IMPROVEMENTS IN. AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTING INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert Jaynor at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th May
1873.
I, ALBERT JAYNOR, of Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTING INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
―:
This Invention relates to instruments or apparatus, in known and
common use, for transmitting messages by means of electricity between
one place and another, and consists in constructing instruments or
apparatus for that purpose in combination with any existing recording
or receiving instrument, in such manner as that it shall be capable of
transmitting a considerably greater number of words in the same time
that is now occupied by the most approved instruments. And the only
alteration required to adapt this Invention to the existing telegraph
instruments is to substitute my improved transmitting instrument in-
the place of the Morse or other key now in use. And an important
feature in this Invention consists in its not requiring a skilled operator
to transmit messages, it being simply necessary in using the improved.

page_text: transmitting instrument to press once only for each and every letter of
the alphabet to spell the words of the message that it is desired to
transmit, and this single movement for each letter will by a peculiar
mechanical arrangement hereafter described cause the message to be
recorded according to the Morse code, or any other code, without the aid
of perforated paper as now used. In fact, by the use of this Invention,
any person who can spell can transmit a message, thereby enabling
persons to send private messages, which has not heretofore been
accomplished.
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The following is an example of the construction of my improved
transmitting instrument.
The apparatus consists of a circular box of brass or other material,
having in its centre a revolving wheel on a centre pinion with cogs, and
crank handle suitable for working, and wholly insulated from the rim
of another outer box. Around the inner periphery of the rim of this
outer box are fastened upright and straight springs, to the top end of
which are fastened with screws segmental picces of copper, with dots
and dashes cut thereon, and forcing the centre wheel. Between the dots
and dashes are inserted pieces of ivory or other non-conductor of
electricity, to ensure an absolute break of contact. On the centre wheel at
suitable distances are screwed copper springs faced with platinum. The
platinum face of these copper springs are placed on a level and facing
the segmental pieces with the letters cut or otherwise marked thereon,
and when the inner wheel is revolving just clears them. Now it will
appear evident that if the centre wheel be entirely insulated from the
rim of the outer box every time contact is made between the two
boxes a corresponding signal will be transmitted along the conducting
line to the receiving instrument. These segmental pieces of copper,
with the dots and dashes corresponding to each letter of the Morse code,.
for example, being on upright springs, can be pushed in by suitable
mechanism to form contact with the inner wheel, say an angle key with
each letter engraved thereon. Now by turning round the handle, the
centre wheel revolves, and by pressing on any key of the circle of keys,
contact is made on dots or dashes corresponding to each letter, and
thereby a message is sent with much greater rapidity and with less.
liability to error than by the use of the ordinary key.
A much larger number of signals, including all the small words,
may be made by having two circular rims in the same box with the:

page_text: wheel revolving underneath, and upright flanges on which to place the
contact pieces; or the following method may be employed, which has the
advantage of making instantaneous contact without the passing of a
contact spring over the key letter before described, namely, by having a
plain wheel in the centre, with a flat and broad surface on its outer
periphery for contact; and instead of having a segmental piece with dots
and dashes cut on its inner surface, I place a frame on the top of the
spring, having a small wheel set with its edge pointing towards the large
inner wheel, and the dots and dashes cut on its outer circumference.
Underneath this small wheel I place a hair spring in opposition to the
direction of motion of the large revolving centre wheel; by pressing on
any key, the letter of which is marked on the top thereof, the small
wheel will be pressed inward so as to touch the large wheel, thereby
making contact on its surface, as the small wheel revolves with the large
one. The dots and dashes could be cut on the small wheel having
ivory or other suitable non-conducting material between them. This
small wheel could be regulated so that it would only make one
revolution by having a stop nut, and as soon as the key was released
the spring would cause it to fly back to its original position again, ready
for another signal. I would here observe that attached to the lower end
of each key I propose to employ roman printing type; when at rest the
said type lays against an inker, and when the machine is in action a
strip of paper passes over a roller, and as each key is pressed an
impression is made on the strip of paper by the said type, corresponding
with cach key, so as to record the actual telegram sent. This strip can
be kept as a record, on the same principle as copying a letter in a letter-
press.