IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING SIGNALS AND ORDERS OR MESSAGES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sacheverelle Gisborne, of Buckingham Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING SIGNALS AND
ORDERS OR MESSAGES."
Sealed the 19th May 1876, and dated the 13th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Sacheverelle Gisborne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1876.
JOHN SACHEVERELLE GISBORNE, of Buckingham Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND
RECEIVING SIGNALS AND ORDERS OR MESSAGES."
This Invention has for its object the simplifying the construction of telegraphic
apparatus intended more particularly for use on board steam and sailing ships, and
for use in mines, buildings, and other places, and consists generally in the employ-
ment of a " transmitter" and an "indicator" connected at any distance apart by a
single flexible connection passing round suitably disposed guide pullies or bell
cranks. This connection is attached at one end to a wheel or quadrant inside the
head of the "transmitter," and to the axis of this wheel there is attached a lever
handle provided with a pointer for indicating on the dial of the instrument the
order to be given. A spring catch, or its equivalent, on this handle engages into
notches in the circumference of the dial to retain the lever in its proper place.
The opposite end of the flexible connection is attached to and passes round a wheel
inside the "indicator," which is provided with a dial similar to the "transmitter."
A weighted cord or chain or spring is suspended from or connected with the
periphery of the said wheel, and tends to turn the same when the handle of the
"transmitter" is released from its notch, and allowed to move in one direction; but
when the said handle is moved in the opposite direction the weighted chain or cord
is wound up, and the pointer of the "indicator," which is mounted on the axis of the
wheel, is consequently moved round the dial in the opposite direction, thus turning
either way according to the movement of the lever of the "transmitter." By the
adoption of a duplicate flexible connection and weighted cord or chain or spring in
the transmitter it is obvious that the order can be repeated, and shown on the dial
of the transmitter. A striking gong may be employed, in addition to the above,
to call the attention of the person for whom the order is intended.
In adapting this improved mechanical telegraph to the steering gear of a ship

page_text: the order is transmitted and received in precisely the same manner as herein-before
described, but in conjunction with this arrangement I employ a "rudder tell-tale.”
Reply arrangement, consisting of a wheel or segment mounted on the rudder post,
and communicating by a flexible connection with the tell-tale pointer in the "trans-
mitter," such pointer being actuated in one direction by a weighted cord or chain or
spring, as already described.
I am well aware that mechanical telegraphs have been proposed and used,
wherein the "transmitter" and "indicator were connected by flexible connectors
extending from one instrument to the other, but it was necessary for the trans-
mission of motion in reverse directions between such instruments to employ two
wires or other flexible connectors.
I am also fully aware that flexible connectors have been long known and used for
various purposes in the transmission of motion along any desired course and distance
from one moving part to another.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John Sacheverelle Gisborne in the Great Seal Patent Offico on the 11th
September 1876.
JOHN SACHEVERELLE GISBORNE, of Buckingham Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND
RECEIVING SIGNALS AND ORDERS OR MESSAGES."
My said Invention has for its object the cheapening and simplifying the con-
struction of mechanical telegraphs, intended moro particularly for use on board
steam and sailing ships for transmitting orders from the “bridge” to the engine
room or to the steersman, and for enabling the order so transmitted to be repeated
on the transmitting instrument.
My improved mechanical telegraph is also applicable for use in various other cases,
where it is expedient that an order or signal transmitted should be repeated back
to the "transmitter," as, for example, in mines, buildings, and other places; also on
railways for giving a reply back to the signal box from the distant signal; also on
board men of war and in forts, for transmitting and repeating the orders for the
working of the guns.
According to my Invention I transmit the desired order from the "transmitter"
or sending instrument to the "indicator" or receiving instrument, and vice versa
(which instruments may be situate at any distance apart and in any desired relative
positions), by a pair of single (in lieu of double or endless) flexible connectors in
combination with weights or springs, or both. The first of the said single flexible
connectors is attached at one end to the periphery of a wheel or quadrant contained
inside the casing of the "transmitter," whilst its opposito end is attached to or passed
round the periphery of another wheel or quadrant contained inside the "indicator."
