Improvements in Automatic Telegraph Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Telegraph Apparatus.
I, ANTOINE DAMASKINOS, of 2, Rue d'Arras, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
My present invention has for its object improvements in typographic telegraphic
apparatus, by which I attain the following advantages as compared with such
apparatus as ordinarily heretofore used.
1. Greater rapidity than has heretofore been obtained.
2. The avoidance of all mistakes in the composition of words, as each character
has written upon it the corresponding letter.
3. A manipulation which requires no special knowledge on the part of the
operator or of the receiver, who need only be able to read the letters representing
the signs.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of my invention, Figure 1
(Sheets 1 and 2) being a general elevation of the apparatus, which may be divided
into three parts, the commutator, the transmitting manipulator, and the receiver.
Figure 2 (Sheets 1 and 2) is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on a larger scale of the bed on which the carriage
works.
Figure 4 is a side view, on a larger scale, of the transmitting carriage.
Figure 5 is a plan of the same.
Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section through the centre of the same.
Figure 7 is a plan on a larger scale, of the armature which carries the inking
device of the receiver.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section, on a large scale of the inking device.
Figure 9 is a side view of the inking wheel.
Figure 10 is a front view of the disengaging detent apparatus regulating the plates
or tablets which carry the transmitting types.
Figure 11 shews a plan and a vertical section of a telegraphic sign representing
the letter "A."
Figure 12 is a side view, and Figure 13 a plan, of a relay inking device.
The principle of my invention consists of a sliding carriage carrying + and
electric currents which are transmitted to the receiver at each electric contact, by
means of metallic "Morse" signs, or types, previously properly arranged in the
slide over which the carriage is made to traverse backward and forward by any
uniform motive power; or, in the case of small stations, by hand.
The commutator A (Figures 1 and 2) has no special peculiarities of construction,
but may be of any of the ordinary well-known kinds.
The transmitter (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11) consists of a table B which
receives one or more of the plates or tablets C which are provided with grooves
or recesses entirely or partly filled with the telegraphic types or signs D; the
tablet C, which slides upon transverse guides c¹, being constantly drawn forward
by the weight C', but prevented from so moving by means of catches D', (Figure 10)
which at each movement of the lever D2 connected with it allows the tablet C to
move forward a certain distance, so that the next type groove or recess takes
exactly the position which had been occupied by the previous one, a perfect
continuity between the successive lines of type being thus ensured.

page_text: The two end relieving catches D₁ are operated simultaneously by the handle D',
by means of an endless band or cord passing round pulleys as shewn, or by other
equivalent means.
The carriage F (Figures 4, 5 and 6) consists of a hollow tubular frame, the lower
part of which is of brass and the upper part of ebonite, and its upper part is
traversed vertically by three adjustable rods f, f', and f² which are constantly
pressed down by levers and springs as shewn. Each of these rods is fitted at its
lower end with a roller d which rolls over the signs or types arranged below and
over a third line t, t (Figure 11) communicating with "earth."
The three rods are insulated from each other in the lower part of the carriage.
The base of the latter also has two guides d' which fit round guides along the
sides a, a of the longitudinal bed c (Figure 3).
The carriage is made to move backward and forward by means of a cord or
catgut wound twice round a drum H, its ends then passing through a standard E,
and one end being then attached to the front of the carriage, and the other end
after passing round the grooved pulley E2 being fastened to the back of the
carriage. It is evident that instead of the carriage being made to travel as
described, it may be fixed and the tablets with the blocks or types made to pass
under it.
As already explained the apparatus described is driven by any suitable motor
giving a uniform movement, which drives the drum H by means of a toothed
pinion h gearing with a corresponding toothed wheel h¹ fixed upon the axle of the
drum. Upon the same axle is also fixed a feeding roller I the periphery of which
(sufficiently roughened) draws forward the paper strip which receives the printed
message, the diameter of the feeding roller being the same as that of the groove in
the drum H.
The paper is also pressed against the feeding roller I by a roller J kept either
pressed against the paper by a spring i or raised from it by a suitable cam.
The receiver consists of an electro-magnet L', having an armature M (Figures 1,
2 and 7) of special form and of very short stroke. This armature which is arranged
above the cores of the electromagnetic coil, is prolonged by a sufficiently long arm
at about the centre of which is enclosed the inking device N which operates
by an inking wheel. This inker N (Figures 2 and 8) consists of a small reservoir
having a central hole through the bottom, which is more or less filled by a screwed
spindle n the lower end of which is conical, the spindle regulating the supply
of ink by being screwed more or less into the central hole, which latter is
prolonged downward by a projection round which are fitted the pieces of
"amadou" which nearly cover the marking wheel pin front and behind,
(Figure 9). The ink flows in regulated quantity along the point of the spindle n,
and the "amadou" absorbs a sufficient quantity of it to keep the inking wheel
properly supplied as it rotates.
Finally the paper K is arranged in a roll upon a support P', from whence it
passes, whilst kept properly stretched by the stretching rollers p under the inking
wheel.
Figure 11 shews in plan and vertical section, a character or telegraphic type
employed in the apparatus. This character corresponds with the letter A of the
alphabet, and is formed of a brass or copper block, properly cut away so as to
leave the required parts projecting which represent the signs indicating the letters,
and the line to earth t, t, the hollows being filled with celluloid of little thickness
upon which is written the letter which the block represents. The projecting signs
and the celluloid form a plane surface upon which the rollers of the carriage run.
The signs in the same letter have a space between them, and at the edge of the
block, of three millimetres. Consequently, when two, such characters follow one
another the distance from the last signal of the first block and the first of the
second block will be sufficient to give the necessary separation between the signs of
the respective letters. To separate the words, it is sufficient to leave between them
a sufficient space.
If it happens that the last sign of one letter and the first of the

