Improvements in or connected with the Production of Matrices for Stereotypes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Production of Matrices
for Stereotypes.
I, CHARLES MÉRAY-HORVATH of 10 Hochsteingasse, Graz, in the Empire of
Austria, Engineer, 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 :—
In the machines for producing type matrices described in Patent No. 1785393,
a mechanically formed contact strip is employed, by means of which the release of
the type holders or punches producing the type impression is effected. This strip
is provided transversely with rows of holes of six or seven combinations of points.
Six or seven electro-magnets correspond respectively to these six or seven points,
which magnets are always excited when their respective contact springs (there
being a spring for each magnet) enters a hole in the contact strip. It depends on
the successive excitement of these electro-magnets and therefore on the arrange-
ment of the holes, which types will be released and come into operation. As
already stated in Patent No. 178539, the number of points may be increased to
neet any desired object.
The object of this invention is to form a similar contact strip by electrical means,
the operator being at a distant point, so that a person would thus be in a position
to produce a matrix for stereotypes at any suitable distance from a place connected
by means of a conducting wire with the place where the matrix impressing machine
is stationed.
This object is attained by employing, in a type printing telegraph ou the
Hughes, Baudot, Phelps or other suitable system, in which type is arranged on the
periphery of a wheel or disc, a wheel of special construction instead of the ordinary
type wheel.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an arrangement to be employed with a type
printing telegraph ;
Figure 2, a separate front elevation of a combination wheel which takes the
place of the ordinary type wheel;
Figure 3, an enlarged view of the periphery of this wheel;
Figures 4-7 show the arrangements which convey the telegraphically obtained
contact strip to the matrix impressing machine, finally,
Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic view of the conductors preferably employed.
The combination wheel R, which takes the place of the ordinary type wheel,
has, instead of letters and punctuation marks such as hitherto were employed with
the ordinary type printing telegraphs, combinations of dots or dashes in such a way
as to correspond to the contact strips employed in the above named matrix
impressing machine. These dots or dashes are marked on a strip of paper as
depressions or holes, or produced by conveying an insulating ink or colouring matter
on to a metallic-coated strip of paper. In the first case the electro-magnets herein-
before mentioned are set in operation when their respective very sensitive levers
enter the recesses or depressions of the paper strip; in the second case (perforations)
a strip of paper is formed which acts in the same way as does the strip of paper
described in the arrangement forming the subject of Patent No. 17853, whilst
in the third or last named case (the insulation by means of a colouring material)
27

page_text: the insulated places of the paper, formed by the combination wheel as will be
hereinafter more particularly described, effect in the desired succession the
necessary closing and breaking of the circuit for the electro-magnets of the
type-impressing machine.
Referring to the drawings:
A is the spindle of a type wheel in a type-printing telegraph on the Hughes,
Baudot, or Phelps system. In place of the usual type wheel, a wheel R,
Figures 1 and 2, is here employed, which is provided on its periphery with dot or dash
combinations instead of the usual types, as may be clearly seen from Figure 3.
The improved method consists in the characters dispatched from the transmitting
station being reproduced at the receiving station not as type characters, but as the
corresponding combinations of the six or rather seven points (dots or dashes)
suitable for producing the electric operation of the electro-magnets of the im-
pressing machine. If therefore the operator transmits a character to the receiving
station, the receiving instrument receives the necessary combination on its respec-
tive paper strip, from which latter the excitement of the corresponding electro-
magnets of the impressing machine, as hereinbefore described, is effected. For
this purpose, in a receptacle S (Figure 1) there is placed an acid colouring material
or ink which is conveyed onto metallic-coated paper and renders the places with
which it comes in contact electrically non-conducting. This colouring material or
ink is then conveyed from the inking roller onto the periphery of the wheel R,
by the roller resting against the wheel R and being thereby rotated. The
metallic paper strip al coming from the roller V, and passing over suitable guides,
leaves the apparatus in the direction of the arrow head. On the type printing
telegraph machine being operated, the said strip is printed with the desired
combinations and is thus insulated at those points where the colour or ink is
applied.
These strips may be immediately employed in the receiving station in the
operation of the matrix impressing machine, being conveyed through the latter
machine in the following manner, see Figures 5-7.
The main shaft A" of the matrix impressing machine carries a wheel R", so this
revolves in common with the shaft of the matrix impressing machine. The paper
strip P coming from a roller Pl and passing over suitable guides is always drawn
forward by the teeth of a wheel d, to the extent of two rows of point (dot or dash)
combinations. For this object the strip or band of paper, as may be seen in
Figure 4, bas holes at its edges in which the teeth of the wheel d may engage.
A lever H which is pressed down by a spring frests normally against a stop a.
An extension H" of this lever H stands in the path of a roller O carried by the
wheel R. At each rotation of the wheel R" the lever extension H is forced by
the roller O to swing to the left, and carries with it a pawl h, which, ou the return of
the lever H, which as already mentioned is produced by the spring, causes a
rotation of the wheel d and thus moves forward the paper strip. A counter pawls
prevents any return of the wheel d.
Whilst the metallic-paper strip is making its progressive movement, the contact
points K, of which there are six or seven, that is one for each electro-magnet, and
which rest on the roller i, bear alternately on insulated places on the paper. As
long as the six or seven contact points K rest on the conducting metallic surface of
the paper strip a circuit, through a wire 1, 2, a battery B (see Figure 8), and six or
seven relays m² m² m³ m² m² m² m², is closed. Each of these relays is so arranged
that, as soon as current ceases to pass through its coils, it switches the corresponding
electro-magnet M1 M², etcetera, of the matrix impressing machine on to a conductor
or wire connecting with a battery B', that is to say it causes the corresponding
electro-magnet M' etcetera to be excited. The battery B thus feeds the relays
whilst the battery B supplies the actual working current.
The contact springs 1, Figure 8, resting on the metallic surface of the paper strip
are connected with one end of each of the relay coils, the other ends of which are
connected by means of the common wire with the positive pole of the battery B.

page_text: The negative pole of the battery B is connected by means of a wire
contact which is in constant conducting connection with the paper strip P.
The course of the current is then as follows:-
with a
If all the contact springs / rest on the metallic surface of the paper, current flows
from the positive pole of the battery B through the common wire into the coils
of the relays, from here to the contact springs and after passing through the paper
strip P returns by the wire 2 back to the negative pole of the battery.
Owing to the relays being traversed by the current, the armatures n'-n' belonging
to them, are attracted and break the circuit of the wire belonging to the operating
battery B'. If then any relay coil become currentless, its armature n' is brought
into contact with a contact screw o' by means of a recoil spring, the circuit through
the corresponding electro-magnet M¹ being thereby closed. The course of the
current will now be as follows: From the positive pole of the battery B' through
a common wire p to the corresponding armature and screw o¹ to the corresponding
electro-naguet M', and through a wire p back to the negative pole of the
battery B
It is thus evident without further explanation that the excitement of the various
electro-magnets M', etcetera, only depends on the arrangement of the insulating
combinations of points (dots or dashes) on the strip of paper. An electro-magnet M³,
etcetera, is thus always excited when its corresponding contact spring bears on an
insulated part of the strip.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, i declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved method of forming matrices for stereotypes consisting in
producing by telegraphic means a contact strip adapted to be passed through a
matrix impressing machine such as described in Patent No. 178533 in order to
actuate the type bolders of the said machine whereby matrices for stereotypes may
be formed at a place distant from the operator substantially as described.
2. For carrying out the method described in Claim 1, the use in a type printing
telegraph, of a wheel provided on its periphery with combinations of points (dots
or dashes) in place of the ordinary type wheel for the purpose of producing the
contact strip referred to in Claim 1 substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents.