IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Thomas Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
November 1867.-A communication from abroad by John Murray Fair-
child and Joseph Kidder Bundy, of the City and County of New Haven,
State of Connecticut, United States of America.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 128, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by John Murray Fairchild and Joseph Kidder
Bundy, of the City and County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for telegraphic com-
munications for general purposes, and particularly to the use of signals as for
what is known as fire-alarm telegraphing.
The first part of the Invention relates to improvements in boxes for
enclosing fire-alarm telegraphing instruments.
Secondly, to improvements in the apparatus for signalling or communicating
from the box, the object being to combine with an ordinary telegraphing
instrument an apparatus for mechanically operating the key of the instruments,
so as by means of the said key to open and close the circuit, and the said
mechanism being entirely insulated from the instrument.

page_text: Thirdly, in the apparatus for mechanically opening and closing telegraphic
circuit.
And, fourthly, in a self-adjusting magnet.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood it is described in
connection with the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, on which Fig. 1
is a perspective view of the said box; Fig. 2, a front view of the same with
the door open; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same to illustrate its con-
struction; Fig. 4, an interior view of the said box shewing the construction
and arrangement of the Invention; Fig. 5, a front view of the mechanism;
Fig. 6, a top view of the same; and Fig. 7, a longitudinal central section of
one of the magnets.
A (Sheet 1) is the outer case of the box; B, the door; C, a platform
across the box upon which the instrument is placed, and beneath which the
apparatus for operating the key is arranged; D is a partition placed in front
of the apparatus for operating the key below the platform C, and in front of
which is the crank E, by means of which the apparatus is worked, and the
said partition arranged so that when required it may be removed by first
removing the crank from its shaft; F is a partition in front of the instru-
ment arranged to slide freely up and down when unlocked from its up
position. The object of the partition F is to protect the instrument, but
when it is necessary to use the key the proper person unlocks the partition F
and slides it down in front of the crank, and so as to prevent any communi-
cation whatever with the apparatus below while the partition F is down, and
when the partition is down the operator has access to the key, and without
fear of interruption by breaking the circuit by accidentally moving the crank,
as will be more fully hereafter described, therefore any person who may have
access to the box may send the signals necessary to designate the position of
the box, but none but the proper person can have access to the instruments
for other communications. This completes the first part of the Invention.
Upon the platform C is placed an ordinary Morse telegraphing instrument,
having the key G arranged in connection therewith and with receiving and
communicating wires H, also arranged in the usual manner. The lever I
has arranged upon its end a hammer J of any convenient form, and in close
proximity thereto a bell K is arranged, so that the lever I will as the circuit
is opened and closed sound the bell at each movement of the lever, and the
lever I extends below the platform and a spring L attached thereto, so as to
return the lever at the closing of the circuit, the tension of the spring L
being adjusted by means of the finger wheel M through the rod N. Beneath
the platform C is arranged in a framework P a wheel R, having upon its

page_text: periphery several pins or projections a, b, c, and has connected therewith a
gear wheel S, whereby the wheel R is caused to revolve by the turning of
the crank E (denoted in red, Fig. 4), through a pinion T on the crank shaft
working into the gear wheel S, and on the face of the wheel R or at any
convenient point is fixed a pin U projecting therefrom; W is a lever having
its fulcrum at w, and has a notch formed at its end, and in such relative
position to the pin U on the wheel R that at a certain point (more fully
hereafter described) the pin U will fall into the said notch in the lever. To
the other arm Y of the lever W a spring X is fixed, which bears the notch
in the other arm of the lever up against the pin U. From the arm Y a pin
or knob 7 projects through the partition D, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, so that
by raising the lever as denoted in blue the wheel is. free to be turned by the
crank E, the wheel R moving in the direction denoted in Fig. 4. A ratchet
upon the same shaft or in connection therewith and a pawl, as denoted in
broken lines, Fig. 4, prevents the turning of the wheel in other or the wrong
direction. Upon a fulcrum g¹ is arranged a lever h, one end i of which is
inclined so as to permit the projections on the wheel R to pass freely there-
under and raise that arm of the lever, while a spring k attached to the key
connects the other end with the key and tends to hold up that end of the
lever h, and cause it to drop when the projection on the wheel has passed
from under the lever. When the lever his raised by the passage of the
projection on the wheel R thereunder, the key is drawn down so as to break
the circuit and so hold it, but when the projection has passed under and the
lever dropped, as denoted in blue, then the spring m being stronger than
the spring k when so released raises that end of the lever and depressing the
other opens the circuit in the usual manner. It will be observed that by the
connection of the lever h with the key G that were there no insulation
the mechanism below the platform would be charged, and the person who
standing upon the earth should take hold of the crank to operate the
mechanism to give the signal would unavoidably receive a shock therefrom;
this is a serious difficulty experienced in most fire-alarm or signal boxes. To
avoid this, in the end of the arm of the lever h (as seen in Fig. 4) is fitted
an ivory (or any non-conducting material) sleeve p, into which a hook or
eye is placed, by which the connection is made between the lever h and the
key G, and thus in a simple manner insulate the connection, so that the
electricity has no effect whatever upon the mechanism below the platform.
To signal from the box the requisite number of projections are fixed upon
the wheel, here shewn as four and one, that is, four strokes, space, one
stroke, space and stop, completing the revolution of the wheel, which may be

