IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL APPARATUS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walker Moseley, of Blenheim Terrace, Pendleton,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL APPARATUS."
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL Apparatus.”
"
Sealed the 6th March 1874, and dated the 10th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walker Moseley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1873.
I, WALKER MOSELEY, of Blenheim Terrace, Pendleton, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the novel construction and attachment of
the various portions of electrical apparatus used for the transmission
of signals on board ships, and in hotels, and other buildings, and for
similar purposes. Such apparatus differs from the long lines and in-
struments used for public telegraphic purposes chiefly in this respect,.
namely, that in the latter the battery is always near the commutators, -
A
-

page_text: and a short portion of wire leads from the negative pole of the battery
to the commutators; but in the aforesaid electrical apparatus the battery
cannot be near all the commutators, hence the great importance of
securing good insulation, and my object is the construction of the
principal portions of the apparatus, and the combination of its parts
in such a manner as will exclude the various sources of irregularity,
and other difficulties which have heretofore been found inseparable from
such apparatus.
The said Invention relates, first, to an improved method of producing
the vibratory movement, which is the peculiar feature of the electro- 1
magnetic apparatus known as the French trembling bell. This vibrátory
motion has been produced by breaking the circuit to cause the recoil
of the armature, but the action thus obtained is uncertain.
In my improved apparatus I obtain the desired effect in a different
and more satisfactory manner, as will be understood by the following ]
description :-
I construct my improved apparatus as follows:-The said apparatus
has a wood or metal base which is provided with a metal cover to
hold a glass front. Attached to this base is a brass or iron frame -
which carries bobbins with wire coiled on soft iron cores in the ordinary 2
manner; the said frame also carries the gong or bell.
In combination with the aforesaid bobbins or magnet I place an
ordinary armature to which is attached the hammer or striker. On
the said frame is placed a small "short circuiting" spring insulated
by ebonite or other suitable material. The box or case is provided
with suitable terminals, and with a plate whereby it may be con-
veniently suspended from any suitable support. I place the aforesaid
short circuiting spring and insulator in such a position that when
the armature approaches the electro-magnet it touches the said spring
when it is at a distance of from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an
inch from the said electro-magnet. When this contact of the arma-
ture with the spring takes place the current is "short circuited,"
that is to say, it travels through the said spring and along a short
wire directly to the terminal, instead of travelling through the coils
of wire on the bobbins, hence the electrio-magnet becomes non-magnetic
and no longer attracts the armature, which then falls from the magnet.
When the said armature leaves the aforesaid spring the short circuit is

page_text: also placed a small tube of brass or other suitable metal. Projecting
from this tube is a glass tube with a hole through one side. Between
the two bobbins I place a permanent magnet, and by means of a thin
metal binder I attach the end of the same to an axial needle, and
a card which have a movement through an arc of a circle limited
by the said bobbins. A piece of soft iron is attached to each of the
bobbins by a spring, which is secured by a thin metal clip to the
bobbin. In close proximity to each of these soft iron pieces or spring
latches I arrange a projecting catch. When a current is sent through
the coil on one side of the instrument the soft iron piece on the same
side is attracted, and the wire catch is repelled, the impetus of the
repulsion carrying the spring catch on the opposite side over the soft
iron piece or spring latch.
In a modification of this apparatus I'rivet a thin brass spring or elastic
support upon the soft iron core, and secure a soft iron armature to the
said brass spring. This apparatus is placed within a box or case of
wood or other suitable material, with a glass obscured by a card or
otherwise, except at one portion where it is left clear or unobscured.
In another modification of this apparatus I support the bobbins per-
pendicularly on a circular wooden base, a spindle pointed at each end
is so pivoted that by attaching a permanent magnet at one end and
supporting the spindle on crystal or stone perpendicularly between the
bobbins, the permanent magnet revolves through half a circle; when a
current is sent through the bobbins of wire I attach a cord or other
moving signal to the permanent magnet and cover the whole with a
glass cylinder obscured, except at one portion where a small space is
left clear. By this modification I economize space, reduce the super-
ficial area of the indicating surface and increase the facilities for cx-
cluding dust and water from the apparatus.
My said Invention is also adapted to be used on board ship for com-
municating with the man at the wheel and the engine driver. A
peculiar feature of this part of my Invention is a contrivance by which
the signals as given cause the preceeding signals to disapper, the last
signal remaining in sight until another is given. The objects of this
part of my said Invention are rapidity of action and the prevention of
wear of the parts of the instrument. The said instrument has a circular
slab of ebonite or other suitable material. Upon this slab I place a series

page_text: of spring metal contact makers or keys. A silver wire is secured to the
said slab, preferably at eight points, and attached to a wire connected
with the copper or negative pole of the battery. A circular slide is
fitted to work in a circular groove one side of which is a brass frame.
The said slide has a projection and a ball or knob, the latter serves to
move the slide, and when the same is turned the said projection
depresses the said keys as it passes over them. The said ball is provided
with a spring stop which moves over holes in the frame of the instru-
ment, and if not held would cause a pin to enter the said holes. The
front of the frame supports the moving disc or other signal of the
instrument. A semi-transparent glass diaphragm on the said instru-
ment exhibits the orders or messages by reflected daylight or trans-
mitted lamplight, a window at the back of the instrument being
provided for the latter. Moveable permanent magnets placed at or
near the centre of the instrument carry shutters preferably made of
aluminium. These shutters are operated by pinions whose spindles have
steel ends which work in crystal or jewelled holes in the front and back
plates of the frame. The said plates are connected and kept the
required distance apart by brass tie bolts or pillars. The said instru-
ment has a series of electro-magnets carried on a suitable bearer. A
relay or releasing magnet is carried in a recess in the front of the frame
in combination with an armature. A spring contact maker, similar to
that herein-before described, is placed in an insulator of ebonite or other
suitable material and arranged to send the current through either of the
aforesaid electro-magnets; a separate relay or releaser is provided for
each signal. The aforesaid contact makers close or make blank all the
signals by causing the shutters to cover or conceal the glass signals
on each of which is marked, in letters or other characters a distinct.
signal or order
I may simplify the said instrument by adapting to it the locking and
releasing devices forming a portion of the second part of this Invention.
And in some cases I may provide the said instrument with a relay and
local batteries. I may modify the said instrument by placing the
releasing magnets behind the dead spaces.
My Invention also relates to contact makers for actuating the bells
and indicators. The objects of this part of the said Invention are the
more perfect insulation of the battery wire and the obtention of an
improved spring action for the said contact makers. The springs for

page_text: making the contact in these instruments have heretofore been com-
monly fixed on wood, which in damp situations has occassioned a great
loss of the current and corrosion of the springs.
The construction of my improved apparatus is as follows:-It has a
base of brass or other suitable metal on which is fixed a front piece of
wood, china, or other non-conducting material. The said front piece is
fitted with a centre piece supported on three curved wire legs
terminating in holes in the aforesaid base or merely resting on the
ends of the three legs. Below this centre piece and fitted in the base is
a centre piece of ebonite, ivory, or other suitable non-conducting sub-
stance, through which the battery wire passes. By depressing the first
named centre piece the.circuit is completed.
In another modification of this apparatus two bars are kept apart by
coiled springs attached to terminals. By pressing the said bars together
the circuit is completed.
I further modify this instrument to adapt it for ringing bells from
entrance doors as follows: -I contruct a tube or well of ebonite, and
provide the same with a wooden float, which also forms a support for a
cover. The said well contains a column of mercury, and through its
side I pass terminal screws to which the wires are connected. One of
these screws is in contact with the mercury, and one is above the
same. Pressure applied to the said cover causes the mercury to rise in
the well to the upper screw, and thereby complete the circuit.
In another modification of this part of my Invention I use an
improved action for an ordinary pull contact maker, which gives great
safety to the apparatus, and great facility for fixing the same. This
apparatus has a brass or iron tube, in the upper end of which I place an
iron spindle surrounded by a coiled spring. At the lower end of the
said tube is an insulating case of ebonite or other suitable material,
wherein I fit a brass pin to which is attached a silver or platinum disc
with a coiled spring below it. This spring must be weaker than the
spring around the said spindle. Near this disc are two platinum pointed
terminal screws.
When the contact maker is especially designed for use in colleries and
other exposed situations, where it is liable to rough usage, I construct the
same with an iron box and cover. In this cover I fit a brass handle,

page_text: from which a rod extends through the said box. On this rod is a bridge
contact slide arranged between terminals, to which are connected the
local and line wires. There is also a terminal for the battery wire.
Straight steel spring wires are secured to the bottom of the said box to`
cause the said contact slide to return to the terminal of the local wire
after it has been turned away by the aforesaid handle. The said termi-
nals are insulated from the handle and cover by pieces of ebonite or
other suitable material. The object of this arrangement is to prevent
the contact maker from being put into operation by a blow or by
any movement except a twist of the hand.
In another modification I form a hot bearing indicator as follows:-I
provide the said apparatus with a brass tube, in one end of which I fix
an insulator of ebonite or other suitable material. A strip of triple metal,
namely, gold, silver, and platinum, is attached by metallic pieces to the
said insulator, the silver side being outside and the platinum inside. A
wire extends from this metal strip to the battery wire. Extending
through this tube to the aforesaid insulator is a spindle on which is
fixed excentrically a thin disc of platinum. From the outer end of this
spindle an arm extends to any required distance. By means of this
arm the degree of heat required to make the aforesaid strip touch the
disc is easily read upon a quadrant.
This apparatus may be advantageously employed on board ship for
giving an alarm in case of the heating of a journal.
I also modify this part of my Invention to adapt the contact maker
to indicate a water level, and for detecting a leak in a ship by ringing
an electric bell. In this apparatus certainty of action is secured by
using a water-tight covering for the electric wires and contact maker.
The said apparatus has a contact-making spring secured upon an insu-
lator of ebonite or other substance in one end of an iron tuber or case.
The said tube also has another ebonite insulator%; both insulators form
screw plugs for the said tube. The battery wire extends through this
tube, and is connected to metal screws fixed in the said insulators. The
said wire is insulated by a covering of india-rubber or other suitable
material. The first-named insulator is enclosed in an iron box at the
bottom of the said tube, and is formed with a rim upon which is secured
a diaphragm of pure india-rubber enclosing the aforesaid spring. The
said box has a perforated bottom whereon is placed a ball of hollow
india-rubber or cork. A wire extends from the aforesaid iron tube to the

