Improved Means for Facilitating the Rapid Publication of News.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 23rd Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Facilitating the Rapid Publication of News.
I, EDWARD FITZ-GERALD LAW, of the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the
County of Middlesex, Major Reserve of Officers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide efficient means whereby news, or any
matter which has to be printed, may be set up in type or composed, by the same
operation which causes the said news or matter to be transmitted from a point more
or less distant from the place where the printing thereof is to be effected, thus
obviating the necessity for a separate operation (and consequently a separate operator)
for composing the type preparatory to printing the news.
.
The chief advantage of my invention consists in the fact that by its means, I am
enabled to materially expedite the publication of news at places situated at a distance
from that whence the same is transmitted (whether this is a central establishment for
collecting and distributing news or any other place) which is frequently a matter of
great importance to the proprietors of newspapers and other persons, as, for instance,
in the case of Parliamentary debates, or the occurrence of events concerning which
the public expect to receive full information at the earliest possible moment.
By means of my invention a considerable economy in time is ensured, and more-
over, as the matter to be printed may be set up in type in many different places by
the one operation of transmitting the same from one other place, the publication
thereof can be effected in a number of cities or towns simultaneously.
My said invention is carried into practice in the following manner, that is to say,
provide, at each of the towns or places where the news is to be printed a type-setting

page_text: machine which is so constructed as to be operated by levers or keys for releasing and
arranging the different letters or other characters, each of these machines being
comprised within an electric circuit which also comprises a machine of a similar kind
situated at the place from which the news is to be sent. The mechanism and
connections are so arranged that when the type-setting machine is being operated by
the compositor for the purpose of setting up the type for printing at the transmitting
station or office, the same characters will be automatically set up for printing at each
of the other offices or stations comprised within the same circuit. In order to effect
this object in an efficient manner I connect with each of the type-setting machines
(including the one at the transmitting office) a cylinder or drum supported in suitable
pillars or standards in such manner that it is capable of free rotation, and this
cylinder is connected with clock-mechanism of any suitable kind which will cause the
same to rotate rapidly when required. The aforesaid cylinders are of such length and
diameter as to permit the arrangement thereon of a series of contact points insulated
from each other, there being as many of such points as there are letters or other
characters capable of being composed by the type-setting machine. The cylinder at
the transmitting office is connected with any suitable generator of electricity and is so
arranged, with respect to the type-setting machine at that office, that when the latter
is being operated the depression of each of the keys or levers by the compositor will
cause a metallic piece in connection therewith to occupy such a position with respect to
the aforesaid cylinder that the contact point thereon representing the proper character
will, when brought round by the rotation of the cylinder to the said metallic piece,
make contact therewith and cause an electric current to flow through the line to all
the other stations or offices in the circuit, passing through the corresponding contact
point on each of the cylinders at such stations or offices. Or the arrangement may
be such that the whole of the contact points on the transmitting cylinder will make
contact with separate stationary metallic pieces once during every revolution of the
cylinder, each of the keys or levers of the type-setting machine at the transmitting
office in this arrangement being so connected as to put one of the said stationary
metallic pieces in the electrical circuit every time the key is depressed so that when the
proper contact point comes round to this piece it will close the said circuit. Each
contact point at the receiving offices, comes into communication at the proper
moment (through a separato metallic piece) with a separate electro-magnet whose
armature either forms, or is attached to, a lever the operation of which releases the
letter or other character desired to be set up by the type-setting machine. It will
therefore be seen that the keys or levers of the latter, at each of the receiving offices,
are operated by electric impulses caused by the action of the keys or levers of the
type-setting machine at the transmitting office; or in other words, that the one
compositor at this office not only sets up the type in his own machine but also in those
of all the others in the circuit, whatever may be their distance from him.
In order to ensure the successful operation of my invention it is essential that all
the aforesaid cylinders in the circuit shall rotate synchronously, for the reason that
each contact point on all of the said cylinders must arrive at the proper position to
make contact with the metallic piece at the right moment to complete the circuit in
the desired manner in order to cause the proper letter to be set up; that is to say,
when the key or lever of the transmitting instrument is depressed to set up, for
instance, the letter A, the contact points in connection with this letter on all the
cylinders must, in the rotation of the latter, reach the metallic piece where contact is
made simultaneously. For this purpose I connect the whole of my apparatus with
any suitable synchronizing mechanism, employing a separate conductor for this
purpose. The contact points are arranged upon the cylinders spirally in order that
no two of the points on the same cylinder shall not reach the metallic contact pieces,
at the same moment.
Although I have indicated the use of a type-setting machine for transmitting the
electrical impulses to the receiving offices, it is obvious that if it is desired to transmit
news, according to my invention, from an office or station where no type is to be set

page_text: up I may employ for this purpose a series of keys or levers whose object is simply to
transmit the said impulses by being operated in connection with the rotating
cylinder.
It is also obvious that a battery or other generator may be connected with the type-
setting machines at either or any of the receiving stations or offices so that
such machines may be used for transmitting news in the same manner as above
described.
Instead of cylinders I may employ discs or other devices for use in transmitting
and receiving the necessary electrical impulses as above set forth.
Any suitable type-setting machines may be employed for the purpose of my
invention.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Facilitating the Rapid Publication of News.
I, EDWARD FITZGERALD LAW, of The Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the
County of Middlesex, Major Reserve of Officers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-.
The object of my invention is to provide for operating and controlling by the aid
of electricity a type-setting machine, type-writer or other printing instrument, or two
or more of such machines or instruments simultaneously, so that type may be set up
or composed or matter may be printed at any desired distance from the operator and,
if desired, at two or more places simultaneously.
By my invention, considerable economy in time is ensured, and, as the matter may
be set up in type or printed at many different stations by one operator at another
station, the publication thereof can be effected in a number of cities or towns within a
very short time.
In carrying my said invention into practice, I provide, at each of the towns or
places where the matter is to be printed, a suitable type-setting machine, type-writer
or other printing instrument which is constructed with levers or keys for releasing
and arranging the different letters or other characters or for operating the printing
devices. Each of these machines or instruments is comprised within an electric
circuit, which also comprises a machine or instrument of a similar kind situated at the
place from which the news is to be sent. The mechanism and connections are so
arranged that, when the type-setting or other machine at the transmitting office or
station is being operated by the compositor or printer for the purpose of setting up the
type or for printing at the said transmitting station, the same characters will be
automatically set up or printed at each of the other offices or stations comprised within
the same circuit.
My said invention comprises the employment, in combination with a type-setting
machine or a type-writer or other printing instrument of suitable construction, of
commutators each of which is provided with insulated contact pieces or strips corre-
sponding in number with the different letters or characters in the type-setting or
other machine. One of these commutators is arranged at the sending or operator's
station and another at each of the receiving stations, that is to say, at each of the
stations at which the setting-up or printing is to be effected. The said commutators
are, moreover, so constructed that, when an electric current is sent through either of
the contact strips at the sending station and through the line, it will pass through the
corresponding contact strips at the receiving or setting-up stations to earth. The
levers or keys of the type-setting or other machines are so connected with the com-
mutators that the current thus sent through the line will operate, either directly or
indirectly, the corresponding key of each of the said machines.
My said invention, moreover, comprises various other improvements as hereinafter
described.

page_text: Figure 1 is a plan of one form of my commutating apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line, x, Figure 1, some of the parts being
shown in elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan of another form or modification of my commutating apparatus,
parts of the same being removed to show the contact strips hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a plan, and
Figure 6 a side elevation showing a device for adjusting the contact strips at the
receiving station as hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a plan of a reed apparatus hereinafter described.
Figure S is a side elevation thereof.
Figure 9 is a side elevation, and
Figure 10 a plan of a circuit-closing device hereinafter described.
Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the apparatus at the sending and receiving
stations connected by a line-wire.
The commutating apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a cylinder or
drum A provided with projecting pieces which serve to make contact with the strips a
in the manner hereinafter described. This cylinder or drum is fixed on a vertical
shaft fitted to rotate in suitable bearings in the base-plate e and in the upright or
bracket c'.
is a toothed wheel similar to that described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to Poul La Cour and dated May 17th A.D. 1878, No. 1988. This
wheel is fixed upon the shaft d and is arranged to be rotated by means of successive
electric impulses imparted through the electro-magnets e.
A series of contact strips a are secured one above another to the bracket c¹ which
is formed on, or firmly attached to an adjustable ring. The said strips are insulated
from each other and from the bracket c. Each of these contact strips is arranged to
make contact with one of the projections in the rotation of the cylinder A. There
are as many of these contact strips as there are letters or other characters capable of
being composed or printed by the type-setting or other machine.
The said projections ; are arranged upon the cylinder A spirally, so that only one
of the said projections at a time can be in contact with the corresponding strip a. A
case d² containing mercury is arranged in combination with the wheel for the
purpose described in the said former specification.
In some instances, I employ a commutator comprising a stationary hollow metal
cylinder divided longitudinally into strips which are insulated from each other, and I
arrange within the said cylinder a rotating brush adapted to bear against the interior
of the said cylinder, so that, in its rotation, it will come successively into contact with
the said strips.
An
A modification of the above described commutating apparatus is shown in Figures 3
and 4, wherein the contact strips a are arranged horizontally in a circle concentric
with the shaft d. The said contact strips are insulated from each other by strips b of
insulating material. The said contact strips are also insulated from the metal bed-
plate c. The wheel d¹ is arranged to be rotated by means of an electro-magnet e
the coils of which are connected to the insulated binding posts e, e
The magnet or magnets e are included in a local circuit Figure 11, which
also includes the battery et, and which is hereinafter termed the motor-circuit.
arm is fixed upon the shaft d and has secured thereto a brush
contact successively with the strips a when the wheel is rotated.
The reed apparatus or vibrator which I prefer to employ for making and breaking
contact to magnetize and demagnetize the magnets e is shown in Figures 7 and 8,
in which is a bar or reed which is arranged to be vibrated by an electro-
magnet included in a local circuit Figure 11, in which is also included the battery /*
and which is hereinafter termed the reed-circuit. This circuit is alternately opened
and closed, during the vibration of the reed, by means of the contacts at f³
adapted to make
The said reed, moreover, carries a contact piece which is insulated from the

page_text: said reed but is electrically connected with the binding post e as shown in Figure 7
and which, when the said reed is attracted by its magnet f, will come against a
contact spring f³. These contacts f*, f' are included in the motor-circuit e, there-
fore this circuit will also be alternately opened and closed as the reed is vibrated.
To ensure regularity of vibration, the reed or vibrator may be freely suspended by
india-rubber bands from pillars extending upward from a base or stand supported on
india-rubber feet.
To prevent sparking between the contacts of the reed apparatus, I use condensers C
placed in the positions indicated in Figure 11.
By reason of the constant opening and closing of the motor-circuit, the magnet e
is alternately magnetized and demagnetized and thereby caused to keep the armature-
wheel drotating after it is once started, as described in the aforesaid former
specification. As above stated, one set of commutating apparatus is placed at the
sending station and one at the receiving station as shown in Figure 11. Both these
sets of apparatus are substantially alike except that the contact strips a of the apparatus
at the receiving station are preferably rather wider than those of the apparatus at the
sending station, and the commutating apparatus at the receiving station has its contact
strips a mounted in or on a ring, such as that shown at in Figures 1 and 2, fitted in
or upon the bed-plate c and capable of rotary adjustment (by means of the adjusting
device shown in Figures 5 and 6) for the purposes hereinafter described.
The said adjusting device comprises a tangent-screw c³ which is carried by one arm
of a lever pivoted at c to a bracket c attached to the bracket c¹ or to the base-plate.
The other end of the lever c has passed through the same an adjusting screw c
whereby the said lever may be turned upon or about its pivot. The tangent-screw c
gears with worm-wheel teeth formed on the periphery of the ring, so that, by
turning the said screw c³ in one or the other direction, the ring can be very
accurately adjusted. By turning the screw e' in the proper direction, the lever may
be turned upon or about its pivot to move the tangent-screw c³ out of gear with
the ring the said ring may then be rotated to roughly adjust the same.
In the diagram Figure 11, I have shown commutating apparatus such as that
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.
At the sending station, which will be hereinafter referred to as Station No. 1, all-of
the insulated contact strips a with the exception of the three marked a¹, g, g¹
respectively, are connected with the line-battery h by separate conductors, two of
which are shown at h', so that a current can be caused to pass through any one of the
said contact strips without affecting the remaining contact strips. At the receiving
station, which will be hereinafter referred to as Station No. 2, the contact strips, with
the exception of those marked a², g², g³ respectively, are connected with the earth by
separate conductors, two of which are shown at 2, and each of which includes
an electro-magnet i designed to operate one of the keys of the type-composing
or other machine.
In the drawings, the magnets i are shown as operating directly upon the keys i¹,
but in practice it is preferable that the magnets which operate the keys should
be in a local circuit, the magnets i and their armatures formning relays to operate the
local circuit through either of the key-operating magnets.
The strip a at Station No. 1 is connected with one pole of a battery h³ by a
conductor, the other pole of the said battery being connected with the earth j
the strip a at Station No. 2 is connected to the earth by a conductor which includes
an electro-magnet i similar to those in the conductors ², all for the purpose
hereinafter described.
The arms d and brushes ; of both sets of commutating apparatus are connected
with the line-wire k, through their respective bed-plates c and shafts d. k¹, k¹, are the
binding posts to which the line-wire is connected.
Assuming that the two wheels d' and arins d³, at stations No. 1 and 2, are caused to
rotate synchronously by their respective magnets e, so that the brushes of both
commutators will be simultaneously in contact with corresponding strips a.
If now,
the line-circuit is completed by the contact of the brushes with the strips, a current

page_text: will pass from the battery h through the wire h¹ of the strip a with which the brush is
in contact, the brush j, the arm d³, the shaft d, the bed-plate c and the binding post k¹
of Station No. 1 to the line k, and thence through the binding post k of station No. 2,
the bed-plate c, the shaft d, the arm d, and the brush j to the wire connected with
the strip a with which the brush at the latter station is in contact, the electro-magnet i
in connection with this wire will thus be energized and will operate the corresponding
key of the type-composing or other machine.
In carrying my invention into practice, I find that it is important to employ
a reliable circuit-closing device such as I have shown in Figures 9 and 10, but
any suitable circuit-closing device may be used. One of the devices shown in
Figures 9 and 10 is included in each of the connections or conductors and also
in the connection or conductor of Station No. 1. The said device comprises
two magnet-coils m, the cores m³ of which, when no current is passing through
The wire
the said coils, are rendered magnetic by means of a permanent magnet n.
of the coils mi is wound around the cores in such a manner that, when a current from
the battery is passed through them, it will weaken the polarity of the said cores.
O is a pivoted lever carrying a cross bar o*, which is shown in the form of a
longitudinally split tube, and which serves as an armature for the polarized cores m¹ ;
o is a spring at the rear end of the said lever, serving to norinally hold the
armature o✶ out of contact with the cores on. The lever O also carries a contact
piece which, when the armature o* is in contact with the cores m', bears upon
an adjacent contact spring o³, and thus partially completes the circuit through
the connection h¹.
p is another lever which is pivotted upon the same fulcrum as the lever O and which
is used for the purpose of placing tho armature o* in contact with the cores m² and the
platinum point o in contact with the spring o³, the final connection with the strip of
the commutator being completed through the insulated bridge-piece Q only when the
lever P is released and the lever O consequently free to rise when the attraction of the
cores m' is weakened by the passage of the current through the coils m. A. spring p¹
is provided at the rear end of the lever p to return it to its normal position after it has
been depressed. After the piece o has been brought into contact with the spring o³
by depressing the lever p, this contact is maintained until the brushes, during
their rotation, bear upon the corresponding strips a and thus complete the line-circuit
through the said contacts. When this takes place, the cores m³, m³ are weakened by
the action of the current thereon, and the armature o* is thus released so that
the lever returns to its normal position under the action of the spring o¹, thereby
breaking the circuit through this particuliar connection.
The great advantages of the circuit-closing device hereinbefore described are that
the contacts o², o are free to separate immediately after the circuit is completed and
the circuit cannot be kept closed so as to allow of two successive impulses being
unintentionally sent therethrough; moreover, should the lever be depressed and
released very quickly, the circuit will nevertheless be maintained closed until the
current passes, the magnetic cores m' holding down the lever O until their strength is
diminished by the said current.
This circuit-closing device may be modified in many ways without departing from
the nature of my invention.
To ensure the synchronous working of the wheels d² of both sets of commutating
apparatus, it is necessary that the rapidity with which the impulses imparted by the
magnets e succeed each other should be equal at both stations, and, consequently, that
the two reeds should vibrate in unison. This result can be attained by placing both
the reed-operating magnets in the same circuit. This arrangement, however,
necessitates the use of two wires between the two stations, viz. :-one wire for the
passage of the current for operating the reeds and the other wire for transmitting the
necessary impulses for operating the type-composing or other machine.
