Improvements in Printing Telegraphs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 24th
ec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Telegraphs.
We GEORGE VALENTINE SHEFFIELD of 58.1 Hudson Street, Now York, (Machinist),
and MOSES LOWENSTEIN of 800 Lexington Avenue, New York United States of
America, (Metal Dealer) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a machine for transmitting messages
telegraphically, so as to deliver the message in the form of a printed strip or
stencil.
The object of this invention is, also, to provide an attachment for making an audible
signal for each letter printed, so that the message may be read by sound, if
desired.
The invention comprises a transmitter formed of two rollers adapted to carry
forward a perforated strip of paper representing the message, a series of spring
actuated fingers insulated from each other and held in contact with one of the rollers
or the paper strip passing between them so that when the paper passes through the
rollers each finger is made to drop onto the roller wherever an opening in the paper
strip occurs in the path of the said finger. This roller is connected with one pole of the
battery, the remaining pole of the battery being connected with the ground-wire, and
each finger is connected with one of the line-wires, there being as many line-wires as
there are characters in the code. The invention further comprises a receiver consisting
of a series of steam-cylinders arranged in a circle and connected with printing-levers;
an electro-magnetic device connected with each cylinder and with one of the line-wires,
and a series of whistles connected with the steam-cylinders and adapted to be
operated by the exhaust, all as hereinafter more fully described.
The receiving instrument is composed of a series of devices which are approximately
alike; therefore a description of one of them will answer for all. In the centre of the
receiving-instrument is arranged an anvil for receiving the impression of all the
printing levers as they are thrown down in the manner presently to be described,
the printing-levers being arranged in a circle with the type or stamp representing the
letter placed so as to strike in the centre of the anvil with their tops all in one direction.
Each printing lever is pivoted to a support attached to the base piece, which supports
a steam cylinder containing a piston which is connected to the printing lever at a point
above its fulcrum. In the bottom of the cylinder are two ports, and in the top of the
cylinder is an opening in which is inserted a plug-valve adapted to close one of the
ports in the bottom of the cylinder. This valve is connected with a lever, the free end
of which is weighted and to the said lever, at a point above the valve, is secured an
armature above which is mounted an electro-magnet. Each magnet is connected with
one of the line wires. The port controlled. by the said valve communicates by a pipe
with the steam-supply and a pipe leading from the other port is connected with a
whistle or in lieu thereof with any suitable sound producing device. The action of the
steam piston on the printing lever is opposed by a spring acting on a rod jointed to
the printing lever and tending to raise it to a vertical position.
To the standard of the anvil is fitted a flanged sleeve, in the flange of which are
inserted rods which extend through the base of the machine and are surrounded by
springs which tend to draw the rods and the sleeve downwards. To the top of the
standard of the anvil is secured a table having upon one side of the standard a slide
through which passes one arm of an L-shaped plate, the other arm of which rests
horizontally upon the table. In the first mentioned arm of the plate is formed an
oblique slot through which projects a stud from the sleeve. The horizontal part of the
L shaped plate carries a spur which is adapted to engage the double strips of paper

page_text: running over the table. The said paper strips pass through a guide which compels
them to move over the anvil. The extremity of the guide is twisted and provided with
a longitudinal slot. One end of a lever extends under the flange of the sleeve, the
opposite end being connected with a slotted plate arranged under the piston rod. The
slot of this plate is arranged obliquely and to the piston rod
attached a slotted arın
which embraces the said plate and carries a pin which passes through the slot of the
plate and tends to move the said plate up or down, as it is carried outwardly or
inwardly by the piston rod.
.
The operation of the improved printing telegraph is as follows:-A strip of paper,
which is perforated in any well-known way so as to represent the message, is passed
between the rollers, and as the one roller is made to revolve by means of a crank
placed upon its shaft a current from the battery is sent in one direction to the ground
and in the other direction through the other roller through the spring finger which is
in contact with the said roller through one of the perforations of the paper through
the line wire to the magnet of the distant receiving instrument and thence to the
ground. The armature of said magnet opens the valve admitting steam to the
cylinder which pushes the piston forward carrying the printing lever over bringing
the type or punch carried by it into contact with the paper strip, thus cutting in the
paper strip the stencil of the letter or character, the lower strip of paper serving as a
backing for the upper strip. When the piston passes the exhaust port, the steam
contained by the cylinder escapes to the whistle and as soon as the steam escapes the
spring returns the printing lever and the piston to the point of starting, the valve
having been closed when the main-line circuit was interrupted. The return of the
piston by virtue of its engagement with the obliquely-slotted plate raises the inner end
of the lever thereby pushing up the sleeve and moving upward the pin in the slot
of the paper feed plate. The rising of this plate brings the spur into engagement
with the strips of paper and the further upward movement of the sleeve, causes
the said plate and the paper strips to move forward the width of one letter and when
the next aperture in order upon the perforated paper strip in the transmitter,
passes one of the fingers another contact is made, completing a circuit through
another of the line wires and through another of the magnets of the receiver, thus
producing another impression in the paper in the manner already described, also
blowing another one of the whistles, thereby producing another sound of a different
tone representing the character or letter impressed or cut in the paper strip.
