Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 30th Dec., 1887
Apparatus therefor.
1, PATRICK BERNARD DELANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New
York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, U.S.A., Electrician, 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:
It is well-known that in operating long lines, especially underground or submarine
cables, the effect of the static charge is a serious obstacle in the way of rapid trans-
mission, and that on this account the distance over which such lines can be operated
is limited, and the speed of operation is necessarily slow. The best results heretofore
obtainable on such lines have been secured by the use of reverse or alternating
currents. Even the practice of this method, however, has been greatly impeded by
the difficulties arising from the unequal duration of impulses sent into the line, and
the consequent unequal static charge and discharge. It is well understood that when
a dash is made the discharge of static is proportionally greater than when the dot is
made, and that when a dot quickly follows a dash the effect of the discharge at the
transmitting end is to partially neutralize or obliterate the dot, while at the receiving
end the current
"tails
or runs out of the line so slowly as to bridge over the space
between the dash and the weakened dot which comes after it.
I am aware that in the automatic telegraphic system of Dr. Werner Siemens it has
been proposed to employ perforated strips of paper for automatic transmission iu
connection with a magnetic generator, the speed or motion of the strip and of
rotation of the generator being so regulated that the alternate generation of positive
and negative currents shall coincide with the particular position of the perforation of
the paper strip and thereby through suitable contacts send into the line alternate
currents of equal duration but opposite polarity, the impulses being received upon a
suitable ink-recorder having a polarized magnet receiver.
I am also aware of the invention of Maiche patented in England January 8th,
1885, in which reverse currents are sent into the line by the use of two keys and
suitable rotating contact apparatus.
I am also aware that signals which are received as dots and dashes have been

page_text: transmitted by the use of two keys which send brief impulses of alternating polarity; but
with that system the duration of the impulse is necessarily of uncertain uniformity,
and the operation of such a system requires specially trained operators, as also does
the Maichie system above referred to.
So far as I am aware, however, no system has heretofore been devised by means of
which an ordinary Morse key may be manipulated to transmit dots and dashes by
causing to be thrown upon the line impulses of electricity of alternating polarity and
uniform duration.
The primary object of my invention is to provide such a new system involving the
use of a Morse key. In my improvement, also, I provide means for eliminating
static effects from the line after each impulse, so that succeeding impulses will not
encounter even the weak discharge arising from a dot. The invention also contemplates
certain improvements in the manner of driving the apparatus, all of which fully
appears from the following specification.
In the accompanying drawings-
Fig. 1 is a diagram view showing two connected stations organized for transmission
according to one form of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a view of a single station showing a somewhat different arrangement for
driving the apparatus.
Fig. 3, a similar view indicating the preferred manner in which I may actuate the
apparatus this figure also shows an arrangement of condenser and adjustable
rheostat which may be employed in this system.
Fig. 4 is a detail view showing another arrangement for driving the instrument.
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing another arrangement of the condenser ; and
Fig. 6 a diagram view showing two stations and an arrangement for sending a
return or counter impulse into the line at the receiver.
Fig. 1 illustrates two stations, X and Y, and the organization is alike at each station.
A Morse key A is connected with a local battery L B, and both its front stop c and its
rear stop d are connected with the opposite pole of the battery LB through the coil
or coils of a magnet B. The armature lever of this magnet operates a push-arm C
carrying a spring-pawle which engages a ratchet fon a shaft carrying a trailing arm G
similar to that of an ordinary sunflower in a printing telegraph. This arm traverses
contacts g, h, and there may be one or more contacts 7, and one or more contacts h, each
set of contacts, g, h, being connected with one pole of a split main battery M B, as
clearly shown, or with any other suitable sources of electric energy.
h.
The main line M I, is in electrical connection with the trailer by means of a brush I,
which makes contact with the shaft or hub of the trailer. Between the contacts
are arranged other, preferably smaller, contacts l. As shown in the drawing, these
contacts are all part of a plate L insulated as shown and connected by a wire
through the coils of a polarized relay P R to earth.
The spring of the armature lever normally tends to draw the lever away from its
magnet and thus throw the pawl e out of engagement with the ratchet f. Whenever
the key is closed either on its back or front stop the lever is attracted and the pawl
drives the ratchet and trailing arm Gone tooth. In this movement the trailing
finger G passes from a contact, 1, across the face of a contact, h or
and then pauses
upon the next contact, I, as shown in the drawing. As the key is manipulated,
therefore, the circuit of the magnet B will be completed at each contact c or d and
interrupted when the key is out of contact with both of them.
