US443381A - Samuel wesley smith - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. W. SMITH.

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER. No. 443,381. Patented Dec. 23,1890.

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(N0 Modem I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. W. SMITH. TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

No. 443,381. Patented Dec. 23.1890;

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SAMUEL "ESLEY SMITH, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,381, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed June 2, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMU L WEsLEY SMITH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Telegraphic Transmitter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in telegraphic transmitters; and the object of my invention is to produce a device by means of which telegraphic messages may be transmitted with great speed and accuracy and with great ease to the operator.

To this end my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the device embodying my invention, showing the arrangement of keys for sending long and short characters. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line a: a? of Fig. 1, showing the key-carriage and mechanism for sending a long character. Fig. 3 is a view of the same mechanism, but taken from the opposite side. Fig. 4 is-a vertical transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing the key and mechanism for sending a short character, parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view showing the opposite side of said mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detailed view in elevation showing a disk used in sending one of the longer characters, and Fig. 7 is a detailed view in elevation of a disk used in sending one of the shorter characters.

The sending mechanism is mounted on a suitable base-plate A, said plate having arranged in pairs and convenient distances apart the aligning vertical supports B, carrying horizontal shafts b and b. For sending the longer characters the following mechanism is used: The shaft 5 has centrally fixed thereon a disk 0, having projections o and c, varying in length and adapted by means of the varying contact with the trailer to transmit dots and dashes. Mounted upon the shaft 1) at each side of the disk 0 are the disks D, which are preferably made of hard rubber and the outer edges of which project slightly senn at. 354,007. (No model.)

beyond the outer circumference of the disk 0, thus allowing the projections c' and c on the disk to project beyond the edges of the rubber disks or plates D. Fixed upon the shaft 1) is a ratchet-wheel E, having one notch e in the outer edge thereof, and mounted loosely upon the shaft adjacent to said ratchet wheel is a pinion F, having fixed thereto a projecting arm F, carrying at its outer end a pawl f, which presses upon the outer edge of the ratchet-wheel E and is adapted to engage the notch ethereof. The pawl f is held against the face ,of the ratchet-wheel by the spring f which is fixed to the pawl and to the end of the arm f which projects from the opposite end of the arm F. It will thus be seen that the pawl and arm may be moved in one direction without actuating the ratchet-wheel and that when moved in the other direction the pawl will engage the notch and turn the ratchet and the other mechanism on the shaftb.

A suitable brush or trailer G is mounted on a suitable support 9 on the plate A, so that the upper end of the said trailer will press upon the outer periphery of the disks D and will come in contact with the projections on the disk 0. Said trailer is connected by a wire 9' with the battery, and the disks are connected with a line-wire in the usual manner, so that when the trailer comes in contact with the projections on the disk the circuit will be closed and a character transmitted, the short projections c sending dots and the longer projection c sending a dash owing to the greater length of time it is in contact with the trailer.

A wheel H is fixed eccentrically to the shaft 1), said wheel being provided on one side with a projecting pin h, adapted to engage the spring I and limit the movement of the wheel H and shaft 19, as hereinafter described. Fixed to the plate A opposite the wheel H is a spring H, which presses against the outer surface of the wheel to prevent the accelerating motion of the shaft 11, as described below.

Pivoted between'the vertical supports K is a carriage J, having a projecting end J, extending beyond one side of the supports, and having opposite the said end a segmental rack J which meshes with the pinion F on the shaft b. The carriage J .is also provided with Too a projecting screw-tln'eaded portion J, extending beyond the shaft Z) and carrying a weight L, said weight being adjusted thereon by means of the nut j. A laterally-extend ing arm j is fixed to one side of the carriage .T, and the outer end of the arm enters the bent portion of the spring I. The spring I is mounted on the plate A opposite the pinwhcel ll. It is provided with a cam-shapcd 1o portion 1' to engage the end of the arm j, is

doubled upon itself at the part 1?, and extends downwardly, terminating in a bent end i adapted to engage the pin 71 of the pinwheel II, and thus prevent the wheel from 13 making more than one revolution.

Mounted on the base-plate A, so as to align with the supports K and carriage J, are the supports 3f, carrying the horizontal strips M, which vertically align and are provided with vertical perforations, as shown in Fig 2, said perforations being in vertical alignment with the outer end J of the carriageul. Mounted loosely in the perforations of the strips M is a key-rod N of the key N, said key having a letter marked thereon, which is represented by the projections on the disk C.

