Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Charles
Cuttriss, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the City, County,
and State of New York, in the United States of America, Electrician,) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to the class of apparatus employed for recording signals
transmitted over telegraphic circuits of great lengths, especially ocean cables, by
means of electricity.
The object of the invention is to provide convenient and efficient means for pro-
ducing a record of the movements of the receiving apparatus, which is capable of
ready adjustment and is free from many of the objections incident to the organiza-
tions heretofore employed.
The invention has for its further object to simplify the construction of the
receiving instrument and to render it more sensitive.
It has been customary, to secure a movement of the recording pen or siphon of
cable instruments through the instrumentality of a coil of wire placed in a magnetic
field, the precise position of said coils being dependent upon the direction and
strength of the currents traversing it. The amount of wire usually employed in
such coils is found to be greater than is necessary, by reason of the fact that hereto-
fore it has been caused to encircle a soft-iron core thus making two comparatively
weak fields of magnetic force. By extending one of the poles into close proximity
to the other and cutting a slot or opening into the same, the coil may be applied
directly to one pole and cause its convolutions to pass through the slot and through
the narrow space which separates the two poles. In this manner a closer proximity
077

page_text: of the spring to the poles is secured as well as a much stronger field of force, and a
more advantageous diposition of the convolutions is permitted.
A fine glass siphon tube of the usual character employed for conducting the ink
from the reservoir to a strip of paper is connected with the coil by a fine fibre of
silk or other material, in the usual manner. It has been customary to secure a flow
of ink from the siphon pen to the paper by means of electrical attraction and it has
been proposed to connect the siphon by a fine thread with the armature of an electro-
magnet included in a circuit which is rapidly made and interrupted. By the
present invention a continuous and rapid vibration is imparted to the siphon or
ink-duct, through the agency of magnetic attractions exerted upon a very small
piece of soft-iron attached to the siphon near its recording end. The vibrations are
maintained at the proper rate by means of a vibrating reed capable of being
adjusted to such a pitch as will coincide with the natural vibration of the siphon.
The successive attractions exerted by this magnet upon the minute armature upon
the siphon, will cause a continuous vibration of the latter and thus insure a uniform
delivery of the ink without necessitating that the pen should constantly rest upon
the paper. A record consisting of a continuous trace or dotted line will thus be
made without friction between the recording point and the paper upon which the
record is made. Another important feature is that the movement is not retarded
by any resultant lateral strain as is the case when the siphon is vibrated through™
a string or cord leading to a vibrating point, for the upward and downward pull is
essentially direct whether the siphon be at the centre or at one of its limits of
vibration; whereas when the siphon is attached to a fixed point then the further it
is vibrated laterally the greater will be the resultant force tending to draw it back
toward the centre and because of this movement of the siphon in making a record
is hindered or dampered.
In practice it is found that each siphon has an inherent rate of vibration which it
tends to maintain when set in motion, and in practice, if the reed is vibrating at a
rate slightly more or less rapid, then an irregular or imperfect discharge of the ink
will be produced. For the purpose of readily securing the proper rapidity of
impulses through the vibrating magnet, there is employed a long reed or metallic
string capable of being adjusted to a greater or less tension for the purpose of
modifying its rate of vibration or note. Near one end of this string there is
attached a contact-spring connected with one pole of the battery, and this is carried
by its movement into and out of contact with a corresponding point. The spring
and point constitute the terminals of the circuit of the battery and the motion of
the reed serves to make and break the connections of the vibrating magnet of the
siphon. The reed itself is maintained in vibration by means of an electro-magnet
the circuit through which is automatically made and interrupted by its contact-
spring and point.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention figure 1 is a front
elevation of the apparatus, and showing in diagram the circuit connections. Figure 2
is a plan view of the same. Figure 3 is a side view of one end of the adjustable
reed. Figure 4 is a front view of the receiving magnet and coil, partly in section,
and figure 5 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus.
It is
Referring to the drawings, A represents a permanent or an electro-magnet
designed to maintain a strong magnetic field between the pole pieces a¹ and a².
The pole-pieces a¹ and a³ of this magnet are extended toward each other. The
pole-piece a¹ is curved outward upon its end and the pole-piece a³ is cut away or
hollowed out to correspond. A narrow space is left between the two poles. An
opening or slot a³ is cut into the pole-piece al to the central line as shown.
designed that a coil of fine insulated wire b should be suspended by means of
delicate threads or wires b¹ and 6, and through this coil there extends the portion a*
at the end of the pole-piece a¹. The coil b is preferably so wound that the portion
between the poles in the form of an arc of a circle coinciding with the space
between the pole-pieces, while the inner portion or that entering the slot as is

page_text: gathered together more closely as shown. The manner in which the coil is wound
permits the portion between the pole-pieces to be wider than that within the
slot a. In this manner a less amount of wire than has been heretofore employed
is sufficient for the purpose. Moreover the curved portion of the coil is brought
into close relation with the confronting polar extensions.
The siphon or recording tube c is suspended in the usual manner, by means of
fine threads c¹ and c³, and one end of the siphon extends into close proximity to
the paper strip C upon which the record is to be made. A continued vibration is
imparted to the tube by means of an electro-magnet D which is preferably placed
with its poles beneath the recording table over which the paper passes. Either
pole of the magnet may itself constitute such a table. Upon or near the end of
the siphon there is carried a very small piece of magnetic material such as soft iron
as shown at 6. This is acted upon by the electro-magnet D and the successive
vitalizations and demagnetizations of the latter cause the siphon in this manner to
vibrate rapidly toward and from the magnet. For the purpose of removing, in so
far as is necessary, the magnetic effects which might otherwise. be received from
the magnet A, a bar of soft-iron f is supported in close proximity to the poles of
the magnet D. Preferably the bar f is carried upon adjustable supports fi which
permit the bar to be removed toward and from the poles of the magnet D and also
toward and from the armature 6. The bar is secured to its supports f¹ by
screws passing through slots f³ formed therein which permit the bar to be
adjusted toward and from the magnet A.
The bar ftogether with the support F upon which the arm or supports f¹ are
carried may be carried by an upright frame F¹ and turning in a nut formed in a
projection f. The latter extends from the support F through a slot in the
frame F. By means of the bar f the field of magnetic force to which the
armature e is subjected is rendered uniform and the only active attraction exerted
upon the armature is that due to the magnet D.
The manner in which the electro-magnet D is vitalized and demagnetized is as
follows: A reed or metallic vibrating string K is supported in a frame K¹. One
end is securely attached to the frame, while the other end k³ is attached to an
adjustable tension device. By means of the latter the tension of the cord may
be increased or decreased accordingly as it is desired to increase or decrease its
rate of vibration. Upon the metallic spring or reed there is carried an armature n
applied to an electro-magnet N. A battery o has one pole connected, by a
conductor 1, with a contact-point n' which is applied to a contact-spring n³ carried
upon the reed, near the end k¹ and in metallic connection therewith. The reed or
string is connected, by a conductor 2, with a binding-post 3 and from this point
the connections are continued, through the conductor 4. to the electro-magnet N
and thus, through conductors 5 and 6, to the other pole of the battery o. It will
be understood therefore that, if the point n¹ be properly adjusted the circuit through
the electro-magnet N will be made and interrupted by means of the reed itself
which will in this manner act as a rheotome. By adjusting the tension of the
string or reed the rate of its vibration may be modified as desired. The circuit
which is thus made and broken through the electro-magnet N is a branch of
another circuit which extends through the electro-magnet D as follows:-From
one pole of the battery o to the binding-post 3, in the manner already described,
thence through a conductor 7, to the electro-magnet D, thence by way of the
conductor 8 to the conductor 6, and thence to the remaining pole of the battery.
In this manner the electro-magnet D will be vitalized and demagnetized in unison
with the movements of the reed K.
It is well-known that each siphon has its own natural period of vibration and
that it is practically impossible to make it conform to any other period. For this
reason it is necessary to so adjust the vibration of the reed K as to conform to the
natural vibration of the siphon. This may be readily. accomplished by setting
the apparatus in operation and adjusting the tension of the reed by the adjusting

page_text: screw, the proper adjustment being determined by noticing the line which is
formed by the siphon upon the recording paper; for when a continuous succession
of regular dots is received, then it is known that the siphon is vibrating in its
proper period.
In figures 1 and 5, a modification is illustrated in which two electro-magnets D
'and D' are employed for vibrating the siphon. The construction and circuit
connections of the magnet D are the same as already described. The magnet D¹
is included in conductors 9 and 10 respectively leading from the contact-point n¹
and the string K. It is thus in a circuit around the points n¹ and n² and is
therefore shunted when the points are closed. The magnet D will however always 1
be in circuit its connections being either through the points n¹ and n³ or through
the coils of the magnet D¹. The siphon will thus be drawn down at times by
the electro-magnet Ď with a given force and then by a less force, because of the
resistance of the circuit being increased by the insertion of the coil of the
magnet D¹; and the effective force of the magnet D will at the same time be 1
diminished by the vitalization of the electro-magnet D¹ which tends to draw the
siphon upward.
It is evident that the circuit connections of the two magnets may be variously
modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Instead of applying the armature e to the siphon it may be attached to the 2
support which carries the siphon. In this case the support should be prolonged
toward the recording end of the siphon as indicated at e³ in figure 1. Normally
however it is preferred to apply the armature to the end of the siphon, and it is
then unnecessary to prolong the support e³.
It is not always essential to employ the bar f when a second electro-magnet D¹ 2
is employed.
In some instances it may be desirable to polarize the core of the second
magnet D¹ as for instance by applying to it coils connected in a special circuit
which may be that employed for vitalizing the magnet A.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and the manner in which it 3
is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would
have it understood that I claim :-
1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-
magnet having confronting pole-pieces having an intervening curved space, a coil
of insulated wire having one side of its convolutions corresponding to the curved 3
opening, an opening or space formed within one of said pole-pieces through which
the other side of said convolutions extends, and means for suspending said coil,
substantially as described.
2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the marking-
point of a siphon recording instrument, a coil responding to the currents trans- 4
mitted upon a main line and a connection between said coils and marking-point,
of a rheotome, an electro-magnet included in a circuit controlled by the rheotome,
and an armature for said electro-magnet rigidly mounted upon said marking-
point.
3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the marking- 4
point of a siphon recorder and an armature attached thereto, of an electro-magnet
applied thereto and adjustable soft-iron bar adapted to be placed in proximity to
the poles of said electro-magnet.
4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the marking-
point of a siphon recorder, and an armature therewith, of an electro-magnet applied 5
to the armature, a bar of magnetic material placed in proximity to the poles of the
magnet and means for adjusting the position of said bar vertically and laterally
with reference to the poles, substantially as described.
5. The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, with the marking-
point of a siphon recorder of an electro-magnet and its armature for vibrating the 5

page_text: same rigidly attached thereto and a second electro-magnet applied to said armature
and acting counter to the first electro-magnet.
6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the marking-
point of a recording instrument, of an electro-magnet for securing a rapid vibration
of the same, a battery for vitalizing said electro-magnet and a rheotome for con-
trolling the connections of said battery consisting of a vibrating spring supported
at both ends under tension and means for modifying the tension of said spring.
30
2
1000
WM P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.