US293926A - tan eoeyenberge - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) v H. VAN HOEVENBERGH.

PRINTING TELEGRAPH.- J No. 293,926. Patented Feb. 19. 1884.

By his flizorneys EEEEEEEE PlwmLilhugrapMr. Washlnglon, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,926, dated February 19, 1884.

Application filed April 30, 1883 (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

BERGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing- Telegraphs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the escapement devices employed for controlling the movements of the type-wheels of printing-telegraph instruments.

The object of the invention is to occasion a rapid movement of the escapement in response to the rapidly-succeeding electric impulses employed for determining the position of the type-wheel.

It is a well-known fact that if a bar of soft iron be polarized by induction and the inducing-agent be removed to such a distance that it no longer retains an active influence upon the bar, the magnetism of the iron will not be immediately dispersed, but that a certain period, dependent upon the magnetic inertia of the iron, will be required, in which to resume its normal unpolarized state. Of this attribute or property of iron I take advantage for the purpose of actuating a so-called neutral armature in two directions by means of alternating electric currents traversing the coils of a single electro-magnet.

The invention consists in employing successive electric impulses of alternating polarity for successively reversing the magnetic potential of the electro-magnet which is employed for actuating the escapement, and in availing of the residual magnetism contained in the armature at the instant of or immediately after each reversal, for momentarily impelling the escapement-lever in the direction opposite to that in which it is actuated when the armature has acquired by induction from the electromagnet magnetism of the character tending to draw the two into proximity. The to-andfro movements of the armature and its lever are employed for controlling the movements of a type-wheel in any suitable manner. For the purpose of arresting the type-wheel at its unison-point, an impulse of sufficient strength to cause the armature to recede from the electro-magnet without again approaching it is transmitted through the latter. The escape- 1 arranged to out out the resistance T by affordment-wheel is thereby freed from the detent which normally checks its movement, and is permitted to revolve until an independent arm carried upon its arbor is brought into contact with a detent, which is projected into the path of the indepen dent arm when thearmature is away from the electro'magnet. The movement of the arbor is thereby arrested and the type-wheel held in a predetermined position. The impression of any required character is effected after such character has been brought into the required position through the agency of an electric current of greater strength than the impulses employed for actuating the escapement. This current preferably traverses the same system of conductors as the alternating currents and causes an armature, which responds only to currents of increased strength to effect the required impression in the usual manner.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented in Figure 1 the portions of a telegraphic receiving-instrument embodying my invention in connection with an apparatus organized to transmit electric impulses of the proper character for actuating the same. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the receiv-. ing-instrument.

Referring to the drawings, A and B respectively represent a transmitting and a receiving station of a printing-telegraph system united with each other by a main-line conductor, L. At the station A the apparatus is organized to transmit upon the main line L currents of either polarity and of three different strengths, at the will of the operator. The currents of a certain strength are employed for operating the type-wheel at the receivingstation, currents of the second strength for effecting the impression of a required char-v acter, and of the third strength for securing a unison in the positions of the transmitting and receiving device. The particular organization of apparatus rep resented for-transmitting these impulses consists of apole-changing key, K, of well known construction, adapted to transmit impulses of alternating polarity from a battery, e, upon the main line L. These impulses, however, normally traverse an artificial resistance, T, the effect of which is to reduce their strength. A second key, K, is

ing a path around the same through conductthe magnetism thus induced by a current from ors 1 and 2 when the key is depressed. By this means the effective strength of the current which may be traversing the main line at any time from the battery 6 may be increased. A switch, K is interposed in the conductor leading from the resistance T to the main line L. This switch is adapted to be moved from the position shown in the drawings into contact with acontiniious conductor, 3, leading from one pole of a battery, 6 the remaining pole of this battery being connected with the earth at G. By means of this switch the circuit of the battery may be interrupted, and a current .of athird strength may be transmitted upon the main line L. The strength of the current thus transmitted should be less than the strength of the currents transmitted from the battery 0 through the resistance T.