If it be desired to use only one wire between the two stations, and to provide for
operating the two reeds f from separate local batteries, it becomes necessary to
synchronize the movements at the two stations, in case the wheel d' at station No. 1

page_text: should rotate faster or slower than that at station No. 2. I provide for effecting this
by the automatic augmentation or retardation of the vibrations of the reed of one set
of the commutating apparatus in order to correspondingly increase or diminish the
impulses imparted to the magnet e at this station, and consequently also the speed of
the wheel, that is to say, for instance, if the wheel at Station No. 2 is rotating faster
than that at Station No. 1, I provide for momentarily decreasing the speed of the
vibrations of the reed at Station No. 2, so as to cause the corresponding wheel to
rotate slower; while, if the wheel at Station No. 2 is rotating slower than that at
Station No. 1, I increase the number of vibrations of the said reed at the former
Station to cause the wheel to rotate quicker.
For this purpose, a permanent magnet 7, Figure 11, is arranged in proximity to,
but out of contact with, the free end of the reed fat Station No. 2, and around the
poles of this magnet are placed coils which are connected, by means of the wire s
and branch-wires 3, 4, with two batteries s, s¹, one of which is adapted to send a
positive current and the other a negative current through the said coils. The said
coils are so wound that, when a current from one of these batteries is passed through
them, the magnetism of the permanent magnet will be increased, whereas when the
current of the other battery is passed through them, it will wholly or partially
neutralize the magnetism of the permanent magnet.
When the magnetism of the permanent magnet is increased, the vibration of the
reed will be accelerated and the amplitude of its vibrations diminished; and, when
the magnetism of the permanent magnet is reduced below its normal attraction, the
vibration of the reed will be retarded and the amplitude of its vibrations increased.
I provide for connecting either battory s or s with the circuit as required, in the
following manner, that is to say:-I connect with the strips g, g', of Sation No. 1 two
batteries, t, respectively, the battery being adapted to transmit a positive current
to line and the battery a negative current, and the said batteries being also
connected with the earth.
At Station No. 2, I connect with the strips g³, g³, positive and negative acting
relays u, u respectively, through the coils of which the currents from the batteries t,
pass to earth when the brushes, at the two stations bear upon the strips g, g, or g₁, g³.
The armature of the relay is included in the circuit ', of the battery ; and the
armature of the relay is included in the branch circuit w¹ of the circuit v¹. The
armatures and we are normally held out of contact with their respective magnets by
springs.
The circuit includes a relay v³, the armature of which forms part of the circuit
of the battery s, and the branch circuit o¹ includes a relay w² the armature w³ of
which forms part of the circuit of the battery sl.
The circuit of the battery v² normally flows partly through the circuit ¹ and partly
through the branch circuit w¹ so that the armatures 4, w³, are normally held against
their respective magnets and out of contact with their stops, w. The stop v is
connected with the coils of the magnet r by the wire v, and the stop w is connected
with the wire by the wire c³.
The operation of the apparatus for correcting the rotation of the wheels d¹ is as
follows, that is to say:-Assuming the two wheels d to be rotating at the same speed,
so that the brushes at stations Nos. 1 and 2 come simultaneously into contact with
the strips and 9, 92 respectively; when the brushes are on the strips y¹, g³, a
negative current is sent from the battery t¹ through the strip g' to the line k thence
to the strip 3 and thence to the earth through the positive acting relay u, the latter
remaining inoperative by reason of the current being negative. In the same manner,
when the two brushes are simultaneously on the strips ², 9, a positive current flows
from the battery t through the strip g, the line k, the strip g and the negative acting
relay to earth, without operating the said relay u¹.
If, however, the wheel d' at station No. 2 is rotating faster than that at Station No. 1,
so that the brush jat Station No. 2 comes in contact with the strip g² at the same
time that the brush jat Station No. 1 comes in contact with the strip g', a negative
current from the battery t¹ will flow through the strip g', the line k, the strip g³, and

page_text: the negative acting relay u¹ to earth, thereby operating the said relay and causing
the attraction of its armature v. The circuit is thus broken, and the magnet of the
relay consequently demagnetized, so that its armature v is moved away from the
A current then flows
magnet by a spring and comes into contact with the stop .
from the battery s through the armature v', the stop , the wire v°, the coils around
the magnet r,
and the wires, 53, and acts upon the magnet r so as to more or less
neutralize the magnetism of the said magnet and cause the momentary retardation of
the vibration of the reed, thereby slightly reducing the speed of the wheel dat
Station No. 2.
