US486888A - eaton - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. D. NEAL &. H. F. EATON. ELBCTRIGA'L TRANSMITTING APPARATUS.

No. 486,888. Patented Nov. 29, 1892.

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(NO Model.) 2Sheets -Sheet 2. A. D. NEAL & H. F.,EATON. v BLEOTRIUAL TRANSMITTING APPARATUS.

No. 486,888. Pa-tented Nov. 29, 1892.

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PATENT ALBERT D. NEAL, OF BOSTON, AND HOWARD F. EATON, OF CAMBRIDGE,

' MASSACHUSETTS; SAID EATON ASSIGNOR TO SAID NEAL.

ELECTRICAL TRANSMITTING APPARATUS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,888, dated November 29, 1892.

Application filed April 17, 1891. Renewed May 19, 1892. Serial No 433,559. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALBERT D. NEAL, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and HOWARD F. EATON, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electrical Transmitting Apparatus, of which-the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus by which letters or like characters of different signification may be electrically transmitted from one point or station to another point or station over a single line wire or circuit.

Prior to this present invention we are aware thatlettersandlikecharactershavebeentransmitted from one station to another over asingle line wire or circuit by what is technically known as the step-by-step movement through the instrumentality of a revolving shaft or roll provided with pins or projections arranged spirally about the said roll and adapted to be engaged by letter or other character keys to stop the shaft or roll in its revolution and effect the transmission of the letter or character represented by the particular key thus operated.

The step-by-step system referred to is limited as to the rapidity of transmitting the characters, because of the liability of the pins or projections on the shaft or roll being stripped or broken off by the keys when the said shaft or roll is revolved at any considerable speed, and also on account of the jar occasioned by the sudden stopping of the roll by the keys, which jar is liable to throw the parts of the apparatus or mechanism out of adjustment. The step-by-step system of transmission, as now commonly practiced, for the reasons set forth, is objectionable and unsuited for rapid service.

Our present invention has for its object to obviate the existing defects of the step-by- Our improved system and apparatus are especially designed to be used, among other things, in the printing-telegraph service and stance, the receiving station-may be operated to produce the desired or required character by effecting a change in condition of the main-line circuit at another or transmitting station, the said change in condition of the main-line circuit being effected through the instrumentality of a continuously-moving surface, provided with circuit terminals, which may be one or more pins, projections, or segments, and with which oo-operate corresponding circuit-terminals operated by the character-keys, as will be described.

The particular features of our invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1' is a diagramatic view of a sufiicient portion of two instruments constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention to enable it to be understood; Fig. 1, a detail to be referred to; Fig. 2,'a top or plan view of the main portion of our improved apparatus, the cover and keys shown in Fig. 2 being omitted; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, the section being supposed to be taken on the line 00 as; Fig. 3, a diagram of circuits to more clearly illustrate the invention; Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, details showing the forms of circuit-controlling character-keys preferred by us; Figs. 7 to -9, inclusive, modified forms of movable surface; Fig. 10, a modified form of circuit-controlling character-key, and Fig. 11 a modification to be referred to.

Our improved apparatus may be used both as a transmitter and as a receiver, and the construction of both being identical We shall specifically describe but one.

Referring to Figs. 1. and 2, the movable surface or contact-carrying member of our improved apparatus is shown as a roll A, provided, preferably, with a series of circuit-terminals, shown as pins, studs, or projections a, arranged spirally above the said roll.

The roll A, as herein shown, is mounted on a shaft a, supported in suitable bearings on a base plate or frame (1 and, as herein represented, the said shaft and its roll arerevolved continuously by an electric motor a having its armature-shaft provided with a bevelpinion a in mesh with a bevel-gear a on the shaft or.

The shaft or is preferably composed of conducting material, preferably metal, and the pins or studs (1. are electrically connected to the shaft, as herein shown, by extending the said pins or studs through the roll A, so as to strike or make contact with the conductingshaft a. The shaft on, as shown, also has mounted upon it a pole-changer, shown as composed of two metallic disks or commutators a a insulated from the said shaft and separated from each other by insulation a",

and provided with metallic hubs a a the said pole-changing disks having their peripheries subdivided by pieces or segments of insulation 0. to form conducting-segments, with which co-operate pole-changing arms or conductingbrushesor pins a a a a ,(shown separately in Figs. 1 and 3,) the pole-changing arms (L12 or bearing on substantially-opposite segments of the commutator-disk a and the pole-changing arms (1, (L15 bearing on substantially-opposite segments of the commutator-disk M.

The pole-changing arms 00 0, constitute the posititive members of the pole-changer, and the arms 0, c1 constitute the negative members of the pole-changer, and the said positive and negative arms are diagonally or oppositely connected together, as represented in Fig. 3, wherein the negative pole-changing arm 0. is shown as connected by wire 00 to the line-wire a, connected to the positive arm or brush a, and the negative arm or brush a is connected by wire a to the line-wire 01, which is joined to the positive arm or brush a. The current is supplied to the commutatordisks a a as herein shown, by brushes a 0e the brush a bearing on the hub a of the disk a and the brush {L21 bearing on the hub a of the disk a The brush a as represented in Fig. 3, is connected by wire a to the positive pole of a battery B, and the brush a is connected to the negative pole of the said battery by wire 'a ,the armature of the electric motor, and wire a the wire a being shown as provided with a switch (1 normally closed on the line but adapted to engage with a terminal (r joined by a wire or to the wire co and the wire a having a like switch c0 adapted to be connected to a branch wire a, joined to the wire a for a purpose as will be described. The line-wire a has located in it an electromagnet b, which, for the purpose of the claims, I shall designate as the character-controlling magnet, the said magnetin practice controlling at one point or station the production of the letters or characters corresponding to the letter or character keys 6, (see Fig.

2,) operated at another point or station, as-

will be described. a

The electro-magnet, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3,has its armature b controllingalocal circuit, in which is located a series of magnets b only two of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the said magnets in practice governing the movement of type-levers b a portion of one of the said levers being shown in Fig. 1, it being connected by the link 11 to an arm 11 of a bell-crank lever mounted on a rod Z7 and having its other arm 11 connected by the rod 19 to the armature b of the electro-magnet b The magnets b are connected by wire 5 to one pole of a local battery b the other pole of which is connected to the armature b co-operating with a back-stop b electrically connected, as shown, by a wire 19 and spring 19* to a selecting-arm b fast on the shaft a of the roll A, but electrically separated therefrom by insulation 5 The selecting-arm b cooperates and makes contact with circuit-terminals for the local circuit, shown as plates or strips b connected by wires 79 to the magnets b there being a segmental plate Z9 for each character or letter operating magnet 19 To facilitate description and to simplify matters, I have shown but one revolving roll in Fig. 3, which for the purpose of this invention is made to serve the double purpose of transmitter and receiver. When employed in printing-telegraph service, the transmitter and receiver will preferably be constructed so that the one instrument or apparatus may be used both as a transmitter and as a receiver. When used as a transmitter, the roll A may be revolved continuously by the electric motor or by any other suitable motor mechanism, and when used as a receiver the revolution of the roll will be governed by the reversals of the current, preferably by means of a polarized electro-magnet I), located in the main line a and havingits armature Z7 provided with a forked arm or rod 17 having two forks or teeth b b adapted to engage teeth, pins, or projections 19 on the periphery of a disk Z9 (see Fig. 2,) keyed or splined on the shaft 0,. Normally but one of the forks lies in the path of movement of the toothed diskas, for instance, the fork Z7 is shown as engaged by a tooth on thesaid disk; but on the next reversal of the current, occasioned by a partial revolution of the transmittingroll, the fork Z9 is brought into the path of movement of the next tooth of the disk. In this manner the receiving-roll A is rotated by its motor a and is moved step by step with the transmitting-roll, as now commonly practiced. When the instrument is used as a transmitter, the toothed wheel 5 is moved on the shaft on, out of line with the forks Z1 12 on the armature-rod I); but when the instrument is to be used as a receiver the said toothed wheel is moved back again into line with said forks, so that the rate of movement may be controlled by the toothed disk or wheel 6 Each instrument is provided with a number of keys I), representing letters, numbers, or other desired characters, and in practice the movable roll or surface will preferably be provided with as many terminals, pins, studs, projections, or segments as there are keys I).

Referring to Figs 2* and 3, each terminal pin or stud a of the roll A has co-operating with it a flat spring or pen 0, forming one terminal of a normally-open circuit, the other terminal of which is the stud or pin, and also forming one terminal of a normally-closed circuit, the other terminal of which is a like spring or pen a. The spring or pen is connected by wire 0 to one pole of a battery B, the other pole of which is connected to one end 0 of the coil of an electro-magnet 0 the other end 0 of the said coil being joined to the spring or pen 0'. The shaft (1 is electrically connected, as shown, by a brush 0 and wire 0 to an electro-magnet 0 connected by wire 0 to the wire c that is, to one pole of the battery B. The electro-magnet c is normally located in an open circuit, and the electro-magnet c is normally located in a closed circuit. The armature 0 of the electro-magnet o is connected by wire 0 to the positive side of the main-line battery 13, it being shown as joined to the positive brush a, and a front stop 0 for the armature is connected by wire 0 to the negative side of the battery B, it being shown as connected to the negative brush a The electro-magnet 0 forms a locking-magnet for the armature 0 of the electro-magnet 0 the armature e of the magnet a being provided with a hook or latch 0 to engage the armature 0 when a key I) is operated. Normally the circuit of the locking-magnet is closed at the pens c c and the circuit of the magnet c is opened between the pen 0 and its co-operating stud on the roll A. The armature 0 of the locking-magnet is therefore attracted and the armature 0 is withdrawn by its spring 0 it being permitted to be moved by the hook or latch on the armature 0 being moved outof engagement with the armature 0 The main line between the transmitting-station and the receiving-station is therefore closed and the character-controlling magnet b is energized, thereby attracting its armature and opening the local circuit containing the printing-magnets b The charactercontrolling magnet b is rendered operative to produce a character or letter at the receiving-station by a changein condition of the main-line circuit. This change in condition may be effected, as herein shown, by the short-circuiting of the main-line battery, which takes place when a key I) of the transmitting instrument is actuated. As represented in Fig. 2, each key I) is fastened toa lever d,to which is secured a bar or rod (2, adapted to engage the circuitclosing pen or spring 0 when a key is depressed to bring the said circuit-closing spring into selecting-arm is in contact when the mainline battery is short-circuited. The position of the selecting-arm is governed by the position of the forked armature of the polarized electro-magnet 12 for when the main-line battery is short-circuited the permanent magnetism of the pole-pieces will keep the said armature attracted to the pole-piece with which it was in contact before the main-line battery is short-circuited.

When a key I) is depressed to bring the circuit-closer c in contact with its oo-operating member or terminal, (herein shown as a stud or pin a,) the circuit of the locking-magnet is broken and the armature 0 is withdrawn, so that its hook 0 lies in the path of movement of the armature 0 and when the latter is attracted by its magnet c the armature is locked against downward movement and the main-line circuit remains inoperative until the key 19 has been restored to its normal position and the circuit of the locking-magnet c is again closed by the pens or brushes 0 c. In practice there will be a set of circuit-controllers c 0' for each key b.

The change of condition in the main-line circuit, by which the character-controlling magnet 12 is operated, is herein shown as effected by short-circuiting the main battery B, which is practically equivalent to breaking the said main line; but we do not desire to limit our invention in this respect, as it is evident the change of condition might be effected by positively opening the circuit by a suitable switch, (not shown,) but which may be operated by the armature 0 We do not desire to limit our invention to any particular form of circuit-closer for the sive.

Referring to Fig. 4:, thestem of the key I) forms one member of the circuit-controller, the other member of which is shown as a spring 01 on the roll or movable surface A. In Fig. 5 the stem of the key I) has secured to it a spring 01 which co-operates with the spring (1 on the roll, and in Fig. 6 the stem of the key b has secured to it a spring (1 3, which co-operates with a stud or pin a on the roll A,

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the movable surface or roll A is provided with a series of circuit terminals or pins a; but we do not de- So, also, the disk may be provided on its periphery with circuit-terminals in the form of strips or springs al as shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 9 we have shown the movable surface A as a disk provided on its side or face with circuit-terminals d". We prefer to employ a revolving movable surface; but we do not desire to limit our invention in this respect, as the said surface may be fiat and made to reciprocate.