page_text: battery; another wire extends from the other terminal of the bell to
the zinc or positive pole of the battery, and a third wire extends from the
upper screw in the tube to the copper or negative pole of the said battery.
If the water level at any time rises to the middle of the aforesaid box
the ball will rise and press the spring against the lower screw in the
tube, thus completeing the current and ringing the bell.
To ensure proper attention to the battery of this apparatus I employ
a series of pairs of battery plates, say eight tin and eight zinc plates,
connected at one pole by a wire to the iron tube, and at the other pole
to the insulated wire inside the said tube.
The other ends of the said
wire and tube are connected to the bell. The said plates are attached to
an ebonite or wooden slab, which forms a cover for a trough or cell, in
the bottom of which I place sulphate of mercury in a dry state. Water
is admitted to the said trough, and partially dissolves the mercury, and
causes the bell to ring.
For the purpose of giving alarm in case of fire, or any change of
temperature, I construct a thermometric contact maker as follows:-
This instrument has a wood or ebonite base, on which are fixed upright
metal supports. Through these supports are passed platinum tipped
screws about one quarter of an inch in diameter, and with sixteen
threads to the inch. The said screws have large heads, on which I form
a micrometer scale. At the top of the said metal supports I place
indexes or pointers, which project over the periphery of the said screw
heads. Between the said supports I place a compound strip of gold,
silver, and platinum, and I enclose the whole in a cover formed of
perforated metal lined with fine silk.
My said Invention also relates to improvements in batteries called
sulphate of lead batteries, to be employed with the above or similar
electrical apparatus. These batteries have hitherto been formed by
mixing the lead and water and pouring the same into the cell containing
the copper or tinned copper; but this method of forming the said
batteries has been found objectionable in many ways, and I have dis-
covered that the sulphate of lead when kept clear from actual contact
with the porous cell, remains in constant action and maintains a
uniform strength of current for from one to two or more years. Its
action is impaired to a less extent than that of any other batteries, by
the losses due to badly insulated wires and connections, or the action of
constantly working instruments.

page_text: By my Invention I provide a battery possessing all the advantages
existing in these batteries as heretofore constructed with an increased
effect, and which is entirely free from the difficulties and inconveniences
heretofore inseparable from sulphate of lead batteries.
Instead of copper or tinned copper for the negative pole I use cups
of pure solid tin; each cup is made to contain about four ounces of
sulphate of lead. These cups are placed in a porous jar containing
water, and which is enclosed in a zinc cylinder, the whole being placed
in an earthenware jar containing a saturated solution of sea salt. The
said zinc cylinder forms the positive pole, and the said tin cups fixed on
a central tin wire form the negative pole.
Another part of my said Invention relates to a method of fixing and
insulating wires in places where a number of commutators work from
the same battery, and is more especially designed for use on board ship
or in damp and exposed situations. This part of my said Invention
insures permanently perfect insulation of the main wire of an electrical
circuit, and is carried into practice as follows:-I use a metal covering
for the wire in such a manner as to form a hermetically sealed case for
the several portions of the said main wire.
In connecting a branch wire to the main wire I seal the ends of the
metal coverings or tubes, leaving the joint bare and accessible for
testing. I use a socket of wood, china-ware, or other suitable material.
I fill this socket with resin or other like substance, into which I dip
the ends of the main wire and the metal tube enclosing the same, and
also the end of the branch wire. The wires are extended through the
bottom of the said sockets, and are connected by twisting and soldering
them together; or I may use a block of ebonite instead of the socket
filled with resin.
According to another part of my said Invention I adopt the following
O methods of fixing and insulating the conducting wires for electrical
apparatus: In the ordinary manner of fixing insulated wires, staples
are employed, and they are the cause of great trouble and inconvenience.
Unless extreme care has been observed in fixing the staples and also
from changes of temperature, the wires will work through their
5 insulating covering, and will come in contact with them and cause a

page_text: In carrying this part of my said Invention into effect I use the
ordinary india-rubber insulated wire; and sometimes for the second wire
I may use bare wire, as I have discovered that by sewing or weaving
the wires between strong tape and afterwards saturating the tape in a
mixture of gum and boiled linseed oil, sufficient insulation will be
obtained to protect the wires except in very damp situations. This
novel method of protecting the said wires by covering them with tape
is chiefly designed for use in fixing the wires below the cornice on the
surface of the wall of a room. I use an insulator of ebonite or other
suitable material to protect the wires from contact with the metal tubes
commonly used for conducting the said wires from the cornice down to
the "pull" or other commutator.
I protect highly insulated wires in the following manner:—The
conductor may consist of a single wire or number of wires. This
conductor is covered with three layers or wrappers of pure india-rubber.
Over this india-rubber I apply cotton or hemp, and I immerse the whole
in a solution consisting of about equal parts of boiled oil and gum.
When this coating has dried I cover the same with a ribbon or tape of
pure tin, over which I immediately place a plaited covering of tinned
copper wire.
In some instances I may interpose a layer of india-rubber and cotton
treated with the aforesaid solution between the tin and the wire.
By my Invention I provide a method of insulation in which the
various wires of a telegraphic apparatus are insulated according to their
position. At their points of junction with the main wire all the wires
should be coupled with the aforesaid insulating unions or couplings.
The branch wires extending from the main wire should be more or less
perfectly insulated according to their position. The line wire will
seldom require any other insulation than that obtained by the aforesaid
tapes. The return wire will usually require as perfect insulation as the
main battery wire.
I construct a composite insulator for suspended wires which is also
suitable for ordinary long line telegraphs, and which possesses all the
advantages of ebonite combined with the cheapness and strength of china
or compressed earthenware. The said insulator is constructed with a block
of china surrounded by ebonite, which is applied to it while warm and
in an expanded condition and secured by marine pitch at the point of
junction.

