IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH APPARATUS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, of St. John's Street,
Road, Clerkenwell. in the County of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
APPARATUS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 28th March 1862, and dated the 3rd October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd October 1861.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of St. John's Street Road, Clerkenwell,
in the County of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
APPARATUS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My first improvement relates to magneto-electric machines, and refers to
that class specified in my Patents dated the 22nd day of November 1856,
No. 2769, and 23rd day of March 1861, No. 734, in which the armature, or
that part consisting of soft iron surrounded with coils of insulated wire, and
generally known as the temporary magnet, has its poles reversed alternately
by the induction of the permanent magnet without the necessity of imparting
motion to either; the temporary magnet in these cases being entirely separate
from the permanent one until brought into magnetic connection by moving
pieces of soft iron, which are so arranged that they cause both ends of the
armature to be placed alternately in connection with each end of the per-
manent magnet.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1, shews a machine according to my recent improvement
applied to the letter shewing or alphabetical telegraph.

page_text: C, the
In my former Patent of 1861, dated 23rd day of March, No. 734, motion
was given to the pieces of iron for alternately connecting the permanent
magnet with the armature by a crank and wave wheel, or other means; but I
now dispense with the whole of the intermediate machinery, and fix the pieces
of iron on the periphery of two wheels, as shewn at A and B, Sheet 1, Fig. 1,
using as many pieces of iron as letters to be indicated on the dial.
permanent magnet; D, the armature or temporary magnet. a, a, a, a, the
pieces of soft iron fixed to the wheels; as the latter are turned on one axis.
the poles of the armature are alternately connected with dissimilar poles of
the permanent magnet. the soft iron pieces being of such a size as to be
capable of touching only one pole of the temporary magnet at one time, one
wheel bringing the pieces in contact with one pole, and the other wheel with
the other, so that if there are thirteen picces of iron on each wheel, twenty-
six reversions of the armature's polarity will take place in one revolution,
causing a corresponding number of currents to pass to the indicating appa-
ratus behind the dial at the distant station; thus setting the button b moving
round the fixed dial E at any one of the twenty-six letters marked thereon will
bring corresponding pieces of iron opposed to the poles of the armature and
magnet; for instance, in the position shewn in the Drawing the north pole of
the magnet is in connection with the upper pole of the armature by the piece
of iron a', and the south pole of the magnet with the lower end of the
armature by the piece of iron a² on the lower wheel, turning the wheels one
twenty-sixth of a revolution will bring the soft iron pieces into the reverse
position shewn in Fig. 2, causing the north pole of the magnet to be con-
nected with the lower pole of the armature, and the south with the upper, the
dotted lines showing their former positions. Two, or a greater number of
permanent magnets, and an armature to each, may be placed round the wheels,
and the different currents produced used either separately or combined when
the wheels are kept in continuous revolution, and the alternate currents caused
to pass in the same direction. By a suitable apparatus it will be found very
serviceable for electro-plating.
Sheet 2, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, show a machine in which two iron wheels, with
projecting lugs, take the place of the brass wheels and iron pieces. These
wheels may be of malleable cast iron; they must be separated on the axis by
non-magnetic material. Instead of iron wheels, iron rings of the shape may
be fixed on brass wheels.
Sheet 3, Figs. 6 & 7, shew a machine with one wheel A, and two semi-
circular magnets B, B, and the armature c, c, c, fixed above. In this arrange-
ment thirteen pieces of iron are sufficient to produce the twenty-six currents