As represented in Fig. 3, our improved system is designed to be used in printing-telegraph service, in which service the characters or letters are produced by energizing the printing-magnets b in the local circuit governed by the controlling-magnet b; but, if desired, the magnet b may itself be used as the printing-magnet, its armature 19 being provided with a printing-pad e, (see Fig. 11,) which co operates with a type-wheel e, mounted upon the shaft a.

The character-controlling magnet 12 when used as the printing-magnet, with its armature co-operating with the type-wheel 6', may be used for receiving stock-quotations and like messages.

By means of the armaturec of the locking-magnet c the armature 0 of the magnet c is retained against the front stop 0 and the condition of the main line remains affected until the circuit of the locking-magnet is again closed, which takes place when the key 5' is restored to its full normal or starting position. In this way the main-line circuit cannot be operated to send the same or any other letter or character while one key is depressed.

Our improved transmitting and receiving apparatus is provided with a device commonly called the unison, herein shown as a hub f, fast on the shaft a and provided with a spiral groove f, into which is normally extended a stud or pin f on an arm f pivoted as atf At the commencement of the printing the stud or pin f on the arm f is about to enter the groove, and as the roll A is re- Volved the arm f is turned on it's pivot toward the left in Fig. 1 until the pinf engages a stop or shoulder f on the hub f. The arm f may now be returned to its normal or starting position by energizing the magnet 19, or it might be a separate magnet for that purpose, the armature of the magnet 17 having an arm f which lifts the arm to remove the pin J from the groove in the hub f and permits the said arm to be moved back by a spring f and as soon as the magnet 19 is again energized its armature is attracted, and the arm is permitted to be moved so as to place the pin again in engagement with the groove.

When the pin f on the arm is in engagement ,with'its stop on the hubf, the roll A'is in its unison position, and in practice the roll A of all the receiving-instruments maybe brought to unison by means of a unison circuit-controller on the transmitting-instrument, which controller is shown as a spring f co-operating with a suitable circuit-terminal or pin a, on the roll A. The circuit-terminalf is herein shown as connected by wire f to the wire a, and the circuit is completed, as shown,by a brushf bearing on the shaft 0," and joined by Wiref to the wire 0 sothat when the unison-key on the transmitter is depressed the circuit-terminal f will engage its co-operating terminal stud or pin a and will short-circuit the battery B, and thereby operate the magnet b to bring the rolls Aof the receivinginstruments back to starting position, with the rolls A of all the receiving-instrumentsin correct working order. The contact segments or surfaces on the periphery of the polechanging disks are arranged out of line with each other, so that when one disk is in circuit with its brushes the other disk is out of cir cuit with its brushes, and vice versa. In this way the current is alternately reversed over the main line. We prefer to efiect the change in the main-line circuit by means of the electro-magnet 0 but we do not desire to limit our invention in this respect, as the said main line may be short-circuited directly at the movable surface or roll A. We may effect this result by making the key-lever or a device secured thereto as one circuit-terminal, to which the wire f is connected, the other terminal of which is a pin, stud, or segment on the shaft or roll 6b, which is electrically connected by the brush f and Wire f to the wire (See Fig. 3.) In order to mechanically lock the keys I), so as to prevent the circuit being operated to transmit the same or another letter until the first key depressed has been restored to its normal position, each key-lever, as represented in Fig. 10, has pivoted to it a dogf having its short arm provided with oppositely-inclined fiat faces, with which engages a spring f fastened at one end to the key-lever. When the key isin its normal or elevated position,the spring f engages the under side or inclined face of the dog, as shown in Fig. 10.

When the key is depressed, the pivoted dog is turned upward by contact with the circuit terminal on the roll and locked in its upward position out of contact with the circuit-terminal on the roll by the upper inclined face engaging with the spring until the key I) is restored to its full normal or starting position. On the return movement of the keylever to its normal position the dog in its elevated position strikes the stop or rod f and is turned back into its normal position. (Shown in Fig. 10.)

In Fig. 1 we have represented a sufficient portion of two instruments operatively connected together for transmitting and receivstation F is moved into engagement with the forked armature of the polarized magnet 19 in the station F.

