US715696A - System of telegraphic distribution. - Google Patents

Description

' P atented Den. 9; I902.

' No. 7I5,Ii96.

H. A. ROWLAND, Dec'd.

u. H. ROWLAND. Administi'aIrix. SYSTEM OF TELEGRAPIIIG DISTRIBUTION.

hpplicntion filed Dec. 11, 1901.

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No. 75,696. Patented Dec. 9, I902. H. A. ROWLAND, Decd. H. H: ROWLAND. Administratrix.

SYSTEM OF TELE GRAPHID DISTRIBUTION. (Application filad Dec. 11, 1901.)

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No.' 75,696. Patented Dec. 9, I902.

H. A. ROWLAND, DQGII. I H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix. SYSTEM OF TELEGRAPH; DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filed Dec. 11, 19011,

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i-ATENT OFFICE.

HENRIETTA l-I. ROWLAND, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ADMINISTRATRIX OF HENRY AUGUSTUS ROWLAND, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO ROWLAND TELEGRAPHIC COMPANY, OF BAL OF NEW JERSEY.

TIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION SYSTEM OF TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,696, dated December 9, 1902.

Application filed December 11, 1901. Serial No. 85,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that HENRY A. ROWLAND, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, re-. siding at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Telegraphic Distribution, (Case M,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable anyone skilled in the art to which to it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in systems of telegraphy, and more especially to an improved synchronous system of telegraphic distribution.

The object of the invention is to place a plurality of substations or subscribers in one locality in telegraphic communication, through central stations and over a single line connecting the two central stations, with a plurality of substations or subscribers in another locality.

This invention may thus be utilized for reducing the number of so-called private wires, which usually extend between large cities, as between brokers oflices in New York and Chicago, by causing one wire connecting the two cities to carry the messages of a plurality of independent subscribers in both cities.

It is not infrequently the case that private wires connecting brokers offices are tam pered with by outside parties with a View of delaying the reception of stock reports by certain brokers, thus allowing others to receive them 5 in advance. This evil is practically overcome by the present system or largely less eued, as the reports for quite a number of subscribers pass over the same line, and hence any tampering with the line will have the same eifect upon all. If the main line is duplex,.which will be the case generally, unbalancing the line by tampering with it renders it inoperative for all subscribers using it. Furthermore, one party is prevented from receiving messages intended for another, as by tapping the wires. This is due to the fact that the operation of the system depends upon the establishment of synchronism and upon certain fixed angular positions of current distributing sunflowers at the sending and receiving stations, respectively.

It is therefore practically impossible for some outside party, unless he knows the setting of the sunflower which receives the messages that he wishes to steal, to properly set his instrument. The system is, moreover, adapted to operate with recording apparatus which will print the messages or reportsdirectly as they are received. 1

A further object of the said invention is the accomplishment of the above without the use of repeating apparatus at the central stations, thereby dispensing with expensive and complicated instruments which wouldotherwise be employed.

Moreover, the invention contemplates the operation of the system over an alternatingcurrent circuit, thus enabling the messages to be transmitted much greater distances without relaying and without a diminution of speed than could otherwise be done.

The nature and objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a diagram, illustrating the principle of the said invention, showing principally the main-line connections. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the connections of a substation or subscribers outfit; and Figs. 3 and 4 repre- 8o sent, respectively, a side elevation and top plan view of the apparatus for driving the sunflower-trailers.

Similar letters and numeralsrefer to similar parts throughout the several views. In the specific form of the invention shown' in the accompanying drawings, L represents a duplex telegraph-line connecting two stations X' and Y, which will be hereinafter designated central stations to more clearly 9o distinguish them from the substations. At each of these central stations is located a main-line relay E, having its coils traversed by the real line L and artificial line L after any well-known or suitable method of duplex- 5 ing. The current of the main line L continues through the relays E at the central stations and passes, as by Wire L, to the various substations A B O D and A B O D, respectively. In Fig. 1 this line L is shown as returning to the central station, though it is obvious that it may terminate in a substation, if desired.

F F represent alternating-current dynamos or other sources of periodically-varying current furnishing the current for signaling and for other purposes and located either at the respective central stations, as shown, or at one of substations, if desired.

