US296376A - andebson - Google Patents

Description

(NoMnaex.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

R. ANDERSON.

AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH.

No. 296,376. Patente Apr. 8, 1884.

4 J70/029233072 zgu Jnefensonf,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. ANDERSON. AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH;

Patented Apr. 8; 1884'.

N, PETER'S. Phuln-mnagnphur. washing-mn. n c,

Nrrnn STATES .PATENT o trios.

AUTO MATIG TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,376, dated April' 8, 1884.

Application iiled March 17, 1883. (No model.)

that class of automatic telegraphic transmitting-instruments in which the message to be transmitted is placed in insulating-ink upon the surface of a metallic drum, which is afterward rotated under a contact-roller which i'ollows the spiral line of characters composing ,the message.

In this class of instruments as heretofore constructed the metallic drum is rotated at first slowly under a pen which has a rectilinzo ear travel across the i'aoe oi1 the drum, `and is operated to deposit the insulating-ink. After the inscription oi' the message is completed and the inl; has dried, the drum is rotated with a much more rapid motion under the contact-roller.

The objects of my improvement are, iirst, to simplify the devices for throwing the contact-roller into and out of contactwith the drum, and to cause the lateral travel of said 3o roller to commence and cease simultaneously with the commencement and cessation of the contact oi' the roller with the drum, respectively; and, second, to simplify the mechanism for changing the speed of the drum.

The invention consists in certain novel constrnctions and combinations of devices, which will hehereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is 4o a vertical section of a transmitting apparatus constructed according to my invention, the plane of section being indicated by the line m ai, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top View ofthe apparatus. Fig. 3 is a side view of the drum with ,45 a portion of its wall broken away to show the burner within the same. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section illustrating the sliding carriage, its support, and the contact-roller and its operating devices. Fig. 5 is a detail top view 5o oi the parts shown in Fig. 1i. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the devices for giving the slow motion to the drum.

B B is a frame, in which is supported the shaft S, upon which is mounted the drum A. Upon the shaft is a loose pulley, S, moved longitudinally thereon by means of ashifting- 'lever' (not shown) taking into the recess s in the sleeve of the pulley. On the shaft S is iiXed a clutch, c, with which the pulley may he locked, so that the shaft and drum may be rotated directly with the pulley, and at a high rate of speed. Upon upward extensions Z1 b Iof the sides of the frame is secured a horizontal carriage-support, H, having its edges dovetailed to receive a correspondingly-dovetailed carriage, G, which slides on said support in a direction parallel with the axis of the drum. The carriage-support H is slotted longitudinally through its center, and through the slot is arranged a screw-shaft, E, having its bearings in the end walls of the slot. To a post, d, projecting upward -from the rear edge of the carriage, is pivoted an arm, D, to which is secured a stout nger-spring, k, at the outer end of which is mounted the contact-roller K, which is arranged to he brought in contact with the surface of the drum.

To one side ofthe arm D is secured a plate,

F, projecting downward through a slot in the carriage, and having its lower edge formed as a segmental knife-edge, to engage with the screw-shaft E. From-the top of the carriage rises a short standard, Z, Fig. 5, directly opposite the plate F, and to this standard on the side next said plate is centrally pivoted a disk,

L, having a handle, Z. From this disk an eccentric pin, l?, projects loosely through the arm D and plate F. It will now he observed that when the arm Z is swung to the right, or in the direction indicated by the arrow, the

eccentric pin Z? will force downward the arm y D and plate F, bringing the knife-edge of the plate into engagement with the screw E, and the roller K simultaneously into contact with the drum. If the screw-shaft E be now rotated, the carriage will be caused to travel lupon its support and carry the contact-roller across the face of the drum, and if the drum be at the same time rotated upon its axis it is obvious that the roller will have a spiral line of contact with the surface of said drum.