Dated thin 34th day of Doomben 1000
G. V. SHEFFIELD.
M. LOWENSTEIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Telegraphs.
We, GEORGE VALENTINE SHEFFIELD, of 581, Hudson Street, New York, (Machinist)
and MOSES LOWENSTEIN, of 800, Lexington Avenue, New York, United States of
America (Metal Dealer) 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 :-
The object of this invention is to construct a machine for transmitting messages
telegraphically so as to deliver the message in the form of a printed strip or
stencil. The object of this invention is, also, to provide an attachment for making
an audible signal for each letter printed so that the message may be read by
sound, if desired.
The Invention consists in a transmitter formed of two rollers adapted to carry
forward a perforated strip of paper, a series of spring-actuated fingers held in
contact with one of the rollers of the paper, a number of line-wires corresponding
to the number of fingers in the transmitter; a receiver consisting of a series of

page_text: steam-cylinders arranged in a circle and connected with printing-levers; an electro-
magnetic device connected with each cylinder and with one of the line-wires; and
a series of whistles connected with the steam-cylinders and adapted to be operated
by the exhaust; all as hereinafter more fully described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of the improved printing-
telegraph. Figure 2 is a side elevation, shewing the general arrangement of the
magnets steam-cylinders and whistle. Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus
for producing a single character or letter, shewing the connection therewith of the
transmitting apparatus; figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same ;
and figure 5 is a detail side elevation of the paper-feeding mechanism. Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
The transmitter mechanism consists of the rollers A, B, journaled in the frame C, a
roller D containing a perforated strip a of paper representing the message, and a series
of fingers 6 insulated from each other and resting upon the lower roller B or upon the
paper strip a passing between the rollers A, B. Each finger bis drawn down by a
spring c so that when the paper passes through the rollers each finger b is made to
drop on to the lower roller B wherever an opening in the paper strip a occurs in the
path of the said finger. The roller B is connected with one pole of the battery, the
remaining pole of the battery being connected with the ground-wire d, and each
finger bis connected with one of the line-wires E, there being as many line-wires as
there are characters in the code.
The receiving-instrument is composed of a series of devices which are approximately
alike; therefore, a description of one of them will answer for all. In the centre of the
receiving-instruments is arranged an anvil F for receiving the impression of all the
printing levers G as they are thrown down in the manner presently to be described,
the printing-levers being arranged in a circle with the type or stamp representing the
letter placed so as to strike in the centre of the anvil with their tops all in one direction.
To the
Each printing lever G is pivoted to a support e attached to the base piece H.
same base-piece is secured a standard f which supports the steam-cylinder I containing
a piston J. The rod g attached to the piston is provided with a connecting-rod
which is pivoted to the printing-lever G at a point above its fulcrum. In the bottom
of the cylinder I are two ports i, j. In the top of the cylinder I is an opening k in
which is inserted a plug-valve l'adapted to close the port j. The valve is connected
with the lever m pivoted in an earn at the top of the cylinder and extending rear-
wardly. To the free end of the lever m is attached a rod o carrying at its lower
end a weight p and to the said lever m at a point above the valve is secured an
armature q. To the head of the cylinder I is attached an arm which extends upward
with its extremity abovo the pivoted end of the lever m. To the arm is secured an
electro-magnet K whose poles are located above the armature q. Each magnet K is
connected with one of the line-wires E. The port communicates by a pipe & with
the steam-supply and a pipe u leading from the port i is connected with a whistle v or
in lieu thereof with any suitable sound-producing device. To the earn at the top of
the cylinder I is secured a rod a' which extends forward and forms a guide for the
spiral spring 6. To the printing-lever G is pivoted a rod c¹ provided with a stirrup d'.
having an apertured cross-bar el adapted to slide upon the rod a'. The spring 61 abuts
upon a post secured to the frame of the machine and tends to raise the printing-
lever G into a vertical position and opposes the action of the steam upon the piston J
in the cylinder I. To the standard F of the anvil F is fitted a flanged sleeve L in
the flange of which are inserted rods g' which extend through the base of the machine
and are surrounded by springs ¹ which tend to draw the rods and the sleeve down-
ward. To the top of the standard F¹ of the anvil F is secured a table M having upon
one side of the standard F a slide through which passes one arm of a plate N the
other arm of which rests horizontally upon the table M. In the arm of the plate N
is formed an oblique slot y' through which projects a stud k from the sleeve L.
horizontal part of the L-shaped plate N carries a spur which is adapted to engage
the strips m' n' of paper running over the table M. The said paper strips pass through
The

page_text: a guide which compels them to move over the anvil F.
