CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN Drew M. APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE WITH.
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hawkins Simpson, of Kilmeena, in the County
of Mayo, in Ireland, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
Drew M.
APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE WITH.
Sealed the 17th September 1867, and dated the 21st March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hawkins Simpson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st March 1867.
I, JOHN HAWKINS SIMPSON, of Kilmeena, in the County of Mayo, in
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING TELEGRAPHS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows:-
I wish it to be understood in the commencement that some of these improve-
ments refer to former Patents granted to me, dated April 9th, A.D. 1864, No.
898; September 16th, 1864, No. 2260; and October 31st, 1864, No. 2687,
while others do not; and for the better explanation of my Invention, I have
divided this Specification into different heads.
First, this improvement refers to the form of type. When cast of the forms

page_text: shown in my Specification No. 893, A.D. 1864, page 3, line 24, namely, with
the parallel lines of relief close to each other as seen in the letter
it
is sometimes found that the styles from little inaccuracies of fitting or other
causes come in contact with portions of the relief of the type which they ought
not to touch, thereby causing a commingling of the marks or signals at the
recording station. This is prevented by casting the type, thus x
that
is with the lines of the relief widely distant from each other. Similarly paper
or other material if stamped out with the parallel lines of perforations joining
each other is sometimes torn by the passage of the styles. In order to avoid
this I form the dies so as to make the lines of the perforations widely distant,
as above explained. Also when the form of the letter or character constructed
as above shown is impressed it is found that the ink collects in the angles where
the lines intersect each other and disfigures the impression, thereby causing
corresponding incorrect or confused marks at the receiving station. This is
obviated by making the parallel lines of relief on the die widely distant from
each other.
Second, in my former Specifications No. 898, A.D. 1864, No. 2260,
A.D. 1864, and No. 2687, A.D. 1864, the electric current has been described
as passing through the type at the sending, and through prepared paper at
the recording stations. It is sometimes however advisable that the current
should not pass through the type, which may in this case be made of a
non-conducting material, as porcelain or baked wood, and be used simply to
actuate a contact lever. And sometimes instead of causing the current to
pass through and decompose paper it is made to act on electro-magnets which
attract armatures. To the armatures may be adapted either a style, or pencil,
or ink recorder, or the electro-magnets may raise the paper to the style, or
pencil, or ink recorder.
Third, this improvement refers to an arrangement whereby two or more
messages may be simultaneously transmitted by one printer, constructed
according to my Specification No. 2687, A.D. 1864, or modified according to
head 2 hereof. In order to effect this I connect two or more line wires and
their metallio conuections, as described in my Patent, No. 2687, A.D. 1864,
with two or more desks, each line wire being supplied with a separate
battery. Each desk must be so placed that one style only can be in
contact with the type or paper placed upon it at one and the same time,
in the same manner as explained and illustrated in my Specification aforesaid.

page_text: Fourth, the points of the styles of telegraphic instruments are liable
to be covered with colouring matter or to become oxidised. To obviate this
I place a cushion against which each style rubs and thereby has the point
cleaned.
Fifth, when the message is developed by a positive current transmitted from
fuil or through prepared paper on which it has been written or impressed in
insulating ink, the current is intercepted wherever the styles pass over the
insulating ink. Consequently at the recording station there is a blank space
left by each style on the prepared paper, which space is the counterpart of that
portion of the letter which at the sending station has been traversed by a
corresponding style; but the definite forms of the letters will not be distinct
unless the edges are clearly marked. To accomplish this I rule or mark the
paper at the recording station (previously to its being placed on the desk) in
such a way that the styles may pass between the lines, and the lines so ruled
will clearly define the edges of the letters, or else I can rule or mark such
complemental lines after the paper has been removed from the desk.
Sixth, by this improvement I use that portion of the telegram which
contains the address of the person to whom the telegram is to be transmitted,
as printed by the instrument itself, and thereby avoid the necessity of tran-
scribing the address at the receiving station. This may be done by folding
down that portion of the slip of paper on which the telegram is printed which
contains the address, so as to let it appear on the outside of the envelope or case.
This may however be done in other ways.
Seventh, this improvement consists in forming an alphabet or characters
which can be developed by the passage of two styles. Several alphabets are
already known, the letters or characters of which are developed by the passage
of two styles, but in these cases the dots & dashes forming the letters or
characters follow each other in two parallel straight lines. In this improved
alphabet the dots and dashes in each character come side by side, and are so
arranged that the letter or character is easily read. In illustration here
are the letters B, C, D, E, F, LE F. This alphabet is perfectly
ennlicable to my "printers" and their arrangements as described in my Specifi-