Upon a separate carriage, G', Fig. 2, is mounted the pen l?, which is constructed and operated for placing the message upon the IOO drum in the manner shown in the patent of v William A. Leggo, No. 238,929, dated March l5, 1881. 'Ihe letter p indicates a pivoted knife-edge, which may be used to bring the 5 carriage into engagement with the screw-shaft when the pen is to be used; but this knifeedge is not connected with the pin. Upon one end of the screw-shaft E, which projects through its bearing, is fixed a geario wheel, E', which meshes with a similar gearwheel, E2, fixed upon the shaft S. When the pulley S' is clutched to the shaft and rotated by means of a belt, a rapid rotary motion will be given to the shaft, and this rapid motion will be transmitted, through the gear-wheels E2 and E', to screw-shaft E, and the carriage G will be caused to have a rapid travel on its support if the knife-edge plate F be brought into engagement with the screw-shaft, as here- 2o tofore described. This rapid motion is given to the parts when the message is being transmitted. As explained, however, in the patent of Leggo, heretofore referred to, the drum and carriage must have a much slower motion when the penis being used, in order that the Y operator may have time to properly-write his message, and in order to give this slower motion a separate set of devices is used for transmitting motion from the pulley S' to the drum 3o and carriage. From said pulley a belt, S3, passes downward around a small pulley, w, fixed upon a transverse shaft journaled in suitable bearings below the shaft S, and from this small pulley w a belt, S4, passes upward 3 5 around the belt-wheel W', which is carriedat one end of a short shaft, S5, mounted in a sleeve-bearing carried at one end of a lever, N, pivoted at the top of a standard, N'. At the other end of the short shaft S5 is a pinion, 4o S6, arranged to mesh with the gear-wheel E2 upon the shaft S. Vhen the outer end of the lever N is depressed, said pinion S6 will be engaged with the gear-wheel E2, and the belt SiL will be tightened, so that the motion trans- 4 5 mitted from-the pulley S', through the belt S3, to the small pulley w will also be transmitted through the belt St, belt-wheel W', shaft S5, pinion S6, gear-wheels E2 and E', to the screwshaftE and the carriage, a slow traversing 5o motion of the carriage being the result if the knife-edge p is at this time in engagement with the screw-shaft. When the outer end of the lever N is depressed, a pin, n, projecting therefrom,will be engaged by the lower catch,

v n', of a spring latch-lever, It, which holds the lever N in this position. By throwing the latch-lever to the right, the catch n' will be disengaged from the pin and the lever N will rise, the pin 4n being caught by the upper 6o catch, u2, and the pinion SG will be then out of engagement with the` wheel E2 and the belt S4 relaxed.

In the machine invented by William A. Leggmheretofore referred to, and upon which my present invention is an improvement, the

slow motion is given by means of a belt passing from a small loose pulley on the shaft S to a belt-wheel upon,a counter-shaft, and. another belt passing from a small pulley on said counter-shaft back to a loose belt-wheel, which is mounted on the main shaft, and is automatically clutched to said shaft when rotated in the proper direction. The driving-belt pulley is shifted in one direction to engage directly with the main shaft, and in the opposite direction to engage with the loose pulley, from which motion is transmitted by a belt to the counter-shaft. My improvement obviously gives a much simplified construction of the slow-motion-transmitting devices, and has the additional advantage that when the pinion SG isdepressed out of engagement with the wheel E2 the belt S4 will also be relaxed, and the strain and wear upon the parts and bearings will be materially decreased when the slowmotion devices are not in use.

In the apparatus of Leggo an alcohol-lamp in practice is placed within the drum for drying the ink: with which the message is placed upon the drum, and in trimming, filling, and replacing this lamp considerable time is sometimes lost before the transmission canV be commenced. In order to dry the ink rapidly and save this loss of time, I have supported the shell of the drum by means of a single series of radial arms, a2, projecting from a hub, A2, which is iixed to the shaft Sthese arms a2 being arranged at about the middle of the length of the drum and leaving an unobstructed space on each side thereof within the drum. Into the space at one side ofthe arms a2, I lead a gas-pipe, Q, provided with axburner, g, near the arms, said pipe connecting with a suitable pipe, Q', outside the drum, and which may be supported by the framing, as indicated in Fig. 2, or in any other suitable manner. When the gas is ignited at the burner, a sufficient degrec of heat will be communicated to the drum to cause the rapid drying of the ink thereon, so that immediately on completion of the preparation of the message the transmission of the same maybe commenced, either by shifting the carriage back and bringing the contactroller in contact with the drum at the commencement of the message, and connecting the drum and carriage for fast motion, or by using deviceswhich will reverse the motion of the carriage, and transmitting the message backward.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is- IOO l. rIhe combination, with the drum, the

sliding carriage and contact-roller carried thereby, and the screw-shaft, of mechanism for engaging the carriage with said screw-shaft and simultaneously bringing the contact-rol ler in contact with the drum, substantially as described. y

2. The combination, with the drum, the carriage-support, the sliding carriage, and the screw-shaft, of the pivoted` arm D, having the spring la secured thereto, and carrying the contact-roller, the knife-edge plate F, secured to said arm and extending downward through the carriage, end the pivoted disk L, provided with e suitable handle, and having the eeentric pin Z3 extending loosely through Said arm D, substantially as described.

3. In an automat-i0 telegrephtransmitter, the oombinatienmithe drum for the reception of a. message in non-conducting spaces, and actuated et will by one of two sets of gearing, one of which is adapted to give the drum n' much greater rate of speed than the other, of the gear-Wheel E2, mounted upon the drum shaft and intermediately connected with the serewshaft, the short shaft S5, carried by the

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