US1770761A - Telautograph - Google Patents

Description

July 15, .1930. 5, TlFFANY 1,770,761

TELAUTOGRAPH Filed April 11, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet l N @g I Zjwvcntoz Q 4 4 flaw,

E31 Strum July 15, 1930. G. s. TIFFANY TELAUTOGRAPH Filed April 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 15, 1930 UNITED STATES GEORGE S. TIFFANY, F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY 'rnnauroenn'n Application filed April 11,

This invention relates to telautographs and more particularly to telautographs of the variable current strength type.

It is an object of the invention to provide a telautograph system which is capable of operation over a longer line than has heretofore been possible.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a telautograph system which may by 1 slight changes in arrangement, be adapted to operate equally well on alternating as ondire'ct current.

In the accomplishment of these object'sit is a feature of the invention to provide a novel receiving instrument.

lVith these and other objects, not specifically referred to, in view, the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations, which will be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inven-- tion and the novel features will then be pointed out in the claims annexed hereto.

In the drawingsnew receiving instrument for use in the telautograph system of this invention;

Figure 2 is an end view thereof;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of so much of a receiving station as is necessary to illustrate the invention; and

Figure 4 isa diagrammatic view of atransmitter stat-ion.

Referring to these drawings, there is provided a transmitterof the potentiometer type having a tracer 1 (Fig. 4) pivotally attached to tracer arms 2 and 3 at their junction 4. The other ends of these arms are pivoted to tracer arm levers 5 and 6- respectively. The latter in turn are pivoted as at 7 and 8 respectively, being rigidly secured to but electrically insulated from contact lever arms" 9 and 10 respectively at these pivot points. Contact arms 9 and 10 have attached totheir contact rollers 13, 14, respectively, pivotally mounted thereon, in engagement with the po-' tentiometer rheostats 15, 16. The position of the tracer, therefore, determines the position of the rollers 13, 14 in the well known man- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the free ends spring plates 11 and 12, which hold 1928. Serial no. 269,126.

ner. The tracer is moved over the usual pivoted platen 17 and there is also provided the usual traceroperated unison switch 18.

Current is supplied to potentiometer rheostats 15, 16 by means of a generator 19 and the differences in potential carried by moving rollers 13 14 over the rheostat surfaces, transmitting variable currents over lines 20,21 to a receiving station shown diagrammatically inFig.3. A

Variable currents over lines'20, 21, flow through coils 22, 23 of receiving devices 24, 25 for causing the actuation of the receiving tracer 26, as will presently appear. The latter comprises a motor 27 mounted on a base plate 28. The motor shaft 29 extends longitudinally in both directions and its ends are provided with couplings 30, 31 engaging stub shafts 32, 33 which in turn are coupled with shafts 34, 35 respectively having bearings in housings 36, 37.

Since the apparatus enclosed within and associated with housings.36, 37 are identical, a description ofthat associated with housing 36 only will be described, the similar parts in the other apparatus having primed reference characters.

Within housing casting 36 shaft 34 drives a worm 38 which engages a worm wheel 39. The latter is mounted on and rot-ates a hollow shaft 40 bearing in a hollow bored extension 41 of casting 36. Also carried on shaft 40 to rotate therewith is a disc 42, the outer face 43 of which is polished and contacts with a fiat ring of friction material 44, for exam: ple, hard felt, saturated with oil, carried on the surface of a disc 45 having a face bearing on a shaft 46 which extends through hollow shaft 40 to bear in the outer end 47 of extension 41 at one end and at the other in cover plate 48 of housing 36.

Keyed-to shaft 46 between cover plate 48 and disc 45 is a hub 49 having an arm 50 adapted to engage pin 51 projecting from the surface of disc 45,'the purpose of which will presently become apparent. Shaft 46 is extended through the outer end 47 of extension 41 and carries a pen arm lever 52 to the hub 53 of which is attached the inner end of a flat spiral spring 54, the outer end of which is attached to an arm 55, the connection being effected by an adjusting screw 56 in order to vary the tension of the spring as will presently appear. Arm 55 is carried on the end 47 of extension 41, its angular position about the extension being variable, lock screw 57 being provided for attaching it to a. boss on pen arm lever stop 58, the position of which itself is variable about the axis of shaft 46. When the desired position is obtained, stop 58 and therefore arm 55, may be locked by means of clamping screw 59. Stop 58 is arranged to project into the path of pen arm lever 52 to stop it in its proper unison position.

