IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATING SIGNALS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN THE APPARATUSES EMPLOYED
Year: 1858

page_text: 3.0.
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Brailsford Bright, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMMUNICATING SIGNALS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN THE APPARATUSES EMPLOYED
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMMUNICATING SIGNALS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN THE APPARATUSES EMPLOYED
Sealed the 9th July 1858, and dated the 18th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Brailsford Bright
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1858..
I, EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, 'do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATING SIGNALS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN THE APPARATUSES
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
In my Invention voltaic currents of opposite kinds are alternately trans-
mitted, so that each may produce consecutively a separate and complete
signal. When such apparatus is used with subterranean or submarine wires in
the sending part, the conducting wire may be placed in direct communication
with earth during the various intervals between the alternate currents, so that
the receiving apparatus may not be affected by recoil.currents. A train of
wheels released by a key and actuating a cam (by which the currents are.
changed as it presses upon different springs) may be employed for such
purpose, and so arranged by means of a rack and fan wheel or other con-
venient method of retardation as to keep the earth in connection with the line,
for a sufficient time after the communication of each current, as to thoroughly

page_text: clear the line of any residuary charge. Either current on transmission through
the line wire acts upon the movable part of the receiving apparatus, which
may be arranged either simply to indicate of itself, or to cause local currents
to be sent through an acoustic or recording instrument, or other mode of
forming an alphabet comprising signs of different duration. The system may
be applied to magneto-electric or other arrangements by which secondary
currents are transmitted, in which case the receiving apparatus is adapted to
prolong the effects of the residual magnetism beyond the duration of the
current.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Brailsford Bright in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
BRAILSFORD BRIGHT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year.
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Brailsford Bright, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Brailsford Bright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Brailsford Bright, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATING SIGNALS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN THE
APPARATUSES EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Edward Brailsford Bright, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Brailsford Bright, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the employment of a series of opposite currents of
electricity, each producing a separate and complete signal. The effects of in-
duction upon underground or submarine wires of any considerable length have
made it necessary to employ with such lines one current to produce a deflection
and another opposite current to neutralize the first current, and bring back the
magnet to its place of rest. By this, two currents are required for each signal;
and the improvement forming the subject of the Patent has for its object the
removal of the delay caused thereby.
At Figure 1 is shewn an apparatus for sending currents according to my
Invention, which I prefer for lines of moderate length. a is an excentric or
cam actuated by a train of clockwork, and allowed to rotate step by step by
means of the key b, and an escapement upon the same axle as the cam. c is
an insulated plate having two stops, against which the arms d, e, press when
they are in a state of rest; the escapement allows of the cam assuming the
positions indicated by the dotted lines. The two arms d, e, are in connexion
respectively with the line and earth wires, the cam being in connexion. with
one pole of the battery and the plate c with the other pole. On pressing the
key down, a current will flow in one direction along the line by-the cam
advancing a step in its revolution, and thus pressing one of the arms away
from the plate while the other is left in contact with it. On releasing the key
the cam advances another step, leaving both the arms in contact with the plate
Sagain, and thus withdrawing the current from the line. When the key is
pressed down again the cam again advances a step, and a current is sent along
the line, but this time in an opposite direction to the current sent before, and
on releasing the key again the cam comes back to the central position between
the arms again, and the current is withdrawn. The next current is of the
opposite kind to that last sent, and of the same kind as that sent first, and so
the currents alternate with each complete up and down movement of the key.
By altering the escapement, currents of equal duration may be sent for each
movement of the key alternating in series in a similar manner.
At Figure 2 is shewn an arrangement of apparatus whereby the receiving
coils at the sending station are put upon short circuit or detached from the
line during and for a short time after the communication of each signal to
the line from the sending station. a is a spring kept from contact with the
stud 6 by the pressure of the lever c, which is influenced by the spring d; the'
spring a and stud 6 are connected to the two ends of the receiving coils. e is a

