US1543609A - Semiautomatic telegeaph tkanssiittee - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1925. v L. c. McINTOSH SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSRITTER Filed Maya} 1921' QNTO 1/- Patented June 23, I925.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS C. MCINTOSH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

sEMIAo'roMA'rIc TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

Application filed-May 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; LOUIS Q'MoInrosrr, citizen ofthe United States and resident of Los Angeles,in the county of Los An geles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semiautomatic Telegraph Transmitters, which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to telegraphic apparatus and particularly to telegraphic transmitters.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a semi-automatic telegraphic transmitter wherein the dash impulses are transmitted under positive manual control and wherein the dot impulses are transmitted automatically following an initial manual action of the dot key lever.

It is a further object of the invention to provide what is known as an autodot instrument of such construction and arrangement that the vibrator of the instrument oscillates in movements to .andfro that are at right angles. to the initiating stroke of the vibrator actuating key lever so as to substantially eliminate sensible vibrations in the key lever generated from vibrations'of the vibrator. it is an object to provide an autodot instrument in which the dot lever and the reed of the vibrator have paths relatively at a right angle to eachother as distinguished from various types of instruments in which the reed and the reed actuating lever are connected and operative each with movements, in respective paths that are parallel to each otherwith I the result that the swing of the vibrator is reacted directly back to the key. of the dot lever and therefore causes the vibrations of the vibrator to be strongly felt.

Another object of the invention is to provide an autodot telegraphic transmitter which may be. readily converted from a double key to a "single keyinstrument. Again an object 'is toprovide a transmitter that maybe readily adapted foruse as either a right hand .or a left hand instrument;

Another object is to provide a telegraphic transmitter of portable character and at the same time that will remain stable when placed upon the operators table or bench. In this connection, it is an object to provide a telegraphic transmitter in which the operating key r y extend transverse y In other words,

autodot 1921. Serial No. 473,630.

as to thelength of a base or frame of the transmitter and thereby to secure and increase the steadiness of the instrument by reason of a greater leverage provided by the longer dimension of the frame or base as compared withinstruments in'which the key projects from the narrower or end edge of the frame or base y 7 a j a A further object isfto provide a telegraphic transmitter having a case or housmg for enclosing the operating and adjusting elements of the instrument to pre vent unlicensed tampering with the same. and further to provide an instrument that is adapted to be operative in either of two positions, one being inverted with respect to the other, as when the instrument is to be converted from a right hand to a left hand transmitter. A further object is to provide an instrument that can be locked against variations of adjustment without authority. I

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a plan of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a right hand end view. U Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

. Fig. 4 is aplan of the detached vibrator organization.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the vibrator organization.-

F 6 is a side elevation of one of the dash binding posts. 4 a

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the dot and dash binding post.

Fig. 8 is aplan of the bridge.

detached pivot Y Fig. 9 is a plan of the dash transmitting key lever and its contiguous dash terminal post.

Fig. 10 .is a side elevation of the structure of Figurej9. Y

Fig.11 is aplan of the combination dot and dash key lever.

Fig. 12is a side elevation of the combination dot and dash key lever.

Fig. 13 is a detail of a lock case.

Fig. ll-is a perspective of the detached shell or housing.

In its illustrated embodiment the invention is shown as including a frame or primary base f such dimensions and material as to p o d eufiieient We g t fi rel a stable instrument when the latter is set on a table or bench, and to secure steadiness there is provided a set of removable and iiiterchangeable rubber feet 3 which are suitably disposed and connected to screws or pins not shown attached to the bottom of the base 2. The operating mechanism of the transmitter is preferably mounted upon an upper base plate 4 which is shown as of slightly less dimensions than the heavy base 2 and enables the interlocking application of a shell or housing 5, the lower edge of the rear wall of which is shown as provided with lugs 6 struck inwardly and adapted to be interlocked with rear edge of a plate 4 and then swung downwardly into applied position covering all of the mechanism except the keys of the key levers and the handle of the main switch.

The front wall of the housing is provided with a horizontally elongated aperture 7 to receive and permit movement of the main switch lever S which is pivoted on the frame plate 4. The front wall is also provided with upwardly extending apertures 9 and 10 to receive respectively the dash key lever D and the dot and dash or combination or autodot lever A.

A feature of the invention is to provide a transmitter which may be safely locked against unauthorized tampering and means including housing 5 are provided and which may be maintained in effective or locked y position without interrupting or interfer fering with the normal operatlon of the transmitting levers. The housing 5, when it has been applied, will rest on the margin of the upper face of'the base 2 and is adapted to be locked in such position by the application of a key to a key lock L having a bolt B adapted to engage in the contiguous keeper or socket 5, which may be formed as a part of or adapted to the housing 5 as shown in Figure 14.

Connected in suitable grounded relation to the frame plate 4 is a current wire which is shown as'electrica'lly connected under a binding screw 16. The line wire 17 is connected at 18 to a binding post or screw 19 which is insulated at 20 over the frame plate '4, and from the binding screw 19 extends a connecting strip 21 which is electrically connected to an upwardly extending binding post or terminal 22 and further extending to and connecting with an 'upward 1y extending binding post23; both the posts 22 and 23 being insulated from the frame plate 4.

The main switch S is pivoted at 25 on the plate 4 in electrical connection therewith and is adapted to engage a friction blade 26 connected to the line binding'post 19-so as to close 'thecir'cuit.

Projecting upwardly from and preferably integral with 'the'pla'te 4 is'a seriesofpo's'ts 27, 28 and 29, and the former of these is provided with a transversely extending abutment piece 30 which may be adjustable and is secured in place by screw 31, the function of this being to serve as a brake or stop for a vibrator which includes a substantial rod 32 carrying an adjustable weight-forming block 33 on its outer or swinging end.

The vibrator rod 32 is shown as disposed longitudinally of the instrument that is, parallel to the longitudinal axis, and one end of the rod is connected to a light spring or reed 34 and this is connected solidly at one end in the arm 35 of a lever having another arm 36 which is here shown as at right angles to the reed-carrying arm 35 and this right-angled lever is pivoted at 37 as by pivot pins, the lower of which may bear in the plate 4 while the upper one is received in a contiguous lug 38 extending from a bridge piece 39 which is secured on the upper ends of the columns 28 and 29.

Suitably secured to the vibrator rod 32 is a yieldable automatically acting dot transmitting contact 40; which is designed "to move into engagement with the terminal 41 provided on an adjustable screw 42 in the insulated binding post 22. The dot contact 40 is shown as provided on the free end of a substantially U-shaped spring 43, the other end of which is secured to a blockor slide 44 which may be secured as by a set screw 45 at suitable position on the vibrator rod From this it will be seen that the vibrator is designed so as to swing 'to and fro in a path which is transverse to the length of the transmitter to move the dot contact 40 into engagement with the terminal 41 conneoted to the telegraphic line. An important feature of the invention is to provide for the operation of'the transmitter in such manner as to practically eliminate reaction vibrations of the vibrator back to the operators key lever. In the accomplishment of this means are provided including L-shaped vibrator lever 3536 and an operative connection between the dot key leveriand the vibrator. The vibrator lever arm 36 is shown as provided with a roller 36 and this is operated by an engaging part of the combination autodot key lever A. This key lever is preferably constructed of relatively movable sections including a rear shank or bar 48 engaging the roller 36 and a front section 48' which projects forwardly through the slot 10 in the shell or housing 5 and carries a detachable finger paddle 49. This is shown as secured to the combination lever by a screw 50 having a clamp nut 51.

The combination lever member 48 as clearly shown in Figure 12, is indicated as having a pivot pin 48, "the lower end of which bears in the plate 4 while the upper iii) end bears in the contiguous end of a screw 52 mounted in the bridge 39. The combination lever section 48 is pivotally connected at 53 to the section 48 and lies parallel and in close position thereto, the Overlapping portions of the lever sections being yieldably drawn into abutting position so that while the combination lever may be moved bodily or as a whole on the pivot pin'48, the forward section 48 is adapted to move laterally as to the section 48, so that a dash contact 54 thereon may be moved into circuit-closing position against a contiguous and adjustable terminal 54 provided in the binding post 23, without an accompanying movement of the rear section 48 of the combination key lever. This relative yielding movement and connection of the sections 48 and 48 is rendered possible as by means of a compressed spring 55 surrounding a screw 56 fixed in the lever section 48 iand passing freely through the lever section 48 against which the spring 55 is compressed by ad justment of a nut 57 on the screw 56.

It will be seen that the spring 55vand the screw connection 56 provide for a yielding movement of the lever section 48 away from the member 48 and permits a manual operation of the combination lever to send dash impulses by way of the binding post 23.

The combination lever A (members 48' 48) is bodily thrown in one direction by the vibrator lever arm 3635, which is yieldingly swung inone direction by a spring 58 which may rest against a lug 59 provided on the plate 4. The action of the spring is to thrust the roller 36 against the contiguous end of the lever member 48 swinging the whole combination lever on its pivot 51 to a position which is determined by an adjustable stop screw 60 mounted in the binding post 22 and which may have a tip 61 of insulation to prevent short circuit.

The operation of the combination lever is therefore as follows: 7 I i in transmitting dots the combinationfinger paddle 49 is, in the normal position of the instrument for right hand operators, given a movement to the right as by pressure of the thumb of the right hand and this causes the combination lever to swing a unit with the rear end of the section 48 acting to swingthe lever arm 36 to the left until its movement is limited by an adjusting screw 62, Figure 1, at which moment the combination key is brought to a stop and is held for a period of time, by the operator, according to the number of dots to be utilized in transmitting a letter or other signal. As the vibrator arm 36 engages the stop screw 62 the vibrator rod 32 will thus have been thrown away from the stop or brake and will take up the vibratory action due to its flexible connection as by the reed 34 with the vibrator arm 35.

While the vibrator rod 32 is oscillating the dot contact will be rapidly brought into successive contacting engagement with the terminal 41 of the binding post 22 and therefore a dot or series of dots will be transmitted as determined by the length of time that the operator holds over the combination key paddle 49. By the present con struction and'combination it is possible to use a very light and sensitive reed and also a light and quick-acting dot contact spring 43, an advantage of this construction being that a desired rapidity and reliability of dot impulse actions are secured in a prac tical manner and further the tendency of the automatic mechanism to split the dot impulses is greatly if not wholly reduced and eliminated.

The combination'lever provides not only for the sending of the dots automatically but. it further enables the sending of dash impulses wholly under the control of the operator, with the well-known advantages of this manual control. The dash impulses are sent, through the combination lever, by pressing the finger paddle 49 toward the left, in right-hand use of the instrument, during which action the lever section 48 will swing away from the stationary section 48 until the dash contact 54 engages the terminal 55. As soon as the pressure is released in the dash sending action the lever section 48 is instantly returned by its spring to the clear position.

It will be observed that in the'present ar rangement the combination lever A is disposed generally transversely to the instru ment base and it is therefore transverse to the length of the vibrator including the air-11135, the reed 34 and the rod .32; This peculiar combination therefore operates to prevent noticeable reaction of the vibrator, while it is oscillating, on the finger paddle 49 of its actuating lever for the reason that the weighted vibrator swings in a path at right angles to the'movement of the paddle 49; the action of the vibrator being accomplished by the movement of the bell crank or lever' 35-36, which converts the right and left hand movement ofthe paddle 49 into a forward and backward movement, with respect to the base, of the vibrator, and a very slight, if any, reaction is trans mitted through the lever section 48 and its engaging lever arm 36 by the vibrator.

From the above it will be seen that the single combination autodot and dash key A may be utilized in transmitting messages consisting of dots and dashes. Preferably the instrument is provided with a second or dash key lever D l mit dash impulses. The key lever is provided with a pivot pin 63 bearing in the plate 4 and also in a screw bearing 64 in the bridge 39. This key lever D extends which is des ned to transtransversely across the plate substantially in parallelism with the combination lever A. and its rear end is provided with a contact designed to engage a contiguous ter minal 66 on the binding post 22. The key lever D is yicldingly thrust so as to break contact at (36 by a spring 67 suitably sup ported on a fixed part 68. The key lever D is limited by an adjustable stop 69 when in the open position.

The key lever D is provided with a finger paddle 70 disposed opposite to the paddle and the paddle is secured removably in place by a clamp screw 71 carried by the key lover I).

A feature of the invention is to provide a two-key lever instrument that may be readily converted into a single lever instru ment and further that may be readily converted from a right hand to a left hand instrument, and to that end if a single key instrument is desired the finger paddle 70 is removed from the dash lever D. and is placed upon the screw of the combination autodot lever A and clamped in place by the nut 51 so that it will then be disposed on the left hand side of the paddle 4-9.. The operation of the autodot lever A with the two finger paddles applied will be precisely the same as when it carries but one paddle 49. Since the paddle may be transferred to the autodot lever A it will be seen that the dash lever D will be practically thrown out of commission by the removal of its finger paddle.

The present instrument may be readily converted into a left hand transmitter by removing the feet 3 and applying them to the topv of the shell or housing 5 and by reversing or inverting the switch S from the position shown in Figure 2 and then inverting the entire instrument so that the housing will be lowermost and the feet 3 thereunder applied to the table or bench.

I have found that especially good action and clear transmission is secured by making the vibrator rod 82 of a material of light weight, and have successfully employed rods of aluminum. lhe weight 33 mounted adjustably on the rod 32 gives a maximum stroke of the vibrator, the length of the strokes being readily varied by the adjustment of the body It will be seen that because of ample swi to weight 33 a wider gap between contacts 4-1 and a2 is possible and more time constant of dot contact is secured, and therefore more current carrying capacity is socured without sacrifice of speed and with out increase of paddle stroke.

Heretofore it has been impossible to ob tain desired current carrying capacity due to limited vibrating stroke and heavy vibrating springs and weights without undue movement of the manipulating paddle.

e senc or right hand post to serve as a brake, a

vibrator carrying an adjustable weight forming block and mounted in a transverse plane and in a line parallel with the three posts and with its free end inposition to engage the a-butn'ient, a light spring connected to the vibrator at the opposite end from the weight, an arm pivotally mounted near the third post in line with the Vibrator and solidly connected to the spring, an L- shaped arm rigid with the first arm and at right angles thereto, a yieldableautomatical- 1y acting dot transn'iitting contact secured to the vibrator in transverse line with the vibrator pivot, a terminal ustably mounted in opposition to the contact, a roller at the free end of the L-shaped arm, a combination autodot key lever mounted transversely and engaging the roller and extending forwardly and carrying a finger paddle, an adjustable stop screw mounted through the terminal binding post at right angles to the terminal and engaging the opposite side of the combination autodot key lever from the roller, and a dash contact adjustably mounted to engage the combination lever in front of its pivot and on the same side as the roller, the

combination lever being made in two pieces in front of the pivot, the two pieces being yieldingly connected between the dash con tact and the pivot.

2. In a telegraph. transmitter, a base plate, three posts extending upwardly from the base plate substantially in a longitudinal line near the transverse. center, a transversely ex tending abutment piece adjustably secured to the first or right hand post to serve as a brake, a vibrator carrying an adjust-rule weight forming block and mounted in a transverse plane and in a line parallel with the three posts and with its free end in position to engage the abutment, a light spring connected to the vibrator at the opposite end from the weight, an arm pivotally mounted near the third post in line with the vibrator and solidly connected to the spring, an L shaped arm rigid with the first @111 and at right angles thereto, ayieldable automaticall actin dot transmittin contact secured' to Q to the vibrator in transverse line with'the vibrator pivot, a terminal adjustably mounted in opposition to the contact, a roller at the free end of the L-shaped arm, a combina tion autodot key lever mounted transversely and engaging the roller and extending forwardly and carrying a finger paddle, an adj ustable stop screw mounted through the terminal binding post at right angles to the terminal and engaging the opposite side of the combination autodot key lever from the roller, and a dash contact adjustably mounted to engage the combination. lever in front of its pivot and on the same side as the roller, the combination lever having a rear section mounted on a vertical pivot and a front section overlapping the rear section and pivotally connected thereto and there being means for holding the two sections yieldingly in parallel positions and allowing the front section to move laterally away from the rear section.

3. In a telegraph transmitter, a base plate, three posts extending upwardly from the base plate substantially in a longitudinal line near the transverse center, a transversely extending abutment piece adj ustably secured to the first or right hand post to serve as a brake, a vibrator carrying an adjustable weight forming block and mounted in a transverse plane and in a line parallel with the three posts and with its free end in position to engage the abutment, a light spring vconnected to the vibrator at the opposite end from the weight, an arm pivotally mounted near the third post in line with the vibrator and solidly connected to the spring, an L-shaped arm rigid with the first arm and at right angles thereto, a yieldable automatically acting dot transmitting contact secured to the vibrator in transverse line with the vibrator pivot, a terminal adjustably mounted in opposition to the contact, a roller at the free end of the L-shaped arm, a combination autodot key lever mounted transversely and engaging the roller and extending forwardly and carrying a finger paddle, an adjustable stop screw mounted through the terminal binding post at right angles to the terminal and engaging the opposite side of the combination autodot key lever from the roller, a dash contact adjustably mounted to engage the combination lever in front of its pivot and on the same side as the roller, the combination lever having a rear section mounted on a vertical pivot and a front section overlapping the rear section and pivotally connected thereto and there being means for holding the two sections yieldingly in parallel positions and allowing the front section to move laterally away from the rear section, a second key lever pivotally mounted parallel with the combination lever and provided at its rear end wlth a contact, a binding post extending upwardly from the base plate and having a contact to be engaged by the key lever contact, a spring for pressing the key lever contact away from the binding post contact, and an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the key lever under the action of the sprin 4-. In a telegraph transmitter, a base, a key lever pivotally mounted for horizontal movement upon said base, an arm pivoted upon said base, an L-shaped arm rigid with the first mentioned arm and adapted to engage said key lever, a vibrator secured to said first mentioned arm and disposed at substantially right angles to said key lever, a contact carried by said vibrator, and a corresponding contact mounted upon said base adapted to be engaged by the vibrator contact to produce a dot or a series of dots.

5.-In a telegraph transmitter, a base, a key lever pivotally mounted for horizontal movement upon said base, an arm pivoted upon said base, an L-shaped arm rigid with the first mentioned arm and adapted to engage said key lever, a vibrator secured to said first mentioned arm and disposed at substantially right angles to said key lever, a contact carriedby said vibrator, a corresponding contact mounted upon said base adapted to be'engaged by the vibrator contact to produce a dot or a series of dots, a

contact carried by said key lever, and a corresponding contact mounted upon said base adapted to be engaged by said key lever to produce a dash.

6. In a telegraph transmitter, a base, a key lever pivotally mounted upon said base for horizontal movement, an arm pivotally mounted upon said base for horizontal movement, a vibrator carried by said arm and disposed at substantially right angles to said key lever, a brake for said vibrator, spring means for normally urging said vibrator against said brake, means actuated by said key lever for moving said vibrator away from said brake against the action of said spring means, a contact carried by said vibrator, and a corresponding contact mounted upon said base engageable by the first mentioned contact so as to produce a dot or a series of dot signals.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 23rd day of May, A. D. 1921.

LOUIS C. MCINTOSH. lVitnesses:

CLARENCE F. SHAW, RUTHER M. SHAW.

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