IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Brittan, of Tysoe Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Telegraph Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 12th October 1866; and dated the 18th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Brittan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th April 1866.
I, THOMAS BRITTAN, of Tysoe Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Telegraph Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in telegraphic signalling apparatus
relates to that kind of apparatus in which an audible signal is made by a
hammer striking on a bell.. In such apparatus the hammer when quiescent.
is held back by a detent, which when the signal is to be produced is acted upon.
by a magnet and drawn back or forward, as the case may be, so as to let the
hammer fly up and strike the bell. In order to cause the hammer to do this
with sufficient force it is acted upon by a clockwork movement actuated by a
spring or weight, which will of course require to be wound up from time to
time. The winding up is usually done by hand by the attendant, but as he

page_text: may omit to do so by accident it will be evident that when the clockwork has
run down the hammer will not produce the required signal, the attendants
notice will not then be attracted, and as he will be in ignorance that any
signal has been sent he will not send the return signal.
The object of the present Invention is to obviate the inconvenience that
must inevitably arise from the neglect of the attendant to wind up the clock-
work movement attached to his apparatus, and to so arrange and combine the
parts that he cannot use his apparatus for sending return signals without at
the same time winding up the clock work movement attached thereto. To
this end I adapt to the shaft or axle of the spring barrel or weight barrel of
the clockwork a ratchet wheel, which is actuated by a click at the end of the
hand lever, whereby the attendant makes and breaks the electric circuit in
order to magnetise the induced magnets within the coils of the distant
apparatus, as in all magnetic apparatus of this kind. It will now be under-
stood that when a signal comes from a distant station it will be the duty of the
attendant to make a return signal, and this is done by depressing the hand
lever so as to complete the electric circuit and act on the armature of the
distant apparatus. By thus depressing the hand lever the click at its opposite
end will push round the ratchet wheel on the weight or spring barrel of the
clockwork, and will wind it up a trifle, and as this will be repeated every time a
signal is transmitted by the attendant it follows that the apparatus can never
run down. In order to prevent the clock work from being wound up too much
the ratchet is provided with a friction arrangement, which will yield when the
clockwork is fully wound up, but will always cause the barrel to move round
when it is not fully wound up.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Brittan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRITTAN, of Tysoe Street, in the County of Middlesex, Telegraph Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Brittan, Her special licence that I, 'the said Thomas Brittan, my

page_text: executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Brittan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree.
with, and no others, from time to time and. at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, ;
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that.
I, the said Thomas Brittan, my executors or administrators, by an instrunient in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly!
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great.
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after.
the date of the said Letters Patent:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. Thomas Brittan, 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 statement,.
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto. annexed, and to the letters, and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Telegraphic Signalling Apparatus.".
relates to that kind of apparatus in which an audible signal is made by a
hammer striking on a bell. In such apparatus the hammer when quiescent is
held back by a detent, which when the signal is to be produced is acted upon
by a magnet, and drawn back or forward, as the case may be, so as to let
the hammer fly up and strike the bell or gong. In order to cause the hammer
to do this with sufficient force it is acted upon. by a clockwork movement
actuated by a spring or weight, which will of course require to be wound up.
from time to time. The winding up is usually done by hand by the attendant,
but as he may omit to do so by accident it will be evident that when the
clock work has run down the hammer. will not produce the required signal,
the attendant's notice will not then be attracted, and as he will be in ignorance
that any signal bas been sent he will not send the return signal...
The object of the present Invention is to obviate the inconvenience that
must inevitably arise from the neglect of the attendant to wind up the clock-
work movement attached to his apparatus, and to so arrange and combine.
the parts that he caunot use his apparatus for sending return signals
without at the same. time winding up the clockwork movement attached
thereto.
The manner in which I effect this object is shewn in the accompanying
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of, an audible-signal apparatus

page_text: with my improvements adapted thereto; Fig. 2 is; a side elevation of the
same, the outer case in both Figures being shewn, in section. The winding.
up of the spring, barrel or, weight is effected by adapting, to, the shaft or
axle a of the spring barrel 6 or weight barrel of the clockwork a ratchet
wheel, c which turns freely, on the axle, a of the spring barrel b,, and, is actuated
by a click d at the end of the hand, lever e, whereby the attendant makes and
breaks the electric circuit in order to magnetize the induced magnets within
the coils of the distant apparatus, as in all magnetic apparatus, of this kind.
It will now be understood that when a signal, comes from a distant station it.
will be the duty of the attendant to make a return signal, and this is done, by,
depressing the hand levere so as to complete the electric circuit and act on
the armature. of the distant apparatus. By thus depressing the hand lever.
the click dat its opposite end will push round the ratchet wheel c, which is
Hoose on the axle of the weight or spring barrel 6 of the clock work, and will,
by means of the friction apparatus bereafter described, wind up, the latter.a
trifle, and as this will be repeated every time a signal is transmitted by the,
attendant it follows that the apparatus can never be allowed to run down.
In order to prevent the clockwork from being wound up too much, the
ratchet c, is, provided with a friction arrangement, shewn detached and on an
enlarged scale, at Figures 3 and 4.
This friction arrangement consists of a friction plate f which is fixed on the
axle of, the weight, or spring barrel 6, and is made to bear against the outer
face.or side, of, the ratchet. wheel c, so that as the ratchet wheel is. pushed
round by the click it will carry round with it the friction wheel f, and with it,
the shaft a and weight or spring barrel b, which will thereby be wound up,
but when, the, clockwork is fully wound up the friction plate will yield and
allow the ratchet wheel to be carried round without, forcing or damaging the
clockwork.
Another mode. of effecting this, object is by means of a strong friction,
spring placed inside, the barrel b. This spring is shewn detached at, Fig. 5.
The ordinary convolute spring 9 is secured at its central part to the axle a of
the spring barrel; but instead of securing the outer end of the spring to the
inside of the barrel it is rivetted to another curved spring 7 of much greater
strength. This latter. bears against, the inside of the barrel,, and thereby
sufficient friction is produced to carry round the barrel b until the spring 9.is,
fully wound, up, when, upon continuing the winding up, the thick spring h
will be drawn away from the sides of the barrel until it slips round in the case
without damaging; the clockwork.
Having now described, my Invention of "Improvements in Telegraphic

page_text: Signalling Apparatus," and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid adapting to the weight or spring barrel of the clockwork of a
signalling apparatus an arrangement for winding up the same by the action
of sending the return signals, as herein set forth.
I also claim adapting to the weight or spring barrel a friction apparatus
which will admit of the said weight or spring barrel being overwound
without damaging the spring or deranging the clockwork, as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Brittan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the 13th day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOMAS BRITTAN.
L.B.)