It may be here remarked that the particular organization oi transmitting apparatus described forms no part of the invention claimed in this patent, except in so far as it serves to illustrate one of several well-known methods of transmittingelectric impulses of three different strengths and two polarities upon a main-line conductor. The alternate positive and negative impulses transmitted upon the main line L are caused at the receiving-station to traverse the coils of an electro-magnet, M. This electro-magnet is provided with a soft-iron armature, m, carried upon a suitable armature-lever, F. The armature-lever F is mounted upon a trunnion, f, which also carries an arm, H, constituting the escapement-lever of a scape-wheel, J. The scapewheel J is carried, together with a type-wheel, W, upon an arbor, i, and normally tends to revolve in the direction indicated by the ar row on through the influence of a constant force exerted upon the arbor "i by a drum, w, to which a suitable cord and weight are attached. A suitable adjusting contact-stop, f, limits the movement of the armature m and its lever F away from the electro-magnet. The movement of the same in the opposite direction is limited by the poles of the electro-magnet M, against which the armature rests when the electro-magnet is vitalized by a current of sufficient strength. WVhen the armature-lever is in its forward position, a detent or pallet, h, carried at the extremity of the escapementlever P, engages a tooth of the scape-wheel J and prevents its revolution. WVhen the armature F rests against the contact-stop f, the scape-wheel is released from the detent and permitted to advance in response to the constant force. The adjustable retractile spring f is preferably employed for withdrawing the armature-lever from the electromagnet when the latter is not vitalized. This spring may, however, in some instances be dispensed with, as will hereinafter appear. An electric current or impulse of a given character traversing the coils of the electromagnet M from the main line L will induce in the poles n and s magnetism of opposite polarity. Considering a positive pole of the battery 6' to be north in the pole nand south in the pole s, magnetism of the opposite polarity will be induced in the respective confronting extremities s and a of the armature m, and the armature will be drawn into contact with the poles. So long as the current from the positive pole of the battery c traverses the main line the armature m will remain in this position by virtue of the attraction exerted by the electro-magnet, and after the interruption of the current it will remain in contact therewith by virtue of the residual magnetism of the cores and armature. An impulse from the negative pole of the battery 0 will occasion a reversal of the polarity of the cores n and s, rendering the former south and the latter north. The immediate effect of this reversal will be to occasion a repulsion between the cores and the re spective confronting extremities of the armature m. The armature will, therefore, at first be impelled away from the electro magnet, causing the detent h to release the tooth of the scape-wheel J, which it previously engaged, allowing the wheel to advance. The inductive force of the electro-magnet will, however, immediately overcome the acquired magnetism of the soft-iron armature m and occasion a reversal in its polarity. Thereupon the armature will again approach the cores a and s in the manner before described. This reversal will succeed so quickly the repulsion of the armature from the poles of the magnet that the detent h will be immediately thrust into the path of the succeeding tooth upon the wheel J and prevent its farther advancement. Each reversal of the polarity of the current will in this manner occasion, first, a movement of the armature away from the magnet, releasing one tooth of the wheel J and, second, a movement in the reverse directionthat is, toward the electro-magnetthereby again engaging the wheel. These movements succeed each other so rapidly that each succeeding tooth j will be engaged by the pawl hand the scapewheel J will be permitted to advance one tooth only for each reversal of the current upon the line L.

It will be evident that if the scape-wheel be constructed with a number of teeth equal to the number of characters carried by the typewheel, the latter may, by means of the alternating currents, be caused to present each type successively to a printing-platen. lVhen the alternating currents cease, the type-wheel will be arrested and a current of the polarity last employed will continue to traverse the line L and electro-magnet M. The detent h will remain in contact with the last teeth of the scape-wheel J which has been engaged and will retain the wheel in the position in which it has been arrested.

For the purpose of eii'ecting impressions of the various characters upon the type-wheel, I provide an electro-magnet, R, included in the circuit of the main line L, and provided with V v 4 i an armature, 9', carried upon an armature-le- [scape-wheel at each complete vibration, an

ver, R. A platen, r, is carried upon the ex tremity of the armature R beneath the typewheel W. A current from the battery 0, when caused to traverse the resistance T, is not of sufficient strength to actuate the armature r and its'lever 1",- but a current of somewhat greater strength, such as is derived from the battery 6 when unimpeded by the resistance T, will be of sufficient force to effect such action. WVhen, therefore, the key K is' de pressed, the armature T will be actuated and the platen 1 will effect the impression in a manner well understood.