By such an arrangement I obtain a rapid and regular rotation of the trailing
finger.
From the construction shown it will be seen that when an instrument is receiving,
it is at rest and the impulses from the line pass by way of brush 1, insulated spindle,
trailer, insulated plate L, to relay and earth. At the transmitter as the trailer crosses
an insulated battery-contact the current passes from battery, through contact, trailer,
insulated spindle, and brush to line; and when the trailer pauses on a contact 1, the
battery now being disconnected from the line, the line is grounded through brush I,
insulated spindle, trailer, insulated contact 1, and relay.

page_text: Assuming that the operator at X is telegraphing to station Y the Morse key A
would, as would be obvious to anybody versed in telegraphy, be operated in the
ordinary manner to produce dots and dashes. Thus, when the key is pressed upon
its front stop c the trailer would be moved across a contact, g, thus sending
a current from the battery MB to line, and at the station Y, through the brush I,
plate L, and coil of polarized relay PR to earth, thus actuating the relay in one
direction and causing the operation of the sounder S in its local circuit. When the
key is raised and then brought into contact with its back-stop d, the trailer is caused
to pass over a contact, h, thus sending a current to the distant station, driving
the armature of the polarized relay to its other stop and terminating the signal there,
whatever it be.
Since the polarized relay armature at the receiver remains in the position into
which it is drawn by a transmitted impulse, whatever may be the polarity of the
impulse, the character of the signal (whether a dot or a dash) depends upon the length
of time during which the key is held down, the signal, whatever it is, being
terminated when the key is put upon its back stop and a current of opposite polarity
is sent into the line. Therefore if the key be operated in the usual way dots and
dashes will be produced at the receiving end of the line, but the transmitted
impulse is always of the same duration because the current only enters the line as
the trailer at the transmitting station crosses a battery contact g or h. In this
figure, at the receiving station the line is to earth through the polarized relay,
while at the sending station immediately after an impulse of either polarity has been
sent into the line the line is grounded through the line, and coil of polarized
relay PR, when the trailer G comes upon the contact l. Obviously the alternating
currents are thrown upon the line with perfect regularity not in
dependent upon the touch of the operator. The operator by the manipulation of the
key only decides whether the signal shall be a dot or dash. The impulse sent must
be invariably of the same duration. Of course any receiving apparatus, instead of.
an ordinary sounder S, may be employed in the local of the polarized relay. No
switching or other changes for sending or receiving are required. When an operator
is transmitting in the particular organization shown, his relay P R is not actuated by
the current from the battery M B, the plate L being insulated,-only the relay at the
receiving station is actuated. This avoids the introduction of an
resistance at the transmitting station, the stroke of the armature-lever of the actuating
magnet B being entirely sufficient for the transmitting operator.
any manner
unnecessary
In Fig.
an arrangement for one station is shown identical in all respects with the
arrangement in Fig. 1, except that instead of employing a single driving magnet B
two magnets B2, B2, are employed, being placed in branch circuits of a common
local battery L B. The branches are alternately closed as the key makes contact with
its front stop c, or its back stop d. The movement of the trailer G and the operation
of the apparatus is precisely the same. Or, instead of the arrangement shown in
Fig. 2, that illustrated in Fig. 4 may be adopted. In that figure the local battery LB
is not split. One pole is connected through the coil of the magnet B with the front
stop of the key, and the other connected directly with the key. In this arrangement
the armature-lever is bifurcated at its end, each bifurcation acting on a toothed
wheel one of them when the key is closed and the lever is drawn down by its
magnet, and the other when the key is open and the lever bis drawn up by its
spring.
Still another plan is shown in Fig. 3, in which I dispense with all intermediate
driving levers or circuits and actuate the shaft which carries the trailing arm direct
from the Morse key. The key is provided with adjustable stops a on each side of is.
pivot and at its end with bifurcated toothed arms which alternately engage the teeth
of a toothed wheel after the manner of an ordinary clock scapement. Each
actuation of the Morse key either up or down advances the trailer from one of the
intermediate earth-connected segments across the face of a segment, g or h, and then
permits it to pause upon the next adjoining intermediate segment. The speed with
which the trailer crosses the battery segments is practically uniform. I may also use

page_text: any power-driven mechanism, which may be properly started and stopped by the
manipulation of the key.
