IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING, RECEIVING, AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN OR CONNECTED THERE-
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis John Bolton, commonly called Frank Bolton, of 4,
Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, Major, late 12th Regiment, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING, RECEIVING, AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC
MESSAGES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN OR CONNECTED THERE-
Sealed the 21st June 1878, and dated the 24th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis John Bolton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December 1877.
FRANCIS JOHN BOLTON, commonly called Frank Bolton, of 4, Broad Sanctuary,
Westminster, Major, late 12th Regiment. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING,
RECEIVING, AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EM-
PLOYED THEREIN OR CONNECTED THEREWITH."
"
My Invention relates to improvements in transmitting, receiving, and printing
telegraphic messages, with the object of effecting a saving in time and labor, and
increasing the facilities in connection with the said operations.
One part of my Invention consists in preparing the receiving slip of a printing or
recording instrument in such a manner that it shall serve not only to convey intel-
ligence to the receiving station, but also to transmit and retransmit automatically
the subject matter inscribed thereon. In carrying out this part of my Invention, I
either cause perforations to be made on the slip in lieu of colored maiks, or I convert
such marks into perforations by chemical, physical, or mechanical means, or by a com-
bination of any or all of them; or I employ a conducting slip on which insulating
marks are produced by the agency of the electric current, or vice versa. I employ an
insulating slip on which conducting marks are produced in the same manner.
In employing the method by perforations, I may, if convenient, make cover or
prepare any portion of the ship with any substance or substances which resist the
perforating agents employed, and thus protect such portion from their action, or
I may vary the texture or substance of different parts of the slip in any way most
convenient.

page_text: The second part of my Invention consists in applying such prepared slip to
the transmission of messages, and also when advantageous to the working of one
or more automatic type composers situated at the receiving end of a telegraph
wire or cable, so that an operator at the sending station may be able to prepare
the slip for working the type composers at the receiving station, or the slip as
received may be employed to produce one or more slips or sheets, which second
slips or sheets may be used for operating the type composers. It is necessary for
this purpose that the marks or punctures on the slip shall be arranged in groups,
which groups, as well as the individual marks or punctures, shall be approximately
at regular and determined distances from each other; this I effect by means of any
convenient form of regulator attached to either the sending or receiving instruments,
or to both, or by means of a current or currents of electricity which are made to
start, stop, or regulate the receiving instrument. The marks or punctures may be
arranged either lengthways or crossways on the slip, or in any other convenient
form.
The third part of my Invention consists in combining a mechanical sender with a
type writer in such a manner that by the depression of a single key, one or more
letters or signs are transmitted to the receiving station, at the same time that they
are produced in print at the sending station, by which means a printed record or
records are obtained, which cannot fail to be identical with the message sent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis John Bolton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
June 1878
FRANCIS JOHN BOLTON, commonly called Frank Bolton, of 4, Broad Sanctuary,
Westminster, Major, late 12th Regiment. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSMITTING,
RECEIVING, AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EM-
PLOYED THEREIN OR CONNECTED THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in transmitting, receiving, and printing
telegraphic messages with the object of effecting a saving in time and labour, and
increasing the facilities in connection with such operations.
The first part of my Invention consists in preparing the receiving slip of a
printing or recording instrument in such a manner that it shall serve not only to
convey intelligence to the receiving station, but also be available to transinit and
retransmit automatically, as often as required, the subject matter inscribed thercon.
In carrying out this part of my Invention, I employ as my receiving instrument a
Morse "inker" or any other convenient form of recorder In lieu of the ink ordinarily
employed, I use diluted sulphuric acid or any other suitable chemical substance or
substances, either alone or in combination with each other, and either in com-
bination with any suitable colouring matter, or otherwise.
I take care to construct those parts of the instrument which are exposed to
chemical action, either of glass, platinum, or some other suitable material capable of
resisting corrosion. The slip or tape on which the acid marks are produced, is
composed of an absorbent paper, through which, on application, the chemical sub-
stance penetrates almost instantaneously.
In order to use the slip so prepared for the retransmission of the matter inscribed
upon it, I subject the same to the action of heat, in order to char and destroy
the fibre of those portions of the paper which have received the chemical marks
or characters. This operation may be performed either by passing the slip over
hot plates or hot rollers, or more conveniently, by collecting it as it is delivered
from the receiving instrument into a wire case baving a hinged opening both at the
top and bottom thereof. The wire case is then closed and placed in a heated
chamber, where it is allowed to remain until the chemical characters are suffi-
ciently charred, which will be readily perceptible by their becoming perfectly
black. The wire case on being removed to the transmitting instrument, is placed
the reverse way up, and the front end of the slip is led out through the uppermost
opening to the instrument.
The second part of my Invention relates to applying such prepared slip to the
transmission and retransmission of messages.
The retransmitting instrument may, if desired, be similar to that now ordinarily
used with Bain's chemical receiver, and in this case I employ a powerful current of
electricity, which is capable of overcoming the resistance of the charred substance
produced as above described, the slip may be made to pass on its way form the wire
case to the transmittting drum, under a suitable style or styles, and between bristles
or wire brushes, which break up and brush away the charred characters or marks,
thus producing perforations in their place. Under these latter circumstances the
ordinary battery power employed for automatic transmission is sufficient.
In order, however, to dispense with the necessity for completely breaking up and
brushing away the charred characters on the paper, which involves the employment
of additional power and manipulation, as well as to avoid the danger of any particles
of paper, or of the charred substance getting between the transmitting drum and
the contact maker.
I employ an improved apparatus which I have illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, and which I will now proceed to describe.

