IMPROVEMENTS IN BELL TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HOWLAND, of the City, County, and State of New York, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day
of February, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fourteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Howland, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Charles Howland, my exors, adñors, or assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Howland, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELL TELEGRAPHS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Charles Howland, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Howland, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, in and
by the following description of the same, and the manner of constructing and
and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
making a part of this Specification," the same letters in the several parts
referring to the same parts whenever they occur.
Figures 1 and 2 a front and end elevation of the hotel telegraph.
Figures 3 and 4, a front and end sectional view of the hotel telegraph,
having the face and end removed for inspection of the working parts.
Figures 5 and 6 is a view of the face and sliding cap plate. Figure 7
is a horizontal sectional view of one of the annunciators. Figure 8 are
views of one of the plates for indicators. Figure 9 is a front elevation of
one of the steam ship telegraphs. Figure 10 is a front elevation of the
same, having the dial of face removed, and also two of the indicator
plates, for the purpose of showing the arrangement of the levers. Figure 11
is a side sectional elevation of the steam ship telegraph. Figure 12 is
a horizontal sectional view of one of the annunciators. Letter A is
the frame of the telegraph, made of any suitable material and size for
the purposes designed. B, B, &c. are the bells. These bells (in the hotel
telegraphs) are arranged in series against the inside of the frame or other
suitable manner for the purpose of making one bell answer for one horizontal
line of figures or letters. C, C, are the hammers for the bells. These
hammers are arranged on a series of rods D, D, D, running lengthways
across the frame of the telegraph, and made so as to fall by their own weight
after having been forced against the bell back on to an arm E, E, &c., where
it remains at rest till thrown up again against the bell. This arm (E, E, &c.)
is in the form of the three sides of a hollow square, and by means of holes
in the ends of the side arms of this bent lever works on a rod E, extending
across the telegraph lengthways. On the rods F, F, &c. are also a series of
levers G, G, G, &c. These levers extend back and have their ends resting on
the bell hammer rods (D, D, &c.), and on which (that is, the levers G) the
back end or connecting piece of the lever E rests. To these levers G, G, &c.
are attached the wires g, g, g, for letting the number plate h, h, &c. drop, so as
to be visible through the apertures in the dial plate, while at the same time
throwing up the hammer C against the bell B to give alarm, which as soon as
the force is relieved at the bell-pull falls back to its quiescent position. On
the end of the lever G, immediately under the axis or rod F, is a pendant
projection H, H, &c., having a notch cut into its face for the purpose of
catching under the end of a spring hook i, i, i, attached to the back of the

page_text: number plates h, h, &c., and hold it up till released by the drawing back of
the projection H, when the long end of the lever G is drawn up by the bell-
pull g. J, the dial plate, having any required number of apertures in it for
the number plates. Between each row vertically of these apertures are
grooves or cleet pieces j, j, j, &c., for the purpose of keeping the number
plates always in their proper places underneath the slide or back plate K.
This side plate has a number of apertures cut in it corresponding with the
number of apertures in the dial or face plate; also in it are four slots k, k, &c.,
through which a pin or screw is passed, and enters into the cleet pieces ; of
the face or dial plate, for the purpose of holding the two plates in contact, and
allowing of the number plates h to slide freely up and down between the
cleets j, as well as the back plate K to slide up and down on the pins or
screws through the slots k. Attached also to the inner or back side of the back
plate are two shoulder pieces L, L. The lower one of these shoulder pieces is
arranged so as to be operated upon by a foot lever M secured to a port m to
the bottom of the telegraph. To the back end of this lever is attached a wire
N, which passes through the bottom of the telegraph, and is used for the
purpose of lifting up the back plate K and the number plate h, so as to allow
the hook spring i, extending through the aperture in the back plate, to catch
upon the notch in the end of the projection H. The upper one of the
shoulder piece L on the back plate K is intended for supporting it, and pre-
venting it from falling too low for the action of the toe of the lever M.
In the steamer telegraph these parts have been modified, but not so as to
change materially the operation of the telegraph letter. A is the frame:
B, the bell; C, the hammer attached to a rod D2, and resting upon a lever
E, working on a rod F, which rod also has a lever G2 working on it and
extending back towards the back of the telegraph. To the back end of this
lever is attached the bell pull gs, which when drawn up lifts or draws up one
of the indicator plates so as to present it to the aperture in the dial plate, and
at the same time to drop the indicator plate that may happen to be up, as well
as to throw the hammer Cup so as to strike the bell. O is a connecting
rod, attached at its upper end to the lever G2 at about quarter its distance
from the axis F2 and at its lower end to an indicator lever P. This lever
works on a rod R extending lengthways across the telegraph, and has on its
outer end an indicator plate (p), having on it "stop," "slow," "back,"
"ahead," "hook on," &c., as;may be required to give notice to the engineer
as to what duty is required of him. Also on the lever P is a pin S, which as
the lever P is drawn up draws against the inclined face of the catch T, thereby
throwing it back and unketching or dropping any of the other indication plates

page_text: that may happen to be sustained on the adjoining notches, and at the same
time by the weight of the long arm U dropping back, so soon as the pin S
passes the notch in T, hold the indicator plate permanently in that position
till the bell pull again changes the indicator. V is the rod or axis on which
the bell crank lever T, U, works; W, rest or supporting rod for the ends of
the levers E, G2, and U to rest on. The operation of this telegraph is, that
when the pilot wishes to order the engineer to "slow" the engine, he pulls the
bell pull g; this lifts the end of the lever G, and with it the lever E, and
also lifting or drawing through the connecting rod O on the indicator P,
pushes back the notched lever T for the dropping the indicator plate "ahead,"
when the weight of the long end U of the bell crank lever T, U, falls back
and throws the notch T under the pin S to hold the indicator plate with
"slow" on it (as seen in Figure 9), while at the same time the act of lifting
the ends of the levers G and E has thrown the bell hammer C up and given
the alarm that a change of motion in the engine is required. For either of
the other changes required the same operation is required, it only being
necessary for the pilot to pull the bell pull corresponding with the one required
for the engineer to obey. The operation of the hotel telegraph is, that for
each number, from one to any required number; there must be a bell pull
leading to the room representing the number on the indication. These
numbers are arranged in series; thus, in a telegraph having eighteen numbers,
they are arranged in three rows of six each, and each row having an indepen-
dent hammer to operate on any convenient arrangement of bells adopted.
Now, on room No. 1 pulling the bell pull in his room, he will lift the levers
G and E, and in doing so will draw back the notched end H of the lever G
from the spring hook (i) attached to the back of the indicator plate (h) No. 1,
and let it drop so as to present "1," through the aperture in the face or dial
plates J, for inspection; while at the same time that this takes place the bell
hammer C is thrown against the bell B and calls attention to the wants of
room No. 1. When attention has been called to No. 1, the attendant takes
hold the shifting rod N, and pulling down the end of the lever M, causes its
opposite end to lift under the shoulder piece L', and throw up the sliding or
shifting back plate K to the back of the dial plate, for the purpose of lifting
No. 1 on the notch in the end of H. This operation is repeated as often as
the different rooms require attendance, the number of roonis being immaterial,
as the arrangement is susceptable of illimitable application..
Having now described my improved telegraphs for hotels, steam ships, or other
purposes, I will state what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent. What
I claim, therefore, is the employment of the levers G, E, in form and manner

page_text: substantially as herein made, and for the purposes set forth, and their
combination with the bell pull g, and bell and bell hammer, and rods or axis
D and F, all in arrangement, and form and manner and their uses as set
forth. I also claim the dial plate J, cleets j, and shifting plate K, in form and
manner of use substantially as set forth, and their combination with the
number plates h, and also in combination with the lever M and rod N, in form
and manner substantially as herein set forth. I also claim the combination of
the dial plate J, cleets j, shifting plate K, and number plate h, having a spring
hook i attached with the lever G, H, and E, and their axis F and D and bell
hammer C, all in arrangement and for the purposes herein set forth. I also
claim the combination and arrangement of the lever E, G, and axis F³, bell
hammer C, and bell B2, and their combination with the connecting rod O,
indicator lever P, and axis R, and pin S in the indicator bar P, substantially
as herein set forth for my steam-ship telegraph in contradistinction to my hotel
telegraph. I also claim in combination with the levers E², G³, connecting rod
O, indicator lever P, and pin S, the use of the notched bell crank lever T, U,
and axis V, and rod W, for the purposes, and in form and manner as herein
set forth for my steam-ship telegraph. And, lastly, I claim the general
arrangement of all the parts herein enumerated in either my hotel or steam-
ship telegraph, and do not limit myself to mere change of form or proportions
so long as the substantial feature and operations of the said telegraphs are
preserved.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Howland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
Enrolled the Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.