Improvements in Telegraph-printing Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
Improvements in Telegraph-printing Apparatus.
1, HENRY OSWALD RUDOLPH of No. 51, Azenby Square, Peckham in the
County of Surrey, Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows
My invention relates to telegraph printing apparatus adapted to print on a
travelling paper tape or strip, the object which I have in view being to simplify
the construction and ensure the correct operation of the apparatus.
The
The complete apparatus consists, as usual; of two instruments a transmitter and
a receiver, connected by a line wire, and either a return wire or earth return.
transmitter presents a number of finger keys any one of which on being depressed
causes the projection of one of a number of pins arranged in a semicircle. In the
centre of this semicircle is mounted an axis carrying two arms opposite to one
another, and on the same axis is a wheel toothed. as an escapement wheel. This
wheel is engaged by an anchor from the axis of which an arm extends downwards
terminating in an iron armature that has freedom to play between the poles of two
opposite electro-magnets. According as the one or the other of these is excited by.
a current from a local battery, the armature is attracted to the one side or the other...
Just before reaching the end of its stroke in either direction it operates a contact
by which the current is cut off from the then active magnet and led on to the other.
The armature is thus caused to vibrate between the two, and the anchor thus
reciprocating causes the escapement wheel to revolve step by step in one direction.
The pendulous armature operates also another set of contacts by which alternating
currents are sent to line. As the escapement wheel revolves, the one or the other
of its two arms becomes stopped against the pin projected by the depression of the
finger key and remains stopped there until the key is released. Thus according as
one or another of the keys is depressed, a rapidly succeeding series of alternating
currents is sent to line, until finally on the stoppage of the arm a continued
current isent until the key by which it was stopped is released. It is convenient
to provide the transmitter with a receiving apparatus which is operated by the same
pendulous armature moving a type wheel step by step until finally when the
stoppage of the arm takes place the continued current has time to excite an electro-
magnet which attracting its armature causes a pad to press a travelling strip of
paper against the type wheel. The paper thus printed serves as a copy of that
printed by the receiver. The movement of the armature which presses the paper
against the type wheel operates a contact introducing momentarily a resistance in
the circuit of the motor electromagnets, so that when the finger key is released the
motor exerts a moderated force in starting the arms.
The receiver has in the line circuit three electromagnets one of which is excited
by the rapidly succeeding alternating currents sent by line and so causes oscillation
of a set of armatures polarised by being hinged to a pair of permanent magnets.
These armatures operate pawls which, as they vibrate allow an escapement wheel
to revolve step by step, this wheel being driven by a volute spring and carrying
with it the type wheel. The second magnet is not excited by the rapidly alternating
currents, but when the last current comes from the receiver, it continues as above
described for sufficient time to excite this magnet causing it to attract its armature,
raising a pad against a travelling strip of paper and pressing against the type
wheel. The third magnet is also excited by the continued current and its armature
moves a pawl so as to wind up the spring that drives the type wheel. In order to
move the paper strip forward, step by step, it is passed over a roller and acted on
by an inclined blade hinged to an arm worked by the printing armature lever so

page_text: as to act like a friction pawl pushing the paper forward after each impression
stroke. This mode of feeding the paper is adopted also in the transmitter, when a
copy is taken. The axis of the type wheel operates a star wheel which after three
revolutions stops the type wheel and holds it at rest until the stop is released by
the first movement of the printing armature lever. This serves to synchronise the
receiver with the transinitter bringing the type wheel of the former to zero when
that of the latter is at zero.
Dated this 11th day of holy 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraph-printing Apparatus.
1; HENRY OSWALD RUDOLPH, of No. 51 Azenby Square, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, Mechanician, 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 :-
My invention relates to telegraph printing apparatus adapted to print on a
travelling paper tape or strip, the object which I have in view being to simplify the
construction and ensure the correct operation of the apparatus.
The complete apparatus consists, as usual, of two instruments, a transmitter
and a receiver, connected by a line wire, and either a return wire or earth
return.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan, Fig. 2 is a transverse section
on XX of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a back view of the transmitter according to my
invention.
Figure 4 is a plan, and Fig. 5 is a front view of the receiver according to my
invention.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew details hereinafter referred to.
The transmitter presents a number of finger keys or buttons A. Each button is
urged upwards by a spring below it and is linked to one end of a lever. In order
to accommodate the required number of levers and their connections, the levers are
arranged at two levels, an upper set of levers a and a lower set a', the upper set
pivotted at a², and the lower set pivotted nearly in a line below a². Each lever
has jointed to its end, farthest from the button A, a nearly vertical link a from
the upper levers and at from the lower levers. On a pair of semicircular frames B
there lie in notches a number of pins b, both ends of each pin projecting beyond
the front and back of the frames B. Some of the links as a which are near the
middle of the instrument pass up through holes in guides and terminate at a
little distance under the projecting ends of the pins b. The other links as a on
each side of those in the middle are jointed to bell crank levers a', which have
arms under the ends of the pins b. All the pins are held down by springs,
each spring having its one end attached to a grooved part in the middle of a pin
and its other end attached to a cross pin 63 which lies in notches in the outer
circumference of the semicircular frames B. Whenever any key or button A
is depressed, one of the links a³ or a¹ is raised pushing up either the front
end or the rear end of one of the pins b. Between the poles of a pair of
electromagnets E E' there is an armature C on a lever free to swing, this
lever having at its upper end two anchor pawls c which, when the lever vibrates,
act alternately on two ratchet wheels c¹². On the axes of these wheels are
toothed wheels geared together so that the two axes always move together
in opposite directions. The armature lever works a switch which opens and
closes the circuits for each of the magnets E E¹ alternately, so that C is
caused to vibrate between them, the contacts being so arranged that, just
before C reaches the end of its stroke towards the one magnet which is
then attracting it, the circuit of this magnet is opened and that of the other

page_text: is closed, and C is then attracted in the opposite direction. The magnets E E¹
are thus operated by a local battery. The armature lever also makes at every
stroke a contact with the line wire causing alternating currents to be transmitted
to the distant receiver where they operate as will hereafter be described. On the
axis of the wheel e' are fixed two diametrically opposite arms D' which is in the
same plane with the front ends of the pins , and D2 which is behind D¹ and on
the same plane with the rear ends of the pins b. When none of the pins bare
raised these arms are free to revolve, but when any one of the pins bis raised by the
depression of one of the keys A, the one or the other of the arms D' D2 is stopped
by the raised pin b, and as long as it remains so stopped a continuous current is
transmitted to the receiver. On the axis of the ratchet wheel is fixed a type
wheel F having an inking roller bearing on the types on its periphery. As the
wheel is moved along with c' from the pendulous armature C, the type wheel
revolves in correspondence with the arms D₁ D². The type wheel F is so set upon
its axis that whenever one of the arms D1 D2 meets one of the pins raised by the
action of one of the keys A, the type on F corresponding with the particular key A
depressed is presented at the lowest point of the periphery of F immediately above
a pad which is on the lever 12 of the armature g of an electro magnet G. The
coils of G are in circuit with the line wire, receiving a rapid succession of alter-
nating currents by the vibration of the pendulous armature C, these currents not
being of sufficient duration to excite G efficiently. But when, owing to the stoppage
of the arm D or D2 by one of the pins b, the current transmitted is continued for
some time, then G attracts its armature y causing the pad f¹ to make a stroke
upwards and then to press against the type wheel F a tape or strip of paper inter-
posed between the pad and the type-wheel, and thus prints on the tape the letter
corresponding to the key A depressed by the operator. When the attraction of the
armature ceases, a spring causes the lever 2 to descend again. The paper
strip passes over a roller f' under the edge of a blade f pivotted on an arm ƒ6
which is moved by a pin on the lever f². When the arm ƒ is caused by the
ascent off to make its stroke in the one direction to the left the blade f slips
along the paper, but when 18 makes its downstroke it acts on one end of a lever ƒ³
pivotted on causing the blade to bite on the paper with sufficient friction to
advance it when fe moves to the right so that the paper presents on the pad fa
fresh portion of its surface for a succeeding impression. The type wheel and printing
mechanism of the transmitter may be dispensed with, but it is convenient to employ
it for the purpose of producing a copy of the message transmitted. The electro-
magnet G, instead of having its coils in circuit with the line wire may be put in
circuit with a local battery by a separate set of contacts worked by the pendulous
armature C. At the time when the armature g is attracted, one of the arms D' D²
is stopped against one of the pins and the pendulous armature C is then subject
to the attraction of one of the magnets E E' excited by the full local current. In
order to relieve the strain of the arm D or D2 on the pin 6 at this time, it is of
advantage to throw a resistance into the local circuit of the magnets É E¹. I
effect this by connecting to the lever a spring contact which when frises
opens the direct circuit to the magnets E E' leaving only a circuit closed through
a resistance.
b
The printing mechanism of the receiver is substantially the same as that of the
transmitter and therefore the parts of it shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 being marked by
letters corresponding with those in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 need not be again described.
