Improvements in Telegraph Printing Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraph Printing Apparatus.
I, FREDERICK HACHMANN, of 671, Market Street, in the City of Milwaukee, in
the County of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My invention primarily consists of an apparatus embodying a type-wheel driven
by any suitable means and held against rotation by an armature which is con-
trolled by an electro-magnet, the object of the invention being to send or receive
printed messages on the same instrument by the use of an ordinary telegraph
key.
The drawing shows a side elevation of my improved printing telegraph instru-
ment with parts broken away and parts in section to better illustrate the invention
this view also illustrating in diagram the operating key and circuit.
Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents an ordinary base upon which is
secured a metal frame B having bearings for an arbor a of a type-wheel C, also
fast on the arbor is a pinion D which transmits motion to the type-wheel from a
large gear E meshing therewith. This gear E revolves in the direction indicated
by the arrow, on a shaft F by means of the spiral-spring G, one end of which is fast
to the shaft and the other to the gear E by a pin b. The spring is wound by
revolving the shaft, as in an ordinary clock and the ratchet-wheel c fast thereon
prevents the shaft from turning back, by engagement with the pawl d pivotted
on the frame.
The type-wheel is provided on its face with raised type equal distances apart
of any desired number of characters and has pins e, to correspond in number with the
characters projecting from the side of the wheel near its largest diameter, it being
preferable to have as much space between the pins as possible, the object of
which will be hereinafter set forth.
Pivotted to the frame B is an armature H having a nose f which at its outer
end projects into the path of the pins e of the type-wheel and is held in this
position by a spring g which is opposed by an electro-magnet H¹ secured to the
frame. Diametrically opposite the nose e of the armature is a hammer J provided
with an extension h which slides in bearings i i¹ of frame D; a coil spring / encircles
the extension h between bearing i and collar k fast on said extension, thereby forcing
the hammer upon the face of the type-wheel.
A lever K is fulcrumed to the frame B, the long arm of which is connected to the
hammer-extension h while the short arm is linked to the armature H by a rod and
to the extreme end of the long arm of lever K is attached a rod / which in turn is
linked to a wrist-plate m, which swings loosely upon a shaft n that is supported in
the frame B; this shaft carries the feed-roller L which has secured to it a
ratchet-wheel o that is engaged by a pull-pawl p pivotted on the wrist-plate m.
The paper-reel M is revoluble upon a spindle q in the frame B, and is placed, to
the left of the hammer, the paper passing between the latter and the face of the

page_text: type-wheel, thence under the feed roller, contact therewith being maintained by a
friction roller N.
A suitable inking roller O is pivotted in the frame and held against the face of
the type-wheel by a spring so that with each revolution of the wheel each letter or
character is inked, and in order to avoid smearing the printed characters when the
parts are in motion, it is preferable to have the paper pass over a guide roller Q which
is slightly above the printing point on the type-wheel and the contact point of the
feed-roller and friction roller N through which the paper passes, being on the same
horizontal plane, it is obvious that when the hammer is lifted, the paper will follow
it up and thus allow the inked characters to pass freely under the latter.
In order that the operator may clearly see the characters as they pass under the
printing point, it is preferable it mark them upon the side of the wheel as shown,
so that they correspond to the characters upon the face of the wheel. The motion
of the wheel is regulated by an escapement wheel R fast to the arbor a its teeth
being of the same number as the characters on the type wheel, the anchor S engaging
said escapement being pivotted to the frame and provided with a regulating weight s.
In order to operate my machine, the electro magnet H¹ of the instrument is
connected with a duplicate at the other end of the wire S¹ having a battery T, the
return wire U being provided with a key W, and switch X at both stations.
To send a message, the operator closes the circuit with the key, this energises the
electro-magnet H' which pulls the armature down and lifts the hammer J through a
rod t and lever K which in turn pulls rod causing the paper to feed forward one
space, the nosef of the armature is then out of the path of the pin on the type-
wheel, and the armature has come against the stops u, and the wheel is then free to
revolve in the direction of the arrow, its motion (owing to the regulator having the
same number of teeth as there are characters on the wheel) having been slightly
interrupted as a character comes in line with the printing point, which gives the
operator sufficient time to see it. When the character desired is approximately in
position, the operator opens the circuit with the key, causing the armature to be
retracted by the spring g against the stop w the nose f of the armature catching the
pin corresponding to the character under the hammer, the space between the pins
being such as to ensure this, though the circuit is opened a little sooner or later)
and owing to the length of the nose it will be seen that the wheel is stopped before
the armature has completed its movement, the latter part of which is for the purpose
of allowing the hammer to print while the wheel is at rest.
In the operation just described, the message sent would be duplicated by the
instrument in front of the operator, thus avoiding all possibility of error and at the
same time furnishing a copy for reference at the transmitting station.
When a
inachine is used for transmitting, the switch X is open as shown in Figure 1 of the
drawings, its duplicate being closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a printing-telegraph instrument, a type-wheel, a driving mechanism for the
type-wheel, an armature and electro-magnet for controlling said driving mechanism
and a printing-hammer and feed roller operating in conjunction with said armature
and electro-magnet, substantially as described.
2. In a printing-telegraph instrument, a type-wheel having suitable characters
thereon, an inking device therefor, a driving mechanism for the type-wheel and suitable
stops arranged on said type-wheel, corresponding in number to the characters thereon,
an electro-magnet-controlled armature to oppose said stops, and a printing-hammer
and feed mechanism operating in conjunction with the armature, substantially as
described.
3. In a printing-telegraph instrument, a type-wheel having suitable characters
thereon, and pins corresponding to said characters, an inking roller in contact with
the latter and an electro-magnet-controlled armature normally in the path of said

page_text: pins; a spring for revolving the type-wheel a spring-controlled printing-hammer, a
feed roller connected to the armature in opposition to the electro-magnet, whereby
when the latter is energized, it lifts the hammer out of contact with the type-wheel
and feed paper substantially as set forth.
4. In a printing-telegraph instrument, a type-wheel having suitable characters
mounted thereon, and pins corresponding in number to the characters, a spring.
controlled inking-roller in contact with the latter, a spring-controlled gear train for
imparting motion to the type-wheel, a regulator for the gear-train, a spring-controlled
hammer normally held against the type-wheel characters, a reel for the paper on
one side of said type-wheel, and a feed-roller on the opposite side thereof, whereby
the paper is fed between said hammer and type-wheel characters, a lever connected on
one side of its fulcrum to the hammer and feed roller, and spring-controlled armature
normally held in the path of the type-wheel pins connected to the other side of said
lever, an electro-magnet for the armature whereby when the former is energized,
the latter is drawn out of the path of the type-wheel pins substantially as set
forth.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.