page_text: in one revolution. The pieces of iron are shown fixed through the wheel, pro-
jecting slightly on each side, the wheel and handle moving round on the fixed
stud on which the dial E is placed. The pieces of iron instead of a square
form may be round, placed in holes drilled through the wheel, or may be
placed on the outer edge, as before shewn and described in Sheet 1, Fig. 1.
As the wheel revolves the polarity of the armature c, c, is reversed twice each
time a piece of iron passes between it and the poles of the permanent
magnet.
In carrying out this Invention I do not confine myself to the plans herein-
before described, as they may be modified in a variety of ways; as, for
instance, the permanent magnets may be fixed inside of the wheels, whilst
the armature may be fixed inside or outside of the magnet, and one or any
number of magnets may be used; and, of course, the number of pieces of iron
on the wheels may be varied, whilst motion may be given to the latter by the
hand, or by any other means; but my apparatus, as new and distinct, consists
of wheels moving on an axis, with pieces of iron fixed near or at the edge, in
combination with a fixed permanent magnet or magnets, with fixed armatures,
and coils detached from the magnet or magnets, connection being made between
the armatures and permanent magnet by the before-mentioned moving pieces
of iron in such a way that one piece of iron connects one pole of the armature
with one pole of the permanent magnet, whilst another piece of iron connects
the other pole of the armature with the other pole of the permanent magnet;
these connections with the corresponding poles being alternately reversed as
the pieces of iron pass the poles as the wheel revolves on its axis. Thus, in
its application to the letter showing telegraph, as many alternate inverted
currents of exactly equal power are produced as there are pieces of iron on
the wheels during one revolution without the intervention of toothed wheels
and pinions, cranks, cams, or any other apparatus; also one wheel, with pieces
of iron, or iron wheels or rings, with projecting lugs, the lugs acting in the
same way as the before-mentioned pieces of iron. One of these wheels can
be used to actuate a letter showing telegraph, in combination with a per-
manent magnet or magnets, with soft iron surrounded with coils of wire fixed
to the poles of the magnet, or with the coils on the magnet, as in Dujardin's
plans, there being half the number of pieces of iron on the wheels as letters
on the dial. The pieces of iron, in this case, reaching across the poles of the
soft iron armature, as in Fig. 8, Sheet 4, where A, A, represents two per-
manent magnets, the poles having soft iron surrounded with coils of wire
B, B, B, B, fixed thereto; C is the wheel carrying the pieces of iron.
wheel being attracted at each side, friction is avoided on the stud.
The

page_text: The only part new in this combination or arrangement is the use of one of
my wheels, with the pieces of soft iron arranged that one revolution of the
wheel shall cause one revolution of the hand or indicator round the dial of the
letter telegraph.
Sheet 5, Figs. 9, 10, & 11. shew an arrangement very suitable for working
the wheel and indicator on the receiving dial of the letter shewing telegraph.
Two magnetic needles A & B are in combination with a horse-shoe electro-
magnet, c. c. They cross each other at the axis, but are separated by brass or
other non-magnetic metal or material. The poles are alternately attracted
and repelled by the electro-magnet as the inverted currents are transmitted
from the sending apparatus. Fig. 12 shews the needles within the poles of
the electro-magnet, which in some cases act best. Figs. 13 & 14 shew the
needles placed parallel, the axis being at D. The plans above described are
very well adapted for a pointer telegraph, or when on a larger scale for marking
the paper in a Morse telegraph.
For the ink roller. for the latter I propose to use the roller hollow and per-
forated, as shewn in Fig. 15, which is surrounded with a piece of cloth or
flannel; the roller when used being filled with fluid ink, the cloth remaining
wet, but preventing it from running out.
When a number of telegraphs are arranged in a room to indicate to the
attendant what instrument is called, ] propose to adopt the plan shewn in
Sheet 6, Figs. 16 & 17, where for each instrument is placed a permanent
magnet or piece of soft iron a. wound round with small coils of wire B. B,
connected in circuit with the corresponding instrument; a small keeper C is
attached to a flap hinged in such a way that as soon as a current passes
through the coil in the direction to reverse the polarity of the magnet, the
flap falls lisclosing the name of the station. When the flap falls it completes
the circuit of a local battery through the stud c and spring d. through an
alarum; but to prevent the alarum continuing to ring, a counterspring is
made to push the flap away a little after falling, so as just to break contact.
When the attendant has finished receiving the message he closes the flap, the
permanent magnet attracting the keeper and keeping it shut.
This arrangement may be employed instead of a number of bells in an
establishment. A small magnetic lever machine placed in each room will
transmit a current, and cause the corresponding flap to fall, disclosing a number,
and causing the alarum to ring at the same time by the same current, if ne-
cessary, without a battery: or instead of magneto machines one battery for
all the rooms may be employed. A wire from the coil on one pole of each of
the permanent magnets in the attendant's room passes to the pole of a battery,

page_text: the other pole of the battery being connected to an electrical alarum; a wire
from the other pole of the permanent magnet passed to rooms in which a finger
key for making contact is placed, thus making contact when necessary with a
return wire leading back to the alarum; the same return wire being led into
each of the rooms.
The same plan might be adopted in connection with electric thermometers
placed on board ship or elsewhere, any rise of temperature indicating by
means of the permanent magnet and flap in what part of the ship the danger
existed.
For the negative plates of a battery I propose to employ copper plates,
first roughened with nitric acid, then placed in an electrotype trough to
receive a deposit of copper, and afterwards in a silver solution, giving them a
tolerably thick coating of silver. The object being with the clean surface of
silver to have a fine granulated surface to facilitate the disengagement of gas.
The plates may, after silvering, be used either platinized or not, using them
with zinc and diluted acid, as in Smees'.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WILLIAM
THOMAS HENLEY, of St. John's Street Road, Clerkenwell, in the County of
Middlesex, Telegraph Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Thomas Henley. Her special licence that I, the said
William Thomas Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as the said William Thomas Henley, 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 MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH APPAEATUS, WHICH ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Thomas Henley, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Henley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
SO
My first improvement relates to magneto-electric machines, and of that class
specified in my Patents dated the Twenty-second day of November, One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-six, No. 2769, and the Twenty-third day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, No. 734, in which the armature,
or that part of the apparatus known as the temporary magnet, and consisting
of soft iron surrounded by coils of insulated wire, has its polarity alternately
reversed by the inductive influence of the permanent magnet without the
necessity of moving either the temporary magnet or the permanent one, the
latter being entirely separated from the former until brought into magnetic
connection by the intervention of moving pieces of soft iron, which are
arranged that they cause both ends of the armature to be brought alternately
in connection with each pole of the permanent magnet, which causes electric
currents of exactly equal power moving alternately in opposite directions to be
induced in the coils of wire surrounding the soft iron. This arrangement
differs entirely from the plan known as Dujardin's, in which picces of soft iron
surrounded with coils of wire are permanently attached to the poles of the
magnet, and the outer poles of the soft iron are connected at intervals by
moveable pieces of iron. In this way the currents are very unequal in power,
being much weaker when the moveable piece of iron approaches the poles
than when it leaves, and not more than half the power is obtained from this
arrangement, owing to the non-reversing of the polarity of the soft iron on
which the wire is wound, as they must always retain the same polarity, and
are always magnetized on account of their being constantly attached to the
permanent magnet; the induced electric current is only produced by the
difference in the amount of magnetism in the fixed pieces of soft iron when the
outer ends are connected by another piece of soft iron, and when they are not,
being the same in principle as winding the limbs of the permanent magnet
with wire. In my arrangement I obtain the maximum amount of power, as
owing to the entire separation of the permanent magnet and the armature,
the latter loses all magnetic effect until brought into connection with the
former by the moveable pieces. Its position also between the poles of the

page_text: that it might have retained.
In the Specification of my two Patents before mentioned, I claim the
application of this principle to a lever magneto-clectric machine for actuating
a magnetic needle telegraph, and in conjunction with a wheel and pinion or a
wave wheel and roller to the moving an alphabetical or letter-showing instru-
ment; but in the arrangement which I now specify, I dispense with the wheel
and pinion or cam wheel and roller, and simply have a wheel, or two wheels
fixed together and turning on a central stud, such wheel or wheels having
pieces of iron fixed on the periphery or near the edge, which pieces make
connection between the permanent magnet and the detached armature, thereby
conveying magnetism from one to the other, the moveable pieces being rendered
magnetic by the permanent magnet, in turn inducing magnetism in the stationary
soft iron; the pieces on the wheel correspond with the letters on the dial.
there being half as many pieces on each wheel as there are letters, each piece
on the upper wheel connecting the upper end of the temporary magnet
alternately with each pole of the permanent magnet; each piece on the lower
wheel doing the same with the lower half of the temporary magnet; in this
way all complicated machinery is dispensed with, the wheel being caused to
turn on the central stud without quite touching the magnet, produces as many
currents in one revolution as there are letters engraved on the dial, and causes
the indicator to make one revolution on the latter.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1, shows a machine constructed according to my present
improvements applied to the letter-showing telegraph. A and B are the two
wheels fixed together; C, the permanent magnet; D, the armature or tempo-
rary magnet; a, a, a, a, the pieces of soft iron attached to the wheels; E, a
dial fixed to the central stud. b, a handle attached to the wheels for giving
motion thereto with button and pointer, which being placed at any of the
letters on the dial E, will cause the indicators on the receiving dial to point to
the corresponding letter. Two or a greater number of magnets. with an
armature to each, may be placed round the wheels, and the different currents
produced used either separately or combined. When the button burned
to zero, a short circuit should be made with the coils on the armature, so that
the current from the distant station should not have the resistance of the coils
to overcome; this may be effected in a variety of ways; one is with the spring
and roller which pass into a groove when the button is brought to zero: this
allows the end of the spring to touch the cock with its screw, on turning past
zero, without stopping there, no short circuit is made as the groove passes the
roller so quickly it has not time to enter. The spring and button on the left
...
..

page_text: of the instrument are for setting the indicator in the receiving dial, should it
at any time get wrong, see Fig. 4, Sheet 2; on slightly raising this spring the
circuit is broken with the coils, so that the button can be moved to the same
letter on the dial E that the indicator points to on the receiving dial without
any current passing; on pressing the button down a short circuit is made
between the two outer terminals on the base, so that the button at the dial E,
and the indicator on the receiving dial are simultaneously moved round to zero,
without interfering with the distant instrument.
Sheet 1, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, show a machine in which two soft iron wheels
with projecting lugs answer the same purpose, or they may be wheels with iron
rings cut out to form the lugs. If iron wheels, they must be separated on the
axis by some non-magnetic metal.
Sheet 1, Figs. 6 and 7, show a machine with one wheel A, and two semi-
circular magnets B, B, and the armature C, C, C, fixed above. In this
arrangement, thirteen pieces of iron are sufficient to produce the twenty-six
currents in one revolution; the pieces of iron are shown through the wheel,
projecting a little on each side, the wheel and handle moving round on the
fixed stud on which the dial E is placed; the pieces of iron instead of a square
form may be round, placed in holes drilled through the wheel, or may be placed
on the outer edge, as before shown and described in Sheet 1, Fig. 1. As the
wheel revolves the polarity of the armature C, C, is reversed twice each time a
piece of iron passes between it and the poles of the permanent magnet.
Another modification is shown in Sheet 2, Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, one with the
case removed; A, the permanent magnet; b, b, soft iron caps screwed on,
which are carried along the upper side of the magnet as far as the wheel C
reaches, the latter has fourteen (or any even number) of pieces of soft iron
a, a, a, a, fixed on the under side, arranged concentric with the axis; B is one
of the limbs of the armature or temporary magnet, the other being within the
poles of the permanent magnet and hidden by the wheel; the pieces of iron
on the wheel C answer the same purpose as the two wheels, and two rows of
pieces in the machine, described in Sheet 1, Fig. 1, one piece on one side of
the wheel making connection between one pole of the permanent magnet and
the soft iron on one limb of the armature B, whilst a piece at the opposite
edge of the wheel connects the other poles of the permanent magnet and
armature; in this case the central stem with the handle D is fixed to the
wheel C, and revolves in an upright socket, every twenty-eighth part of a
revolution, causing a current to be set in motion in the reverse direction to the
preceding one.
In carrying out the Invention I-have herein-described, I do not confine

page_text: myself to the precise plans I have here represented, as they may be modified
in a variety of ways, as, for instance, the permanent magnets may be placed
inside the wheels, and the temporary magnet or armature may be fixed inside
or outside of the permanent one, and one or any number of magnets may be
used; the number of the pieces of iron on the wheel may be varied, whilst motion
may be given to the latter by the hand or any other means, whilst the wheel
or wheels may have their motion arrested at the desired positions either by
the hand or by any other method of stopping them, or the wheels may continue
in motion, and some of the currents may be short circuited, so as to produce
the necessary signals, or the circuit may be interrupted at intervals to produce
the same effect.
My apparatus, as new and distinct, consists of a wheel moving on an
axis with two rows of pieces of soft iron or two rings or wheels of iron
notched out in combination with a fixed permanent magnet and a fixed tem-
porary magnet or armature surrounded with insulated wire, such armature
being entirely detached from the permanent magnet except when brought in
magnetic connection with it by the intervention of the before-mentioned pieces
of iron, the moving of the said pieces of iron on the wheel causing the polarity
of the fixed armature to be entirely reversed on the passage of each piece, and
a succession of alternate reverse currents of electricity of equal power to be
obtained.
So much of my arrangement as is new with a disk or flat wheel consists in
fixing several pieces of soft. iron on its face to produce a given number of
currents in each revolution for the purpose of obtaining a corresponding
number of visual or other signals, the currents being produced in the same
manner, with a fixed detached armature, as in the preceding arrangement.
One of my wheels can be used for working an alphabetical dial telegraph by
combining it with a permanent magnet with coils of wire on its poles, or pieces
of soft iron wound with wire fixed to its poles, as in Dujardin's arrangement,
the pieces of iron in this case reaching across and connecting the poles of soft
iron or of the permanent magnet, as the case may be, there being half the
number of pieces of iron on the wheel as letters to be indicated on the
dial, Fig. 8.
Sheet 1, A, A, represents two permanent magnets, the poles having soft
iron surrounded with coils of wire B. B. B. B, fixed thereto; C is the wheel
carrying the pieces of iron; this being attracted at each side, friction is avoided
on the central stud. The only part new in this combination is the use of one
of my wheels with the pieces of soft iron arranged so that one revolution of

page_text: the wheel shall cause the hand or index of a letter telegraph to make a revo-
lution or any part thereof according to the motion given to the wheel.
Sheet 2, Fig. 3, shows a modification of the first part of my Invention
applied to a single needle magnetic telegraph, A being the permanent magnet,
B the armature; instead of a complete wheel only a portion of one is used C;
this oscilates on a stud D, and is moved by the lever E, being limited in its
motion by the siop F. The face of the magnet as well as the poles of the
armature is made concave to suit the convexity of the portion of the wheel C.
There are three pieces of iron on this, two nearest the frame corresponding to
the bottom wheel in the apparatus first described, and one on the part farthest
from the framing corresponding to the upper wheel; the action is the same,
only that a partial revolution is effected instead of a complete one, every
upward and downward motion of the lever causing a reversion in the polarity
of the armature, and a corresponding reverse current of electricity to be gene-
rated. This piece of apparatus is very useful for the purpose of registering the
movements of machinery, the button on the lever being replaced by a small
roller which is depressed by a cam or other moving part of the machinery, the
currents generated by this being transmitted to apparatus similar to that on
the dial of the letter telegraph, but the axis of the wheel driven by the palletts
carries a worm or pinion, which gears into and drives a small train of wheels
with indices on a dial. The single needle dial represented in Fig. 3 is un-
necessary when the machine is employed for the purpose last mentioned. A
machine similar to that described in the first part of this Specification, bui
with a few pieces of iron on the wheels, can be applied to the same purpose,
geared with the machine or driven by a small chain wheel, and the revolution
of the machinery registered at a distance. I also propose to use this machine
or any of its modifications for the purpose of transmitting signals for railway
or other purposes by the movement of colored screens of glass or other material,
or other appliances for effecting the same purpose, such movement being
produced by a train of wheelwork actuated by a spring or other motive power,
the escape wheel of such train being liberated by the currents generated in the
manner aforesaid. As these signals would not be required to be transmitted
a great distance, the armature and the coils on the receiving magnet should be
wound with rather stout wire, as the force of the current on a short line would
be greater.
If the machine with the wheels is used where a continuous
current in one direction is required, for electro-plating or other purposes, a
commutator must be made use of for throwing the currents all one way; this
being a piece of apparatus well known need not be described. The machine

page_text: with two wheels, summar to that shewn in Sheet without the dial apparatus,
would be the best for this purpose, each wheel having about eight pieces of
soft iron and the armature wound with very stout wire. This also, where a
battery current is passed through the coils on the armature by the commutator,
makes a very good motive-power machine.
Sheet 3, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, shows an arrangement for working the wheel
and indicator of the letter-showing telegraph. Two magnetic needles A, B. are
used with an electro-magnet C, C; they cross each other at the axis, but are
seperated by brass or other non-magnetic material. The poles are alternately
attracted and repelled as the inverted currents are transmitted from the sending
apparatus. Fig. 12 shows the needles within the poles of the electro-magnet,
Fig. 13 shows the needles placed parallel, the axis being at D; I also usc
an electro-magnet with a magnetic needle suspended, of the form shown in
Fig. 14. The upper part of the needle is made to form the pallets or pro-
pelling part for moving the wheel and hand, and is magnetised throughout;
the other end is plain, and vibrates in the slot formed in the two pieces of
soft iron attached to the poles of the electro-magnet; in this way the end of
the needle is nearly surrounded by the soft iron, which causes it to move
with much less force than has to be employed when it is simply suspended
between the poles of the electro-magnet, as in the former case the iron can
be brought much nearer the needle than in the latter. This arrangement
of the magnetic needle and electro-magnet is well adapted for a relay or for
working a Morse telegraph, and also for moying the roller for marking the
paper in the Morse instrument itself, the part of needle corresponding to
the pallets in the dial telegraph being made to carry a small disk, which is
fed with ink by the inking roller, which I propose to make hollow and
perforated, as shown in Fig. 15, which is surrounded with a piece of cloth or
flannel, the roller, when in use, being filled with ink; the cloth remains wet,
but preventing it from running out. I also propose to use the small inking
disk with a trough and piece of cloth, as shown in Fig. 18, where A is the
magnetic needle moving on the axis a; B, the small disk for marking the
paper D: C, the trough containing the ink, with the piece of cloth e fixed in
it, which keeps saturated with the fluid, and by its own elasticity keeps up to
the marking disk when it is moved up to the paper by the action of the
magnetic needle A, and this marks a continuous line on the paper when the
needle is kept deflected.
When a number of telegraphs are arranged in a room to indicate to the
attendant what instrument is called, I propose to adopt the plan shewn in
Sheet 2, Figs. 16 and 17, where for each instrument is placed a permanent

page_text: magnet or piece of soft iron a, wound round with small cons of wire D
connected in circuit with the corresponding instrument or small keeper C is
attached to a flap, hinged in such a way that as soon as a current passes
through the coil in the direction to reverse the polarity the flap falls, dis-
closing the name of the station. When the flap falls, it completes the circuit
of a local battery through the stud C and spring d, through an alarum, but
to prevent the alarum continuing to ring, a counterspring is made to push
When the
the flap away a little after falling, so as just to break contact.
attendant has finished receiving the message, he closes the flaps, the per-
A bell may be
manent magnet attracting the keeper, and keeping it shut.
placed under each flap. so that a metal knob on the latter in falling shall
strike the bell, and thus call attention.
An arrangement like the foregoing, with alarum, may be employed, instead
of a number of bells, in an establishment. A small magnetic lever machine
placed in each room will transmit a-current, and cause the corresponding flap
to fall, disclosing a number, and causing the alarum to ring at the same time
by the same current, if necessary, without a battery; or, instead of magnetic
machines, one battery for all the rooms may be employed. A wire from the
coil on one pole of each of the permanent magnets in the attendant's room
passes to the pole of a battery, the other pole of the battery being connected
to an electrical alarum; a wire from the other pole of the permanent magnet
passed to rooms in which a finger key for making contact is placed, thus
making contact, when necessary, with a return wire leading back to the
The same
alarum, the same return wire being led into each of the rooms.
plan might be adopted in connection with electric thermometers placed on
board ship or elsewhere, any rise of temperature indicating by means of the
permanent magnet and flap in what part of the ship the danger existed.
For the negative plates of a battery I propose to employ copper plates.
first roughened with nutric acid, then placed in an electrotype bath to receive
a deposit of copper, and afterward in a silver solution, giving them a tolerably
thick coating of silver, the object being with the clean surface of silver to
have a fine granulated surface to facilitate the disengagement of gas. The
plates may, after silvering, be used either platinized or not, using them wit!
zinc and diluted acid, as in Smee's. The zinc should be immersed in mercury
to prevent local action.
I construct the jar of glass, earthenware, or other suitable material, wit
a sunk recess at the bottom to receive a thick plate of zinc laid horizontally
making the plate to nearly fit the recess, so that a very small quantity o
mercury is sufficient to cover the zinc on all sides. A small pit is made i

page_text: the bottom of the cell, in communication with the large recess, to receive the
wire from the next cell; or I construct the cells with a shallow partition,
enclosing a narrow vertical chamber for receiving the zinc and mercury.
I do not claim the use of zinc immersed in mercury in the construction
of voltaic batteries, the same being well known and old, but only the new
method of arranging the same, as here described.
Having described the nature of my improvements as set forth and described
in the annexed Specification, I claim as new,-
Firstly, the mode of constructing magneto-electric machines for working
alphabetical or letter-showing telegraphs, and other apparatus and machinery,
such magneto-electric machines consisting of a wheel revolving on an axis,
on the periphery of which, in two rows or more, are fixed pieces of soft iron
or other metal susceptible of magnetic induction, such pieces, by the influence
of a permanent magnet, inducing magnetism in, and reversing the polarity of
an armature wound with wire, the latter, the armature, being stationary, and
entirely distinct and separate from the permanent magnet, except when
brought into magnetic connection by the before-mentioned pieces of iron;
also, constructing magneto machines with one wheel, with pieces of iron
affixed thereto, or forming the wheel of iron with projections for the purposes
before mentioned.
Secondly, constructing magnetic machines with lever, as described in the
foregoing Specification, for the purpose of registering the movements of
machinery, or actuating needle telegraphs, relays, and for other purposes.
Thirdly, the mode of constructing the various forms of apparatus described
in this Specification, as applied to the dial of letter-showing telegraphs, relays,
printing telegraphs, and for other purposes.
Fourthly, the arrangement of alarum and indicating apparatus, as herein
described.
Fifthly, the method of constructing voltaic batteries as described in the
latter part of this Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of April, in year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
(L.S.) WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY.