IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wilde, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
WORKING OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wilde at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1878.
HENRY WILDE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Whereas attempts have been made to utilise the powerful currents generated by
magneto-electric and electro-magnetic machines in the working of a number of
electric telegraph circuits simultaneously, but the difficulty of subdividing the
current to suit the variable resistances of the different circuits has up to the present
time rendered these attempts unsuccessful.
Now my present Invention consists, firstly, in generating simultaneously electric
currents or waves in a number of secondary circuits, so that each generating circuit
being distinct from the rest the strength of the secondary current can be adjusted
to the resistance of the particular line of telegraph through which it is required to
transmit signals, without interfering with the working of the other circuits. In
this improvement the alternating waves or currents from a powerful magneto-
electric or electro-magnetic machine are transmitted through the coils of a number
of small electro-magnets, which experience reversals of their magnetism simulta-
neously with the reversals of the magnetism of the armature or armatures of the
magneto-electric or electro-magnetic machine.
Intense secondary currents are generated in secondary wires, either surrounding
the electro-magnets, or otherwise brought within their inductive influence, such

page_text: secondary currents being generated simultaneously with the primary currents gene-
rated in the armatures of the electro-magnetic machines.
The alternating waves or currents from the secondary circuits can be made to
give audible signals by means of a Morse key in the manner described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the 4th day of November 1869,
and numbered 3196, or by other audible or visible means, as is well understood.
For working long lines of telegraph several secondary circuits may be coupled up
in series.
My Invention consists, secondly, in a method of generating the primary alter-
nating currents for producing the secondary alternating currents for working electric
telegraphs, as above described, and which primary currents may also be applied to
the production of electric light or other useful purposes. In this improvement a
Pacinotti armature (which consists of a broad and thick ring of iron recessed at
equal angular distances round its periphery for the reception of coils of insulated
wire) is surrounded with a circle of electro-magnets placed at equal angular distances
from each other.
The circle. is formed of an even number of electro-magnets having alternate north
and south poles, the number of magnet poles corresponding with the number of
recesses or projections on the periphery of the armature.
The coils from one or several of the recesses or divisions of the ring are placed in
connection with a commutator on the armature axle for the purpose of exciting the
exterior circle of electro-magnets, while the coils from the other divisions of the
ring are used for producing alternating currents for external work. By this
improvement armatures of the annular form, from which hitherto only direct or
continuous currents have been obtained, can be used for generating alternating
currents applicable to the working of electric telegraphs, and for other purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Wilde in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 27th September
1878.
HENRY WILDE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES.'
Whereas attempts have been made to utilise the powerful currents generated by
magneto-electric and electro-magnetic machines in the working of a number of
electric telegraph circuits simultaneously, but the difficulty of subdividing the
current to suit the variable resistances of the different telegraph circuits has up to
the present time rendered these attempts unsuccessful.
Now my Invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
consists, firstly, in generating simultaneously electric currents or waves in a number
of secondary circuits, so that each of such circuits being distinct from the rest the
strength of the secondary current can be adjusted to the resistance of the particular
line of telegraph through which it is required to transmit signals without inter-
fering with the working of the other circuits. In this improvement the alternating
waves or currents from a powerful magneto-electric or electro-magnetic machine,
such as are described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me on the
First day of December 1863, No. 3006, and on the 26th day of October 1865,
No. 2762, or other similar machines for producing alternating waves or currents,
are transmitted through the primary coils of a number of small electro-magnets,
which are marked a, a, in Figs. 1 and 2. These electro-magnets are all fixed in
the cast-iron base plate b, and the secondary wires are coiled over the primary wires,
as in an ordinary induction coil.
I have shewn two sets of electro-magnets and induction coils in Fig. 2, but any
other number may be used. The upper poles of each set of electro-magnets are
united by a plate of soft iron c, which, with the cast-iron base b, forms a closed
magnetic circuit. The two ends of each of the secondary coils are brought to the
terminal plates, and screws d fixed on the ebonite plate e.
The primary coils are coupled up in series, and the respective ends are connected
with the insulated terminal plates f. These electro-magnets experience reversals
of their magnetism simultaneously with the reversals of the magnetism of the
armature or armatures of the magneto-electric or electro-magnetic machine.
Intense secondary waves or currents are generated in the secondary wires either
surrounding the electro-magnets, as shewn, or otherwise brought within their induc-
tive influence, such secondary currents being generated simultaneously with the
primary currents generated in the armatures of the magneto-electric or electro-
inagnetic machines.
Instead of coiling the primary and secondary wires on the whole length of the
bobbin or core, the primary wire may be coiled on the upper, and the secondary
wire on the lower half of the bobbin or core, or vice versa, and instead of coiling the
wires on wooden bobbins, as shewn, they may be coiled on bobbins of cast iron, the
barrels of which also form the cores of the electro-magnets.
The alternating waves or currents from the secondary circuits can be made to
give audible signals by means of a Morse key in the manner described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the 4th day of November 1869,
and numbered 3196, or by a telephone or other acoustic or visual means, as is well
understood.
For working long lines of telegraph several secondary circuits may be coupled up
in series by inserting metal plugs in the holes between the terminal plates d.
My Invention consists, secondly, in a method of generating the primary alter-
nating electric currents for producing the secondary alternating electric currents for
working electric telegraphs, as above described, and which primary currents may

page_text: also be applied to the production of electric light, or electric deposition of metals
from their solutions, or other useful purposes. This part of my Invention is illus-
trated in Figs. 3 and 4. In this improvement a Pacinotti armature (which consists
of a broad and thick ring of iron marked y, recessed at equal angular distances
round its periphery for the reception of coils of insulated wire ) is surrounded with
a circle of electro-magnets i placed at equal angular distances from each other.
The circle is formed of an equal number of electro-magnets, having alternate
north and south poles corresponding with the number of recesses or projections on
the periphery of the armature.
The coils from one or several of the recesses or divisions of the ring g are placed
in connection with a commutator on the armature axle j, for the purpose of exciting
the exterior circle of electro-magnets, as described in the Specification of former
Letters Patent, granted to me on the 23rd day of March 1867, No. 842, while the
coils from the other divisions of the armature are placed in connection with a pair
of rings, and are used for producing alternating currents for external work.
The electro-magnets may also be excited by a separate magneto-electric or electro-
magnetic machine, as described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent
granted to me on the 1st day of December 1863, No. 3006, and on the 26th day of
October 1865, No. 2762. By this improvement armatures of the annular form used
in conjunction with electro-magnets, from which hitherto only direct or continuous
currents have been obtained, can be used for generating alternating currents without
the use of a commutator applicable to the working of electric telegraphs, and for
other purposes, as described."
Instead of making the ring armature revolve within the influence of the stationary
electro-magnets, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, the electro-magnets may revolve before
the stationary armatures, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and as described in the Speci-
fication of Letters Patent granted to E. FL. Holnes on the 5th day of June 1869,
No. 1744, and to A. M. Clark on the 31st day of January 1876, No. 386, a commu-
nication to him from abroad by D. François Lontin.
The electric circuit on the armature g may be subdivided to supply a number of
electric lights, as described in the Specification of F. H. Holmes and A. M. Clark,
above referred to.
Having thus stated the nature and particulars of my Invention, I declare that I
claim,―
First. The generating secondary electric waves or currents from the alternating
primary waves or currents of a magneto-electric or an electro-magnetic machine in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The generating alternating electric currents from a ring armature, sub-
stantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wilde, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twentieth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.