IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC TELEGRAPHS."
-A communication from abroad by Edward Augustine Calahan, of
Brooklyn, and George Baker Field, of the City of New York, both
in the State of New York, United States of America.
Scaled the 11th April 1871, and dated the 3rd November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd November 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC
TELEGRAPHS," a communication, to be as follows:-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd November 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC
TELEGRAPES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The pressure of air in a tube has been used to indicate signals.
This Invention relates to means for actuating a type wheel and giving
an impression therefrom by the action of air or other fluid in a tube.

page_text: A chamber is provided containing air under pressure, and another
chamber exhausted to form a vacuum; a suitable pump operated by
hand or other power is employed to exhaust one chamber and fill the
other. These exhaust and pressure chambers are connected by tubes to
valves that are moved alternately by the operator and allow pulsations
of pressure or exhaust to act through a main line tube connected with
the receiving instrument at the distant station. It is remarked that this
Invention is especially adapted for short lines in cities, for reporting
quotations of stocks, prices, and the like. The pulsations act at the
receiving station in a cylinder or cylinders to give, motion to a type
wheel through the agency of wedge-acting pallets or escapements so as
to give a progressive step-by-step movement to the type wheel, hence
the operator can set the distant type wheel to the required letter or
character as indicated by a corresponding instrument or dial at the
sending station.
Several instruments connected with one main line tube may be thus
operated. The impression is produced by a second line of tubing acting
by a pressure or exhaust pulsation within a cylinder or other device to
move a pad that presses the paper upon the type, or this may be
effected in one line of tubing by a continued pressure or exhaust acting
through a small hole leading into a cylinder or chamber to operate the
mechanism that gives the impression after the type wheel is set, but
during the setting of the type wheel this mechanism will not come into
action, because there is not a sufficient pause between the alternate
pressure and exhaust pulsations.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th April 1871.
· TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special.
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "
IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC TELEGRAPHS," a communication to me
from abroad by Edward Augustine Calahan, of Brooklyn, and George
Baker Field, of the City of New York, both in the United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-.
ticularly 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being made to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
―
Fig. 1 represents the valve mechanism and connections at the trans-.
mitting station, the valve cylinders being in section; Fig. 2 is. a section
of the cylinder at the receiving station for actuating the type wheel;
Fig. 3 is a section of the cylinders for giving the impression of the paper.
on the type wheel.
The pressure of air in a tube has been used to indicate signals.
This Invention relates to means for actuating a type wheel and giving
an impression therefrom by the action of air or other fluid in a tube. A
chamber is provided containing air under pressure, and another chamber
exhausted to form a vacuum. A suitable pump or pumps operated by
hand or other power is employed to exhaust one chamber and fill the
other. These exhaust and pressure chambers are connected by tubes to.
valves that are moved alternately by the operator and allow pulsations of
·
1

page_text: pressure or exhaust to act through a main line tube connected with the
receiving instrument at the distant station. It is remarked that this
Invention is especially adapted for short lines in cities, for reporting
quotations of stocks, prices, &c. The pulsations act at the receiving
station in a cylinder or cylinders to give motion to a type wheel, through
the agency of wedge-acting pallets or escapements so as to give a pro-
gressive step-by-step movement to the type wheel, hence the operator
can set the distant type wheel to the required letter or character as
indicated by a corresponding instrument or dial at the sending
station.
Several instruments connected with one main line tube may be thus
operated. The impression is produced by a second line of tubing acting
by a pressure or exhaust pulsation within a cylinder or other device to
move a pad that presses the paper upon the type, or this may be effected
in one line of tubing by a continued pressure or exhaust acting through
a small hole leading into a cylinder or chamber to operate the mechanism
that gives the impression after the type wheel is set, but during the
setting of the type wheel this mechanism will not come into action
because there is not a sufficient pause between the alternate pressure
and exhaust pulsations.
The valves a and b in the cylinders c and d are moved by a rocking
lever e actuated by an excentric for other convenient mechanism under
the control of the operator sending the message. The tube g is
connected with a reservoir or other supply of air or other fluid, and the
tube is connected with a reservoir or vessel from which the air is
exhausted. These reservoirs are of suitable size, and the pump or pumps
by which they are respectively exhausted and filled are not shown, as
they may be of any desired character and actuated by competent power.
The tube m leads to the distant station or stations, and the pressure or
exhaust operates in the cylinder n to raise the piston o and wedge
pallets p by the pressure, and turn the type wheel q around one character
or to draw down said piston by the exhaust, and through said pallets
turn the type wheel another character. The operator at each movement
of the lever e and valves a, b, alternates pressure and exhaust pulsations
through the tube m, hence by the use of a dial connected with the
transmitting instrument the characters will be denoted corresponding
to those at the receiving station or stations that are in the correct
position for being printed.

page_text: The operation of printing is effected as follows:-The printing lever t
carrying the impression pad is mounted upon a fulcrum u, and the
piston of the cylinder is connected with the said levert on one side of
the fulcrum, and the piston w of the cylinder w¹ upon the other side of
the fulcrum. To the cylinder w¹ there is an inlet valve x, and to the
cylinder there is a valve 4 opening outwardly. The spring 3 is
of sufficient force to keep the pad t¹ and paper t away from the type
wheel q during the movement of the type wheel, because the pulsations
of pressure and exhaust operate with rapidity and with but little power,
and there is not a sufficient period of time between the pulsations.
for the pressure to accumulate or the exhaust to become sufficiently
powerful to overcome the force of the spring 3, but when the given
letter or character has been reached a pause at the transmitting station
will allow the pressure to accumulate in the pipes or the exhaust to be
so complete as to act in either the cylinder vor w¹, and move the
printing lever, the valve 4 or x determining which cylinder the power
shall be exerted in, and in either instance motion will be given to the
lever to effect the printing. The pressure regulator 6 may be applied
in the pressure and exhaust pipes g and k, the same being made of two
sliding valves in cylinders which valves in normal position partially
close the passage ways through said pipes and only allow the volume
necessary in the pulsations for operating the pallets that set the type
wheel. If these valves are opened wider by a foot lever 7, or otherwise
when the printing is to be performed, the air or exhaust will be more
rapid in its operation and the impression given suddenly.
What is claimed and to be secured by Letters Patent is,―
First. The mode herein specified of operating a printing telegraph
instrument by alternate compression and exhaust pulsations of air or
gas, substantially as set forth.
Second. The valves a, b, operated alternately by a rocking lever com-
bined with the pressure and exhaust pipes, and the tube connecting to
the distant instrument, substantially as set forth.
Third. The cylinder n, piston o, and escapement p for moving the type
wheel q by the alternate pressure and exhaust pulsations, substantially
5 as specified.
Fourth. A printing lever operated by exhaust or pressure of air or gas
operating in one of two cylinders, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifth. Two or more printing instruments operated at the receiving
stations from one transmitting instrument through the agency of.
alternate exhaust and pressure pulsations of air or gas, substantially as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here- 5
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
E. C. JACKSON.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)