page_text: I also construct an insulator for perpendicular lines against walls
or in mine shafts. This insulator has a hollow piece of earthenware
or china surrounded at the ends with ebonite. A wire line is passed
through the said hollow piece, and has a stop at one end of the same.
I make
I construct a shackle insulator in a nearly similar manner.
a small insulator for inside suspended wires of an ebony block or piece
with a metal support; I also provide such insulators with a metal
cover; and I make small insulators for use upon inside walls, and
other parts of buildings of a single hollow or conical piece of ebonite,
which is attached to the wall by an ordinary screw.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walker Moseley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALKER
MOSELEY, of Blenheim Terrace, Pendleton, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Walker Moseley, Her special
licence that I, the said Walker Moseley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walker Moseley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL SIGNAL APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Walker Moseley, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walker Moseley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
forming a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates to the novel construction and attachment of the
various portions of electrical apparatus used for the transmission of
signals on board ships, and in hotels and other buildings, and for similar
purposes; such apparatus differs from the long lines and instruments used
for public telegraphic purposes chiefly in this respect, namely, that in
the latter the battery is always near the transmitters and a short portion
of wire leads from the negative pole of the battery to the transmitters,
but in the aforesaid electrical apparatus the battery cannot be near all
the transmitters, hence the great importance of securing good insulation,
and my object is the construction of the principal portions of the
apparatus and the combination of its parts in such a manner as will
exclude the various sources of irregularity and other difficulties which
have heretofore been found inseparable from such apparatus.
The nature of these defects will perhaps be well understood by the fol-
lowing explanation :--All the ordinary systems of electric fittings intended
for the purposes referred to herein have depended to such an extent upon
the workman being a thorough electrician, and also upon the fortuitous
concurrence of favorable circumstances, that the failure or success of the
plant has been too much a mere question of chance. This has arisen
from the fact that the various fittings and apparatus employed hitherto
have been in their design and construction suitable only for the lecture
table and for mere experiment. When it becomes necessary to employ
say, a hundred contact makers, seventy indicators, ten bells, one mile of
conductors, and five hundred staples, the conductors and contact makers
may in many places become very damp, and if not highly insulated and
carefully fixed, the robbery of the electric current will be so great that a
large battery will be necessary to actuate the indicator's bells or other
instruments, and in this case the current flowing off from various flaws
in the insulation will, in proportion to the battery power, more or
less quickly dissolve the wire that leads from the negative pole of the
battery. Before this takes place however, which may be in a few weeks
or in a few years, another evil will be in operation, viz., the battery will
be subject to such an amount of constant work that it will be quickly

page_text: exhausted; add to this the chances and changes of the wires when badly
fixed, and it will be evident that as long as the fittings employed require
to be supplemented by numerous precautions that can be foreseen only
by experienced fitters, it would be a long time before the use of electric
signals could become universal for domestic and commercial purposes.
It will be seen from this explanation that it is in the combination of
numerous parts that the value of this Invention mainly consists, but as
every part has some special feature of improvement they can be used
separately or in conjunction with other electric apparatus.
The said Invention relates, first, to an improved method of producing
the vibratory movement which is the peculiar feature of the electro-.
magnetic apparatus known as the French trembling bell. This vibratory
motion has been produced by breaking the circuit to cause the recoil of
the armature, but the action thus obtained is uncertain.
In my improved apparatns I obtain the desired effect in a different
and more satisfactory manner, as will be understood by the following
description-I construct this part of my improved apparatus as shewn
in Figures 1 and 2, which are front and side elevations of the same,
and in Figures 3 and 4, which show detached portions of the said
apparatus. The said apparatus has a wood or metal base A which is
provided with a metal cover A¹ to hold a glass front. Attached to this
base is a brass or iron frame B which carries bobbins c with wire coiled
on soft iron cores C' in the ordinary manner, the. said frame also carries
the gong or bell D.
In combination with the aforesaid bobbins or magnet I place an
ordinary armature F to which is attached the hammer or striker E, and
which has a spring support at M. On the said frame is placed a small
short circuiting spring G insulated by ebonite or other suitable
material at H. The box or case is provided with suitable terminals J, J¹,
and with a plate K, whereby it may be conveniently suspended from
any suitable support. I place the aforesaid short circuiting spring G and
insulator in such a position that when the armature F approaches the
the electro-magnet it touches the said spring when it. is at a distance of
from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch from the said electro-
magnet. When this contact of the armature with the spring takes
place the current is "short circuited," that is to say, it travels through
the said spring and along a short wire directly to the terminal, instead of

page_text: travelling through the coils of wire on the bobbin, hence the electro-
magnet becomes non-magnetic, and no longer attracts the armature,
which then falls from the magnet. When the said armature leaves the
aforesaid spring the short circuit is broken and the current passing
through the bobbins c causes the electro-magnet to again attract the
armature F.
By this contrivance I obtain the following advantages, namely, the
current being unbroken so long as the commutator or key is kept in
contact, the action of each bell will be perfect in an apparatus wherein
as many as six or more bells are placed in one circuit, whereas the
ordinary French trembling bell apparatus works very imperfectly when
it has more than one bell in the same circuit.
If the bell or bells of my apparatus should be used in combination
with indicators the advantages will be still more apparent, for when the
armature touches the aforesaid spring the indicator will be influenced :
by the whole force of the current instead of being robbed by the
resistance of the coils on the magnet. Moreover the indicator will
move very quickly in consequence of the continuity of the current in
one direction, which is uninterrupted during the time the key is held in
contact with the spring.
Another very important advantage obtained by the use of my Inven-
tion is that there can be no failure of the action of the bell through
imperfect contact between the armature and the back spring, which
frequently happens with an apparatus constructed in the ordinary
manner.
Another part of my Invention relates to an improved indicator for
electro-magnet apparatus. This part of the said Invention is designed,―
First. To afford a better method of supporting the indicating card or
disc than has been heretofore known or used.
Secondly. To provide a locking device for preventing the rebounding a
or other displacement of the moveable card.
Thirdly. To provide means for attaching the card to the permanent
magnet and the axial needle.
And Fourthly. To insure the correct position of the electro-magnet in
relation to the permanent magnet. This part of my Invention is illus- a
trated in Figures 5 and 6.