page_text: interpreted according to the position of the box and the understanding of the
operators. The person desiring to give the signal opens the door, raises the
lever Y, and turns the crank to cause one revolution of the wheel R, when
the wheel is stopped by the pin U falling into the notch of the lever W, as
before described, and this stop must occur when the lever his resting upon
one of the projections, for in this position the circuit is closed. This one
revolution by the projections as here arranged has made the signals of 4-1,
and may be repeated by again raising the lever Y to free the wheel from the
notch on the lever W. The projections on the wheel R are arranged so as
to be adjustable to different positions; this is best done by making the pins
to screw into a hole tapped in the periphery of the wheel, and having
numerons such holes in the wheel so that any or all of the pins may be
differently placed. The projections are represented as arranged upon the
periphery of the wheel R, but there may be pins or projections upon the face
of the wheel, it only being necessary that the lever be moved by the revolu-
tion of the wheel, as described. This arrangement is for general use, as for
sounding an alarm; but if it be necessary to communicate other signals, then
the person who has the authority to so communicate may open to the instrument
by unlocking and dropping the partition F, which opens to him the instrument
above, then he may transmit his communication or signals by means of the
key G in the usual manner for telegraphing. This completes the second part
of the Invention.
The third part of this Invention is illustrated in Fig. 5 (Sheet 2), and is
designed for mechanically opening and closing telegraphic circuit for the
purpose of conveying certain signals for which the machine is constructed, so
that when a signal is received from such an instrument the particular instru-
ment from which the signal comes is known, inasmuch as the different con-
struction of different machines communicates different signals accordingly,
the object of the instrument being more particularly designed for fire-alarm
telegraphs, but yet may be applied to other uses as hereafter described.
A is a frame supporting in bearings B a toothed wheel C, into which
meshes a pinion D, the said pinion being turned by a crank E causes the
wheel C to revolve, as denoted by the arrow. In the face of the wheel C is
formed a grooved cam having rise and fall at a, b, c, d, more or less in number
as the case may be, and placed at an even distance apart or at an uneven
distance to vary the signal. F is a lever having its fulcrum at f, and its one
arm constructed so as to ride in the groove in the face of the wheel C, as
denoted by the Drawing, and so that the turning of the wheel C will at each
projection on the cam force down that end of the lever while the groove will

page_text: return to its first position, as denoted in red in the Drawing. The projections
are formed with a square shoulder, so that the lever F acts as a pawl to
prevent the turning of the lever in the wrong direction. Upon a plate G of
any suitable non-conducting material (preferring hard rubber or ivory) are
arranged the screw cups H, H, each holding their respective wires h for com-
munication, and in the said plate G are also arranged in proper bearings I
two spindles J, K, adjusted by screws m, m, so that the ends of the two
spindles may be brought nearer together or set further apart as the necessities
of the case may demand. The lower end of the spindle J is set into a knob L
of ivory or other non-conducting material, and so that the said knob will rest
upon the other arm of the lever F, and so that by turning the wheel C to
cause the movement of the lever F as before described and as shewn in the
Drawing, the spindle J will be raised so as to open the telegraphic circuit by
bringing the end of the spindle J into contact with the spindle K. The
bearings of the two spindles are upon the same metallic plates M as the
screw cups H, so that each spindle is in connection with its respective wire.
When the lever is depressed the spindle J drops from its contact with the
spindle K, and breaks the circuit. The cam it will be observed has four pro-
jections a, b, c, d, the space between a and b, b and c, c and d being equal,
while that between d and a is longer, therefore by turning this wheel the
signal will be given 1 2 3 4 and space and repeat as often as the wheel is
turned. In different positions different constructions of the cam should be
used to give different signals, as, for instance, the projections on the cam
being arranged so as to give one, space; one, two, space; one, space; would
be interpretted 121, or whatever interpretation thereof the understanding of
the parties communicating might be; if for other than fire-alarm communica-
tions the wheel may be equally spaced, and every number of raps given and
spaced by stopping the wheel, then proceeding again, so that the parties com-
municating have a code of signals indicated by different numbers of raps, and
may communicate comprehensively though they may be entirely ignorant of
telegraphic communication. The arrangement of the two spindles in the
manner described upon the non-conducting plate G may be employed for
other purposes than for opening and closing the circuit, as, for instance, the
plate G may be arranged in such relative position to a door that the opening
and closing of the door would act upon the spindle J in like manner as the
lever before described; this would be desirable for many localities, and other
instances might be given if necessary wherein this arrangement would be
useful.

page_text: The fourth part of the Invention relates more particularly to improvements
in the magnets such as are used in Morse's telegraphing instruments. It is.
well known to those experienced in the use of such magnets that upon.
any variation of strength of the current it is necessary to adjust the magnet.
in order to the proper working of the instrument, that is, to place the maguet.
farther from the armature according as the current is stronger. To avoid this.
adjustment and at the same time to cause the machine to be always in
condition to operate is the object of this part of the Invention, and consists in.
the arrangement of a spindle within the core of the magnet, so that the said
spindle will by the action of the magnet upon the soft iron head of the spindle
tend to draw the said spindle into or the head of the spindle nearer to the
magnet and farther from the armature in proportion as the strength of the.
current on the line may be increased, or releive the head so as to approach the
armature in proportion as the current is diminished.
A, B, represent two ordinary magnets to be placed in the usual relation to
the armature. Centrally in the core of each of the magnets is arranged a
spindle a, supported in a bearing b, and upon a spring acting upon the said
spindle the tendency of which is to force the spring from the magnet. Outside:
the magnet and upon the spindle is fixed a soft iron head c or other suitable
anetal. The spring upon the spindle should only be sufficient to throw the
magnet out when the magnet is not charged, but when the magnet is in circuit
in proportion as the current is stronger so will the head c be drawn toward
the magnet and away from the armature, and consequently as the current
diminishes the head C will be forced from the magnet nearer to the armature,
thus causing the magnets to be always in the most perfect adjustment relative
to the armature; thus by this simple means is overcome one of the principal
difficulties in telegraphing, that is, the adjustment of the magnet, which now
requires a skillful operator..