releasing mechanism connected with each lamp is operated, the said lamps
being in a normally open circuit common to all of such lamps, and a gong E; all
arranged and operating as, or substantially as set forth with reference to Figure 1 of
the Drawings.
Third. An apparatus for transmitting orders, or notifications by electricity from one
part of a Hotel, house, shop, or other like places, or structures to another part, or
parts thereof, or for transmitting ships stateroom, bar and like orders consisting of
one, or more transmitting instruments A (operating as described) placed in separate.
normally open circuits and connected with the receiving instrument B, each of such
circuits having a lamp D therein, the said lamps and circuits being provided with a
common return lead on which the gong E is placed operating and arranged as, or
substantially as set forth with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus of the type herein specified the method of effecting maintaining
and automatically breaking circuit in the transmitting instrument thereof or operating
a timed gong or sounding device as, or substantially as set forth with reference to
Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The transmitting instrument A having a piston c cylinder o actuating button a
constructed and operating for electric, or pneumatic communicating purposes as set
forth with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
Dated this 5th day of October 1887.
WILLIAM CHADBURN.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
15, Water Street,, Liverpool,
Agents.