IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS AND IN INSULATED ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS AND PIPES OR TROUGHS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, of Plaistow, in the County 'of
Essex, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
APPARATUS AND IN INSULATED ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS AND
PIPES OR TROUGHS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 1st March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley at
"IMPROVEMENTS
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1877.
WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of Plaistow, in the County of Essex.
IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS AND IN INSULATED ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
CONDUCTORS AND PIPES OR TROUGHS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My improvements in electric telegraph apparatus consist, firstly, in improvements
upon and modifications of the alphabetical telegraphs included in my Patents dated
23rd March 1861, No. 734, and 3rd October 1861, No. 2464. In the instrument,
as there shown, the currents are set in motion by the revolution of the double wheel
carrying two series of pieces of soft iron, or, as in the other form, with one flat disc
with pieces of soft iron, in either case the soft iron pieces making magnetic con-
nection between the permanent magnet and the electro-magnet or keeper in the
instruments, as there shown. The currents are produced and the signals indicated
on the receiving dial by moving the disc or wheel round by means of a handlo
fixed on the upright spindle, which is moved by the operator and stopped opposite
the letter marked on the alphabetical circle on the instrument that is required to
be shown on the receiving dial; but it requires considerable practice before the
operator can stop precisely in the right place, and he either moves too far or not far
enough, in which case the wrong letter is indicated; in one form the handle drops
into the teeth of a ratchet wheel on the alphabetical dial, but this only partially
removes the difficulty and is very troublesome and slow to work with.
In my present improvements I use finger keys arranged in a circle marked with
the letters of the alphabet, a stud attached to each key projects below, and on the
key being pressed down comes in contact with a revolving arm attached to the
vertical shaft on which the disc or wheel carrying the pieces of soft iron is fixed;
Di 631

page_text: this disc or wheel is made to revolve by incans of a mitre wheel fixed on the lower
part of the shaft, gearing into another mitre wheel on a horizontal shaft which pro-
jects through the cover of the instrument either in front or at the side and to which
is fixed a handle. On pressing down a key the handle is moved until the revolving
arm meets with the obstruction offered by the stud of the key, when the corre-
sponding letter will be exhibited on the receiving dial, and as the disc stops
exactly in the necessary position, no unnecessary or weak currents are produced
tending to disarrange the receiving dial.
According to another improvement I use the circle of keys and cause the disc or
wheel to revolve by means of a train of wheel work actuated by a spring in a barrel
or falling weight, which can be wound up by the occasional pressure of the foot on
a lever under the stand, but this will not want doing often as the disc only moves
when the arin is liberated by the key lifting, and then only moves to the next key
pressed down, and does not keep in constant rotation during the working of the
instrument as in some alphabetical telegraphs.
In this modification the stud of the key when pressed down passes through a hole
in a circular plate. The stud does not stand exactly over the hole, but the hole is
countersunk on the upper side and the end of the stud rounded, so that on pressing
the latter down it is forced through the hole in the plate, the latter being moved a
short distance round its axis, a small spring pulling it in the contrary direction;
there is a slot cut in the stud on the lower part about the thickness of the plate,
which, having passed through the plate, the latter is by the small spring pulled back
to its former position, and the stud and key are locked and cannot rise to their
former position; it thus retains the revolving arm and the disc until another key is
pressed down which in being forced through the plate moves it a short distance
round again, and liberates the other key, itself being locked and held down. The
plate having as many holes arranged in a circle as there are keys, it is necessary
that one key out of the series should at all times be down, otherwise the disc with
the soft iron pieces would continue to revolve and send currents when they were
not needed, so when the message is completed the zero key is left pressed down and
locked.
To work large electrical bell alarms I send the current through an electro-magnet
or needle coil, which detaches a detent and allows a lever with weight at the end
which has previously been kept in nearly an upright position to fall against another
lever, which contrivance has been in use before to discharge a train of clockwork
for the purpose of striking a number of strokes on a bell, but my improvement con-
sists, not in making the first falling lever discharge clockwork, but to liberate a
detent which shall allow another and much heavier falling lever to act, and this
may be repeated as many times as necessary, so that the last falling lever with
weight shall be heavy enough to discharge a train of clockwork strong enough to
ring a bell of any size.
