An Improved Method of Combining and Arranging Apparatus Operating Electric Lamps for Signalling and other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1888
An Improved Method of Combining and Arranging Apparatus
Operating Electric Lamps for Signalling and other Purposes.
I, HERMANN NERLINGER, of Strasbourg, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The principal parts of the improved apparatus consist of an upper and lower set of
keys. Each key of the lower set consists of a lever of equal arms, its fulcrum having
an electric conducting wire extending to the middle of each arm.
At the middle of the front arm the conducting wire ends in a contact point which
when the lever is horizontal is pressed against the terminal of an electric circuit of an
artificial resistance connected with the electric generating apparatus. On the other
hand a contact point at the middle of the back arm is in a position separated from a
contact terminal below, which communicates with the lamps."
The terminal of the circuit of the artificial resistance is a little above that of the
circuit communicating with the lamps, and both these terminals may consist of small
mercury cups. The front ends of the lovers move freely above the plate which carries
them and their back ends form the keys which are pressed down as required.
If one of these keys is pressed down the current is changed and instead of passing
through the artificial resistance it passes through the lamps and to the generator. At
a short distance above these levers and in advance by the length of one key is arranged
the upper set of levers which are carried by a second plate of the same length as the
lower one.
This upper set consists of lovers having unequal arms.
One third of each lever is in front of its fulcrum, and two thirds which carry the
key at the back. Each of these levers is connected with one of the lower levers in
such manner that if a key is pressed down, the lower lever representing the
corresponding signal is raised.
Each of the upper levers is connected by a brass rod with a transverse lever below,
and there are as many of these transverse levers as there are keys in the upper set of
levers, their position being at right angles to that of the other levers.
In order to economize space half of the transverse levers are arranged above the
other half, below the front parts of the lower set of levers. These transverse levers
are arranged across the interior of the box or case containing the apparatus and the
ends of each of them are fitted with concave rollers which run upon short rails
fixed to the sides of the box so that they can move for a short distance.

page_text: The upper transverse levers of the set rest on both sides upon a band or strip a
short distance above the lower set. At the points where the transverse levers are just
above the keys which are to be raised in order to give a signal, strong iron wire
supports are arranged descending vertically for a short distance and passing under
and supporting at the corresponding points the front ends of the key levers. Theso
iron wire supports leaving some space above them allow the lower keys to be used
separately without lifting the transverse levers.
The transverse levers are placed upon lateral strips a short distance below the lower
keys.
The key levers, which are to be raised by one of the transverse levers, rest while
in a horizontal position upon strong supports below them, which are carried by the
lower transverse levers.
The interval between each two levers is sufficient to allow the brass rod, which
connects a key of the upper set with one of the transverse levers below the lower one,
to move up and down vertically for a sufficient distance. The connecting wires
which are firmly fixed to the upper and lower transverse levers are pivotted to the
keys at their upper ends by transverse pivots. As these connecting rods only operate
upon the centre of a single transverse lever, the latter are connected to a system of
levers by which the force is transmitted to the ends of the transverse levers, so
that they may be raised or lowered uniformly without altering their horizontal
direction.
As regards the upper transverse levers, the combination of levers by which they
are connected as described, moves upwards and its upper part which connects the two
vertical rods only rises above the upper set of keys sufficiently to neither affect nor
be affected by the movement of the latter. A method of construction of a similar kind
is also applied to the lower transverse levers.
The levers having equal ends turn upon their centres upon pivots round which
they can turn from one side to the other of the apparatus.
In order that the force applied to the upper keys may be as uniform as possible
there are connected to the keys of the upper set on which the weight acts at the point
nearest the front, those of the transverse levers which are connected to most of the
lower set of keys. By a similar arrangement for the front of the upper key levers,
a sufficiently perfect equilibrium is obtained.
The apparatus described may be used not only to transmit signals, but it may also
be used at central electric lighting stations or for other purposes.
By the aid of the apparatus described thirteen lamps may show combinations
representing the twenty five letters of the alphabet. The number of upper keys is
equal to the number of combinations of the levers of the lower set, and to the number
of transverse levers.
The dimensions of the different parts of the apparatus may be varied more or less.
It will be seen that the invention consists in a method of shewing varying com-
binations of electric lights, more especially for the purpose of signalling, two sets of
keys one above the other being used, connected by vertical rods and transverse levers
so that by pressing upon one of the upper keys the electrical contacts are so changed
that the current ceases to pass through the artificial resistance and passes through the
proper contact pieces connected with the wires and through them to the proper lamps
and to the generator, the lamps which come into action giving a signal every time the
key is pressed and ceasing to shew when the pressure is removed.
11
39 1 1
1007
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Combining and Arranging Apparatus
Operating Electric Lamps for Signalling and other Purposes.
I, HERMANN NERLINGER, of Strasbourg, in the Empire of Germany, 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 (and accompanying drawing), that is to say :-
The principal parts of the improved apparatus consist of an upper and lower set of
keys. Each key of the lower set consists of a lever of equal arms, (as shewn in
figures 1 and 1* in the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of the
invention), its fulcrum having an electric conducting wire extending to the middle
of each arm.
At the middle of the front arm the conducting wire ends in a contact point to which
when the lever is horizontal is pressed against the terminal of an electric circuit
through an artificial resistance connected with the electric generating apparatus. On
the other hand a contact point t at the middle of the back arm is in a position separated
from a contact terminal below, in the circuit which communicates with the lamps.
The terminal of the circuit of the artificial resistance is placed a little higher than
that of the circuit communicating with the lamps, and both these terminals may
consist of small mercury cups as shewn.
The front ends of the levers move freely above the plate which carrios the latter
and their back ends form the keys which are pressed down as required. If one of
these keys is pressed down the current is changed and instead of passing through the
artificial resistance it passes through the lamps and the generator.
At a short distance
(about 12 centimetres) above these levers (figure 2, from 1 to 13) and in advance
by the breadth of one key is arranged the upper set of levers A, V, which are carried
by a second plate of the same length as the lower one. The levers in this upper set
have unequal arms.
One third of each lover is in front of its fulcrum, and two thirds which carry the
key at the back. Each of these lovers is connected with one of the lower levers in
such manner that if a key is pressed down, the lower lever representing the
corresponding signal is raised.
Each of the upper levers is connected by a brass rod figure 2 and 2*, with a
transverse har q below, and there are as many of these transverse bars as there
are keys in the upper set, their position being at right angles to that of the other
levers.
In order to economize space half of the transverse bars (g figures 1, 1* and 2, 2*)
are arranged above, the other half below the front parts of the lower set of levers.
Those transverse bars are arranged across the interior of the box or case containing
the apparatus, and the ends of each of them are fitted with concave rollers r, figures 2,
and 2*, which run upon short rails fixed to the sides of the box, so that they can
move for a short distance as shewn in figure 2*.