The plan of grounding the line after each impulse may be adopted to eliminate the
static current from the line, but I prefer to neutralize the static by a counter-current.
For this purpose
may, so far as part of my invention is concerned, employ any
suitable source of electric energy. The employment of a condenser, on the other
hand, is a special feature of my invention.
Two suitable and practical ways of connecting the condenser are shown in Figs. 3
and 5 of the drawings. In the former the condenser Cd is shown as permanently
connected in the line 7 between the contacts and the relay P R. In Fig. 5 a switch
is interposed between the condenser and relay, so that the condenser may be connected
to the relay or put direct to ground. In each case the condenser is shunted by an
adjustable resistance Rh, by means of which its operation may be regulated and
controlled, or by which it may be entirely short-circuited if desired-when receiving, for
instance, under some circumstances.
l
The trailer G, as stated, rests normally upon a relay segment as shown. Now, if
the key be raised, the trailer is caused to move across a positive battery segment h,
but in passing on to that segment the trailer bridges and touches it while still on
segment 1, and the current from the positive pole of the battery charges the condenser
at the same time that it goes to line. The charging of the condenser is repeated as
the trailer passes from segment . When the trailer rests entirely on the segment 1,
which it does after each impulse is transmitted, the discharge from the condenser goes
to line and neutralizes the static discharge. All this takes place while the key is
being raised and held up. When it is depressed the same operation occurs, except
that the condenser and line are charged with a negative current.
In some cases the shunt around the condenser might be omitted.
Instead of a condenser, electro-magnets, or other suitable sources of electric energy.
may be employed.
Preferably condensers will be employed at each end of the line.
As the transmitted currents are of uniform duration, and the resultant static charge
similarly uniform, the condensers may readily be adjusted to completely eliminate
static disturbances from the line. Very long and ordinarily difficult lines may there-
fore be worked with facility and rapidity.
Or instead of using a condenser at the receiver, an organization like that shown
in Figure 6 may be used. There the transmitter shown at X is same as shown in
Figure 3, but at Y special receiving apparatus is connected with the line through the
switch S. The receiver bas a table of contacts and the alternate large contacts are
respectively connected with opposite poles of a battery C B the centre of which is to
ground through an adjustable resistance the intermediate small contacts are all connected
to earth through a polarized relay P R, the armature of which controls the local of a
polarized sounder P S whose armature is forked at the end and acts on a star wheel
on the spindle of the trailer. The operation is as follows: Assuming that the key
at X is depressed a positive current indicated by the full arrows is sent over the line
as the trailer crosses a battery contact. At Y this impulse acting on the relay P R
drives its armature to the left thus actuating the polarized sounder P S and causing
its armature acting through the star wheel and spindle to move the trailer across a
large segment connected with the positive pole of the battery C B. Upon the
cessation of the battery current transmitted as described from X to Y the return
current or static discharge indicated by the dotted arrows, commences to flow out of
each end of the line. At the transmitter end it is neutralised by the condenser discharge
as already described and at the receiving end by the impulse sent from the battery CB
as just described the neutralizing currents being indicated by the wavy arrow. By
adjusting the resistance between the battery CB and ground the power of the neutralizing
impulse sent into the line from the battery may be regulated. Upon the raising of the
transmitting key at ✗ a negative message impulse is sent into the line and the static
discharge or retarded current from such impulse at the receiving end is neutralized
by a negative impulse from battery CB which is sent into the line when the

page_text: arunature of the polarized relay is driven over to its right hand contact and the
trailer caused to pass over a negative segment.
Since, so far as I am aware, I am the first to provide an arrangement for transmission
by an ordinary Morse key in connection with an apparatus for throwing impulses of
electricity of equal duration and alternating polarity upon the main line producing
either a dot or dash at the receiving station, I do not limit myself to the precise
organization shown, although it is a practical and efficient one.
Other apparatus for effecting a similar result could no doubt readily be devised by
those skilled in such matters without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a Morse key, apparatus for
throwing working or message impulses of electricity of equal duration and alternating
polarity upon the main line in response to the manipulation of said key, and a
polarized relay or receiving magnet at the distant station for receiving the dots and
dashes thus transmitted.
