Improvements in Step-by-step Printing Telegraph Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: *
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Step-by-step Printing Telegraph Instruments.
I, LOUIS MARINO CASELLA, of 47, Fitz-Johns Avenue, Hampstead, London, N.W.,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to step-by-step printing telegraph instruments and con-
sists in improvements of the step-by-step driving mechanism, the printing and
feed mechanism and of the unison and type wheel shifting devices, whereby the
construction of the instrument is simplified and rendered cheap and reliable in
action.
To carry this invention into effect I entirely dispense with the clock work
mechanism, so frequently used in other printing telegraph instruments, and
rely upon an alternating current (generated by the operator in any ordinary
Wheatstone" or similar transmitter) to operate the type discs step by step, and
upon a continuous relay circuit, (generated by any convenient attached batteries
or generators) to set in action the printing and feed mechanism, when permitted
so to do by a control electro magnet in the alternating current, which is adapted
to hold up its armature during the continuance of the alternating current, and
to release the same when the alternating current ceases, thus bringing by trip
contact devices the continuous relay current into action, to effect the printing
and feed of the paper.
For the step-by-step revolution of the type disc or discs, I use the known
arrangement of an electro magnet or magnets in the alternating circuit, having
a polarized armature, which is thus caused to reciprocate, and by a specially
designed escapement and star wheel operated by the reciprocation of the said
armature, the shaft of the type disc or discs is caused to revolve step-by-step, as
required, according to the indication of the transmitter thus dispensing with any
clock-work train and spring, for the driving of such type wheel or wheels.
The printing and feed of the paper when the type wheel or wheels has or have
been set, is effected by a printing lever, operated by the armature of a special
electro-magnet or magnets, energized by the local battery circuit, when closed
by a controlling electro-magnet in the alternating circuit.
When the alternating current is passing this control electro-magnet it is
adapted to hold up its armature and the local circuit is held open, but when the
alternating current ceases, the type wheel or wheels being set, the armature to this
control magnet is released and a contact is made, closing the local relay circuit,
and causing the attraction of the armature to the printing magnets to effect the
printing and upon return to effect the feed of the paper.
The printing movement itself of the armature of the printing magnets, breaks
the contact of the relay circuit after an effective printing action has been obtained
and the printing lever thus falls back again, effecting the feed of the paper, and
causing the contact mechanism of the controlling magnet to be tripped and held
up until the armature of the control magnet is again held up by the alternating
circuit, when the contact mechanism for the relay circuit is again in position, to
repeat its operations upon the release of the armature to the control magnet.

page_text: Instead of a single type disc carrying both letters and figures, I prefer to use
a double disc, one carrying letters, and the other figures, and to shift these
laterally on their shaft, so that either one or the other may be in the printing
line as required.
I effect this shift of the discs by fitting pins opposite to one another upon the
type wheel shaft which is capable of longitudinal movement, and provide an
oblique faced hammer upon the printing lever, which tends to move the type-
disc shaft longitudinally either one way or the other according to whether one
or other of the aforesaid pins is presented to the said hammer face. Either of
these pins can be placed in the required position by the operation of the trans-
mitter so as to select either figures or letters.
I may use any convenient or known unison device, but a convenient device is
to fit a pin in the type disc shaft, which shall be held after three successive
turns of the type-wheel shaft, and thus bring the type-wheel shaft into unison
with the transmitter in a manner well known.
Dated this 29th day of March 1899
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, LOUIS MARINO CASELLA, of 47, Fitz-Johns Avenue, Hampstead, London, N.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 relates to step-by-step printing telegraph instruments and con-
sists of improvements in the direct electrical step-by-step driving mechanism for
the type discs, in the control and operative devices of the printing and feed
mechanism, and in the type wheel shifting devices whereby the construction of
the instrument is simplified and rendered cheap and reliable in action.
or
To carry this invention into effect I entirely dispense with the clock-work
mechanisin, so frequently used in other printing telegraph instruments, and rely
upon an alternating current (generated by the operator in any ordinary Wheat-
stone or other transmitter) to operate the type discs step-by-step, and upon a
continuous relay current (generated by any convenient attached batteries
generator) to set in action the printing and feed mechanism, when permitted so to
do by a control electro-magnet in the alternating current, which is adapted to
hold up its armature during the continuance of the alternating current, and to
release the same, when the alternating current ceases, thus bringing by trip
contact devices, the continuous relay current into action to effect the printing and
feed of the paper.