page_text: The said improved indicator is constructed as follows:-It has two.
bobbins C coiled with suitable silk covered wire, and mounted on soft
wire cores C¹. These cores are attached to a brass frame B, on which is
also placed a small tube D¹ of brass or other suitable metal. Projecting
from this tube is a glass tube E¹ with a hole through one side. Between
the two bobbins C I place a permanent magnet F¹, and by means of a
thin metal binder G' I attach to the end of the same an axial needle J¹
and also a card H³, which has a movement around the said needle
through an arc of a circle limited by the said bobbins. A piece of soft
iron M is attached to each of the bobbins C by a spring L, which is
secured by a thin metal clip to the bobbin. In close proximity to each
of these soft iron pieces or spring latches I arrange a projecting wire
catch N. When a current is sent through the left-hand coil of the
instrument the soft iron piece M is attracted, the permanent magnet F¹
is repelled, the impetus of the repulsion carrying the right-hand spring
catch over the soft iron piece or spring latch.
In a modification of this apparatus shewn in Figure 5º, I rivit a thin
brass spring or elastic support O upon the soft iron core C³, and secure a
soft iron armature P to the said brass spring. The apparatus, Figures 5
and 6, or 5ª, is placed within a box or case A of wood or other suitable
material with a glass obscured by a card (or otherwise, except at D*
portion, where it is left clear or unobscured.
Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 5º, a transverse section of a modifi-
cation of this apparatus, in which the frame A³ is fitted to slide in front
of the glass B³ and secure the same. The portions a³, bs, cs, have the
rim turned or bent, as at a*, shewn in full sized section, Figure 5ª, but
the part ds has no turned or bent rim.
In another modification of this apparatus, illustrated in Figures 8 and
9, which show a plan and side elevation of the same, I support the
bobbins C perpendicularly on a circular wooden base A; a spinde D
pointed at each end is so pivoted that by attaching a permanent magnet
at one end and supporting the spindle on crystal or stone bearings E, E,
perpendicularly between the bobbins C the permanent magnet revolves
through half a circle whenever a current is sent through the bobbins of
wire. I attach a card or other moving signal to the permanent magnet
and cover the whole with a glass cylinder, obscured, except at one
portion, where a small space is left clear. By this modification I
economize space, reduce the superficial area of the indicating surface,.

page_text: apparatus.
My said Invention is also adapted to be used on board ship for
communicating with the man at the wheel and the engine driver. A
peculiar feature of this part of my Invention is a contrivance by which
the signals as given cause the preceding signals to disappear, the last
signal remaining in sight until another is given. The objects of this
part of my said Invention are rapidity of action and the prevention of
wear of the parts of the instrument. The said instrument has a circular
slab of ebonite or other suitable material. Upon this slab I place a
series of spring metal contact makers or keys. A silver wire is secured
to the said slab preferably at eight points, and attached to a wire
connected with the copper or negative pole of the battery. A circular
slide is fitted to work in a circular groove, one side of which is a brass
frame. The said slide has a projection and a ball or knob, the latter
serves to move the slide, and when the same is turned the said projection
depresses the said keys as it passes over them. The said ball is provided.
with a spring stop, which moves over holes in the frame of the instru-
ment, and if not held would cause a pin to enter the said holes. The
front of the frame supports the moving disc or other signal of the
instrument. A semi-transparent glass diaphragm on the said instrument
exhibits the orders or messuages by reflected daylight or transmitted
lamplight, a window at the back of the instrument being provided for
the latter. Movable permanent magnets placed at or near the centre of
the instrument carry shutters preferably made of aluminium. These
shutters are operated by pinions, whose spindles have steel ends, which
work in crystal or jewelled holes in the front and back plates of the
frame. The said plates are connected and kept the required distance
apart by brass tie bolts or pillars. The said instrument has a series of
electro-magnets carried on a suitable bearer. A relay or releasing
magnet is carried in a recess in the back of the frame in combination
with an armature. A. spring contact maker similar to take herein-before
described is placed on an insulator of ebonite or other suitable material,
and arranged to send the current through either of the aforesaid electro-
magnets. A separate relay or releaser is provided for each signal. The
aforesaid contact makers close or make blank all the signals by causing
the shutters to cover or conceal the glass signals, on each of which is
marked in letters or other characters a distinct signal or order. The

page_text: same principle may be applied as a relay in clocks and electric counters ;
in such cases the relay is used as an escapement.
I may simplify the said instrument by adapting to it the locking and
releasing devices forming a portion of the second part of this Invention,
and in some cases I may provide the said instrument with a relay and
local batteries. I may modify the said instrument by placing the
releasing magnets behind the dead spaces.
My Invention also relates to contact makers for actuating the bells
and indicators. The objects of this part of the said Invention are the
more perfect insulation of the battery wire, and the obtention of an
improved spring action for the said contact makers. The springs for
making the contact in these instruments have heretofore been com-
monly fixed on wood, which in damp situations has occasioned a great
loss of the current and corrosion of the springs.
The construction of my improved apparatus is as follows:-Illustrated
in Figure 13, which is a central section of the same. It has a base A¹
of brass or other suitable metal, on which is fixed a front piece B' of
wood, china, or other non-conducting material. The said front piece
is fitted with a centre piece c* supported on three curved wire legs D*
terminating in holes in the aforesaid base, or merely resting on the ends
of the three legs. Figure 13ª shews a plan of this centre piece. Below
this centre piece C and fitted in a base A* is a centre piece E' of
ebonite, ivory, or other suitable non-conducting substance, through
which the battery wire J' passes, the line wire K* being attached to A*,
as shown. By depressing the first-named centre piece the circuit is
completed.
Figures 13ª, 13, 13º, 13ª, 13º, 13', are modifications of the parts A*,
E, and D.
In aonother modification of this apparatus two bars are kept apart by
coiled springs attached to terminals. By pressing the said bars together
the circuit is completed, see Fig. 16.
I further modify this instrument to adapt it for ringing bells from
entrance doors as follows:-I construct a tube or well of ebonite A³, as
shown in Figure 15, and provide the same with a wooden ploat B³, which
also forms a support for a cover. The said well contains a column of

