AN IMPROVED PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustin Billet, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustin Billet at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1876.
AUGUSTIN BILLET, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
TELEGRAPII APPARATUS."
"AN IMPROVED PRINTING
My Invention relates to printing telegraph apparatus of the kind in which a
wheel presenting types on its circumference is caused by the oscillations of the
armature of an electro-magnet to turn round so as to present one of its types
towards a strip of paper on which the type is impressed, the oscillations of the
armature being caused by the alternate activity or non-activity of one or more
electro-magnets effected by electrical currents transmitted through their coils
from a local battery, as determined by a relay worked by currents from a line
wire.
In such apparatus it is necessary to provide means, not only for turning the
type wheel, but also for effecting the impression of the particular type, and
giving movement to the strip of paper on which the impression is made.
In my improved apparatus I produce these effects by mechanisın, whereby the
oscillating armature is made by rapidly succeeding currents to perform small
oscillations for the turning of the type wheel only, but on the stoppage of the
currents to perform a greater oscillation for effecting the impression and moving
the paper.
The actual movement of the type wheel, the presser, and the paper may be
effected by clockwork, the armature acting in that case on detents, so as to permit
the required movements to take place, or dispensing with clockwork the armature
itself may be made to produce the movements by its oscillation. In both cases I
connect the line wire to the coils of an electro-magnet, provided with a spring
armature which oscillates between two contact points respectively, connecting the
local battery with two other electro-magnets, so that as the armature is caused to
vibrate between those points, striking each alternately by currents transmitted by
the line wire, each of those electro-magnets is alternately rendered active, alternately
attracting another armature mounted between them, which I will call the working
armature.
When the alternations are made by the distant operator to succeed each other
rapidly, neither of the two electro-magnets has sufficient time to gain its full
Basic Sal

page_text: force when rendered active, nor to lose all its force when rendered inactive,
and this want of full power, combined with the inertia of the working armature
itself, has the effect of giving to the latter small oscillations by which through
ratchet and pawl gear it permits or effects the turning of the type wheel till the
proper type is presented towards the paper.
When, however, the succession of intermittent currents ceases, then one of the
electro-magnets, having time to gain its full power, whilst the other loses its
residuary power, the working armature is more forcibly attracted to the former,
and being thus caused to make a greater stroke, it permits or gives movement to
the presser which presses the paper strip against the type, and also to the paper
roller, by which the paper strip is moved a suflicient distance to be ready to receive
a succeeding impression on a fresh place.
The type wheel may have fixed on its axis a hand or index pointing to letters
or symbols on a dial, so as to show which letter or symbol is signalled, and when
printing is not required the type wheel may be dispensed with, the same mechanism
serving to move the hand or index.
In the apparatus which forms the subject of my present Invention I prefer to
apply a correcting electro-magnet, which automatically regulates the resistance to
the working armature and the levers which it actuates, and to employ for the
electro-magnets coils which diminish or govern as desired the amount of residuary
magnetism, suppress the spark, and reduce the effect of extraneous electrical
currents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Augustin Billet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th September
1876.
<
AUGUSTIN BILLET, of Paris, in the Republic of France. AN IMPROVED PRINTING
TELEGRAPH APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to printing telegraph apparatus of the kind in which a
wheel presenting types on its circumference is caused by the oscillations of the
armature of an electro-magnet to turn round so as to present one of its types
towards a strip of paper on which the type is impressed, the oscillations of the
armature being caused by the alternate activity or non-activity of one or more
electro-magnets effected by electrical currents transmitted through their coils
from a local battery, as determined by a relay worked by currents from a line
wire.
In such apparatus it is necessary to provide means not only for turning the
type wheel but also for effecting the impression of the particular type, and
giving movement to the strip of paper on which the impression is made.
In my improved apparatus I produce these effects by mechanism, whereby the
oscillating armature is made by rapidly succeeding currents to perform small
oscillations for the turning of the type wheel only, but on the stoppage of the
currents to perform a greater oscillation for effecting the impression and moving
the paper.
The actual movement of the type wheel, the presser, and the paper may be
effected by clock work, the armature acting in that case on detents, so as to permit
the required movements to take place, or dispensing with clockwork the armature
itself being made to produce the movements by its oscillation. In both cases I
connect the line wire to the coils of an electro-magnet, provided with a spring
armature, which oscillates between two contact points respectively connecting the
local battery with two other electro-magnets, so that as the armature is caused to
vibrate between those points, striking each alternately by currents transmitted by
the line wire, each of those electro-magnets is alternately rendered active, alternately
attracting another armature mounted between them, which I will call the working
armature.

page_text: When the alternations are made by the distant operator to succeed each other
rapidly neither of the two electro-magnets has sufficient time to gain its full
force when rendered active, nor to lose all its force when rendered inactive,
and this want of full power, combined with the inertia of the working armature
itself, has the effect of giving to the latter small oscillations by which through
ratchet and pawl gear it permits or effects the turning of the type wheel till the
proper type is presented towards the paper.