page_text: Figure 1 of such Drawings shews a view in side elevation of such improved
apparatus, and Figure 2 thereof shews a view of the periphery of the roller B here-
after referred to.
The slip A, A, with the charred marks or characters upon it is carried over the
drum B in the direction of the arrow by means of clockwork and a friction roller C
in the usual manner. The drum B has a groove D (Figure 2) cut around its
periphery, over which the charred maiks are caused to pass. The bent lever E, F, G,
is lightly pivotted at the point F, and the point E is made to press on the upper
slide of the slip in the line of the marks, and immediately above the groove D by
means of an adjustable spring H, with sufficient force to break through the charred
marks or characters.
When an uncharred portion of the slip is under the point E, it prevents the
point from falling into the groove, and the other end G of the lever is kept from
making contact from the stop K; but when a charred mark comes under the
point E, the latter penetrates the same, and falling into the groove D brings
the other end G of the lever into contact with the stop K; when the mark has
passed and a non-charred portion of the slip again presents itself to the point E,
it pushes the point up, and again breaks contact between G and K.
It is evident that the length of the contact between G and K depends on the
length of the mark on the slip, and that if G is insulated from K, and the one is
connected to line and the other to the battery, the signals inscribed on the slip
will be conveyed to line, the poles being arranged to suit the receiving instrument.
If found more convenient, a style may be placed to the right of the point E,
Figure 1, so as to press on the slip in the line of the marks, with the object of
penetrating the same, and affording greater facility for the passage of the point E.
This auxiliary style with its adjustable spring L and stop M are indicated in dotted
lines at Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
When an instrument, such as a syphon recorder or its equivalent, is employed as
the receiver, it produces a continuous line of ink on the slip, and forms the signals
by the various divergencies of this line.
To meet this exigency I adopt the following modification of my improved system :--
After such signals have been received in the chemical substance employed, and
before heat is applied thereto, I draw a line of gum, or of any other suitable sub-
stance down the centre of the marks on the slip, which prevents the paper from
being charred by chemical action when heat is applied. By this means I avoid
dividing the slip into two pieces in the direction of its length by a charred line, as
would otherwise be the case. The line thus preserved, can if necessary be after-
wards perforated by mechanical means, and the perforations used as a guide for the
contact makers of the retransmitter, by means of a star wheel, as in the Wheatstone
transmitter. In this case I also employ a retransmitting instrument furnished with
two contact makers, one to make contact through the charred signals to the right
of the preserved line, and the other through those to the left.
By the automatic system at present in use, a message received at one local station
for transmission to another, passes through the following operations:-1stly, to be
keyed at the local office; 2ndly, received on inker at central office, 3rdly, transcribed;
4th, punched; 5thly, retransmitted; 6thly, received at receiving station; 7thly, trans-
cribed and delivered, whereas by my improved system, the same message is
manipulated as follows, viz.:-1stly, keyed at local office; 2ndly, received on special
inker at central office; 3rdly, retransmitted; 4thly, received at receiving station;
5thly, transcribed and delivered; thus effecting a saving of two operations out of
seven, which represents an economy of time and labour equal to from 20 to 30 per
cent.
The two operations saved, viz., transcribing and punching, are both performed by
human relay, which is the most fruitful source of errors in practical telegraphy, but
by my improved system, the message is keyed only once at the sending station, and
setting aside instrumental errors, the signals thus keyed must be exactly reproduced

page_text: at the terminal receiving station, no matter how numerous the retransmissions
through which they pass.
The advantages of my improved system are,-
1st. A saving in labour of from twenty to thirty per cent.
2ndly. Avoiding the loss of time consequent on transcribing and punching each
message.
3rdly. Insuring greater accuracy by substituting mechanical for manual retrans-
mission.
When no retransmission is necessary, the message is as easily read off from the
chemical characters as from those produced by the ordinary ink.
The only instruments required for my improved system are a receiver of the
ordinary description with slight alterations in the ink holder and disc, and a re-
transmitter, the cost of which is estimated at less than one half of those now in use,
while the punching machines are entirely dispensed with
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is,―
1. The preparation of the receiving slip employed with a recording instrument
in such a manner that it shall serve not only to convey intelligence to the
receiving station, but also to transmit and retransmit automatically as often as
required the subject matter inscribed thereon, and the use of such improved.
slip, substantially as herein-before described and set forth.
2ndly. The construction and use of the improved retransmitting apparatus, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis John Bolton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
FRANCIS JOHN BOLTON Gol