The reply or repeating on the dial of the "transmitter" of the order which has
been given is effected in like manner by the second single flexible connector and its
weight or spring.
In the case of a steering telegraph, this reply connector is attached to a wheel or
quadrant mounted directly on the rudder post itself, or otherwise caused to turn by
the motion of the rudder, so that the rudder itself acts as a "tell-tale" by indicating
its position on the dial of the "transmitter."
The connector which I prefer to employ consists of pieces of chain of sufficient
length to allow for the requisite amount of travel round the different wheels or
quadrants and guide pullies with intermediate lengths of straight rods or wires
attached to such pieces of chain.
By the use of single flexible connectors I greatly simplify and cheapen the con-
struction of my telegraph by shortening the length of connector required, and
dispensing with several of the guide pullies hitherto employed.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a front elevation of the head of the "trans-
mitter"
or sending instrument of my improved mechanical telegraph, a portion of
the dial being represented as broken away, in order to show the internal pullics or
quadrants; Figure 2 is a corresponding vertical section of the same taken at right
angles thereto. This instrument is to be under the control of the person who
transmits the orders, and in the case of a ship might be mounted on the
bridge."
"
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the "indicator" or receiving instrument of the
said improved telegraph, and Figure 4 is a corresponding vertical section of the
same taken at right angles thereto. This instrument is to be situate in convenient
proximity to the person for whom the orders are intended, for example, on board
ship for engine room and steering purposes it would be placed in the engine room,
or in front of the steersman, as the case may be, so that any order sent by the
"transmitter" may be readily observed on the dial of the "indicator," and the same
order be repeated back to the dial of the "transmitter."
a is the casing or head of the "transmitter," which may be mounted on a hollow
pedestal or stand of convenient height for the hand of the operator; b is a dial
bearing on its face the various orders to be sent according to the purpose for which
the telegraph is required; c is a central spindle or bolt, which carries two separate
and independent tubular spindles d and e turning freely thereon. The tubular
spindle has fast thereon a double grooved pulley or quadrant f whilst the tubular
spindle e carries in like manner the single grooved pulley or quadrant g. On the
squared outer end of the tubular spindle & there is mounted the pointer h, and on the
squared outer end of the tubular spindle e there is similarly mounted the actuating
lever handle i, to which is connected outside the casing the pointer k. A spring
lever is hinged at m to the back of the actuating handle, and carries at its lower
end a pin n, which when the spring lever is released enters one or other of a series
of holes or notches made in the back of the casing, there being a hole or notch to
correspond to each order on the dial.
"
The "indicator' or receiving instrument (Figures 3 and 4) is of similar con-
struction to the "transmitter or sending instrument, the parts which correspond
to those in the "transmitter" being marked with the same letters of reference
accented. In Figure 3 the dial is shown as facing in the same direction as the dial
of the "transmitter" above; but in Figure 4 I have shown the dial of the "indi-
cator"
as facing in the opposite direction to that of the corresponding "transmitter."
To the periphery of the pulley g in the "transmitter" there is attached one end of
the flexible connector o, which passes partly round the said pulley, whilst the opposite
end of this connector is attached to and passes partly round one of the grooves of
the double grooved pulley f' in the "indicator."
The arrangement of the transmitting and repeating connectors and their weights
or springs will be more clearly understood on referring to the diagrams (drawn to a
smaller scale) at Figures 5 and 6, which represent respectively the arrangement of
transmitting and repeating connectors when the dials of both instruments look
the same way or correspond to Figures 1 and 3.
The weight W¹is suspended by a cord or chain p¹, which is attached to and
passes partly round the second groove of the double grooved pulley f¹, and hangs
from the same side of the said pulley as that on which the connector o enters it
from the "transmitter."
Although, for convenience, I have shown in Figures 3 and 4 the cord or chain p¹
of the weight W₁ hanging direct from the pulley or wheel f¹, it should in practico
be so disposed or guided as not to interfere with the free movement of the actuating
handle i¹.