Then a letter-key of the transmitting-instrument is depressed, the main-line battery B in the transmitting-station F is short-circuited, as above described, and the charactercontrolling magnets b in both the stations F F are demagnetized, and the local circuits of the printing-magnetin both stations are closed, and the character or letter corresponding to the particular key depressed is printed in both stations. \Vhen the apparatus in station F is being used as a transmitter, the main-line battery in the station F is cut out of circuit by the switch a the switch (0' remaining connected to the line and the switch a being in engagement with the terminal at, joined to the wire a The circuit over the main line from station F to station F may be traced as follows, viz: From the positive pole of the battery B in station F by wire ca switch a brush 0. pole changing arm (1 wire a through the magnet 12 in station F, over the line-wire L, through the magnet b in station F, wire 0,, pole-changing arm a brush a wire a switch 0. wire a, through the motor a ,wire a gbrush c1 pole-changing arm 0. wires (1 60", through the polarized electro-magnet b in station F, and thence by the earth back to station F, through polarized electromagnet b in station F,wires a, a pole-changing arm a in station F, brush 0. wire a through the motor, wire a to the negative pole ofthe battery. It will thus be seen that the circuit-terminal-carrying roll or surface A in the transmitting-station is rotated continuously by the motor in said station and that the character-controlling magnets b in both stations are acted upon when a key in the transmitting-station is depressed. The roll A in the receiving-station is also rotated by its motor a ,but the rate of rotation is controlled by the armature of the polarized electro-magnet I) in said station, engaging the toothed disk or wheel 19 We claim- 1. In a systemfor the transmission of characters or letters, the combination, with a main line and a character-controlling magnet located therein, of an electro-magnet having its armature in a normally-open circuit connected to the main-line circuit, a substantially-continuously-movable surface provided with one or more circuit-terminals in circuit with the said electro-magnet, a circuit terminal or terminals in circuit with the electromagnet and cooperating with the circuit terminal or terminals on the movable surface, a locking-bar for the armature of the said electro-magnet, a second electro-magnet to'operate the locking-bar, located in a normallyclosed circuit, and character-keys adapted when operated to open the normally-closed local circuit and close the normally-open circuit, substantially as described.

2. In a system for the transmission of characters or letters, the combination, with a main line and acharacter-cont-rollin g magnet therein, of an electro-magnet having its armature in a normally-o pen circuit connected to the mainline circuit, a continuously-movable surface provided with one or more circuit-terminals constantly in circuit with the said electromagnet, a circuit terminal or. terminals in circuit with the electro-magnet and co-operating with the circuit terminal or terminals on the movable surface, and character-keys adapted when operated to bring the said cir- I an electro-magnet c to effect a change in condition of the main-line circuit, a local circuit in which the electro-magnet is located, and means to effect the local circuit to operate the electro-magnet and change the condition of the main-line circuit to operate the character-controlling magnet, substantially as described.

4. In a system for the transmission of characters or letters, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a main-line cir cuit, a character-controlling magnet located therein, a. movable surface A, located at one point or station, a polarized elect-ro-magnet to effect movement of the said surface, a second movable surface A, located at another point or station, means to move it substantiall y continuously, a pole-changer, characterkeys co-operat-ing with the said second movable surface, and means, substantially as de scribed, rendered effective by the co-operation of the character-keys to effect a change in condition of the main-line circuit and opcrate the character-controlling magnet, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a main-line circuit, a character-controlling magnet located in the main line at one point or station, a movable surface provided with a plurality of circuit-ter- ICC IIO

minals, mechanism at a transmitting point or station positively connected to the said movable surface to move the same continuously, and a plurality of character-keys located in the transmitting-station and co-operating with the continuously-movable surface to effect a change in condition of the main-line circuit to operate the character-controlling magnet at the receiving-station without stopping the movement of the continuously-mov- 'ing surface, substantially as described.

operated by character-keys, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a shaft a, a roll A, mounted thereon and provided With circuit-terminals or studs a, pole-changing disks mounted on the shaft, but insulated therefrom'and from each other, pole-changing arms co-operating with said disks, a disk longitudinally movable upon said shaft and provided with pins or projections, and a magnet having its armature provided with forks to engage said pin or projections, the said longitudinally-movable disk being adapted to be moved on the shaft to engage and disengage its pins or projections from the forked armature, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed on names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT D. NEAL. HOWARD F. EATON.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, E. L. RICHARDS.

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