page_text: next one are on the same side, these two signs will be transmitted by the same
current, but this will cause no inconvenience in speed, seeing that the space which
separates the signs will be 7 millimetres, and that the line will be to "earth" for a
double space of time.
The groove containing the blocks separating the messages being arranged in its
proper position, and the currents being connected, the drum H is set to work which
moves the carriage F forward, and thus at the same speed the paper band K; the
carriage F making contact with the line of telegraphic characters or blocks will
make alternate contacts of greater or less length with the positive and with the
negative currents, which currents will operate at a distance upon the armature M,
and, by means of the inking device N and wheel P, the corresponding signals will
be reproduced upon the paper.
In cases where the message may require the use of one, and of a second or third
line of signalling blocks, the handle D must be operated so as to cause the plate or
tablet C to move forward sufficiently for the next line to take the place of the
preceding one; and the direction of motion of the carriage having been reversed,
the message is continued by means of the second line as by the first.
It will be seen that the apparatus is reduced to the greatest possible simplicity,
and consequently, is not liable to get out of order; moreover the speed at which it
can work is only limited by the inertia of the electro-magnet, or by self-induction.
As, however, contact with "earth" is made after each signal, the greatest speed
is possible.
In Figures 12 and 13 is illustrated a relay device by which whilst the messages
are printed on the band, they are simultaneously sent to stations on the line;
consisting of a wheel R, driven by clockwork always in the same direction. This
wheel consists of two parts the teeth of which alternate with each other, and are
insulated so that the teeth of one part are always in connection with one of the
currents, and the teeth of the other with the other opposite current.
The wheel R is prevented from turning by the escapement S, the release of the
lower pallet of which can communicate the current to the line L, whilst the upper
pallet is insulated.'
The escapement is actuated by the bent end of the armature M (Figure 7)
against the spring s when it moves down, so that if the armature in moving down
marks a point upon the paper band K the lower pallet of the escapement will be
moved so as to transmit a current of short duration to the line and when the
armature is released the spring s brings the upper insulated pallet into gear, the
lower pallet allowing one tooth of the wheel R to pass.
When the armature is
again depressed the lower pallet again comes in contact with a tooth of the wheel R
and sends an opposite current to the line the duration of which will depend upon
the time during which the armature is depressed.
By means of this relay apparatus, whilst the message is printed upon the band K,
it is simultaneously sent in the same way to the station connected with the line,
and if a second similar relay device is arranged at this station, the same message
will be simultaneously sent in the same way to any desired place, and so on.
If it is thought necessary to connect the liue L to "earth" between each two
currents, it is sufficient to arrange that at each withdrawal of the lower pallet of
the escapement from a tooth of the wheel K it comes in contact with a small
spring u, which connects the line L to "earth."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
In typographic telegraphic apparatus:-
1. The transmitting apparatus substantially as described, which is made to travel
over the blocks or types representing the characters to be transmitted, or under
which the coid bl

page_text: 2. The transmitting blocks or types substantially as described, operating with
one or two currents, and with or without a connection to "earth."
3. The armature carrying the inking device, substantially as described.
4. The escapement relay apparatus operating with one current or with two
currents alternately, with or without a connection to earth, all substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dated this 15th day of January 1805
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.