IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Raphael Hunter Brandon of No 1. Rue Laffitte, Paris,
France, Engineer and Patent Agent, for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS. A communication by Horatio Woodburn
Southworth, Manufacturer, of Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Raphael Hunter Brandon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th August 1882.
RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of No 1 Rue Laffitte, Paris, France Engineer and
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS a communi-
cation by Horatio, Woodburn, Southworth, Manufacturer, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for transmitting electric
signals, and consists in the employment of magnetic needles or bars which are
pivoted to vibrate within a surrounding bobbin or coil of wire under the influence
of electric currents which are sent through said coil or bobbin, and in a novel
arrangement of circuit closing devices adapted to be operated by said magnetic bar
at different points in the circular line of movement of one end thereof; and in
means for governing the needle-deflecting current to cause a simultaneous and
equal deflection of all the needles on one circuit.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Fig 1, is a plan view of an
electrical signaling apparatus, together with its connecting wires, adapted to the
requirement of a main or central station, embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is
a view of one of said instruments adapted to the requirements of a way station.
Fig 3, illustrates the above mentioned instruments together with their several
connections when they are located one at a central station, and the other at a way
station. Fig 4 illustrates the arrangement of the commutator and directly
connected devices relative to the table and the magnetic bar.

page_text: A is the table of the instrument, D is the base thereof; B is the coil surrounding
the magnetic bar; c is a permanent magnet; d, is a magnetic-bar pivoted within a
rectangular opening through that part of the table which is surrounded by the
coil B, and adapted to oscillate therein, in a horizontal plane; e, is an arm secured
to bar d, transversly thereto; e² is a pendulous circuit-connecting wire suspended
at one end of arm e; 0, 0³, are combined guards and signaling connections; f is a
rotating commutator-post; i, i, n, n, are arms on posts f; n2 is a commutator-arm
on said post; 2, 2, are contact-arms on arm n²; 1, 2, 3, are contact-pins; a, is a
stop-pin in table A; b is a graduator; 8 is a wire coiled on the latter; vindicates
pins in said graduator; a2 is a graduator connector; m, is a spring switch; x, x¹, are
contact-pins; h, is a signal-bell; K is a battery.
The table A, is constructed of radial form preferably, and supports on one edge
a coil-frame around which is wound a coil B of fine wire.
Said coil-frame is constructed as above-described, and upon a suitable pivot set
on the lower side of the opening therein, is located said vibratory magnetic bar d,
carrying said arm e, and pendulous arm e².
On the top of said coil B, is secured the permanent magnet c, for the purpose of
determining the direction, N.S. more strongly than the magnetic force of the
earth above will do, consequently the movements of the magnetic bar d, are
more prompt.
The table A, is provided (that of the central-office instrument) with two series of
graduation marks and numbers, each side of a central point on its border, while the
instrument of the way-station is provided with one series only; and the end of
arm e, carrying the connecting wire e², swings back and forth over said table and
said graduator marks thereon.
For the purpose of providing suitable means to co-operate with the vibratory
arm e, and the pendulous wire e³, thereon, whereby, said arm shall be caused to
stop at certain points over the face of table A, and thereby effect such an electric
connection as will ring a bell or operate other signals, the wires o, and o² are secured
in an insulated position in said table projecting above the surface thereof, having
their upper ends bent at right angles thereto and forming an opening therebetween
of V-shape which at its narrowest part is of less width than the diameter of said
pendulous wire e².
The outer one of said wires o, has a longer arm than the inside one o², and is
curved outwardly but the end thereof is bent inward past the point over table A
at which the end of wire stands
The said point of wire o², is located about on the circumferented line described
by the pendulous wire e², when arm c swings over table A while as above stated
the end of wire o, is inside of that line. One of said wires is, as shown, connected
with the battery K and one with the alarm bell ½ or other suitable signal device or
for forming a connection for utilizing a local current, and a wire from said bell
connects it with the opposite pole of said battery.
Said two circuit connecting wires in the central office instruments are located
beyond the aforesaid graduating marks and numbers near to said coil-frame, and
when table A is provided with duplicate series of said marks and numbers, said
wires o, o², are duplicated on the table as shown in Figure 1, and the connections
of both pairs thereof with the bell and the battery are common.
A spring switch m, is secured to a connection post m², on the base D, and is
adapted to spring against a connection post x, there resting until it is swung
away from it against the post x¹.
For the purpose of better controlling the force of the electric current which
actuates the instruments on a circuit, a graduator b is connected with the central
office instrument consisting of a coil of fine wire 8, wound spirally around a
cylinder, and at each turn it is wound around one of the pins v therein. Along
each side of said pins are fixed two strips v¹, to form a groove therebetween as
shown in Figure 1. Only one end of wire 8, on said graduator is permanently