For the purpose of arresting the type-wheel W at its unison-point, I employa device which will now be described. An arm, a, is carried upon an arbor, t, of the scape-wheel J, and a pin, a, projects from the extremity of the lever H at right angles to the detent 7n Against this pin a projection, of, at the extremity of the arm a, is caused to strike when the armature m isaway from the electro-magnet and the scapewheel J is freed from the detent h. WVhen, however, the electro-magnet M is vitalized and the detent h is in its forward position, the projection of passes beyond the pin a without engaging the same. If, therefore, it is desired to effect a unison, it is necessary to transmit through the coils of the electro-magnet M a current of sufficient strength to cause the armature m to be repelled without being again attracted into proximity to the poles. Such a current is transmitted from the battery 6 in the manner hereinbefore described. If the type-wheelW be not in unison at the moment of transmitting such an impulse, it will be permitted to revolve until arrested by the arm a and pin a in the position corresponding to that of the arm K.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, with a main line, a source of electricity, and means for transmitting alternate positive and negative electric impulses upon said main line, of a type-wheel actuated by a constant force, a scape-wheel moving with said type-wheel, a detent for engaging the teeth of said scape-wheel, and an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever actingunder the influence of each succeeding electric impulse to cause said detent to successively release and engagethe teeth of said scapewheel. i

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,with a main line, and means, substantially such as described, for transmitting alternate electric impulses of a given strength upon said main line, of an electromagnet included in the circuit of said main line and oppositely polarized by each succeeding impulse, an armature impelled to and fro by each succeeding impulse, a type-wheel impelled in a given direction by a constant force, a scape wheel moving therewith, an escapement device controlledby the movements of said armature to permit the advance of said arm moving with said scape-wheel, a detent caused to intercept the path of said arm when said armature is remote from said electromagnet,and means,substantially such as described, for transmitting upon said main line an electric impulse of the requisite strength to impel said armature from said electro magnet without again attracting the same into proximity thereto.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a type-wl1eel impelled in a given direction under the influence of a con stant force, a scape-wheel for controlling the movements of the same, a detent. for engaging the teeth of said scape-wheel, an electromagnet, means for reversing the polarization of said electro-magnet, and a soft-iron armature applied to said electro-magnet, which armature is successively repelled and attracted by said electro-magnet at each reversal of its polarity, and when so repelled and attracted permits a step-by-step movement of said scapewheel.

4c. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, a neutral armature,its lever, and means, substantially such as described, for causing said armature to be alternately repelled and attracted by said electro magnet, a detent carried upon said lever, a type-wheel actuated in a given direction by a constant force, a scape-wheel moving with said type-wheel, an arm revolving with said scape-wheel, a detent carried by the movements of said neutral armature to alternately arrest and release said scape-wheel, and means, substantially such as described, for causing said electro-magnet to impel said armature without again attracting it.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,with a main line, and means, substantially such as described, for transmitting upon said main line alternating electric impulses having a given strength, of a typewheel and escapement device for controlling the movements of said type-wheel, an electromagnet and its armature, which armature is successively repelled and attracted through the influence of each succeeding impulse of alternating polarity, thereby controlling the movements of said escapement device, means for increasing the strength of any one of said alternating electric impulses, a printing-platen,and a second electro-magnet acting through theinfluence of an electric impulse of increased strength to actuate said printing-platen.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a main line, and means, substantially such as described, for transmitting upon said main line alternating electric impulses having a given strength, of a typewheel, an escapement device for controlling the movements of said type-wheel, an electromagnet and its armature, which armature is successively repelled and attracted through the influence of each succeeding impulse of alternate polarity, thereby controlling the IIO a movements of said escapement device, means movement of said arm in a predetermined for increasing the strength of any one of said position under the influence of an electric curalternating electric impulses, a printing-platrent of the last-named character. en, and asecond electro-magnet actingthrough In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- I 5 5 the influence of an electric impulse of increased scribed my name this 25th dayof April, A. D.

strength to actuate said printing-platen, means 1883. for transmitting upon said main line an electric current or impulse of less strength than HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH' that of said alternating impulses, an arm re- Vitnesses: 1o volving with said type-Wheel, and means, sub- DANIEL W. EDGEOOMB, stantially such as described, for arresting the CHAR-LES A. TERRY.

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