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hawkins Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HAWKINS SIMPSON, of Kilmeena, in the County of Mayo, in Ireland, seud
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Hawkins Simpson, Her special licence that I, the said
John Hawkins Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Hawkins Simpson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING TELEGRAPHS AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Hawkins Simpson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hawkins Simpson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
I wish it to be understood in the commencement that some of these
improvements refer to former Patents granted to me, dated April 9th,
A.D. 1864, No. 898; September 16th, 1864, No. 2260; and October 31st,
1864, No. 2687, while others do not; and for the better explanation of my
Invention I have divided this Specification into different heads.
First, this improvement refers to the form of type. When cast of the
forms shown in my Specification No. 898, A.D. 1864, page 3, line 24,
namely, with the parallel lines of relief close to each other, as seen in

page_text: letter, it is sometimes found that the styles from little inaccuracies
of fitting or other causes come in contact with portions of the relief of the
type which they ought not to touch, thereby causing a commingling of the
marks or signals at the recording station. This is prevented by casting the
type thus x that is, with the lines of the relief widely distant from
each other. Similarly paper or other material if stamped out with the parallel
lines of perforations joining each other is sometimes torn by the passage of the
styles. In order to avoid this I form the dies so as to make the lines of the
Also when the form of
perforations widely distant, as above explained.
the letter or character constructed as above shown is impressed it is found
that the ink collects in the angles where the lines intersect each other and
disfigures the impression, thereby causing corresponding incorrect or confused
marks at the receiving station; this is obviated by making the parallel lines of
relief on the die widely distant from each other. This is illustrated by the
letter A and the figure 8, the three lines of relief being far apart, so as to
prevent the styles if accidentally bent coming into contact with adjacent lines
of relief, thereby causing confused marks at the receiving station, thus A FI
8
It will of course be readily understood that these marks likewise
represent the improved form of character as punched in paper or printed in
insulating ink.
Second, in my former Specifications No. 898, A.D. 1864, No. 2260,
A.D. 1864, and No. 2687, A.D. 1864, the electric current has been described
as passing through the type at the sending, and through prepared paper at the
recording stations. It is sometimes, however, advisable that the current
5 should not pass through the type, which may in this case be made of a non-
conducting material, as porcelain or baked wood, and be used simply to
actuate a contact lever. Sometimes instead of causing the current to pass
through and decompose paper it is made at the recording station to act on
To the armatures may be adapted
electro-magnets which attract armatures.
O either a style, or pencil or ink recorder, or the electro-magnets may raise the
paper to the style, or pencil or ink recorder. The disposition of these said
electro-magnets must be such as to admit of only one armature being in
contact with the desk or prepared paper at one and the same time. This
disposition of the electro-magnets will correspond with the disposition of the

page_text: styles on my printers, as illustrated in my Specifications No. 2260, A.D. 1864,
and No. 2687, A.D. 1864.
Third, this improvement refers to an arrangement whereby two or more
messages may be simultaneously transmitted by one printer, constructed
according to my Specification No. 2687, A.D. 1864, or modified according to
head 2 hereof. In order to effect this I connect two or more line wires and
their metallic connections as described in my Patent No. 2687, A.D. 1864,
with two or more desks, each line wire being supplied with a separate battery.
Each desk must be so placed or so proportioned that one style only can be in
contact with the type or paper placed upon it at one and the same time, in the
same manner as explained and illustrated in my Specification aforesaid.
From this it will be seen that only one set of styles insulated from each
other will suffice to transmit at one and the same time, and by one revolution
of the printer, as many telegrams as this provision has been made for,
premising always that the number of desks is limited by the number of
insulated styles.
Fourth, the points of the styles of telegraphic instruments are liable to be
covered with colouring matter or to become oxidised. To obviate this I
place a cushion against which each style rubs, and thereby has the point
cleaned.
Fifth, when the message is developed by a current transmitted from type in
intaglio, or from foil, or through prepared paper on which it has been written
or impressed in insulating ink, the current is intercepted wherever the styles
pass over the insulating ink or the hollow in the type. Consequently at the
recording station there is a blank space left by each style on the paper, which
space is the counterpart of that portion of the letter which at the sending
station has been traversed by a corresponding style. But the exact forms of
the letters will not be distinct unless the outlines are clearly defined. To
accomplish this I rule or mark the paper at the recording station (previously
to its being placed on the desk) in such a way that the styles may pass
between the lines, and the lines so ruled will clearly define the edges of the
letters, or else I can rule or mark such complemental lines after the paper has
been removed from the desk.
Sixth, by this improvement I use that portion of the telegram which
contains the address of the person to whom the telegram is to be transmitted,
as printed by the instrument itself at the receiving station, to endorse the
envelope, and thereby avoid the necessity of transcribing the address at the
receiving station. This may be done by folding down that portion of the slip
of paper on which the telegram is printed which contains the address, so as

page_text: to let it appear on the outside of the envelope or case. This may, however,
be done in other ways. For instance, that portion of the telegram containing
the address may be cut off and affixed to the outside of the envelope.
Seventh, this improvement consists in an alphabet and numerals applicable
to printing telegraphs, the marks forming which occupy two parallel lines, and
are so placed with respect to each other in the lines as to render the majority of
the letters or characters immediately decipherable. This alphabet also effects
a very considerable economy in the number of marks required. A message
transmitted according to this alphabet, each letter of which occupies an equal
space, is less likely to be misread than one transmitted from type or contact key,
the letters of which, when appearing on the paper, occupy unequal spaces. The
following is the alphabet and numerals:

page_text: Eighthly, the manufacture of type and punches so formed as to procure the
formation of the characters illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hawkins Simpson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
C. S. BAKER,
General Pat. Co., Limited,
71, Fleet Street,
London.
J. H. SIMPSON. (L.s.)