The conductor through which the current passes to actuate electric telegraph
apparatus requires to be covered with an insulated material that shall not undergo
change by lapse of time and should be cheap; to lessen the expense of such work
propose to use a compound for insulating these conductors of gutta percha and
cotton seed pitch, which I prefer of equal proportions, but which may vary, a larger
proportion of cotton seed pitch making the compound cheaper, the latter article
being low in price; but to make a durable compound which shall not be too soft, I
prefer to adopt nearly the before proportions. India-rubber may be mixed with the
gutta percha and cotton seed pitch in any suitable proportions, but as india-rubber
and cotton seed pitch has been proposed to be used before for insulating conducting
wires, I only claim a compound made of gutta percha, india-rubber and cotton seed
pitch, or gutta perch and cotton seed pitch only for insulating conducting wires;
of these compounds can be made by beating and masticating or rolling the materials
together, and can be put on the wires in the plastic state by means of dies in the
usual way in one or more coatings; between two of the coatings a covering of
india-rabber may be used, which will increase the insulation.
either
'

page_text: In protecting the insulated wires when placed underground, various forms are
described and shown in the Specification in my Patent dated 9 May 1876,
No. 1944, on one of the forms there shown of a triangular form standing in a lower,
channel-shaped piece with square sides, but I propose to make these sides so as to
fit against the sides of the triangular-shaped cover, which makes a neater and inore
secure arrangement, but the upper part can in this case only be drawn out endways
and not lifted out of the lower part.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1877.
WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of Plaistow, in the County of Essex. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS AND IN INSULATED ELECTRIC TELE-
GRAPH CONDUCTORS AND PIPES OR TROUGHS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My improvements in electric telegraph apparatus consist, firstly, in improvements
upon and modifications of the alphabetical telegraphs included in my Patents, dated
23rd March 1861, No. 734, and 3rd October 1861, No. 2464. In the instrument,
as there shewn, the currents are set in motion by the revolution of the double wheel
carrying two series of pieces of soft iron, or as in the other form, with one flat disc
with pieces of soft iron, in either case the soft iron pieces making magnetic con-
nection between the permanent magnet and the electric magnet or keeper in the
instrument, as there shewn. The currents are produced and the signals indicated
on the receiving dial by moving the disc or wheel round by means of a handle
fixed on the upright spindle, which is moved by the operator and stopped opposite
the letter marked on the alphabetical circle on the instrument that is required to be.
shewn on the receiving dial; but it requires considerable practice before the operator
can stop precisely in the right place, and he either moves too far or not far enough,
in which case the wrong letter is indicated; in one form the handle drops into the
teeth of a ratchet wheel on the alphabetical dial, but this only partially removes
the difficulty and is very troublesome and slow to work with.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan showing one mode in which my
improvements may be applied to the aforesaid alphabetical telegraph instrument;
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through same.
In my present improvements I use finger keys a, a, arranged in a circle marked
with the letters of the alphabet in the usual way, as shewn; a stud a¹ attached to
each key a projects below, and on the key being pressed down the stud a¹ thereon
comes in contact with a revolving arm b attached to the vertical shaft c, on which
the disc or wheel d carrying the pieces d' of soft iron is fixed; this disc or wheel d
is made to revolve by means of a mitre wheel e fixed on the lower part of the
shaft c, and gearing into another mitre wheel ƒ on a horizontal shaft f¹, which
projects through the cover A of the instrument either in front, or, as here shewn, at
the side, and to which is fixed a handle g. On pressing down a key a the handle g
is moved until the revolving arm b meets with the obstruction offered by the
stud al of the key that is depressed when the corresponding letter will be exhibited
on the receiving dial, which latter is not shewn in the Drawing, and as the disc
stops exactly in the necessary position, no unnecessary or weak currents are pro-*
duced tending to disarrange the receiving dial.
Figure 3 is part plan view, and Figure 4 a vertical section through an alpha-
betical telegraph instrument of the same description as the one just referred to, but
with another mode or means for working it and modified accordingly.
According to this improvement I use the circle of keys a, a, and cause the
spindle f¹ to revolve by means of a train of wheelwork actuated by a spring in a-
barrel or falling weight, which can be wound up by the occasional pressure of the

page_text: foot on a lever under the stand, but this will not want doing often as the disc d
only moves when the arm b is liberated by the key lifting, and then only moves to
the next key pressed down and does not keep in constant rotation during the
working of the instrument as in some alphabetical telegraphs.
In this modification a stud a² on each key a, when pressed down passes through a
hole in a circular plate b¹. The stud a² does not stand exactly over the hole, but
the hole is countersunk on the upper side, and the end of the stud rounded.
