Electrical Apparatus for Transmitting to a Distance the Rotation of a Signalling or Indicating Axis.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Apparatus for Transmitting to a Distance the Rotation of
a Signalling or Indicating Axis.
We, JULES RICHARD, and FELIX RICHARD, both of 23, Boulevard de
Strasbourg, Paris, France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
It is often necessary to transmit to a distance the movement of a signalling or
indicating axis, as for instance that of a vane; our invention relates to means of
effecting this transmission in a simple manner by electricity.
As an example, we may take the case of a vane, in connection with which we
arrange, preferably with multiplying gear of 4 to 1, a commutator switch having,
say 3 plates which are rubbed by a contact brush 4 times successively in one revo-
lution of the vanc. Each of those commutator plates is connected by an insulated
wire to an electro magnet coil at the distant station, a fourth wire or earth serving
for return from all the coils. The armatures of the three electro magnets are
arranged radially at equal intervals around the axis to which the motion of the
distant vane has to be imparted; on this axis is a crown pinion presenting four deep
triangular teeth, and the ends of the three armature fevers are so shaped as to
engage in the intervals between those teeth, when an interval
operation being as follows.
presented, the
When the distant vane axis turns, it makes a number of successive contacts by
the commutating switch sending currents to the three electro magnets at the
receiving station successively.
Their armatures being successively attracted and liberated act on, and are acted on
by the successive teeth of the crown wheel which is thus caused to turn th of a
revolution by the action of each magnet. Obviously, the gearing of the vane to
the commutator, the number of its contact plates, and the number of electromagnets
at the receiving station may be varied. Also in order to cut off current when the
apparatus is at rest, we provide a fourth electromagnet having its armature arranged
As
to drop into any one of 12 notches of a wheel on the axis of the crown wheel.
long as it is engaged in a notch, the crown wheel cannot turn, and the contacts are
so arranged at the receiving station that before any one of the three electromagnets
can be excited, the armature of the fourth electro magnet is first withdrawn from
the notch and makes a contact for closing the circuits of the other three electro
magnets which act reciprocally in respect of the fourth.
Dated this 24th day of May 1890.
ABEL & IMKAI,
Agents for the Applicants.
CUMI LEIE DI MULTICATION
Electrical Apparatus for Transmitting to a Distance the Rotation of
a Signalling or Indicating Axis.
We, JULES RICHARD, and FELIX RICHARD, both of 23, Boulevard de
Strasbourg, Paris, France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
It is often necessary to transmit to a distance the movement of a signalling or
indicating axis, as for instance that of a vane; our invention relates to means of
effecting the transmission in a simple manner by electricity, so that an axis at the

page_text: observer's station is made to repeat the movements of a distant axis. The apparatus
for this purpose, as we shall describe with reference to the accompanying drawings,
consists of two main parts, the transmitter and the receiver connected by a con-
ducting cable.
As shewn in elevation Fig. 5 and plan Fig. 6, the transmitter has three separate
contact plates A AA" fixed on an insulating cylinder B, each contact plate having
connection to a wire of the cable, and the body of the instrument having connection
to a fourth wire or to earth. A rubber C, driven from the axis the movements of
which have to be transmitted, revolves over the plates A A'A" making contact
with one or other of them. The contacts in Figs. 5 and 6 are stationary, the rubber
moving. This arrangement may be inverted as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 where
there are three stationary springs 1, 2, 3 to rub on contact plates on a cylinder
moved by the axis.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 an elevation of the receiver. There are three electro
magnets E E E" with spring armatures symmetrically arranged around a centre D,
the coil of each connected at its one end to one of the three wires from the three
contacts of the transmitter. The fourth wire or earth is connected through a
battery to the other ends of the electromagnet coils. On an axis G is fixed a
crown wheel H having four saw teeth, and the armature of each of the
magnets E E E" has a triangular tooth K K' K₁ which can engage in one of
the teeth of H. As there are four teeth in H and three armatures, the successive
movements of the armatures cause rotation of the axis G as will be understood by
reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrating the successive action of three armature
teeth S R V on a saw toothed rack P Q which may represent the developement of
the periphery of the wheel H. If R which in Fig. 7 is engaged between i and be
raised, and if S then descend, it will by acting on the slope 3 move the rack to the
left as in Fig. 8. If now S be raised and V descend it will move the rack still
farther to the left as in Fig. 9. If the succession of the movements were in the
reverse order the movement of H would be in the opposite direction. According
therefore as the rubber C of the transmitter makes contact with the plates A. A' A
in the one or the other order, the electro magnets E E' E" being excited in corrc-
sponding order, their armatures move the wheel H in the one direction or the other
and an index on the axis G repeats the movements of the vane or other distant
object turning on its axis. If accidentally there should be several successive
transmissions of currents by contact of C with one of the plates A A' A" this will
only have the effect of successively raising and lowering one of the armature teeth
without turning the wheel H; the index of which will therefore always be in corre-
spondence with the distant object. It will be seen that, to effect a complete
revolution of H, there are required 12 successive transmissions of current. Conse-
quently the rubber C Figs. 5 and 6 is driven, not directly from the vane but by
gearing multiplying 4 times. And the contact cylinder Figs. 3 and 4 is made with
12 contact plates. The apparatus above described requires continuous currents for
its operation. For alternating currents the apparatus is modified as we shall
describe referring to Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. In this case the armatures a are
not kept up by springs but are free to descend by their own weight, and each of
them has attached beyond its pivot a spring blade 6 preferably divided as a brush c
to make contact with a pin when the armature a is raised. As only one of the
armature teeth such as that of E can be in a hollow of the wheel H at one time,
the other two armatures those of E' and E" are kept up, both making contacts
at c d. As d is the contact in each case which connects the body of the instrument
to earth or to the return wire, the only current that can act must be one transmitted
from A' or A" to E¹ or E", because the c and d of E are separated.
If now a current comes to excite E', its armature descends partly moving the
wheel H, thus raising the armatures É and E and at the same time breaking
at c d the circuit of its own magnet E¹.
In this arrangement the wheel H is held stationary only by the weight of the
armature which is engaged in one of its hollows. In order to ensure its remaining

page_text: in position unless when turned in accordance with the transmitter, we fix on the
axis of H a wheel H' with 12 notches, one or other of which is engaged by the
pin K of the spring armature of a fourth electro magnet E. The coil of this
magnet is in the circuit of the return wire from the receiver to the transmitter so
that the current that comes to any one of the three magnets E E' E" excites
also E, which drawing down its armature disengages for the moment the wheel H¹
from K and allows H to make the partial revolution resulting from the action of
one of the three receiver magnets. As this is done, the circuit is opened, the
armature of E springs up and its pin K engages another notch of H'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim in respect of apparatus for transmitting to a distance the rotation of a
signalling or indicating axis, is :-
1. The combination of a transmitter with three contacts and corresponding
conductors with a receiver having three corresponding electro magnets acting by
their spring armatures on a four toothed wheel, the axis of which is thus caused to
turn in correspondence with the distant axis working the transmitter, substantially
as described.
2. In combination with the armature of each of the receiver electro magnets a
contact which is broken at the moment when the armature is attached, thereby
cutting the magnet out of circuit, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In combination with the receiver having armatures arranged as in the
preceding claim, a fourth electro magnet and armature engaging a wheel with
twelve notches on the receiver axis, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of February 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.