US37997A - Improvement in electric telegraphs - Google Patents

Description

A. BAIN.

Dial Telegraph Patented March 24, 1863 Nv PETERS. FhuXc-Lilhogrnpher. wunm mn. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ ALEXANDER BAIN, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WM. H. ALLEN, 0F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.

Specification forming paltof Letters Patent No. 37,993, dated March 24, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BAIN, of the cityand Stateof New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in ElectricTelegraphs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of my said lIlVGH' tion, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is a plan of my telegraph-instrument. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan with the dials removed; and FigsA and 5 represent the movable dial-rings.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

My invention is adapted to ordinary telegraphic operations, but especially available for field-telegraphs for army use, or to the transmission of secret messages that can be understood only by the persons sending and receiving the same, and although the other instruments in the electrical circuit may move, still the message at them will be unintellt gible.

My invention consists, first, in a rotary finger-plate that makes and breaks the electrical circuit, and by means of an electro-magnet gives motion to a hand that indicates upon a dial the letters or signs transmitted; second, in movable indicating-dials that can bevaried in the order of the lettering or figuring to suit the wishes of the parties sending and receiving communications, and by this means the message can only be understood by the sender and receiver, who have corresponding dials, the other instruments in the circuit having dials different lettered, the message is unintelligible at such intermediate stations. Thus my instrument becomes adapted to use as a secret telegraph.

In the drawings, a represents a circular case of suitable size, shape, and material, around the top edge of which is a circular recess receiving the edge of the finger-plate b. This finger-plate has near the edge thereof holes or recesses corresponding in number to the letters of the alphabet, or to the characters to be transmitted 5 and projecting from the edge of the case a over the finger-plate is a fixed stop, 0, and upon the surface of the finger plate are letters or characters contiguous to each finger-hole. The operator, placing the finger upon the hole opposite to the character to be transmitted, rotates the said plate until his finger comes to the stop 0, the act of doing which causes as many pulsations and pauses in the electrical current as there may be characters or letters passing said stop in the revolution of the finger-plate until said plate is stopped. These electric pulsations and pauses are produced by alternate conducting and non-conducting surfaces on the said finger-plate corresponding in number to the hole in the plate I).

I have shown the flange l with sections of hard rubber or other suitable non-conducting material introduced, as at 2, and against this flange the point of the spring (Z rests. Said spring is connected with the binding-screw c, that receives one of the wires in the electrical circuit and the other wire is connected to the binding-screwy, and the wire from the helix of the magnet 9 also connects to this screwf. The other end of said helix connects to the brass bed-plate of the instrument at 3, from which bed the spring It extends to the under side of the finger-plate I). By this arrangement the armature '2 is attracted toward the electro-ma-gnet when the point of the spring d rests upon the metallic part of the flange 1, so that the electrical currentpasses through the parts but when that current is broken by the non-conducting material 2 in said flange 1 the armature is drawn back by the spring 4. This spring at may be regulated in its tension by a cord to the turniug-rodo.

From the armature 1' an arm, 6, extends to a crotch in the propeller 7, that vibrates on the arbor S, and has at the ends of the arms pallets 9 and 10, so shaped, as shown, that the crown-wheel l will be caused to progress one-half of the space between the teeth or pins each vibration of the armature, and the hand will be moved and held in position as the an mature is drawn toward the magnet, and again moved and held in position when the armature is away from the magnet, and on the arbor of this wheel Z is a hand, a, that revolves over the dial m, the nonius of which dial is on the radial line of the finger-hole next in the left of the stop 0. By extending the arm 6 above the armature to take the crutch 7 near its arbor, a sufficient motion is given to the pallets, although but a small movement takes place of the armature.

The dials are lettered and numbered as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be lettered in any other desired order, care being taken that the letters on the dial m are in the reverse order to those around the finger-plate d.

The action of this instrument is as follows: The finger-plate and dial-hand, standing at the nonius, as in Fig. 1, the operator places his finger in the hole of the finger-plate opposite the letter to be sent, and revolves said plate in the direction of the arrow, until his finger reaches said stop 0. The pulsations and pauses of electricity by this movement have caused all the instruments in the circuit to indicate on the dial m by'the hand neach successive letter or sign that passes the stop 0 in the revolution of said plate d, and the stopping of said hand opposite the given letter or sign. indicates the same to be the one transmitted, and then the operator places his finger in the hole for the next letter to be transmitted, and rotates the plate as before.

The instruments are all to be adjusted by bringing the nonius into position at the end of each word, if required, and the hand should always stand at this point when not in action.

The movement of the-hand on the dial of the instrument at the transmitting-station enables the operator to see whether the pulsations have all been correctlymade in the electrical circuit.

A small lever, 19, on the fulcrum 12, kept back by a coiled spring around the arbor, enables the operator to set the hand a by vibratin g the armature.

Any convenient code of signals or characters may be arranged for the dials of this instrument, and all the instruments in a given circuit are to have corresponding fixed dials. I have shown an arrow in the line of signals pointing inward, which, when brought around twice, indicates that figures are to be used, and the other arrow in the said line of signals pointing outward, when similarly indicated, shows that letters are to be used.

The mode of using my instrument for a secret telegraph will be understood from the following: Metallic or other rings or dials are to be provided, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, one ring of a size to set upon the finger-plate b and cover the letters thereof and the other ring of a size to set upon the dial m. These rings have projecting studs at q q, entering holes in the respective dials at the nonius points 13. These rings or dials may be covered with paper and letters, figures, or other characters written thereon on one or both sides, and movable rings thus prepared may be furnished to parties desiring to correspond, and they may letter them at the particular divisions to suit their own convenience, and parties communicating may have any desired number of these rings or dials made in pairs, but the order of theletterin g varied in each pair. These rings or dials being numbered or otherwise marked and in the possession of parties desiring to correspond, the particular rings are designated and placed on the instrument atzthe two stations, and the parties communicate intelligently to each other, and although all the other instruments may be connected so as to move correspondingly, the message can only be read by the two parties having the rings with lettering corresponding. I have illustrated this in the telegraphic circuit surrounding the drawing, where the dials colored. red may correspond in the lettering to the rings, Fig. 4, those colored yellow to the rings, Fig. 5, and those colored blue to the dials, Fig. 1. From this it will be seen that no message could be understood if sent from a dial of one color except at the dial of the same color.

It will be evident that my system of movable rings or dials to form a secret telegraph might be used with any other character of telegraphic instrument to which they may be applicable.

The rings or dials may be marked or lettered by engraving the same in the metal, by painting, printing, or in any other convenient man ner, and the dials may be designated so as to know which is to be used by giving the first two letters, thus, dial A B, dial N X, dial G D, &c.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The finger-plate provided with cavities or holes corresponding with the sign to be transmitted, said plate in its revolution making and breaking the electrical circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. The stop 0, in combination with the said fin ger-plate, for the purposes and as specified.

3. The dial m and hand a, actuated substantially as shown, in combination with said finger-plate for receiving the message, as specified.

4. The movable dials or rings applied to the transmitting and receivinginstruments,whereby the telegraphic communication can only be understood by the sender and receiver, as set forth.

5. The fin ger-plate supported at or near its circumference, so that the interior of said finger-plate may be open for exhibiting the dial m and hand it, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 31st day of December, 1862.

ALEXR. BAIN.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, Guns. E. SMITH.

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