page_text: pin upon the sending key by which, when a signal is being sent, the lever c is
pressed down, and the spring d then coming in contact with the stud b the
receiving coils are placed on short circuit.
A rack on one of the arms of the lever c gears into pinion f, carrying a fan
the vanes of which can be set at different angles, according to the resistance
which it is desired to offer. When the sending key is allowed to return to a
place of rest the lever c will also be brought back to its position by the in-
fluence of the spring d, but more or less slowly, according to the manner in
which the vanes of the fan are set, and thus the receiving coils may be kept
on short circuit for a greater or less time after each signal, accordingly as the
length or state of insulation of the line wire may produce a longer or shorter
recoil current.
At Figure 3 is shewn an arrangement which is applicable to most forms of
relay, whereby the alternate currents sent are made to indicate themselves.as
signals in the ordinary way at the distant station. a is an arm fixed to the
axle of the movable part of the relay; b is a plate carrying two adjusting
contact screws. The connexions with the local battery c, and the recording
acoustic or printing instrument are shown in dotted lines..
Figures 4 and 4 show in side elevation and plan, an apparatus by which
the magnet.or arm of the receiving relay after giving its signal with either
current, may, if required, be brought back to a state of rest in the central
position, without the necessity for, weighting the magnet or arm below the
centre of gravity or bringing it back by springs. a is the moveable arm of a
relay, which on being actuated by the current from a distant station, comes
into contact with one or other of the stops b, b¹, according to the nature of the
current from the distant station. On coming into contact with either of the
stops, the relay arm puts on the local current, which in acting upon the
recording or other indicating apparatus also polarizes the coil c, which there-
upon attracts or deflects the keeper or magnet d, connected to the lever d'.
The end of the lever d¹ on being brought down passes into a cup on one end
of the relay arm a, and brings it back to the centre. The lever d' is at the
same time drawn away to zero by a spring, the current through c having
ceased upon the relay arm, leaving the stop with which it was in contact, and
thus the relay is left in a central position, free to receive another current from
the distant station. This apparatus and method may also be applied to relays
for transmitting onward currents of either kind at will, over sections of long
lines of telegraph. It may also be considerably modified by the adaptation of
other mechanical arrangements than the lever and cup to bring the relay arm
to the central position. Figure 5 shows this method in connexion with

page_text: signalling by sound, where the blow of the hammer of the bell is made to put
on the current through the coils, which act upon the lever. The hammer may
also have a keeper attached to it, so as to be brought back by the current it
brings into play instead of by a spring, and the. coils acting upon the lever
may, under such circumstances, be so arranged as to act also upon the keeper
attached to the hammer. a is the hammer of the bell; b, electro-magnetic
coils polarised on the passage of the local current, to the movable centre of
one of which the hammer a is attached. The hammer is insulated and con-
nected to one pole of the battery c, operating upon the lever and cup when its
circuit is completed on the hammer striking the bell to which the other pole
of the battery c is connected.
Figure 6 shows an arrangement of apparatus by which the magnet or arm
of the receiving relay is brought back to zero (after producing the necessary
signal upon the recording or other indicating apparatus) by the effect of a
local current so regulated as not to exceed the current received from the distant
station. a is the relay arm; b, a contact cup, bringing into play the local
current from the battery d on the arm a, being attracted over to coil c, through
which the current from a distant station passes. The local current from d
passes through the apparatus at e, regulating. its strength, and also through
the coil f. The effect of the local current upon coil f is such as to attract back
the arm a, but with an influence less strong than that exerted by the coil c,
during the passage of the current from the distant station. The regulation of
the local current, may be effected by obliging it to pass through graduated
distances of water or wire resistance, or by the movement of the coil f, &c.
This arrangement, may also be applied with slight modifications to occasion a
return to zero by means of deflection when galvanometer relays are employed.
In. Figure 7 is given an arrangement by means of which, when the arm or
magnet of the relay is not required to be brought back to a central position,
the secondary current may be cut off after producing the signal required in the
recording or other indicating apparatus. a is the relay arm; b, the recording
or indicating apparatus; c, a contact lever with a keeper or maguet at c'; d, d',
coils, one or other of which attracts c¹ over on the passage of a current from
the battery.f. Upon the arm a being moved over to the opposite stop, as
shown by the dotted line, the secondary current. from the battery passes
through the indicating apparatus b, and also through the coil d, which imme-
diately attracts the lever c, and brings it into the position shown by the
dotted line, thus cutting off the local battery until the next current of an
opposite character from the distant station moves the relay arm a back again,
whereupon the current from the local battery passes through the coil d', when