2. The combination of a main line a Morse key; apparatus for throwing a
working impulse of electricity of given duration and polarity on the line when the
key is operated in one direction and a working impulse of equal duration but
opposite polarity when the key is operated in the other direction; and a receiver
upon which said impulses operate, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a main line, a rotating trailer in connection therewith,
series of insulated contacts (g h) arranged alternately with reference to each other
over which the trailer is caused to traverse, a transmitting battery or generator
having one pole connected with one series of said contacts, and the other pole con-
nected with the other series of said contacts, in combination with mechanism for
rotating the trailer and transmitting dots and dashes.
4. The combination of a main line and trailer in connection therewith, series of
insulated contacts (g h) arranged alternately with reference to each other, a main
battery having one pole connected to one of said series and the other pole to the other
of said series, interposed contacts (l), and a conductor (1) connected with all of
said contacts (1) and running to earth through the coil of a polarized relay (PR).
5. The combination with a table of insulated contacts, of a trailer which traverses
said contacts, a Morse key, and devices interposed between the Morse key and the
trailer whereby the latter is actuated step-by-step and caused to traverse the table of
contacts, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a main line; a contact or contacts (9) connected with one
pole of a source of electric energy; a contact or contacts (½) connected with an
opposite pole of a source of electric energy; a trailer or circuit-completer connected
with the line which traverses said contacts; a key; devices interposed between the
key and trailer whereby the latter is actuated step-by-step as the key is manipulated
and caused at each movement to cross the face of a contact g or h and pause; and a
receiver at the distant end of the line.
7. The combination with apparatus for transmitting currents of alternating polarity
and equal duration over a line, of a Morse key, and direct mechanical connections
between said apparatus and the key, whereby the apparatus is operated by the
manipulation of the key, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination with the contacts, battery, circuit-connections, and trailer, of
the trailer-spindle, its toothed wheel, and a Morse key having a bifurcated end which
engages said wheel and causes the step-by-step rotation of the trailer as the key is
operated, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination of the alternate contacts g, h, connected respectively with
opposite poles of a source of electric energy, a trailer or circuit completer connected
with the main line and traversing said contacts whereby message impulses of
alternating polarity and equal duration are sent into the line, the intermediate

page_text: contacts also traversed by said circuit completer and a source of electric energy
connected with the latter contacts from which a neutralizing impulse is sent into the
line after the transmission of each of said message impulses.
10. The combination of a transmitter having contacts connected with opposite
poles of a source of electric energy and a circuit completer which traverses said contacts
and thereby sends over the line currents of alternating polarity and equal duration,
a Morse key, transmitter-controlling devices interposed between the key and the
transmitter whereby when the key is depressed the transmitter is operated to send a
message current of one polarity, and when the key is raised to transmit a message
current of equal duration but opposite polarity, and a source of electric energy and
contacts from which a neutralising impulse is sent into the line after each message
impulse is transmitted.
11. The combination of a line; a Morse key, apparatus interposed between the
key and the line, whereby upon the manipulation of the key working currents of
equal duration but alternating polarity are successively thrown upon the line; a
source of electric energy from which neutralizing currents are sent into the line to
neutralize the static effect after each of said impulses has been transmitted; and a
receiver at the distant station.
12. The combination of a main line; a contact or contacts (g) connected with one
pole of a source of electric energy; a contact or contacts (h) connected with an
opposite pole of a source of electric energy; a trailer or circuit-completer connected
with the line which traverses said contacts; a key; devices interposed between the
key and trailer whereby the latter is actuated step-by-step as the key is
manipulated and caused at each movement to cross the face of a contact g or h, thus
sending currents of alternating polarity into the line; and a source of electric energy
and contacts from which a neutralizing current is sent into the line to neutralize the
static effect after each transmission of the current, substantially as set forth.
13. The combination of a main line, a transmitter for sending message impulses
of alternating polarity but equal duration over the line, and a receiver having a
polarized relay and a source of electric energy and contacts from which a neutralizing
impulse is sent into the line after the reception of each message impulse (Figure 6).
Dated this 29th day of November 1887.
PATRICK BERNARD DELANY.