For the step-by-step revolution of the type disc or discs, I use the known
arrangement of an electro-magnet or magnets in the alternating circuit, having a
polarized armature, which is thus caused to reciprocate and by a specially designed
escapement pallet attached to said armature and engaging on a star wheel, the
shaft of the type disc or discs is caused to revolve step-by-step as required accord-
ing to the indication of the transmitter.
Figure 1 is an outside elevation of my instrument.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an end. elevation of the samẹ.

page_text: Figure 4 is a perspective. view of the type disc driving mechanism detached.
Figure 5, is a detail detached view of the relay circuit contact.
Figure 6 is a perspective detail of the disc change and unison devices detached.
Figure 7 is diagrammatic view of the various electro-magnets and the connect-
ing circuits.
A is the reel carrying a continuous slip of paper a which is fed forward by a
serrated roller a and is pressed thereon by a forked spring a².
discs preferably in duplicate, one carrying letters and the other figures mounted
B are the type
on the arbor b which latter is capable of longitudinal movement in its bearings
by control mechanism hereafter described so that either the letter or the figure
disc is brought over the printing line of the paper. B' is an inking brush of
usual form with adjusting counter balance weight b, so that the brush is adapted
to lie in contact with the relief letters and figures of the type discs. B as they
revolve. .
C is the star wheel on the type disc arbor b, and C is the pallet escapement
rocked on the pivot 2 by the end of the arbor c (seen in detached detail in Fig. 4)
such arbore having a light sensitive armature thereon, polarized by the permanent
magnets dd shown in actual position in Fig. 2 & turned over into the horizontal
plane in Fig. 7, and adapted to oscillate between the poles of the electro-
magnets D D when energized by an alternating current from a Wheatstone
or other transmitter.
E, E, are electro magnets also energized by the same alternating current from
the transmitter but having a non-polarized soft iron armature e controlled by a
stop e and a light adjustable recoil spring e² so adapted that the said armature
is constantly held up to the electro-magnets E, E, against the recoil spring so
long as the alternating current is passing, but so soon as the said alternating
current ceases, the recoil spring withdraws the armature e.
The armature e engages with the claw f of the bell crank F, such bell crank F
terminating in a bent metal end f¹ faced on its outside with an insulating.
material.
"
.
When the armature e is held up to the electro-magnet E the end of the bell
crank is held up upon a pivotted claw detent G, normally held by a spring
so that the said claw is under the metal head of the bell crank F. The withdrawal
of the armature e from the electromagnet E permits the head of the bell crank F
to fall upon the claw detent G and to make therewith metallic contact closing a
relay circuit 3, 3, Fig. 7 from an external battery X through electro-magnets H, H.
The claw detent G has a long tail g¹ passing through a slot in the frame, by which
the claw detent is removed from under and from contact with the end of the bell
crank by the operation of the printing lever hereafter to be described and the
relay circuit 3, 3. Fig. 7 is thus broken, the claw detent G then rests against
the insulated face of the bell crank until the latter is again lifted by the
energizing of the electro-magnet E, when the claw detent G slips under the end.
of the bell crank F ready to remake contact upon the release of the latter.
The relay circuit 3, 3, Fig. 7. closed through the binding screws g² g² on the
said bell crank F, and claw detent G, respectively energizes the electro-
magnets H, H, provided with an armature h, pivotted on the frame at one end
and at the other passing through a hole in the opposite frame and engaging with
he end of the printing lever K (Fig. 6).
This lever is pivotted upon the frame at & and carries at its other end the paper
eed roller a¹ thus lifting the paper slip thereon up to the type discs B and obtain-
ng an imprint of the selected letter or figure.