page_text: operating upon the indicating apparatus, and is thus cut off again by the attrac-
tion back of the lever c. This arrangement and method may also be employed
to increase the strength of the secondary current by bringing an additional
current into play to operate upon the recording or indicating apparatus, by
making contact in its passage with a spring e, and, like the preceding arrange-
ments, may also be used in sending forward currents on further sections of a
long line.
In the application of this system to magneto-electric. or other arrangements
by which secondary currents are transmitted alternately in opposite directions
and of equal duration and value to each other, the sending key may be
geared to act isochronously, and so arranged as to short circuit or shut off a
single current from the line wire, and at the same time to reversing the con-
nexions with line and earth, so as to maintain the consecutive order of
alternate opposite currents. Figure 8 shows an arrangement of this kind. `a
is a shaft geared to and moving with the apparatus, by which magneto-electric
or secondary currents are generated at the sending end; b is a disc upon this
shaft (rotating with it by means of a feather on the shaft) capable of being
moved on the shaft to the position shown by the' dotted line, by a handle A
represented in the detached view Figure 8. On the sides of the disc b are pins
c, c, one pair of the pins being longer than the other pair; the disc is carefully
insulated; d is a slide connected to the line wire with projecting piece e; f.f
are springs connected to the ends of the magneto-electric or secondary current
coils of the generating apparatus; 9 is a stop with contact terminals, against
which the springs f. f, alternately rest; the stop is connected to, earth. As the
disc b moves round, its pins come into contact at given points of its revolution
with the slide d. The shorter pins press the slide far enough to short circuit
the magneto-electric or secondary coils, and the longer pins subsequently drive
the slide home, and thus reverse the connexions of the magneto-electric or
secondary coils with the line wire and earth, so as to prevent the current next
ensuing from being similar in character to the last current communicated to
the line wire. The alternate transmission of opposite currents is thus continued,
no matter how frequently the single currents are obliterated by the movement
of the handle. Figure 9 shows an apparatus in which the cutting off the
magneto-electric or secondary coils may be effected independently of the
reversal of the connexions of line and earth produced by the disc. a is an arm
attached to the handle (referred to under the letter A, Figure 8*,) and moving
with it to the right or left; b is a spring retained in position by the catch c; d
is an excentric of metal attached to the same shaft as the disc in Figure 8.
The projecting pin e is of ivory or other insulating material. The spring b

page_text: and excentric are connected respectively to the line wire and earth. This
separate arrangeinent may be introduced whenever it is desirable to regulate:
the duration of the contact between the line wire and earth, without inter-
fering with the action of the disc described in the preceding Figure, which:
would in such case continue its reversal of the connexions on the movement of.
the handle, which would at the same time operate upon the apparatus shown'
in Figure 9.
Under the foregoing arrangements any compensation required may be.
effected by regulating the position of spring b, Figure 9, as by this means a
longer or shorter contact with the surface of the excentric may be secured.
The contact can, if necessary, be prolonged beyond the commencement of the
succeeding current if necessary, by means of a spiral groove forming an
eccentric upon. the shaft, as shewn at Figure 9, but in this case the spring b:
must be arranged to move laterally in addition by a circular socket or other:
means, and after the contact is over must be brought back to position under
the groove. The apparatus may be so arranged as to allow a little additional:
current in the same direction to flow into the line wire as compensation if:
required, by allowing the short circuiting to be taken off before the period of:
transmission of the current cut off is quite over.
The reversal of the connexions of the line wire and earth on the principle
described, in order to signal with every current communicated, may also be
effected by means of an endless chain with slides, as shewn at Figures 10, 10",
and 10b, and thus allow the intervals between the signals to be regulated con-
siderably beforehand, if necessary.
a is an endless chain drawn over a barrel
b, which is arranged to move isochronously with the generating apparatus,
where magneto-electric or secondary currents are used. The stops c, c, are
connected on one side to the line wire, and on the other side to the earth, and
parts of their surfaces are insulated by means of ivory or other non-conducting
material. The position of the stops can be shifted by pressing them in on
either side of the chain, or by a small finger key or other suitable means.
Three springs d, e, f, are so arranged upon bearings as to press upon each stop
successively when passing under them; d and fare connected to one end of
the magneto-electric or secondary coil, and e to the other end. The slides are
so arranged that the part connected with the earth, as shewn at k, may be
shifted so as to come into contact with both d and e when passing under the
springs, and thus short circuit the generating apparatus; and when placed in
another position the slides may be arranged so that their insulated portions are
successively presented to the contact of d and f alternately, and thus effect the
result at the distant station obtained in the previous plans.
The stops are

page_text: brought back to their places by a catch g, pressing them home after they have
passed under the springs."
Apparatuses on the principle described may also be readily arranged to send
a stronger current for a short time when it is required to send a short current
after a long one. The character of the alternate opposite currents might also
be regulated by interposing the resistance of water or other fluid or coils
of thin wire, and the slides may be arranged to make contact with the gene-
rating apparatus by passing into cups or reservoirs containing water and
connected therewith as shewn at Figures 11 and 12, the length and
proximity of contact being determined by shifting the stops and the com-
pensation regulated at the same time.
Various codes and modes of expressing the signals may be arranged
according to the improvements herein detailed by the use or modification of
apparatus constructed on the principle described.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the method of,
and apparatuses herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
annexed for, communicating signals by electricity.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Brailsford Bright, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
TOWARD D PRICHT L
EDWARD B. BRIGHT. (..)