Pressure is exerted on shaft 46 to create friction between discs 45 and 42 by means of a set screw which bears against the pointed end of shaft 46. Set screw 60 is carried on a lever 61 resiliently attached-to the upper part of cover plate 48 by a metal strip 62. The free end of lever 61 acts as a limit stop for an arm 63 mounted on a shaft 64 to which is also secureda contact lever 65 the end 66 of which makes contact with contact screw 67 threaded in an insulated post 67 for adjustment. Movement of lever arm 61 to bring screw 60 toward and away from the end of shaft 46 is effected by means of an armature 68 to which it is pivotally connected by means of a link 69. Screw 70 is a back stop only for lever 61. The lateral rigidity of spring plate 62 revents side play.

rmature 68 is pivoted between the polar projections 71, 72 of an eleetromagnet 22 so that, upon energization of the magnet coils, armature 68 is rocked toward alignment with the polar projections drawing lever 61 with it by means of link 69.

Lever 61 thus performs two functions, one to permit lever 65 to contact with contact 67 a and the other to cause disc 42 to frictionally drive disc 45 and, by means of pin 51 and arm 50, to rotate pen arm 52 carried by shaft 46.

It will be remembered that disc 42 is driven by means of gear 39 and worm 38 which in turn are driven by motor 27 and it is desirous to run'the latter at a uniform speed.

Means are provided for maintaining the speed of motor 27 uniform and to this end securely mounted on shaft 32is a sleeve 73 of insulating material. Upon one end of the sleeve is a collar 74 to which is attached a disc 75 of spring metal having weighted arms 76, 77, secured thereto at diametrically opposite points. The other end of sleeve 73 carries a collar 78 having-a flange 79 which normally contacts with weighted arms 7 6, 77. Contact with collars 74 and 78 is made by means of contact springs 80 and 81 respectively between which springs is located an electric resistance 82 which is included in the motor armature circuit. Whenever arms 7 6, 77 are in contact with flange 79 a metallic circuit exists from spring 80, collar 78, flange 7 9, weighted arms 76, 77, disc 75, collar 74 and spring 81, thus short circuiting resistance 82. As motor 27 rotates and its speed increases to a value at which the centrifugal force acting on weighted arms 76, 77 becomes greater than the tension of spring disc 7 5, the weights will be thrown out of contact with collar 79, whereupon the short circuit across resistance 82 is opened and this resistance becomes effective in the motor circuit to check the acceleration of the arm speed. In practice, during the running of the motor, arms 7 6, 77 contact intermittently so that a substantially constant armature speed will be maintained at all loads within the power of the motor.

The circuitarrangements shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are those in which alternating current is used for operating the instruments. The operator, as is usual in starting communication by telautograph, moves tracer 1 to unison position closing switch 18 (Fig. 4) whereupon the following circuit is completed-from one side of generator 19, conductor 83, contacts 84 of unison switch 18, conductors 85 and 86, rheostat 15 to the other Side of generator 19 over conductor 87, and over the same circuit to conductor 85, thence over conductor 88, rheostat 16 to the other side of the generator 19 over conductor 89, thus connecting the rheostats 15 and 16 in circuit with the generator 19 to supply writing current over the writing lines 20 and 21. Thereupon writing current flows in one line from ground through generator 19, conductor 83, contacts 84 of unison switch 18, conductors 85 and 86, rheostat 15, contact roller 13, arm 9, conductor 90, resistance 91, conductor 92, contacts 93, contact lever 94, conductor 20, condenser 95, windings of magnet 22, conductor 96, to ground on conductor 97. Magnet 22 is energized in this circuit and at tracts its armature 68, causing it to swing in a clockwise direction and through link 69 moves lever 61, inwardly pressing set screw 60 against the ends of shaft 46 to create friction between disks 42 and 45 as above mentioned, and, at the same time, permitting arm 63 to assume the position shown in Fig. 3, closing contacts 66 and 67 energizing motor 27 is now completed from one side of generator 98, conductors 96 and 99, contacts 67 and 66', arm 65, conductor 100, brush 80, collar 78, flange 79, weighted arms 76 and 77 in parallel, disk 75, brush 81, conductor 101, winding of motor 27, conductors 102 and 103 to the other side of generator 98. Motor 27"rotates and accelerates until a predetermined speed is obtained, whereupon the speed is automatically regulated by means of weighted arms 76 and 77, which separate from flange 79 under centrifugal force, introducing resistance 82 into the motor circuit as above described. As shaft 29 of motor 27 is connected to worm 38, the latter will A circuit for I rotate causing worm wheel 39 to revolve in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig.2. The stress exerted by magnet 22 on its armature 68 is transmitted through link 69, lever' 61', set screw 60, shaft 46, hub 49, disk 45 to disk 42, a definite amount offiriction will be vdeveloped between disks and 45, causing .disk 45 to rotate with disk 42,1:which is driven portionate to the pressure applied to disk 45, it is evident that the motions of pen arm lever 52 will accurately indicate the variations in the strength of the line current, and, since the strength of the line is varied in accordance with the movements of the transmitter tracer 1, it is also evident that pen arm lever 52 will be'moved to reciprocate the movements of the transmitting tracer 1. y