The printing lever, by a nose k', strikes a return lever L pivotted upon the
rame at which strikes up the tail g of the claw detent G before described and
hus breaks the relay circuit. The printing lever thus drops again, and on its
eturn a pawl turns a ratchet wheel upon the feed roller spindle and thus
dvances the paper slip for the next impress.
The change from the adjacent letter type discs to the figure type discs is effected...

page_text: as follows.
There are two zero or blank positions upon the transmitter, at
opposite ends of a diameter, with corresponding blanks on the type discs.
The transmitter may be operated in a manner well known to produce a move-
ment of the printing lever with the type discs at either of these points producing
no impress owing to the blank spaces on the type discs. The movement of the
printing lever K is however utilized by means of an angled stud M Fig. 6 to shift
laterally either to the left or the right the arbor of the type discs B by means of
coming in contact with one or other of the pins m m which project a short
distance on either side of the angle point of the stud M from the arbor b in the
direction of the two blank spaces on the type discs B. According to whether the
type discs B are set with one or other of the pins m or m¹ downwards the rise of
the printing lever K shifts the type discs either to left or right and thus brings
either the letter disc or the figure disc over the printing line on the paper slip.
In the diagrammatic view Fig. 7 of circuits, N N are terminals of an alternating
current from any known transmitter from which alternate circuits 1, 1, and 2, 2,
are made through the electromagnets D, D, operating the step by step movement
of the type discs B and the electro-magnets E, holding up the armature e during
continuation of such current and keeping the bell-crank F from contact with the
claw detent G, thus breaking the relay circuit 3, 3, from the battery X. The
position shown of the detents F and G in this figure is after the contact has been
broken by the tilting upwards of the tail g of the claw detent G, by the printing
lever, the claw of G coming back to rest upon the insulated face of the bell
crank F, upon the completion of the current through the electro-magnets E, E
which lifts the bell crank F allowing the claw of G to pass under it and the latter
is thus in readiness to complete the relay circuit when the bell-crank F next
drops.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In combination in a printing telegraph instrument, a polarized vibrating
armature, fitted to electromagnets energized by an alternating current from any
known transmitter, a rocking pallet reciprocated by said vibrating armature, a
star wheel upon a type wheel arbor adapted to rotate said type wheels step-by-
step control electro-magnets also in said alternating circuit, having a non-
polarized sluggish armature with adjustable recoil spring adapted to be held up
against recoil spring so long as alternating current passes; and a relay circuit
energizing printing electro-magnets with trip contact device therein adapted to
be closed by release of non-polarized armature from control eletcro-magnets upon
cessation of the alternating transmitting current, substantially as described.
2nd. In a printing telegraph instrument, a trip contact device consisting of in
combination electro-magnets, in an alternating circuit a non-polarized pivotted
armature adapted thereto; an adjustable recoil spring and stop set screw fitted
to said armature; a bell crank lever operated by said pivotted armature; con-
nection from said bell crank to a relay circuit an insulating face on end of said
bell-crank; a pivotted claw detent, normally dropping by recoil spring with its
claw either against insulated face of said bell-crank, or passing thereunder to
receive metal end of said bell-crank after it has been lifted and allowed to drop,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3rd. In a printing telegraph instrument a pivotted printing lever carrying a
paper slip feeding roll, a pivotted armature operating the same: electro magnets
attracting said armature against a recoil spring, and energized by a relay circuit
with a battery therein; a return pivotted lever parallel to said printing lever
operated by the rise of said printing lever; and a trip contact device, adapted to
make or break the said relay circuit, substantially as described.
4th. In a printing telegraph instrument a pivotted printing lever, means for
reciprocation thereof by relay. circuit or, cessation of transmitted alternating

page_text: current; a triangular stud upon the said printing lever; two radial pins at opposite
ends of a diameter upon the type wheel arbor, situated on either side of the point
of said triangular stud, adapted to move the arbor of the type wheels longi-
tudinally in either direction according as one or other of the said radial pins are
directed so as to make contact with one or other of the faces of the said triangular
stud upon the said printing lever, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of December 1899
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.