page_text: The upper transverse bars of the set rest on both sides upon a band or strip a short
distance (about 2 centimêtres) above the lower set.
At the points where the transverse bars q are just above the keys which are to be
raised in order to give a signal, strong iron wire supports or loops u (figures 1 and 2)
are arranged descending vertically for a short distance (about 2 centimetres) and
passing under and supporting at the corresponding points the front ends of the key
levers 1 to 13. These iron wire supports leaving some space above them allow the
lower keys to be used separately without lifting the transverse bars.
The transverse bars rest upon lateral strips to a short distance (about 2 centimètres)
below the lower keys. The key levers 1 to 13 which are to be raised by one of the
transverse levers, rest while in a horizontal position upon strong supports a (figures 1
and 2) below them, which are carried by the transverse bars q¹.
The interval between each two bars q is sufficient to allow the brass rod v³,
which connects a key V of the upper set with one of the transverse bars below the
lower one, to move up and down vertically for a sufficient distance.
The connecting rods v, and vl, which are firmly fixed to the upper and lower
transverse bars and q are pivotted to the keys A and V at their upper ends by
transverse pivots.
As these connecting rods only operato upon one point of a single transverse bar,
the latter are connected to a system of levers h, h¹, figure 2 forming a parallel motion
by which the force is transmitted to the ends of the transverse bars, so that they may
be raised or lowered uniformly without altering their horizontal position.
As regards the upper transverse bars q, the combination of levers h, 2, and 1, 1, by
which they are connected as described, moves upwards and its upper part 1, 1', which
connects the two vertical rods h, h', only rises above the upper set of keys sufficiently
to neither affect nor be affected by the movement of the latter. A method of construction
forming a parallel motion of a similar kind h², h³, 1, 1, is also applied to the lower
transverse bars 7'. The levers 1, 1, having equal ends turn upon their fixed centres
upon pivots f, f, ƒ³, round which they can turn from one side to the other of the
apparatus.
In order that the force applied to the upper keys may be as uniform as possible
there are connected to the keys of the upper set on which the weight acts at the point
nearest the front, those of the transverse bars which are connected to the larger
number of the lower set of keys By a similar arrangement for the front of the upper
key levers, a sufficiently perfect equilibrium is obtained.
It will be seen that each of the lower set of levers 1 to 13 when raised makes a
connection which sends a current of electricity through a certain circuit and by
raising two or more of them properly selected simultaneously a corresponding
number of circuits will be completed and a corresponding (compound) signal given.
The required number and sequence of the lower set of levers are connected to each of
the transverse bars or q¹ by the loops u or elevating supports a, so that when either
of the upper set of keys is depressed the corresponding number of the lower levers
will be raised to give the particular combination for the signal required.
The arrangements of levers forming parallel motions, and of grinding rollers and
guides, as described, ensures the constant horizontal position of the bars q g'.
The apparatus described may be used not only to transmit signals, but it may also
be used at central electric lighting stations or for other purposes.
The dimensions of the different parts of the apparatus may be varied more or less.
In the construction of the apparatus only the outer set of wires u and supports a will
be of the height given (about 2 centimètres), but passing inwards the height of the
wire loops will increase and that of the supports diminish in the same proportion, so.
that the ends of the levers 1 to 13 will be always even.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The two sets of have one shove the other nonnanted be. the unde
1

page_text: bars q, q', in such manner that by pressing upon one of the upper keys the electrical
contacts are so changed that the current ceases to pass through the contact 9 of the
artificial resistance circuit and passes through the proper contact pieces t connected
with the wires and through them to the proper lamps and to the generator, the lamps
which come into action giving a signal every time the key is pressed and ceasing to
shew when the pressure is removed, substantially as described and illustrated in
the drawings.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Patentee.