The current flows over the other writing line in a circuit which extends from one side of generator 19, conductor 83, contact 84, conductors 85 and 88, rheostat 16, contact roller 14, arm 10, conductor 21, condenser 104, windings of magnet 23 to ground on conductor 97.'The lever controlled by magnet'23,

similar to lever 61, but not shown in the drawing, is attracted in a manner to cause motor 27 to wind spring 54' thereby transmitting the effect of the line current through line 21 to the right pen arm lever 52 in thesame manner that spring 54 controls left pen arm lever 52 As the circuits and mechanisms for moving the receiving tracer 26 laterally are similar in both sides of the instruments and since the transmitting tracer 1 may be moved so as to vary simultaneously the strength of the current in both lines, the

resultant eifect will be to move pen arm ,levers 52 and 52' and to move the receiving pen 26 in the same manner that the transmitting tracer 1 is moved. Means are also provided for lifting the .pen from the paper and, in the embodiment shown, the relay 106 is bridged from the left line 20 to ground over conductors 118 and 97 at the receiving station. v p The electromagnet of this relay is of high self-inductance so that it oifers' a high impedance to the alternating current, permitting. very little current to flow through its winding and, since the mean polarity of the usual alternating current is negligible, the relay will not respond to such currentu While the transmitting tracer 1 is out of contact with the platen 17, this relay 106 remains unoperated, and a circuit may be traced at the receiving station from the generator 98, conductors 103 and 107, normal contacts of relay 1%, conductor 108, windings of pen lifter magnet 109, conductors 110, 111, contact arm 65, contacts 66 and 67", conductors 99' and-96 to the other sideof generator 98. The pen lifter magnetsare energized in this circuit, therefore lifting the pen arm rest 119, holding the receiving pen 26 out of contact with the writing surface. .When the trans mitter platen 17 is depressed by tracer 1, a battery or other source of direct current 112 is introduced into theleft line circuit 20 as follows :Platen 17, upon being depressed, rocks a bell crank lever 113, causing contact 114 to engage contact 115 on contact lever 94,

lifting this lever out of contact with contact 93, thereby breaking the circuit for the alternating current through resistance 91 and con-' necting this current from rheostat 15 through conductor 116, contact of unisonswitch 18,

battery 112, conductor 117, contacts 114 and 115 and over line 20, Winding of relay 106 to ground, over conductors 118 and- 97. The introduction of battery 112 on the line circuit gives a positive bias .to the alternating current impulses which will energize relay 106 so as to cause itxto' vibrate its armature against its back contact, thus interrupting the circuits of the magnets of pen lifter 109, which re leases the pen rest 119 and permits the receiving pen 26 to move into contact with the writing surface.

As the total plus and minus range of the alternating current impulses when biased is the sauces when unbiased, the interposition of the condenser 95 in"the circuits of magnet 22 willhave an equalizing effect. on the biased and unbiased currents so that their influence upon magnet 22 will remain unchanged.

Means are provided for operating the paper shifter, and, in the embodiment disclosed, when unison switch 18 is operated by tracer 1, contacts 84 are closed and the line circuits are closed as above described, whereupon the following circuits are completed at the receiving stationfrom generator '98, conductors 96 and 99, contacts 66 and 67 contact arm 65, conductor 111, windings of paper shifter magnets 120, conductor 103 to the other side of generator 98. Paper shifter magnets 120 are thereupon energized to shift the paper.

Tracer 1 is moved away from unison position disconnecting contacts 84. The circuits-for magnets 120 are broken, de-energizing magnets 22 and 23, releasing their armature and permitting the levers to return to normal open position, and thepapershifter armature falls into position for repeating the shifting operation.

Condenser 95, besides equalizing the eifect of the biased and unbiased alternating currents on magnet 22, serves to decrease the total of self-induction on the line circuit, thereby permittin the use of a longer line circuit between stations.

If it is desired to operate this system by neans of direct current instead of the alternating current supplied by generators 19 and 98, these generators may be replaced by a source of dlrect current and condensers 95 and 104 are eliminated, the line wires being con nected directly to the windings of magnets 22 and 23. In 'addition, the direct current pen lifting circuits should be substituted in place of the arrangementherein shown, such direct current arrangement being fully disclosed in my Patent No. 954,150, issued April 5, 1910.

It is to be understood that the features of this invention are not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of devices herein described, and many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the claims. 7

What I claim is- 1. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receivin pen arm, driving means for the arm, and means under the control of the line current to operatively connect and disconnect the driving means with said arm.

2. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pefn arm, driving means for the arm, (a friction clutch for variably engaging the driving means with the arm, and means under the control of the line current to operate said clutch. 3. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of atransmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, driving means for said arm, a friction clutch for operatively connecting and disconnecting the driving means with the arm, an electromagnet, anarmature therefor, means to cause said magnet to exercise a pull on its armature in proportion to the intensity of the line current, and means under the control of said armature to operate said clutch.

4. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, 'means to vary the strength of the current insaid line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, movable driving means for the arm, means to regulate the speedof the driving means, and means under the control of the line current to operatively connect and disconnect the driving means and the arm.

5. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, a constant speed continuously driven motor for rotating the. arm, and clutch means for connecting the motor with the arm comprising a disk, driving means between the motor and the disk, a second disk, means for moving the second disk towards the first disk under a pressure varying with the variationv in line current, and

connecting means between the second disk and the arm. I

6. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, a motor for rotating the arm, a shaft driven by the motor through a worm and wheel connection, a shaft on which the arm is mounted, and clutch means for-connecting said shafts, comprising adjacent disks on each shaft having frictional engaging means therebetween, pressure means to cause the disks to engage each other, means to vary the pressure in accordance with the variations in the line current, and spring means tending to oppose the motion of the arm. 7

7. In a telautograph system, an incoming writ-ing line, means to vary the strength of the current in said line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving arm, a motor for rotating the arm, a shaft driven by the motor through a worm and wheel connection, a shaft on which the arm is mounted, clutch means for connecting said shafts comprising adjacent disks on each shaft having frictional engaging means therebetweema lever for exerting pressure on one of the disks, a magnet energized by the line current, an armature for the magnet,

and a connection between said lever and said armature.

' 8. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in the writing line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, driving means for the arm, clutch means for connecting the driving means with the arm, and means under the control of the writing line current to operate the clutch.

9. In a telautograph system, an incoming writing line, means to vary the strength of the current in the writing line in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving pen arm, driving means 'for the arm, means associated with the arm and tending to oppose the driving means, and means under the control of the writing line current to operatively connect the'driving means with the arm.

10. In a telautograph system, a writing line, a transmitting station, a tracer, a source of alternating current at the transmitting station, a circuit including said source in the line, a source of-direct current, a switch in the circuit, means to operate the switch under the control of the tracer to introduce the direct current source into the circuit, areceiving station, a relay responsive to the direct current, a receiving pen, and means under the control of the relay to move the pen.

11. In a telautograph system, Writing lines, means to vary the strength of the current in the writing lines in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving station, a receiving pen, a source of mechanical power located at the receiving station, and means under the control of the writing line currents for variably engaging said source with the pen.

12. In a telautograph system, writing lines, means to vary the strength of the current in the writing lines in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving station, a receiving pen, means ,for

causing said pen to move in accordance with the variations in the strength of said line currents comprising a source of mechanical power and means operated by said line currentsfor variably engaging said source with said pen.

13. In a telautograph system, writing lines, means to varythe strength of the current in the writing lines in accordance with the movements of a transmitting tracer, a receiving station, a receiving pen, spring means for biasing the pen, and means for moving the pen against the action of the biasing means and in accordance with the variations in the strength of the line currents comprising a source of mechanical power, a friction clutch between the source and the pen, and means operated by said line currents for variably engaging the clutch to variably eflfect power transmission thereth-rough in correspondence with the strength of the line currents.

14. In a telautograph system. and in combination, writing lines, a receiving station, a receiving pen, spring means for biasing the pen, and means operated by current in the writing lines for moving the pen against the action of the biasing means comprising a sourceof mechanical power, a clutch between the source and the pen, and means operate-d by the line currents forengaging or disengaging the clutch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set m hand.

' GEORGE S. TIFFANY.

Images