When, however, the succession of intermittent currents ceases, then one of the
electro-magnets having time to gain its full power whilst the other loses its
residuary power, the working arinature is more forcibly attracted to the former,
and being thus caused to make a greater stroke it permits or gives movement to
the presser which presses the paper strip against the type, and also to the paper
roller, by which the paper strip is moved a suflicient distance to be ready to receive
a succeeding impression on a fresh place.
The type wheel may have fixed on its axis a hand or index pointing to letters
or symbols on a dial, so as to shew which letter or symbol is signalled, and when
printing is not required the type wheel may be dispensed with, the same mechanism
serving to move the hand or index.
The Figures on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings shew the construction of
my improved telegraphic printing instrument worked by clockwork, and the
Figures on Sheet II. shew the construction when the clock work is dispensed with.
In order that the construction in both cases may be better understood I will
explain more fully the principles on which my improvements are founded. In
consequence of the inertia of matter, and the fact that an electro-magnet cannot
instantaneously receive or part with its full magnetic force, it follows that if an
armature be placed in equilibrium, either between two electro-magnets, or between
onc electro-magnet and any counteracting body, and if this armature be attracted
successively in opposite directions by impulses that alternate very rapidly, these
opposite impulses occurring almost simultaneously will cause the armature to have
a merely vibratory motion between the two extremities of its stroke. But if a
cessation should occur in the succession of these impulses the last will have its full
effect, causing the armature to move quite over against such stop as may be pro-
vided to receive it. Taking advantage of this principle I provide on each side of
the armature common to two coupled electro-magnets moveable stops, the resistance
of which can be regulated by springs adjusted by screws, so that it is sufficient to
stop the armature when it is in rapid vibration. The oscillations thus restrained
have, however, sufficient force and extent to work the escapement for a type wheel,
such as is employed in ordinary printing telegraph instruments. When a cessation
of the impulses occurs the armature not being attracted in the opposite direction by
an almost simultaneous force having time for its inertia to be overcome, and being
subject to an attractive force which becomes fully developed on the one side whilst
that on the other side becomes exhausted, acts with sufficient force to overcome the
resistance of the moveable stop. This stop being in fact a lever that releases the
printing mechanism, it follows that whenever a cessation of the rapidly succeeding
impulses occurs, that is to say, a cessation of the currents transmitted by a line
wire, the printing mechanism is put in motion so as to print the particular type
that had been brought round to the printing position by the succession of previous
impulses transmitted.
In Sheet I., Fig 1 is an elevation of a receiving instrument constructed to act on
the principle above set forth, the electro-magnet worked by the line wire being
supposed to be removed in order to shew the parts behind it. Fig. 2 is a plan of
the instrument; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken behind the front plate, shewing
the disengaging mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken behind the back
plate shewing the mechanism for printing and moving the paper. The electric
current arriving by the line wire is received by the relay electro-magnet A, which is
mounted on a plate B screwed to the base of the apparatus, and which has an
armature C. kept off the poles by a spring D. The stops E, E, of this armature

page_text: conduct the current from the local battery alternately to each of the opposite
electro-magnets F, F1, of the receiving instrument, causing the armature G, which
is placed between the magnets F, F, to follow all the movements of the relay,
whereby it is made to act on the type wheel and the printing gear through clock-
work by means of escapement mechanism, as I will now describe. On each side of
the armature G are mounted the stops H, H¹, which, as above explained, serve to
limit the extent of the oscillations when they succeed each other rapidly, these
oscillations being, nevertheless, sufficient to work the escapenient of the type
wheel in a manner similar to that usuually adopted, as follows:-The type wheel K
having 36 types is fixed on the axis, which carries the escapement wheel L of
18 teeth, and which is connected by gearing m¹, m², m³, with the clockwork
barrel M. Two pallets 1, 1, engage with the teeth of the escapement wheel I, these
pallets being fixed on a vertical spindle l', which has a slight rocking movement im-
parted to it by its forked arm being worked by a pin g on a spring blade g¹ fixed to
an arm G¹ of the armature G, so that at each oscillation of the arinature the pallets L, L,
are successively disengaged, each allowing the wheel L to turn half a tooth, and the
type wheel to turn one division. The upper pallet is made with two branches,
the longer of which serves to stop a pin a ou the wheel L when the latter is
released, in order to bring the type wheel back to zero. This is done by
pressing a button d on one end of a lever I, the other end of which lever acting on
an inclined arm t at the lower end of the spindle l, causes that spindle to turn
farther round than it is turned by the action of the armature G, thus disengaging
the pallets and allowing the wheel L to revolve until it is stopped in the desired
position by its pin a catching on the longer arm of the pallet l. When the succession
of currents ceases the armature G, as above explained, has sufficient force to push
aside either of the stops H, H', which are mounted on spindles h, h', and this
movement is employed to release the printing mechanism. For this purpose the
stop H is extended backwards behind the front plate, and its extremity is connected
by a rod J to an arm i on a vertical spindle it, on which are two pallets j,j, which
acts as stops to an arm b fixed on a horizontal spindle p. On the other side of the
plate this spindle phas a crank which works the lever Q that carries the printing
pad T, and it is connected with the clock work by a pinion n and gearing n¹, n, n³.