The movement of the type wheel of the receiver is not directly effected by action
of electro magnets excited by the transmitted currents but is effected by a spring
which is permitted by such electro-magnets to act as I shall now describe. An.
electro-magnet H having its coils in circuit with the line, has presented to its poles
a system of four iron bars jointed together as a parallel motion and pivotted on
four poles of two permanent magnets ². Each of the iron bars h being thus
polarised is alternately attracted and repelled by a pole of the magnet H, and thus
the system of bars is caused to vibrate by the action of the alternating currents

page_text: transmitted by the line. A lever ³ jointed to the system of bars h extends upwards
and carries an anchor which as shewn in Fig. 6 engages with the teeth of a ratchet
wheel which is on the same spindle 8 with the type wheel F. A pinion /³ on
this spindle gears with a wheel ho on an intermediate spindle on which there is a
pinion gearing with a wheel k on a barrel K containing a volute spring. So
long as the spring is wound, it tends to drive the type wheel, and as tooth by
tooth of the ratchet is released the type wheel revolves in correspondence with
that of the transmitter. As described with reference to the printing mechanism of
the transmitter, when the magnet G becomes excited by a continued current, it
attracts its armature and effects the impression. At the same time another
magnet K¹ is excited attracting its armature which is on a lever having a pawl
engaged with a ratchet wheel k² on the spindle of the spring in the barrel K. Thus
every time an impression is made the spring is partially wound, if necessary;
should it be already sufficiently wound, the armature k', though it may be attracted,
does not move so as to turn the ratchet k². In order to synchronise the receiver
with the transmitter, the spindle 8 of the type wheel of the receiver has a tooth
engaging with a star wheel L with which a lever is connected through a ratchet
and pawl 3. The type wheel in making two revolutions turns the star wheel L so
far that the lever is raised until a stud upon it meets at a pin on the spindle of
the type wheel which is thus stopped at zero in correspondence with the zero
position of the parts of the transmitter. A bell crank lever 12 linked to the
impression lever f² releases the pawl and depresses the lever 1, releasing the
detent at and leaving the type wheel free to revolve again in obedience to such
currents as are then transmitted. On the spindle ³ of the type wheel is fixed a
roller M against which as shewn in Figure 7 bears the end of a lever m strained by
a spring. The face of this lever is a little eccentric relatively to its pivot, so that
as long as the roller M turns in the direction of the arrow it is free, but if it should
tend to turn in the opposite direction the face of the lever m would act as a wedge
brake preventing its movement.
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 :-
1. In the transmitter of telegraphic printing apparatus, the combination of the
keys A, their levers a a¹ links a³ a, bell cranks a³, the semicircularly arranged
double ended spring pins b, and the two opposite revolving arms D1 D2 substantially
as described.
2. In the transmitter of telegraphic printing apparatus, the two electro-
magnets E E¹, the vibrating armature C, its anchor pawls the two ratchet
wheels e c² and gear wheels ce in combination with the arms D¹ D' and the type
wheel F, substantially as described.
3. In the transmitter and in the receiver of telegraphic printing apparatus, the
combination of the type wheel F with the electro magnet G, its armature g, the
armature lever f² with its pad 1 and pin 8 the roller f', arm f6, lever ƒ and
blade arranged and operating substantially as described.
ナ
4. In the receiver of telegraphic printing apparatus the combination of the
electro magnet K, its armature k₁, ratchet k², spring barrel k, gearing h², ho, h³, and
type wheel spindle 8 substantially as described.
5. In the receiver of telegraphic printing apparatus the cam tooth on the type
wheel spindle h³, the star wheel L, the lever and stop pin, the ratchet and
pawl 13 and the bell crank lever 12 in combination with the printing lever f2
substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of December 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents.