US249080A - Quadruplex telegraph - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. O. NICHOLSON.

QUADRUPLEX TELEGRAPH. No. 249,080. Patented Nev. 1,1881.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sneet 2.

H. O. NICHOLSON.

QUADRUPLEX TELEGRAPH.

No. 249,080. Patented N0v.1,1881

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N. PETERS. Plwlfl-Lvlhngmpher. \Vdzhington. 11c.

(No Model.)

H.-O. NICHOLSON.

QUADRUPLEX TELEGRAPH.

Patented Nov. 1, 1881.

3 Sheets-Sheet '3.

UNrren STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

HENRY O. NICHOLSON, OE KENTON, KENTUCKY.

QUADRUPLEX TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 249,080, dated November 1, 1881.

Application-filed August 29, 1881. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, HENRY G. NICHOLSON, a citizen of theUnited States of America,residing at Kenton, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Telegraphs; and Ido hereby declare the following to bea full, c1ear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to-the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates totelegraphs adapted for the simultaneous transmission of more than one message over a single main-line wire.

The particular novel feature hereinafter described and claimed covers a part of my invention described in my application for United States Letters Patent filed May 11,A.D.1876, which is now in interference with another pending application, and from which this part has been withdrawn under the existing rules of practice in the United States Patent Office.

The particular part of my invention now under consideration consists of the combination at one station of a single main-line and two locally independent main-line relays adapted to independently and simultaneously receive each aseparate and distinct signal or message.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have illustrated in the annexed drawings and will proceed to describe the forms thereof set forth in my aforesaid application.

Figure 1 is a diagram of a duplex telegraph in which part of battery is normally and constantly in circuit.

Electro-motive force for producing the different line -currents used in simultaneously transmitting two messages or signals from station I to station His obtained from the two main-line batteries or two sections of battery M B and M B at station I, which are controlled by the transmitters T and T, inde pendently operated by ordinary finger-keys, K and K, through-the intervention of local batteries, and electro magnet-s O and D, of which the transmitters form the armature-levers,- being provided with the usual retractile springs,

t and t. The lever-arm of transinitterTis constructed with a single hook, a, and single insulated contact-spring a, and plays between the back-stop (Hand the contact-screw a electrically connected to the supporting-post. The lever-arm of transmitter T is constructed with two hooks, b and b, and two insulated contactsprings, b and b and plays between the electrically-connected contact-screws I) and 12 The main-line batteries and transmitters are connected up as follows: The positive pole of battery M B is connected by wire 1 with the negative pole of battery M B. The negative pole of battery M B is connected by wire 2 with the supporting-post of the contact-screw a of transmitter T. The positive pole of battery M B is connected by wire 3 with the lever-arm of transmitter T. Wire 1 is connected by wvire 4. with the lever-arm of the transmitter T. Insulated contact-spring a of transmitter T is connected by wire 5 with the supporting-post of contact-screws b and If of transmitter T. Line L is connected to insulated contact-spring I) of transmitter T, and insulated contact spring 1) thereof is connected with the earth by wire 6. Under this arrangement the currents play as follows: When both finger-keys are open, and consequently both transmitters at rest, battery M B is alone in circuit, and a current from the positive pole thereof traverses the line to the distant station. When finger-key K is closed, in consequence of which transmitter T is attracted by its electro-magnet D, batteryM B remains alone in circuit, but now the current flows from its positive pole to earth, and returns from the distant station, thus traversing the line in the opposite direction. In other words, the operation of transmitter T reverses the fiow of the line-current. When finger-key K is closed, in consequence of which transmitter T is attracted by its electro-magnet G, battery M B is also put in circuit, so as to addits force to that of battery M B and increase the strength of the current already on line without changing the direction of its flow. When both finger-keys are closed, in consequence of which both transmitters are attracted by their respective eleetro-magnets, both batteries M B and M B send ajoint current, as when transmitter T alone is attractedby its magnet, but

in the opposite direction. Thus transmitter T solely changes the strength of the current, and transmitter T solely changes the polarity or the direction of the flow of the current; hence 5 operator at finger-key K transmits his signals or message by changes in the polarity of the current, while the operator at finger-key K transmits his signals or message by changes in the strength of the current. It is deemed o unnecessary to detail the paths of the currents under the difl'erent positions of the transmitters, as they may be readily traced by any one skilled in the art. At the distant station [I a polarized relay, P R, and an ordinary Morse 5 or neutral relay, M R, are connected to the line L. The polarized relay responds to changes in the polarity of the line-currents (irrespective of their strength) effected by the operation of transmitter T. The neutral relay responds to changes in the strength of the line-currents (irrespective of their polarity) effected by the operation of transmitter T, the tension of the retractile spring of said neutral relay being properly adjusted to overbalance the magnetic force thereof due to a .current from battery M B alone, and to allow the relay to respond only to the joint current from the combined batteries M B and M B.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification in the transo initting devices, according to which there is normally no battery in circuit. In this case the battery M B is stronger than the battery M B, so that battery M B alone may furnish a current of sufficient strength to operate the 5 neutral relay,the tension ofthe retractilespring of which is, however, again adjusted to over-balance the magnetic force thereof due to a current from battery M B alone. The transmit ters are constructed and operated the same as o the transmitters of Fig. 1,except that the contact screw 1) of transmitter T is insulated. The line L is connected to this insulated contact-screw I); and the lever-arm of transmitter T is connected by wire 7 to the earth. The 5 negative pole of battery M B is connected by wire 8 to the line L, while its positive pole is connected by wire 9 with the contact-screw I) through thesupporting-postthereof. Thenegative pole of battery M B is connected by wire 3 10 with the supporting-post of the contactscrew a of transmitter T. The positive pole of battery M B is connected by wire 11 with contact-spring I) of transmitter T, and the contact-spring 1) thereof is connected by wire 5 12 with the contact-spring a of transmitter T. The lever-arm of transmitter T is connected by wire 13 with wire 11. Under this arrangement there is normally no current on line. WVhen finger-key K is closed, in consequence of which transmitter T is attracted by its electro-magnet D, battery M B alone is put in circuit with its negative pole to line. When tinger-keyK is closed, in consequence of which transmitter T is attracted by its electro-mag- 5 net 0, battery M B is put in circuit with its,

positive pole to line.

When both fin ger-keys are closed,in consequence of which both transmitters are attracted by their respective magnets, the poles of battery M B are transposed by transmitter T, and it is joined by transmitter T to battery M B, so that the joined batteries are put in circuit with their negative pole to line. The relays at the receiving-station II are the same, and connected up as in Fig. 1. The currents sent by transmitter T alone operate the polar relay P R, the currents sent by transmitter T alone operate the Morse or neutral relay M R, and the currents sent by the simultaneous action of both transmitters T and T operate both relays P R and M R.

Fig.3illustrates a quadruplex' telegraph embodying still another form of thispart of my invention. The batteries and transmitters at the respective stations I and II are arranged and connected up precisely the same as in the duplex telegraph, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) the parts at one station being, however, arranged reversely to the same parts at the other station, while the polarized relay at one station responds to currents of positive polarity and the polarized relay at the other station to currents of negative polarity. Parts at station I are marked like the same parts at station I of Fig. l, and the corresponding parts at station II are similarly marked. The relays P R and M R at station I1 correspond to the relays at station II of Fig. 1; but they are, like the relays P R and M R at station I, so-called differential relays, each being wrapped with two equal but distinct helices. ()ne of these helices is inserted in the main line,while the other is inserted in the wire M of the artificial line, which branches from the main line at a point, L, between the reversing transmitter T and the adjacent relay. A rheostat, R, isinserted in the artificial line, in order that the resistance of said artitical line may be made equal to the resistance of the main line. A condenser, N, is inserted in a shunt wire, M, of the artificial line to compensate for static discharges of the main line, in amanner well known. The helices of each relay are reversely connected to the main line and artificial line respectively, so that from point L the divided currents will flow in opposite directions through said helices and balance each other so long as an effective IIS current flows to the main line from station I; a

but the relays at each station are nevertheless normally charged, since the main-line current is stronger than either of the artificial-line currents, because normally battery M B at station I is joined to battery M B at station II, so that both batteries contribute to the mainline current, while the artificial line at station I is charged by battery M B alone and the artificial line at station II by battery M B alone. This normal main-line current has a direction or polarity opposite to that required to operate the polar relays. The neutral relays are, on the other hand, adjusted above the tension of said normal mainline current, and will respond only when the unbalanced current, or either unbalanced portion thereof, is strengthened to the extent that it maybe by adding the electromotive force of either or both batteries M B and M B, according as either one or both neutral relays are to be operated.

It will be observed that the route from line to earth at the respective stations is never broken by the operation of the transmitters, so that the continuity of the circuit is constant. Under this arrangement the batteries M B at the respective stations are normally joined and in line-circuit, and produce a main-line current exceeding in strength the current on either artificial line; but said normal main-line current is too weak to operate the neutral relays, and its polarity is the reverse of that required to operate the polarized relays. In telegraphing a signal or message from one station to the othersay from station I to station IIby the non-reversing transmitter T the operation of the apparatus does not materially differ from that of the duplex shown in Fig. 1 under like circumstances, the main-line current being successively increased and decreased, and neutral relay M Rat station II being operated in consequence thereof, neutral relay M R at station I remaining inactive because the increase in strength of the main-line current being accompanied by a corresponding increase in strength of the artificial-line current at said station I; but the operation of the apparatus when a signal or message is telegraphed by the reversin g transmitter T differs very materially from that of the duplex shown in Fig. 1 under like circumstances. Thus, in operating thereversing transmitter T at either station-say at sta tion l-battery M B at said station I is successively joined and opposed to battery M B at station II, resulting in successive suspensions and re-establishments of the main-line current and reversals of the artificial-line current at station I. The artificial-line current at station It remains unaffected; but the suspensions of the main-line current set it free, as it were, so that having proper direction it will operate the polarized relay P R at station II. The polarized relay P R at station I remains inactive during these suspensions of the main-line current because the reversal of the artificial-line current gives it a direction reverse of that required to operate said polarized relay.

The continuity of the line-circuit of the duplexes (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) is never interrupted by the operation of the transmitters, but remains constant, the same as in the quadruplex shown in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that in all cases the relays are entirely free of local complications that the operation of either in no instance affects or modifies the effect of the line current on the other; that they are, in short, locally independent.

In all the examples of my invention each main-line relay governs an independent local circuit, including a sounder. These local circuits and sounders are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but are omitted from Fig. 3.

This patent is intended to cover only the particular subject-matter specified in the ensuing claim. I disclaim here all other novel features which I have endeavored to cover in my applications for patents filed, respectively, October 14, A. D. 1874, and May 11, A. D. 1876, and subdivisions thereof other than this one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combination,atone station,substantially as before set forth, of a single main-line and twolocally-independentmain-linerelays adapted toindependently andsimultaneouslyreceive each a separate and distinct signal or message.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses:

W. P. BIDDLE, JOHN E. JoNEs.

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