page_text: connected with the instrument and that is attached to a wire 10, leading from
battery K to post x.
A portable graduator connector a², is connected by a suitable wire to a wire 11,
running from the opposite pole of battery K to that with which wire 8 is connected.
Said connector al consists of a handle of insulating material having fixed in it a
metallic support for a metallic wheel r, the wire connecting said connector with
said wire 10, being connected with the metallic support of said wheel.
The connecting wires o, o³, located on table A. of the instruments, are in those
of the outlaying stations fixed at the number of said table which corresponds with
the numbers of the several stations.
The several connections between instruments, alarm bells, battery, commutator,
and switch, are clearly shown in the drawing, and will be easily understood by any
one skilled in the art and by the aid of the description of the operation of the
Invention hereinafter given.
For the purpose of changing the direction of the current through the coil B of the
instrument whereby the arm e, carried by the magnetic bar d, may be made to
vibrate either to the right or to the left for the purpose of establishing connections
upon lines running out from either side of the instrument, an ordinary commutator
is established under table A which is operated by the rotating post fas clearly
shown in Fig 4.
The arms i, i, on said post f, serve, when arm e, is adapted to vibrate in both
directions over table A, to restrain the said vibrations so that they shall be in the
desired direction only by turning said post so that one of said arins acts as a stop
to arme at the centre of said table. The arms n, n, on post f, strike a pin set in
table A, and determine the degree of rotation of said post when it is turned for the
above purpose.
The instruments at the outlaying stations are provided with a permanent stop-
pin set in table A, about in the position of post f so that arm & may be made to
vibrate only between said stop-pin and the side of said coil-frame moving over said
numbers and said wires o, o².
Referring to Figure, 1, wire 10, connects battery K, and coil B through the
commutator f, and post x, and wire 13.
Wire 11, connects the opposite pole of the battery through said commutator
with post a', and a branch 12, through an intermediate connection with 11, connects
bell h, with the battery.
A branch 14, from wire 10, connects the wire o², on table A with the battery.
Wire 15 connects arm o, likewise on table A. with the bell h.
Wire 13 connects coil B with post a and through switch m with the line
wire 17.
Line wire 10, is directly connected with coil B.
In operating from central station, swinging switch m, from post x, to x' (the
lines 16 and 17 being connected simply or through a way-station instrument)
causes the current to circulate from the battery outward through wire 10, coil B,
and line 16, and inward through line 17 switch m, and wire 11, back to battery.
The contact of the pendulous wire c² with the arm of the wires o, o' closes a
circuit from battery through wires 14, 15, 12, and 11, in which bell his connected.
The outlaying instruments being connected in lines 16 and 17, and being subject
to like electrical influence with the central station instrument, their arms e on the
magnetic bars d follow the movements of the bar d, at the central station.
When switch m at a way station (Fig 3) is carried into contact with x¹, a
current is established from the battery K' through wire 11', post x, switch m, and
line 16, and by the latter through coil B of the central station by wire 13, to
post and thence through wire 10 to the battery, whereby bar d, at the last
named station is deflected. Said battery K', Fig 3 is a local battery of the way
station.
The operation of the above-described devices is as follows:

page_text: To call from an outlaying station the switch m, of that station is swung from
post x, to x', establishing a current through all of the coils B in the circuit The
said current in its full strength will throw out all of the bars d, in the circuit to
their utmost limit. The central office instrument having its wires o, o³, located as
above-described and shown, will thus have its alarm-bell connection established by
the dropping of the pendulous wire e on arm e between the said wires as said
arm begins its retrograde movement while the bars of all the outlaying stations, as
Boon as the current is broken by the calling station will drop back without making
any connections with wires o, o, because said pendulous wire, as bar e, swings back
will strike the curved end of wire o, which guards the point of wire o³, and be
carried outside of the former and thus being prevented from being caught between
said wires so as to form a connection there between.
Supposing now that the central office is requested to call station 11, it moves
switch m, to post 1 inserting at the same time the graduator connector-wheel r*,
between the strips v¹, and rolling it over the ends of the pins von the graduator b.
This offers a side connection to the current and in proportion as its resistance is
increased, the current through this side-connection will become diminished, and
thereby the current through main line be strengthened or diminished. By giving
at the start little resistance to the graduator almost the full current will take its
way through the side connection, and but very little will pass through the line.
The magnetic bars & will in consequence be deflected very slightly at the
commencement. If now
the resistance in the graduator be increased
diminished, the current in the main line will vary correspondingly; and slowly
the bars d. will be deflected more or less. All the bars in the circuit will swing
alike.
or
As soon as the bar at the central office bas passed No. 11 on table A, the bar at
station 11, on the circuit, will have gone beyond the end of the wire o, thereat,
and the central office operator now interrupts the current, and all the bars d, in
the circuit will fall back, except that at station 11, whose pendulous wire will
drop between said wires o, 02, thus the local battery of station 11, becomes
connected with the bell h; and that bell only on the circuit will be rung.
To remove said pendulous wire from between the wires o, o, it is only required
to give a full current to the line by switch at main office, when arm e, will swing
away from said wires and then drop back, carrying wire e² outside of wire o, as
above described.
What I claim as my said invention is :-
1. The combination of a series of instruments in a circuit each having an electric
signaling apparatus, magnetic needle d, coil B, and contact points 0, 0², with means
for adjusting the latter to different positions, on the different instruments, and means
substantially as described for sending an electric current through all of said coils,
simultaneously, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a series of instruments in a circuit each having an electric
signaling apparatus, magnetic bar d, supporting the arm c, to which is suspended
the wire and the separated connection wires o, o, set in different positions in
the different instruments, coil B, magnet c, and means substantially as described
for sending an electric current through all of said coils simultaneously, substantially
as described.
3. The combination of a series of instruments in a circuit, each having an electric
signalling apparatus, magnetic bar d, supporting arm e, to which is suspended the
wire e², the wires o, o, coil B, magnet c, a graduator b, and connector a³, adapted
to be attached to one of said instruments, said wires o, o², being set at different
positions in the different instruments, and means substantially as described for
sending an electric current through all of said coils simultaneously, substantially as
set forth.
4. The combination in an electric signaling apparatus, of an alarm bell, of the

page_text: magnetic bar d, supporting the arm e, and having the wire c², suspended thereon,
of the wires o, o², connected with said bell, and a battery, coil B, magnet c, and
means substantially as described for sending an electric current through said coil,
substantially as described.
In Witness whereof I the said Raphael, Hunter Brandon have hereuuto set
my hand and Seal, this 16th day of August in the year of our Lord, one
thousand, eight hundred & eighty two.
Witnesses:
D. H. BRANDON.
P. SCHOLTUS.
R. H. BRANDON (L.S.)