The repeating or reply connector o¹ (Figure 6), which is employed for repeating

page_text: on the dial of the "transmitter" the order "transmitted to the "indicator" is
attached to and passes partly round the pulley g¹ in the "indicator" at one end,
whilst its other end is attached to and passes partly round one of the grooves of
the double grooved pulley f in the "transmitter." A weight W or a spring is
suspended from or attached to the periphery of the second groove in the said pulley f
the said weight being suspended by a cord or chain p from the opposite side of the
periphery of the pulley to that on which the repeating connector o' enters from the
"indicator."
If preferred the pullies fand f1 may be single grooved, in which case the con-
nectors o, o, would be pinned to the said pullies, and the weights or springs W and
W be attached to the free hanging ends of the connectors themselves. When the
dials of the two instruments look in opposite directions, as in Figures 2 and 4, then
the arrangement of the connectors o, o', with their weights or springs W, WI, will
be as shown in the diagrams, Figures 7 and 8.
The action of my improved mechanical telegraph is as follows:-On transmitting
an order the spring lever is first grasped, so as to withdraw the stop pin n, and
release the actuating lever handle i, which is then free to be moved either to the
right or left, so as to bring its pointer opposite to the order to be transmitted.
This movement of the handle imparts a corresponding movement to the tubular
spindle e and pulley g, which is transmitted to the pulley f¹ in the "indicator" by
the single flexible connector o. If the handle be moved in one direction the said
connector will be more or less wound round the periphery of the pulley g, and will
by turning the pulley f¹ in the "indicator" wind up the weight W¹. Should the
handle of the "transmitter" be moved in the opposite direction it will allow the
pulley in the "indicator" to be turned in the reverse direction by the action of
the weight or spring W₁; and as the pointer h¹ in the "indicator" is fast on the
tubular spindle d', which carries the pulley f¹, the said pointer will in either
case move in concert with the handle of the "transmitter" and will consequently
indicate the corresponding order on the dial of the "indicator." On arriving at
the order required the pointer of the transmitter will be held in position by
releasing the spring lever 1, which will cause the stop pin n to enter the corre-
The order thus trans-
sponding hole or notch in the back of the instrument.
mitted is replied to by being repeated on the dial of the transmitter by moving the
actuating handle of the indicator" or receiving instrument (Figures 3 and 4),
so as to bring its pointer to the order received, thereby turning the pulley g¹, and
through the action of the single connector o¹ or of the weight or spring W, as the
case may be, on the pulley f, moving the pointer h of the "transmitter" round to
the corresponding order on its dial, thus showing that the order has been received
and understood.
It will be obvious that according to the arrangement of connector and weight or
spring, herein-before described, the weight or spring will in some cases be the actual
prime mover, and will in fact tend to draw the actuating handle i or i¹ of the
instrument over in one direction when released, hence the necessity for the stop pin n
and holes or notches to maintain the said handle in position.
On the other hand, when the actuating handle is moved in the reverse direction
the gravity of the weight or the power of the spring will have to be overcome.
Should any inconvenience arise from this action of the weights or springs the
arrangement shown in the diagrams, Figures 9 and 10, may be adopted.
According to this arrangement I attach a counterweight or counterspring C, W,
to one side of the pulley g in the "transmitter," and another counterweight or
counterspring C, W, to one side of the pulley g¹ in the "indicator" in such a
manner that the said counterweights or springs shall neutralize the action of the
weights or springs W and W¹, already referred to, and enable the actuating handle
i, i, of either instrument to remain at rest in any position without the necessity for
a stop-pin or other retaining catch.
If desired, a striking gong may be combined with the "indicator," as shown in
Figures 3 and 4, for the purpose of calling the attention of the person for whom

page_text: the order is intended. The gong q may be attached to any convenient part of the
'indicator," and be struck by one or other of the two hammers 7, r, as the pointer /¹
passes round in either direction from one order to another on the dial of the
"transmitter." This may be accomplished by having a number of studs or pins a
in the side of the pulley f¹ of the "indicator," the number of such studs or pins
corresponding to the number of orders on the dial, so that each pin as it passes
round shall come in contact with an antifriction roller t on the lower end of a spring
lever u.