The spindle p is also provided with an eccentric q within a cage 7, which terminates
in a spring pawl engaging with a ratchet wheels fixed on the spindle of the
paper roller R, so that when the spindle p revolves it causes the said roller R to
turn partly round, and so to advance the paper strip which is pressed by a spring
roller against the roller R. This motion for printing and advancing the paper is
derived also from the movement of the other stop H¹, which by means of an arm c¹
on its spindle acting on an arm c on the spindle of the other stop Heflects the same
release of the printing mechanism. Thus on the cessation of the rapidly transmitted
currents one or other of the stops H, H', being moved aside by the armature the
spindle is released, the pad T presses the paper against the type presented on the
type wheel, and having impressed the type retreats, whereupon the eccentric
causes the roller R to turn partly round, advancing the paper strip the width of
a type.
I will now describe the improved construction which simplifies the mechanism
by dispensing with the clockwork and parts connected therewith, the type wheel,
printing pad, and paper roller being worked directly by the armature of the two
electro-magnets. Apparatus to act in this manner is shewn on Sheet II. in which
Fig. 1 represents a front view, Fig. 2 a side view, Fig. 3 a back view, and Fig. 4 a
plan of the instrument; Figs. 5 and 6 being respectively a front and a side view of
the upper portion drawn to an enlarged scale. When the line wire currents succeed
each other rapidly the armature G placed between the magnets F, F¹, for the
reasons stated above has not sufficient force to overcome the resistance of the
stops j, j, which therefore limit its oscillations so that it can do no more than move
the ratchet wheel H and the type wheel K, which is on the same axis; but when
the currents cease one of the electro-magnets, F or F¹, acquires its full force, and

page_text: time being given to overcome the inertia of the armature G, one or other of the
stops, against which the armature presses, yields, moving its lever J or J¹,
which by means of the screw i or depresses one end of a lever L, causing its
other end to rise, and by the printing pad I on it to press the paper strip against
the type presented on the type wheel K, the return stroke moving the paper roller.
In order to prevent the ratchet wheel H from turning more than half a tooth at
cach stroke of the armature, 18 semi-cylindrical pins n, n, are made to project from
its face. Two levers R, R¹, connected together by a spring 1, and caused to oscillate
by the armature G acting on them through screws 7, 1, engage at their upper
ends (which are made as pallets) in the spaces between the pins a preventing the
wheel H from turning more than 1th part of a revolution at each oscillation of
the armature, and holding the wheel steady during the impression. If on the axis
of the type wheel were fixed an index moving round a dial, the particular signal
printed would be indicated to the eye, and for obtaining merely visible signals of
this kind the printing and paper moving mechanism might be dispensed with, the
instrument becoming then simply a dial instrument actuated by an armature
oscillating between opposing electro-magnets.
Having thus described the nature of iny Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim-
First. The combination of parts constructed and arranged, substantially as
described with reference to the Figures on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings,
such combination constituting a printing telegraph instrument wherein clockwork
is employed to move the type wheel and the mechanism for impressing and moving
the paper, the type wheel being permitted to move step by step by the action of an
armature making limited oscillations under the influence of electric currents rapidly
succeeding each other, and the impressing and paper moving mechanism being
released by the larger movement of the armature resulting from the cessation of
the succession of currents.
Second. The combination of parts constructed and arranged, substantially as
described with reference to the Figures on Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings,
such combination constituting a printing telegraph instrument wherein the type
wheel is moved step by step by the action of an armature making limited oscillations
under the influence of electric currents rapidly succeeding each other, and the
impressing and paper moving mechanism are actuated by the larger movement of
the armature resulting from the cessation of the succession of currents.
Third. The combination referred to in the preceding claims varied by substituting
an index for the type wheel, and by dispensing with the impressing and paper
moving mechanism so as to constitute a dial telegraph instrument without printing.
Fourth. In telegraphic instruments of the kind referred to in the preceding
clains the use of yielding spring stops for the armature common to a pair of
opposite electro-magnets, such stops being adjusted so as to limit the minor
oscillations made by the armature under the influence of rapidly succeeding electric
currents, but to yield to the armature when it acquires increased force on the
cessation of the succession of currents, substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustin Billet, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Witness,
CH, ARMENGAUD, Jeune,
Civil Engineer,
No. 23, Boulevard Strasbourg,
(Paris).
AUGUSTIN BILLET.
(L.S.)