page_text: the wires are connected; one of these screws is in contact with the
mercury, and one is above the same. Pressure applied to the said cover
causes the mercury to rise in the well to the upper screw, and thereby
completes the circuit.
In another modification of this part of my Invention I use an
improved action for an ordinary pull contact maker, which gives great
safety to the apparatus and great facility for fixing the same, see-
Figure 16. This apparatus has a brass or iron tube A, in the upper
end of which I place an iron spindle Be surrounded by a coiled spring Co.
At the lower end of the said tube is an insulating case of ebonite DⓇ or
other suitable material, wherein I fit a brass pin E, to which is attached.
a silver or platinum disc Fe with a coiled spring g' below it. This spring
must be weaker than the spring around the said spindle. Near this
disc are two platinum pointed terminal screws H6.
When the contact maker is specially designed for use in collieries and
other exposed situations where it is liable to rough usage I construct
the same, as shewn Figure 17, with an iron box and cover. In this
cover I fit a brass handle, from which a rod extends through the said
box. On this rod is a bridge contact slide arranged between terminals,
to which are connected the local and line wires. There is also a
terminal for the battery wire. Straight steel spring wires are secured to
the bottom of the said box to cause the said contact slide to return to
the terminal of the local wire after it has been turned away by the
aforesaid handle. The said terminals are insulated from the handle and
cover by pieces of ebonite or other suitable material. The object of this
arrangement is to prevent the contact maker from being put into
operation by a blow or by any movement except a twist of the hand.
In another modification, illustrated in Figure 18, which is a transverse
section, I form a hot bearing indicator as follows:-I provide the said
apparatus with a brass tube A, in one end of which I fix an insulator of
ebonite B' or other suitable material. A strip of triple metal, namely,
gold, silver, and platinum, is attached by metallic piece c² to the said
insulator, the silver side being outside and the platinum inside. A wire
extends from this metal strip to the battery wire E7. Extending
through this tube to the aforesaid insulator is a spindle G7, on which is
fixed excentrically on this disc of platinum F. From the outer end of
the spindle an arm H' extends to any required distance. By means of

page_text: this arm, to which a pointer H³ is attached, the degrees of heat required.
to make the aforesaid strips touch the disc is easily read upon the face-
or edge of a qudrant or dial L. This apparatus may be advantageously.
employed on board ships for giving an alarm in case of the heating of a
journal or its bearing.
I also modify this part of my Invention to adapt the contact maker to
indicate a water level, and for detecting a leak in a ship by ringing an
electric bell. Figure 19 is a vertical central section of this apparatus..
In the said apparatus certainty of action is secured by using a water-
tight covering As for the electric wires and contact maker. The said
apparatus has a contact making spring Hº secured upon an insulator B
of ebonite or other substance in one end of an iron tube or case A³. The
said tube also has another ebonite insulator 08%; both insulators from
screw plug for the said tube. The battery' wire D³ extends through
this tube As, and is connected to metal screws fixed in the said insulators.
The said wire is insulated by a covering G³ of india-rubber or other
suitable material. The first-named insulator is enclosed in an iron
box J8 at the bottom of the tube A³, and is formed with a rim upon.
which is secured a diaphragm K³ of pure india-rubber enclosing the
aforesaid spring. The said box has a perforated bottom L³ whereon is
placed a ball M³ of hollow india-rubber or cork. A wire N³ extends
from the aforesaid iron tube to the bell. Another wire extends from
the other terminal of the bell to the zinc or positive pole of the battery,
and a third wire.extends from the upper screw F in the tube to the.
copper or negative pole of the said battery. If the water level at any
time rises to the middle of the aforesaid box J8, the ball M³ will rise and.
press the spring H³ against the lower screw in the tube, thus completing
the current and ringing the bell.
-
This apparatus slightly modified may be used as a ship's hold sounder.
To obviate the necessity for great attention to the battery of this
apparatus,. I employ the apparatus illustrated in Figure 20, which is.
partly an elevation and partly a section. This apparatus consists of a
series of pairs of battery plates connected at one pole by a wire to the
iron tube, and at the other pole to the insulated wire inside the said
tube. The other ends of the said wire and tube are connected to the
bell. The said plates are attached to an ebonite or wooden slab which
forms a cover for a trough or cell, in the bottom of which I place
.
R 2