If the wheel d' at Station No. 2 is rotating slower than that at Station No. 1, so
that the brushjat Station No. 2 comes into contact with the strip g³ at the same
time that the brush-j, at Station No. 1 comes in contact with the strip g, a positive
current from the battery will flow through the strip g, to the line k, and thence
through the strip g³ of Station No. 2 to earth through the positive relay u, so that the
arinature to of the same is attracted. The branch circuit is thus broken so that no
current passes therethrough and the relay w² is consequently demagnetized. The
armature then makes contact with the stop to, so that the current from the
battery s¹ flows through the said armature w³, the wires to and to the coils of
the magnet and thence through the wires, s; this current increases the
magnetism of the said magnet and thus increases the speed of vibration of the reed
and shortens the amplitude of its vibrations.
This correction of the movement of the wheels takes place at every revolution
thereof, that is to say, each time the brushes pass over the strips 9, 9', g², g³. As
soon as the brushes have passed the said strips, the armatures of the various relays (if
they have been operated to ensure the synchronism of the wheels) return to their
normal positions.
1
In first starting the apparatus, it will probably be found that, although the
brushes at the different stations may be rotating synchronously, they do not come in
contact with corresponding strips simultaneously. I, therefore, as hereinbefore stated,
arrange the contact strips at Station No. 2 in or upon a ring capable of rotary
adjustment by means of the device shown in Figures 5 and 6, and I disconnect all
the strips a³, 9, 93, so that, while the operator at Station No. 1 keeps depressed the
key connected with the strip a', the operator at Station No. 2 may turn the ring
carrying the contacts until the key in connection with the corresponding strip a
at Station No. 2 is actuated. In order that the operator at Station No. 1 may know
when the two wheels.d' are in their proper relative positions, I provide switches x, xª
at Station No. 2, and I place a galvanometer or other current-indicator y in the
While the operator at Station No. 2 is
connection or conductor at Station No. 1.
¹ are kept
placing his apparatus in unison with that at Station No. 1, the switches
open, so that only the strip a' is in connection with the earth, and, when the circuit-
closing device in the connection or conductor is operated and the brushes j come
in contact simultaneously with the strips a', a³, the current from the battery ³ at
Station No. 1 can pass through the wire h' to earth at Station No. 2 thus deflecting
the galvanometer y.
To enable the operator at Station No. 2 to indicate, when necessary, to the operator
at Station No. 1 that the two wheels are not in synchronism or in the same relative
position, I place in the circuit of the batteries t, t, at Station No. 1, a galvanometer =,
or other current indicator which will be deflected in the operation of the apparatus
the switch ¹ is closed. If the synchronism is imperfect, the operator at the receiving
is no longer deflected
station opens the switches x, x so that the galvanometer
in the operation of the apparatus. The operator at Station No. 1 then operates
the contact device in the connection h and waits until the galvanometer y
actuated.
is
I have described a method of adjusting the relative position of the brush and the
contact strips by means of an adjustable ring carrying the said contact strips, but it
is evident that the same result would be obtained by making the brush adjustable.
I prefer to make the strips a of the apparatus at Station No. 2 wider than those at
B

page_text: Station No. 1, so that the brush j will remain in contact with the strips a at
Station No. 2 for a sufficient length of time to permit the discharge of the electricity
from the line. If this were not provided for, the residual electricity in the line
might be sufficient to cause the energizing of the magnet i connected with the next
succeeding strip a, and thus cause errors in the composition or in the printing.
Any suitable type-setting or printing devices can be arranged to be operated by the
keys for the purpose of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that I
claim :-
:-
First. The method of electrically operating and controlling a type-setting machine,
a type-writer or other printing instrument, or two or more of such machines or
instruments at different stations, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before
described.
Second. The general combination and arrangement of apparatus for operating and
controlling a type-setting machine, a type-writer or other printing instrument, or two
or more of such machines or instruments at different stations, wherein are comprised
circuit-closing devices, commutators, reeds or vibrators, and keys, all constructed and
operating substantially as herein before described.
Third. The employment, in an apparatus for electrically operating and controlling
one or more type-setting machines, type-writers or other printing instruments, of
circuit-closing devices so constructed as to ensure the transmission of a single electric
impulse, whilst preventing the transmission of more than one impulse in each
operation of the device.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of a circuit-closing device substantially
as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings and for the purposes
specified.
Fifth. The use of adjustable rings or brushes in connection with commutating
apparatus as herein described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1887.
E. F.-G. LAW.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.