It will be seen that to transmit the letter "j which is represented in the Morse alphabet by a dash and three dots, and which is represented on the disk C by a long projec tion 0 and three shorter projections c, it is necessary to give to the disk G a complete revolution, thus bringing the trailer G successively in contact with the projection c and the projections c, and-as said disk is connected with a line-wire in the usual manner the appropriate characters will be thereby transmitted. To revolve the disk, the operator presses downward on the key N, thus depressing the outer end J of the carriage J and raising the ack J", which movement turns the pinion F and the connected arm and pawlf, the pawl moving backwardly on the ratchet-wheel E without actuating the same;

but when the carriage is oscillated the full length of itsstroke the pawl fis dropped into engagement with the notch c of the ratchetwheel, and the operator removes his hand from the key, thus permitting the weight I to drop.

This movement turnsthe pinion 1: in the opposite direction, causing the pawl f to turn the ratchctavheel E, and the motion is transmitted to the shaft (2 and to the disk (,1. If there were no provision for regulating the downward stroke of the rack, it will be seen that the speed would be accelerated; but to obviate this diiiiculty the spring II is arranged with relation to the eccentric pinwheel ll, so that the pressure upon the wheel will be increased as the weight I. descends, thereby causing an even motion of the shaft 1) and the parts fixed thereto.

To send aletter, as F,",which is represented by a dot, a disk (1', which is similar to the 6;, disk C, is used, said disk being provided with a series of short projections 0 and as said letter is represented by a single dot it: is not necessary to give to the disk an entire revolution, as it is only necessary to bring one of the said projections in contact with thetrailer to transmit the character. This disk 0' is fixed to a shaft b, arranged in supports 13, adjacent to the other character Y, although it maybe arranged in any desired position on the plate A. The disk C has the insulating plate or disk D of each side thereof, said. disks being arranged, as described above, so that the projections a will extend beyond the outer edges of thedisks and the body of the disk I will be inclosed by the insulating-disks. The shaft 71 provided with a ratchet-wheel E, similar to the ratchet-wheel E, except that it has a series of notches c therein. A pinion F is mounted looselyon the shaft, said pinion being similar to the pinion I already described, and having fixed thereto an arm F provided at its outer end with a spring-pressed pawl f, adapted to engage the notches of the ratchet-wheel. It is only necessary to turn the ratchet-wheel far enough to bring one of the projections c in contact; with the trailer G. Consequently the shaft h is provided with an eccentriepin-whcel II, similar to the wheel. ll, already described, except that it is provided with as many pins 7r as there are notches on the ratchet-wheel E, so that; the spring I will engage the pins successively and limit the movement of the wheel, the shaft 1), the ratchet-wheel E, and disk 0. The spring I is similar to the spring I, already described, except that it is shorter, it having the same cam-like projections i, the doubled portion 2', and the bent terminal end 1?, adapted to engage the pins 7L of the pin-wheel. A carriage J similar to the carriage J, already described, is pivoted in supports K, so as to align with the pinion F, said carriage having the same projecting terminal end J, a similar rack J and being operated by the weight 'L and the keys N, in the manner described. 7

To transmit the letter E, the E-key N is depressed, thus tilting the carriage J and arising the pinion F, ratchetwvheel E, shaft 1), and disk 0 to revolve, bringing the trailer G in contact with one of the projections c and sending the character over the line-Wire. When the rack J on the carriage J or J is raised, the arm j comes in contact with the cam portion i of the spring I, thus forcing the inner end i? from engagement with the pin h or ii and allowing the pin-wheel ll. or II to turn, and when the rack moves downward the same movement will take place; but when the arm j passes the cam portion 1' the spring I will move inwardly, and the end 11 will ongage the pin 71 or it, thus limiting the movement of the pin-wheel and shaft and the character-disk, as described, and as the wheel II is provided with a series of pins 71, the spring I will engage each pin successively and allow the wheel to turn only far enough to bring one of theprojections 0 in contact with the trailer G. Consequentlyif double E is to be sent the E-key of the instrument must be twice depressed.

I have shown only the E and V keys of the device; but it is obvious that any number may be arranged upon the plate A and that by the ratchet wheel arrangement described above the character-disks may be given a whole revolution by each movement of the key or any part of a revolution, the motion being limited and regulated by the mechanism above described. It is obvious that this mechanism may be adapted to any code of signals.

The above-described transmitter may be operated very rapidly by any person who can read the letters on the keys, it only being necessary to depress a key to transmit a letter, and as the movement of the sending mechanism is regulated by the downward movements of the weights it will be seen that the motion of the character-disks will be steady, so that the messages may be transmittedvery accurately and with great rapidity. It will also be observed that each key and the mechanism connected therewith comprises a transmitter in itself, as it works independently from all the other keys and mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A telegraphic transmitter having a series of vertically-moving keys, oscillating carriages having one end beneath the keys and the other provided with a weight, said carriages having segmental racks, as shown, shafts mounted in suitable supports, said shafts carrying disks having proj ections thereon corresponding to the characters to be transmitted, means for closing the circuit through said projections, ratchet-wheels fixed to the shafts adjacent to the disks, and pinions mounted loosely upon the shafts so as to mesh with the carriage-racks, said pinions being provided with a pawl to operate the ratchetwheels, substantially as described.

2. A telegraphic transmitter consisting, essentially, of a series of independent electrically-connected shafts, each carrying a disk having contact projections thereon adapted to transmit characters, as describedg' insulating-disks mounted on each side of the char-- acter-disk so as to extend beyond the body of the same, a trailer electrically connected and pressing upon the insulated disks so as to engage the projections of the characterdisk and close the circuit, a ratchet-wheel fixed to the shaft, a pinion carrying an arm having at the end a spring-pressed pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel, an oscillating carriage having a rack to engage the pinion of the shafts and having a weight at one end thereof, and a key mounted above the carriage and adapted to move the same in opposition to the weight, substantially as described.

3. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combination, with an electrically-connected shaft mounted in suitable supports, a disk fixed to the shaft andhaving contact projections on the edge thereof, insulating-disks mounted on each side the contact-disk so as to extend beyond the body of the same, a ratchet-wheel fixed to the shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft and provided with a springpressed pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel, an eccentric-wheel fixed to the shaft, and a spring mounted on a support so as to press against the eccentric-wheel and govern the movement of the shaft, of an oscillating carriage pivoted in a support, said earriagehaving a rack to engage the pinion of the shaft, aweighted end to hold it in a depressed position, and a let er-like extension, as shown, and a key mounted above the extension of the carriage so as to engage the same and move the carriage, substantially as described.

4. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combi nation, with a revoluble electrically-connected shaft carrying a character-disk, and a pinion and ratchet-wheel mechanism, as shown, of a pin-wheel fixed to the shaft, a stop mounted upon a support and adapted to engage the pin-wheel and limit the movement of the shaft, an oscillating carriage having a rack meshing with the pinion to turn the shaft, and a laterally-extending arm fixed t0 the carriage and adapted to engage the springstop and automatically release it from engagement with the pin-wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combination, with an electrically eonneeted revoluble shaft having sending mechanism thereon adapted to be operated by the movement 'of the shaft, of an eccentric-wheel fixed to the shaft and a spring mounted upon a support, so as to press against the wheel and regulate the movement of the shaft, substantially as described.

6. In a telegraplrtransmitter of the character described, the combination, with the revoluble shaft carrying sending mechanism and provided with a pin-wheel, and the carriage geared to the shaft, of a spring-stop mounted on a support and provided with a projecting end to engage the pin-wheel, and an arm fixed to the carriage-and adapted to strike and release the stop, substantially as described.

7. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combination, with an oscillating carriage provided with a segmental rack, of a shaft carrying a disk having projections, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft and carrying a pawl, and means for regulating the revoluble movement of the shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combination, with a Weighted oscillating carriage provided with a segmental rack, of a shaft carrying a disk having projections, a ratchetwheel on the shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft and carrying a pawl, and means for regulating the revoluble movementof the shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a telegraphic transmitter, the combination, with a weighted oscillating carriage provided with a segmental rack, of a shaft carrying a disk having projections, a ratchetwheel on the shaft, a pinion looselymounted on the shaft and carrying a pawl, means for regulating the revolnble movement of the [O shaft, and a trailer bearing on the disk, substantially as shown and described.

SAMUEL \VESLEY' SMITH. ii'itnesses:

WARREN I). lin'rcnmsox, E. M. m BK.

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