page_text: sulphate of mercury or other dry acid in a dry state. There is an outer
box or case of iron. When water rising above the slab rushes into the
said trough it partially dissolves the mercury therein, and causes the
bell to ring, or the battery plates may be acted upon by the sea water
only.
For the purpose of giving alarm in case of fire or any change of
temperature, I construct a thermometric contact maker as follows:-
This instrument has a wood or cbonite base on which are fixed upright
metal supports. Through these supports are passed platinum tipped
screws about one-quarter of an inch in diameter, and with say sixteen
threads to the inch. The said screws have large heads, on which I form
a micrometer scale. At the top of the said metal supports I place
indexes or pointers which project over the periphery of the said screw
head. Between the said supports I place a compound strip of gold,
silver, and platinum, and I enclose the whole in a cover formed of
perforated metal lined with fine silk.
My said Invention also relates to improvements in batteries called
sulphate of lead batteries to be employed with the above or similar
electrical apparatus. These batteries have hitherto been formed by
mixing the lead with water, and pouring the same into the cell con-
taining the copper or tinned copper, but this method of forming the said
batteries has been found objectionable in many ways, and I have
discovered that the sulphate of lead when kept clear from actual contact
with the porous cells remains in constant action, and maintains a uniform
strength of current for from one to two or more years. Its action is
impaired to a less extent than that of any others by the losses due to
badly insulated wires and connections, or the action of constantly working
instruments.
.
By my Invention I provide a battery possessing all the advantages
existing in these batteries as heretofore constructed with an increased
effect, and which is entirely free from the difficulties and inconveniences
heretofore inseparable from sulphate of lead batteries.
Figure 21 is a vertical central section of one of my improved batteries.
Instead of copper or tinned copper for the negative pole I use cups D'
of pure solid tin. Each cup is made to contain about four ounces of
These cups are placed in a porous jar Aº containing
water, and which is enclosed in a zinc cylinder B³, the whole being
sulphate of lead.

page_text: placed in an earthenware jar C³ containing a saturated solution of sea
salt. The said zinc cylinder forms the positive pole, and the said tin
cups fixed level on a central tin wire Fº forms the negative pole. E⁹
indicates the usual level when fresh charged of the liquid in the jar C³,
and G³ the level of liquid in the porous jar Aº.
Another part of my said Invention relates to a method of fixing and
insulating wires in places where a number of commutators work from
the same battery, and is more expressly designed for use on board ship,
or in damp and exposed situations. This part of my said Invention
insures permanently perfect insulation of the main wire of an electrical
circuit. It is illustrated in the sectional views Figures 22, 23, and 24,
and is carried into practice as follows:-In Figure 22 I use a metal
covering a² for the wire 62 in such a manner as to form a hermetically
sealed case for the several portions of the said main wire.
In connecting a branch wire c² to the main wire 62 I seal the ends of
the metal coverings or tubes a², leaving the joint bare and accessible for
testing. I use a socket j³ of wood, china ware, or other suitable material.
I fill this socket with resin or other like substance, into which I dip the
ends of the main wire and the metal tube enclosing the same, and also
the end of the branch wire. The wires are extended through the bottom
of the said sockets, and are connected by twisting and soldering them
together at e²; or I may use a single chamber or receptacle f for the sealing
substances, as in Figure 23, or a block of ebonite 9, Figure 24, instead of
said socket or receptacle filled with resin or other sealing substance.
According to another part of my said Invention I adopt the following
methods of fixing and insulating the conducting wires for electrical
apparatus:-In the ordinary manner of fixing insulated wires staples
are employed, and they are the cause of great trouble and inconvenience.
Unless extreme care has been observed in fixing these staples, and also
from changes of temperature, the wires will work through their insulating
covering, and will come in contact with them and cause a stoppage of
the apparatus. This part of my said Invention is illustrated in Figures
5, 5, and 26, the latter shewing in section the manner of weaving a
series of wires in a tape, by which the same object is attained.
In carrying the same into effect I use the ordinary india-rubber
insulated or other wire, and sometimes for the line wire I may use
bare wire, as I have discovered that by sewing or weaving the wires

page_text: between strong tapes, as shewn, and afterwards saturating the said tape
in a mixture of gum and boiled linseed oil, sufficient insulation will be
obtained to protect the wires in ordinary damp situations. This novel
method of protecting the said wires by covering them with tape is
chiefly designed for use in fixing below the cornice on the surface of
the wall of a room. I use an insulator of ebonite or other suitable
material, as shown in Figure 27, to protect the wires from contact with
the metal tubes commonly used for conducting the said wires from the
cornice down to the "pull" or other commutator.
I protect highly insulated wires in the manner illustrated in Figure 28.
The conductor a* may consist of a single wire or number of wires. This
conductor is covered preferably with three layers or wrappers of pure
india-rubber b, c, d. Over this india-rubber I apply cotton or hemp e*
and immerse the whole in a solution consisting of about equal parts of
boiled oil and gum. When this coating has dried I cover the same with
a metal ribbon or tape.
In some instances I may interpose a layer of india-rubber and cotton
treated with the aforesaid solution between the metal and the wire. I
prefer however that a tape of tinned copper should be drawn over the
insulated wire and passed through molten tin, which perfectly unites
the overlapping edges of the copper tape, see section Figure 28ª. This
method of insulation and protection of the insulation may also be
adopted for submarine telegraph wires.
By my Invention I obtain by the various means described a method
of insulation in which the various wires of a telegraph apparatus aro
insulated according to their position, the points of junction of branch
and main wire being coupled with the aforesaid insulating unions or
couplings.
Figure 29 shews my composite insulator for suspended wires, which is
also suitable for ordinary long line telegraphs, and which possesses all
the advantages of ebonite, combined with the cheapness and strength of
china or compressed earthenware. The said insulator is constructed with
a block as of china surrounded by ebonite b³, which is applied to it while
warm and in an expanded condition, and secured by marine pitch, glue,
or other suitable cement at the point of junction. C³ is the wire line.
I also construct an insulator for perpendicular lines against walls or
in mine shafts, as shewn in Figure 30. This insulator has a hollow