This lever works on a fixed centre at v, and is provided with a projecting
arm w on each side for the purpose of raising the stem of one or other of the spring
hammers, and suddenly releasing it, so as to cause either of the hammers to strike
the gong as each pin deflects and releases the spring lever u in either direction.
Although I have described and illustrated a mode of working a gong in connection
with my peculiar single flexible connector telegraph and repeating instrument, I wish
it to be understood that I do not claim such gong arrangement as constituting any
part of my said Invention.
"
It is obvious that in lieu of using a circular dial and revolving pointer, either in
the transmitter or in the "indicator," an oblong indicating tablet may be used
having the requisite orders marked thercon, the pointer or indicator being caused to
travel or slide longitudinally along such tablet from one order to another by a single
flexible connector. This connector is attached at one end to the actuating handle of
the "transmitter," whilst its opposite end is attached to the pointer of the "indi-
cator" tablet, a weight or spring being so connected to the said pointer as to cause it
to travel in one direction by the action of the said weight or spring; or if preferred
counterweights or countersprings may be combined with the before-mentioned
weights or springs, so as to neutralize their action, and enable the handle of the
"transmitter' or of the "indicator to remain at any given order without the
necessity for stops or catches, as before explained.
"
"
In applying my single flexible connector arrangement to what is known as a rudder
"tell-tale," it is simply requisite to attach one end of the single flexible connector to a
wheel or quadrant mounted directly on the rudder post itself, or caused to turn by
intermediate gear from the rudder post, the opposite end of the said connector
being attached to the pulley of the steering "transmitter," so that the rudder
itself will always indicate its position on the dial of that instrument, which is
marked with the usual steering orders, as well as with degrees. The dial of the
steering "indicator," by which the steering orders are indicated to the steersman,
is also marked with the same orders and degrees.
"
I sometimes propose to employ in combination with my said improved mechanical
telegraph a single flexible connector as an engine tell-talo," for indicating on
the "bridge," or elsewhere, on a separate dial or tablet the direction of rotation, as
well as the number of revolutions of the engine shaft, so that the order having been
transmitted to the engineer, and repeated by him by the apparatus herein-before
described, a further check will be obtained by causing the engine itself to indicate
on the said separate dial or tablet the direction and speed of working. This I
accomplish by a single flexible connector which passes over or partly round a
pulley or quadrant carrying the pointer of the said separate dial, or in the case of
cinploying an oblong tablet the said connector may be attached to the sliding
pointer itself, both ends of the connector being attached to springs which act in
opposite directions. An eccentric or tappet is fitted on the engine shaft in close
proximity to the said connector, and so arranged that at every revolution of the
engine shaft the said eccentric or tappet will cause the connector to be suddenly
pulled and released again, the result being that the pointer on the corresponding
separate dial or tablet will be deflected or moved in one direction or the other,
according as the engines are going ahead or "astern," and will make such
deflection or motion at each revolution. By connecting the pointer either directly
or indirectly to any well-known arrangement of engine counter, it is obvious that
the number of revolutions may be registered at the same time.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-

page_text: tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that I am aware that mechanical telegraphs have been
proposed and used wherein the "transmitter" and the "indicator' or receiving
instrument were connected by double or endless flexible connectors, which neces-
sitated the use of four lines of connectors in a transmitting and repeating telegraph,
and therefore I lay no claim to such an arrangement; I am also aware that a single
flexible connector has been used in conjunction with a weight or spring for the
transmission of motion through long distances for various purposes, and conse-
quently I do not claim the separate use of such connectors and weights or springs,
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application and use to and in mechanical telegraphs for transmitting
and repeating orders of the peculiar combination of single flexible connectors,
weights, or springs, and wheels or quadrants, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The application and use to and in a self-acting rudder reply or "tell-
tale" apparatus of a single flexible connector combined with a weight or spring in
conjunction or not with the peculiar arrangement for transmitting orders to the
steersman, substantially as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sacheverelle Gisborne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN S. GISBORNE.
(LS.)