Improvements relating to Electric Telegraphs.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1893—Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Telegraphs.
I, FRANK EUSTACE WILKINS BOWEN of 19 James Street, Westbourne
Terrace, London, W., Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
The invention relates to an electric telegraph by which writing or drawing at
the sending station is simultaneously reproduced at the receiving station.
The means for effecting this consists of two instruments, or groups of
instruments, connected, according to my invention, by a single wire and an earth
return.
The movement of the transmitting pen or style in the plane of the paper, is
resolved into its components in two fixed directions by suitable mechanism; the
movement in each direction for each definite unit of its extent, makes and breaks
contact, permitting currents to flow in two parallel branches of an electrical
circuit; four such branches are required, one for each direction being operated by
forward movement only, and the other by backward movement only.
The currents passing through these branches are severally interrupted by means
of electro-magnets in circuits, the armatures of which are tuning forks, or bars, of
different pitches, and are thus converted into intermittent currents, which pass
without confusion over the single wire before referred to, to the receiving station,
where the wire divides into four branches, upon which are electro-magnets having
armatures tuned to vibrate in unison with those of the several branches at the
sending station.
Each such armature is set in vibration by such currents only as have passed
through the corresponding branch at the sending station.
The vibrations establish in the local circuits intermittent vibratory currents,
and each time these currents are established by the completion of a definite_unit
of the movement of the transmitting pen or style, an electromagnet in the local
circuit pertaining to that movement, actuates, by suitable mechanism, once only,
and to the proper extent, its particular part of the mechanism carrying the
receiving pen.
By the combined effect of such movements, the receiving pen follows accurately
all the movements in the plane of the paper of the transmitting style.
The mechanism by which the elementary movements are compounded between
the electro-magnets and the receiving pen, is similar to that by which the
movement of the transmitting pen is resolved into its components.
The details of this mechanism are not essential to the invention. Any suitable
arrangement of slides or link work, which will effect the resolution and composition
of the movement, may be used.
It is also necessary that the receiving pen should be moved vertically, that it
may not mark the paper when the transmitting pen or style is moved from point
to point on the paper between letters or words or between the parts of a sketch or
drawing.
This is effected by a fifth branch of the circuit at each station, the current
passing through which, is controlled by an electro-magnet fitted with a tuning
fork of different pitch to the rest at the transmitting station, and passing over the
common line wire, sets in vibration only the armature of similar pitch at the
receiving station. The vibration of this armature at the receiving station, closes a
local circuit, which, by means of an electro-magnet, depresses the receiving pen,
whenever, and so long as, the corresponding branch circuit at the transmitting
station is closed by the depression of the transmitting style.

page_text: The principle of this invention may also be applied to any electric transmission
of complex mechanical movements, such as the automatic recording of gauges, or
other measuring appliances and instruments &c., and it may be extended to motion
in three axes.
Dated this 12th day of September 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Telegraphs.
I FRANK EUSTACE WILKINS BOWEN of 19 James Street, Westbourne
Terrace, London, W., Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention has reference to that class of electric telegraphs known as
writing telegraphs, wherein the writing or drawing of the operator at a sending
or transmitting station, is reproduced at the receiving station, for the information
of the person with whom he desires to communicate.
In carrying out my invention, I avail myself of the principle (in the electrical
transmission of tones) by which, when a number of differently tuned reeds or
vibrators are placed at one end of a line wire, the vibrations of one or more
thereof are reproduced in correspondingly tuned reeds at the other end, while the
reeds at the receiving end not in unison with those vibrated at the transmitting end,
are not sensibly affected.
By the employment of this principle, which is sufficiently well understood
amongst electricians, I am enabled to excite, at a receiving station, an electric
motor or motors, so as to operate in any desired direction a pen or marker, to
write or draw, and communicate messages, signals, and other indications, all
through a single line wire and an earth return.
The apparatus which I adopt in constructing a writing telegraph, consists
primarily in a transmitting instrument, connected by a single insulated line wire
with a receiving instrument.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 illustrates the arrangement of parts constituting the transmitter.
Fig. 2 correspondingly illustrates the receiving instrument.
The other figures show various parts of the apparatus in detail.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, are plan, side (partly in section), and end views, of the
transmitter commutator.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are plan, side, and end views of one of the transmitting
reeds.
Figs. 9 and 10 are plan and side views of one of the receiving reeds.
Figs. 11 and 12 are plan and side views of one of the receiver motors; and
Figs. 13 and 14 show, detached, the transmitting and receiving pens.
Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, there are, at the transmitter, five differently
tuned reeds, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and at the receiver there are also five reeds, 1ª, 2",
3ª, 4ª, and 5ª, respectively tuned in unison with the correspondingly numbered
transmitter reeds.
The reeds of the transmitter which are hereafter explained in detail, are
arranged in connection with three electric batteries A, B, and C. The current
from these batteries is utilised to vibrate one or other of the reeds by the operation
of the transmitting pen, in the following manner.
The pen D is connected by a pair of universally jointed arms, to rack bars E E',
mounted at right angles to one another, so that the movements of the pen up or
down, or to right or left, or a combination of these movements, has the effect of
moving one or both of the bars E E' to and fro. The rectilineal movement of the

page_text: rack bars E E', causes, through suitable gearing, the rotation of the com-
mutators F F in one direction or the other, according to the direction of movement
of the rack bars.
The commutators (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which illustrate in detail the com-
mutator F, worked by the bar E) are built up, as to their periphery, with alternate
strips of conducting and non-conducting material, arranged transversely thereon.
ffare brushes rubbing on the surface of the commutators F F¹ respectively.
On the axles of the commutators F F, are frictionally mounted arms G G', the
ends of which project between contact points 9 g* and g¹ g¹*, respectively, against
which they bear when the commutators rotate.
The commutator F is arranged in the circuit of the battery A, as also are the
reeds 1 and 2, so that a current from the battery passes interruptedly by the
brush, when the commutator is rotated, either through the contact to the reed 1,
or through the contact g*, to the reed 2, according to the direction of the rotation.
From the reeds the current passes intermittently by reason of the vibrations set
up therein, to the induction coil 1, and thence to the battery. Similarly, the
current from the battery B, by the brush fl and commutator F¹,
passes inter-
ruptedly, in the direction of the arrows, through either the contact g₁ or g¹ to the
reed 4, or the reed 5, and then intermittently to the induction coil I, and back to
the battery B. The battery C is for operating the reed 3, when the circuit is
completed, by the depression of the transmitting pen.
HH are dash pots fastened to the rack bars E E¹ for preventing a sudden or
too rapid rotation of the commutators F F¹. The vibratory currents established
by the reeds 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are transmitted to the primary of the induction coil I,
and the induced currents of the secondary are transmitted to the reeds 1º, 2º, 3*,
4, and 5, tuned in unison with the transmitting reeds by a line wire, the return
being by earth. Each of the receiving reeds has in connection with it a relay of
any convenient form, arranged to be operated by a local battery J, whenever
action is set up in the reeds. The relays, which in Fig. 2 are numbered 1, 2, 3,
4 and 5, to correspond with the reeds in connection with which they work, are
intended to bring into action local batteries A*, B, and C, by means of which
the motors are respectively energised, and caused to operate the receiving pen D*,
so as to reproduce the movements of the pen at the transmitting end.
The pen is carried, as in the transmitter, on rack bars Ex and Ex, which work
at right angles to each other. The relay 1 is connected with the motor K, which
is contrived to work the rack bar Ex in the direction of the arrow; the relay 2
is connected with the motor K', which works the rack bar Ex in the opposite
direction. The relay 4 is in connection with the motor L, which works the rack
bar Ex in the direction of the arrow; and the relay 5 is connected with motor L',
which works the rack bar Ex in the opposite direction. The relay 3 is connected
with a magnet on the pen D*, which magnet, when energised, causes the pen to be
depressed onto the paper, when the depression of the transmitting pen D excites
the reed 3, and corresponding reed 3*.
.
The transmitting reeds are preferably of the form shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8,
where x is the reed proper, mounted in any suitable manner, and provided with an
adjustment screw for tuning it to the proper pitch. y is a coil surrounding the
reed, around which coil the current passes, after leaving the coil of the electro
magnet 2. v is a permanent magnet, and 20 is an adjustable platinum spring,
normally in contact with the reed, which contact is broken when the reed
vibrates under the influence of the magnet z.
The permanent magnet vis in contact with the reed, which is thereby rendered
magnetic, so as to respond more quickly to the influence of the electro magnet.
The receiving reeds (see Figs. 9 and 10) are similar to the transmitting reeds,
except that instead of the platinum contact w, there is a balanced hopper, which
normally rests on the post w' clear of the reed, but is held off it so long as the
reed continues to vibrate.
To avoid any chattering between the hopper and the post w', when the reed

page_text: .ceases its vibrations, the post may be made slightly magnetic, so as to cause the
hopper to cling to it when the reed is not in action.
At Figs. 11 and 12, I have illustrated one of the motors which operate the rack
bars to which the pen is attached at the receiving instrument.
In gear with the teeth of the rack bar, which are by preference cut diagonally,
is a pinion M, fast on a shaft m. This shaft m is coupled, by means of any suitable
frictional device N, with the shaft O, which is mounted in suitable bearings.
o o' are two ratchet wheels, having their teeth cut in opposite directions; both
wheels o o' are fast on the shaft O, so that rotary movement given to the wheels
is communicated to the shaft O, and through the shaft O, to the shaft m, by
which the pinion M is rotated in one direction or the other, to move the rack bar
with pen thereon backwards and forwards.
The rotation of the ratchet wheels o o' is effected by the hooks p p², pivotted
respectively to the spring armatures of the electro magnets P and P, which are
situated on opposite sides of the shaft O. When one of these electro magnets
is excited by the passage of the current, its armature is attracted, and the hook
thereon caused to engage with its ratchet wheel, and pull it round one tooth.
When the armature is released by the magnet, in resuming its normal position,
it clears its hook from engagement with its ratchet, by pressing the inclined nose
of the hook against a suitably placed pin or stop r. S is a spur or brake wheel,
keyed to the shaft O, with a spring pawls in engagement therewith, to prevent
the rotation of the said shaft O, except under the influence of the hooks pp',
operating one of the wheels o o', and to ensure the shaft always coming to rest with
the wheels oo¹ in the proper position to be engaged by hooks p p'.
The transmitting pen D shown at Fig. 13, is mounted on a little carriage
supported by a castor wheel, and is normally held clear of the paper by means of
a suitably arranged spring. When the pen is depressed, to touch the paper, the
screw d causes the circuit to be completed, as already explained with reference to
Fig. 1, through the contact d¹.
The receiving pen D* (Fig. 14) is also supported by a castor wheel, and is
normally held by means of a spring, off the paper. The depression of the pen is
effected by means of the armature d* of the electro magnet D¹*, which becomes
energised as previously explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
clain is :-
1. In electric writing telegraphs, the employment of a series of reeds at the
receiving station, tuned in unison with corresponding reeds at the transmitting
station, by means of which, vibratory or interrupted electric current are trans-
mitted over a single line wire and earth return, and caused to reproduce, in a
receiving pen, the movements of the transmitting pen, substantially as shown and
described.
2. The construction of transmitting and receiving reeds substantially as herein
shewn and described.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.