page_text: piece a of earthenware or china surrounded at the ends with ebonite 6ª ;
a wire line c is passed through the said hollow piece, and has a stop do
at one end of the same. I construct a shackle insulator in a nearly
similar manner as shewn in Figure 31. I make a small insulator for
inside suspended wires of an ebonite block or piece with a metal support,
as in Figure 32, in which a" is a metal support and 67 the ebonite. I
also provide such insulators with a metal cover a³, as shewn in Figure
33, 68 being the metal bracket and c the insulator; and I make small
insulators for use upon inside walls and other parts of buildings, as
shewn in Figures 34 and 35, that is to say, with a single hollow or
concave piece of ebonite 6º, which is attached to the wall by an ordinary
screw c.
Figure 36, Sheet 2, is a plan of wires illustrating their respective
functions and the relative importance of the different degrees of insula-
tion. A is the main wire which conducts the current to every trans-
mitter (or push). If a rupture should occur in it at any point the
transmitters between that point and the battery would continue to act
when required, but beyond that point all transmitters would be useless
until the rupture were repaired; hence the importance of maintaining this
wire permanently in a safe and good condition. The difficulty of securing
such a condition has arisen chiefly from ignorance as regards the cause
of the frequent ruptures. In general terms it may be stated that flaws
in the insulation and wetness where the flaws occur cause the dissolution
of the copper wire at the several flaws, until in one place after another
the wire becomes completely severed.
By the methods illustrated in Figure 22, 23, 24, 28, 28ª, Sheet 1, I
am enabled to rely with certainty upon an unimpaired conductor in
every place of importance. In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 36
I consider that such means should be adopted to protect the main wire
leading from the negative pole of the battery C* to every junction
marked F*. At these points of junction I use the insulating unions
shewn in Figures 24, 23, or 24, Sheet 1.
The branches from the main wire, as indicated by B, should be more
or less perfectly insulated in accordance with the importance of the
several branches of communication or the prevention of constant loss
of battery current. The line wires D seldom need more insulation than
that what is illustrated in Figures 25 and 26, Sheet 1. The return wire

page_text: :
R in every extensive series or in wet and exposed places need to ensure
the perfect action of all the instruments as good insulation as the main
battery wire, except that there is no necessity for enclosing it in a metal
tube.
The common practice of treating the return wire with indifference as
regards its insulation leads to the following result, videlicet, when, as is often
the case, the return wire is fixed in a compact bundle with the line wires
whenever there occurs any considerable degree of dampness or wetness,
the lines wires being poorly insulated allow the current when travelling
along them to escape at various points and return by the channels open
to it through the faults in the insulation of the return wire. Hence only
part of the current travels to the end of the land wire and through the
instrument. Whereas if the return wire is well insulated the whole of
the current must pass through the instrument before it can get to the
return wire, provided always that the battery does not stand in a wet
place, for in such a case there may in some circumstances be still a slight
loss by the current leaking through poorly insulated line wires and
returning to the zinc pole of the battery by means of the general damp-
ness that may happen to prevail.
Referring again to the method described for constructing and actuat-
ing signalling apparatus for ships' steering and engine signals, I have
further illustrated by Drawing, Figure 37, a modification by which greater
simplicity of parts a quicker action is obtained. The balls or handles A
are actuated by a thrust, as shewn by a plan of one set of contact
makers. By thrusting A towards P the pieces B attached underneath
A presses F to the right, which makes the spring I touch k, the battery
current immediately travels from I via K, through all the left-hand
electro-magnets W, thence to the zinc pole of the battery, causing any
of the signal shutters that may be open to close. When B is thrust
past F and allowed to return to the spring E, being stronger than the
spring Q, cause F to be pressed towards the left, thus causing E (another
termination of the battery wire) to touch M, which sends the current
via L through the right hand electro-magnet W corresponding to the
portion of the handle A that is being actuated, and the shutter of the
signal in question is thrown open and displays the signal either by direct
or transmitted light through the glass diaphragm. Similar automatic
action is secured for showing the correspondence of the rudder by
attaching pegs or cams upon the rudder head (or upon a counterpart of

page_text: rudder head) and instead of the handles A placing cams similar to the
dotted lines S..
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim, ―
First. The mechanism for producing the vibratory motion of the bell-
hammer by making a short circuit for the battery current every time the
hammer approaches the bell, as herein specified.
Second. In the indicator supports of any suitable shape having crystal
or stone bearings for the pivot, as herein-specified.
Third. The latch or detent for preventing the rebound or other
displacement of the moving magnet and card.
Fourth. The soft iron spring arrangement, as illustrated, or other
suitable contrivance for putting away the detent and repelling or drawing
the permanent magnet simultaneously by the same electro-magnet, as
herein set forth.
Fifth. The card holder arranged and operating, as herein set forth.
Sixth. The novel construction of the metal case, as herein set forth
and for the purposes specified.
Seventh. The method of pivoting indicators on a vertical pinion for
enclosure in a glass cylinder, as herein set forth.
Eighth. The combination of the parts of the said indicators as herein
specified.
Ninth. In the contact maker the central insulator with provision for
a central wire to be attached to the main wire, as herein set forth.
Tenth. The three-legged wire spring either attached to the metal base
or merely resting upon or against it, as herein set forth.
Eleventh. In the ship signal apparatus the method of supporting the
moving shutters, as herein set forth.
Twelfth. The locking or spring detent operating, as herein specified.
Thirteenth. The means for transmitting signals in such manner that
after sending one signal no fresh signal can be given until the previous
signal has been observed, as specified.

page_text: Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WALKER MOSELEY. (L.S.)