guide o¹ is twisted and provided with a longitudinal slot pas shewn in figure 4. T
The extremity of the
the support e is pivoted a lever O one end of which extends under the flange of the
sleeve L, the opposite end being connected with the slotted plate q' arranged under the
piston rod g. The slot of the plate q' is arranged obliquely and to the piston-rod 9 is
attached a slotted arm which embraces the plate gl and carries a pin s which passes
through the slot of the plate gland tends to move the said plate up or down as it is
carried outwardly or inwardly by the rod g.
paper
The operation of the improved printing-telegraph is as follows; A strip of
which is perforated in any well-known way, so as to represent the message is placed
upon the roller D and passed between the rollers A, B, and as the roller A is made to
revolve by means of a crank placed upon its shaft a current from the battery is sent
in one direction to the ground and in the other direction through the roller B, through
the finger which is in contact with the said roller through one of the perforations of
the paper, through the line wire E to the magnet K of the distant receiving instru-
ment and thence to the ground. The armature g is drawn upwardly opening the
valve admitting steam to the cylinder I which pushes the piston J forward carrying
the lever G over, bringing the type or punch carried by the lever into contact with
the paper strip m² and against the pressure of the spring 1, thus cutting in the paper
strip the stencil of the letter or character, the lower strip of paper n serving as a
backing for the upper strip m². When the piston J passes the port i the steam con-
tained by the cylinder I escapes through the pipe u to the whistle v and as soon as the
steam escapes the spring & returns the lever G and the piston J to the point of
starting, the valve / having been closed when the main line circuit was interrupted.
The return of the piston J by virtue of the engagement of the pin s¹ with the slot in
the plate q¹ raises the inner end of the lever O thereby pushing up the sleeve Land
moving upward the pin in the slot of the plate N. The rising of the plate N
brings the spur into engagement with the strips of paper m² n¹ and the further
upward movement of the sleeve L by the engagement of the pin 4 with the oblique
slot y causes the plate N and the paper strips m³ n' to move forward the width of one
letter and when the next aperture in order upon the paper strip a passes one of the
fingers b another contact is made completing a circuit through another of the line-
wires E and through another of the magnets K, thus producing another impression
in the paper in the manner already described, also blowing another one of the whistles v,
thereby producing another sound of a different tone representing the character or letter
impressed or cut in the paper strip m².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;
1. In a
printing-telegraph receiving-instrument, the combination, with the printing
mechanism, of a steam-actuated piston a steam-cylinder provided with supply and
exhaust ports, and an electro-magnetic valve-controller, substantially as described.
2. In a printing-telegraph receiving-instrument, the combination, with a series of
printing-levers carrying dies representing characters, a series of steam-cylinders pro-
vided with pistons connected with the printing-levers one to each printing lover, of a
retractile spring for returning the printing-lever and the piston to the point of starting,
a valve adapted to admit steam to the cylinder, and an armature lever and an electro-
magnet for operating the valve, substantially as described.
3. In a steam-actuated receiving-instrument for printing-telegraphs, the combina-
tion, with the piston and piston-rod of the steam-cylinder, of a feed-lever adapted to 5
be operated by the movement of the piston-rod and paper-feeding mechanism arranged
to be worked by the feed-lever, substantially as described.
4. In a printing-telegraph, the combination of the steam cylinder I provided with
the ports ij, the valve adapted to close the port j, the armature 9 connected with the
valve 1, the electro-magnet K arranged to act upon the armature q, the piston J, the 5
piston-rod g, the connecting rod /, the printing lever G, the rod c¹ provided with

page_text: the stirrup d', the spring b¹, and the anvil F for receiving the impressions of the
printing-lever, substantially as described.
5. In a printing-telegraph, the combination of a steam cylinder I provided with the
ports, the valve adapted to close the port j, the armature lever m carrying
the weight p, the armature attached to the armature-lever m, the electro-magnet K
arranged to act upon the armature g, the piston J fitted to the cylinder I and adapted
to open and close the port i, the whistle v connected with the port i, the piston-rod g,
the printing lever G, the feed lever O provided with the slotted plate q', the arm r
carrying the pin songaging the slotted plate q', the anvil I', the sliding spring-
actuated sleeve L provided with the stud k¹, the table M, the diagonally-slotted plate N
carrying the point 1, and the paper guide o substantially as described.
6. In a printing-telegraph system, the combination, with a series of steam cylinders 1
provided with the steam-supply port; and exhaust port i, the valves 1, armature
levers m provided with the armatures q, and the electro-magnets K adapted to act upon
the armatures 9, of the finger b connected electrically with the magnets K, the con-
ducting roller B connected electrically with the current-generator, a perforated strip of
paper a adapted to make and break the connection between the fingers b and the
roller B and the line and local electrical connections, substantially as described.
D
01
1000
G. V. SHEFFIELD.
M. LOWENSTEIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.