This part of my Invention will be understood also by reference to Figures 5, 6,
and 7, which shew the stud a² relatively to the plate 6 respectively in the raised
position partly entered and fully entered. On pressing the key a down, the stud a²
is forced through the hole in the plate b¹, which is loose on the prolongated boss of
the disc d, and may rest on a ledge in the case A, as shewn, being held in place by
screws passing through slots in the plate b', but so that the plate 6' may be turned
a short distance round its axis, a small spring fixed to the case A pulling it in the
contrary direction; there is a slot cut in the stud a² on the lower part about the
thickness of the plate, and when the stud has passed through the plate 6', the latter
is by the small spring pulled back to its former position, and the stud and key are
locked and cannot rise to their former position; another stud a¹ on the key a comes
in contact with the revolving arm b, which is fixed on the prolonged boss of the
disc d; the key remains in this position and the clockwork is stopped until another
key is pressed down, which on being forced through the plate moves it a short
distance round again and liberates the other key, itself being locked and held down
by its stud a. The plate b¹ having as many holes arranged in a circle as there are
keys, as shewn at Figure 3, it is necessary that one key out of the series should at
all times be down, otherwise the disc d with the soft iron pieces would continue to
revolve and send currents when they were not needed, so when the message is com-
pleted the zero key is left pressed down and locked.
To work large electrical bell alarms I send the current through an electric
magnet or needle coil A which detaches a detent B and allows a lever C with
weight D at the end which has previously been kept in nearly an upright position
to fall against another lever, which contrivance has been in use before to discharge
a train of clockwork for the purpose of striking a number of strokes on a bell, but
my improvement consists, not in making the first falling lever discharge clock work,
but to liberate a detent which shall allow another and much heavier falling lever E
and a third still heavier G to act, and this may be repeated as many times as
necessary, so that the last falling lever with weight shall be heavy enough to dis-
charge a train of clockwork strong enough to ring a bell of any size.
Figure 9 shews an arrangement of alarm bell according to this part of my Inven-
tion. A is an electro-magnet; one end of the lever B carries a piece of soft iron
forming the keeper, which, when attracted, causes the other end of the lever B to be
detached from one end of a bell-crank lever C, the other end of which carries a
weight D, which latter then drops, thereby allowing another bell-crank lever E to
fall, which is weighted with a much heavier weight F, thereby the lever G is made
to drop, the latter having a still heavier weight H, which causes a train of clock-
work to be discharged strong enough to ring a bell of much larger size than the
first weight D by itself would have been able to. A wheel for each lever connected
with the train carries a pin which in its revolution presses on the short arm of the
lever and raises all the levers into the position shewn on the Drawing before the
train of wheelwork comes to a stand.
The conductor through which the current passes to actuate electric telegraph
apparatus requires to be covered with an insulated material that shall not undergo
change by lapse of time, and should be cheap; to lessen the expense of such work I
propose to use a compound for insulating these conductors of gutta percha and
cotton seed pitch, or any other vegetable pitch suitable for the purpose, which I
prefer to mix in equal proportions, but which may vary, a larger proportion of
cotton seed pitch making the compound cheaper, the latter article being low in
price; but to make a durable compound which shall not be too soft, I prefer to adopt

page_text: nearly the before proportions. India-rubber may be mixed with the gutta percha
and cotton seed pitch in any suitable proportions, but as india-rubber and cotton
seed pitch has been proposed to be used before for insulating conducting wires I
only claim a compound made of gutta percha, india-rubber, and cotton seed pitch,
or gutta percha and cotton seed pitch only for insulating conducting wires; either of
these compounds can be made by heating and masticating or rolling the materials
together, and can be put on the wires in the plastic state by means of dies in the
usual way. In one or more coatings, between two of the coatings a covering of
india-rubber may be used, which will increase the insulation. In protecting the
insulated wires when placed underground, various forms are described and shewn
in the Specification of my Patent dated 9th May 1876, No. 1944, in one of the
forms there shewn of a triangular form standing in a lower channel-shaped piece
with square sides, but I propose to make these sides so as to fit against the sides of
the triangular-shaped cover, which makes a neater and more secure arrangement,
but the upper part can in this case only be drawn out endways and not lifted out
of the lower part.
Figure 8 shews a trough of this description, the bottom piece A having side
flaps a, a, made to correspond with the angles of the triangular-shaped cover B.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim,
Firstly. The modes and means for working my aforesaid alphabetical telegraph,
all substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The mode of and means for liberating clockwork for electrical bell
alarms, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The employment of cotton seed pitch or other suitable vegetable pitch
in combination with gutta percha and with or without india-rubber for insulating
telegraph wires, as set forth.
And, Fourthly. The improvements in my aforesaid trough for protecting telegraph
wires, as set forth, &c.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
TTY
TIRUIT HTT
דמז דובזו
W. T. HE
HENLEY.
(L.S.)