The tongue-contacts of the relay E at each central station are connected to the terminals of a source of direct-current supplyas, for example, across the terminals of an Edison one hundred and ten volt circuitacross which are connected the condensers G. The tongue of each of these relays is connected to one of the terminals of the primary of a transformer H, while the other terminal of the said primary is connected to a point between the condensers, as shown. One of the terminals of the secondary of this transformer is connected to earth,while the other connects to the 1ineL This line L passes to the several substations, as shown, and forms what will be hereinafter designated the local receiving-circuit. The line L being duplex, the relay E at station Y will be operated only by current from the dynamo at the other station, and likewise with respect to the main-line relay at station X this will be operated and by current from the dynamo at station Y. The tongues of the relays E thus vibrating by the current from the distant dynamos will by the alternate charging and discharging of the condensers G send through the primaries of their respective transformers alternating or periodic currents in phase with the current produced by the distant dynamo or bearing a fixed phase relation thereto. There will therefore be induced in the secondaries of the transformers at the respective central stations current which bears a fixed phase relation to the current of the distant dynamo, such secondary currents traversing the respective receiving-circuits L L At each substation there is located a mainline transmitter T or its equivalent and a main-line receiving-relay R or its equivalent, the former connected in the circuit L and the latter in the circuit L In addition to the line instruments each substation is provided with local apparatus for operating said instruments. This apparatus is shown in diagram in Fig. 2 and comprises, among other parts, a transmittingsunflower TS and a receiving-sunflower RS, each provided with a group of insulated segments, preferably corresponding in number and angular position. In the segment-circuits of the transmitting-sunflower is connected a keyboard K--such, for example, as shown and described in the patent application of Henrietta H. Rowland, administrathe coil of the transmitter, while the other V terminal thereof is connected to the positive pole of a source of local direct current.

The form of keyboard shown is provided with a rotating contact-maker M, which periodically completes the local circuit through the magnet 70 of the keyboard, which attracts the clapper k and allows the key to be operated only when the said magnet is energized. This is effected by the brushes m becoming short-circuited by the metal strip, as will be readily seen.

In the segment-circuits of the receivingsunflower are connected the coils of a bank of selecting-relays N, which are in turn connected to the common return-wire 1, which connects with the tongue of the line-relay R. The receiving-sunflower trailer is connected, as by wire 2, to a point between properly-adjusted resistances 4", connected across the terminals of a source of direct current, and the tongue-contacts of the relay R are connected, respectively, to the terminals of said source of direct current through proper resistances r.

P represents a printer-such, for example, as that shown and described in the patent application of Henry A. Rowland for improvements in pageprinters, Serial No. 741,956, filed December 29, 1899, and issued as Patent No. 689,754, granted December 24, 1901. The selecting-relays and printer simply indicate forms of receiving apparatus operating in conjunction with the sunflower and constitute no immediate part of the present invention, as they may be replaced by any other receiving apparatus which will work with this system, if desired. This includes linotypes or type setting or casting machines, as the system is well adapted for the transmission of press-matter. It is also proposed to employ Morse recorders.

The segments of the transmitting-sunflower are preferably cut of such a width and the trailer driven at such a speed that the said trailer will pass over one segment for each semicycle or impulse of the alternating or other periodically varying line current, though this specific arrangement may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention; but in all cases there is a fixed relation between the segments, speed of the trailer, and variation of the line-current. The segments of the receiving-sunflower may be of the same width as those of the transmitting-sunflower, but are preferablya little narrower. In case the apparatus is Worked duplex the receiving-sunflower segments correspond in angular position to those of the transmitting-sunflower at the same station.

In all cases, however, the receiving-sunflower segments at one station must occupy corresponding angular positions to those of the transmitting-sun flower from which itreceives tion.

' sage is to be received.

for accomplishing this comprises a synchro- At each substation there must be some means for driving the sunflower-trailers and maintaining synchronism between the receiving-trailer at one station and the transmitting-trailer at the station from which the mes- The preferred means a regulating-current of a periodically-varying character rotating in a magnetic field and driven by an independent source of power. In the diagram, Fig. 2, the regulating-coils of this synchronizer are shown as receiving their regulating-current from condensers t, connected across the terminals of a source of local direct current, which are connected to the tongue-contacts of a relay R, operated by the current in the local receiving-circuit 1.. As the relay-tongue vibrates the condensers will become alternately charged and will discharge through the coils of the said synchronizer and maintain synchronism, as fully described in the above-mentioned application.

The regulating-coils of the synchronizer may, if desired, be connected directly in the circuit L With the apparatus represented-that is to say, with one synchronizer at each substation for both transmitting and receiving trailersit is necessary that the dynamos F run in synchronism; but if the dynamos do not run .in synchronism two synchronizers will be required for each substation-one for the transmitting-trailer and the other for the receiving-trailersince each receiving-trailer at one end of the line must run in synchronism with the dynamo and the transmitting-trailer at the distant end, or, in other words, the receiving-trailers operate in synchronism with the dynamo at the distant end of the line, while the transmitting-trailers operate in synchronism with the dynamo at the near end of the line. Any suitable means may be employed for synchronizing these dynamossuch, for example,as that shown and described in the patent application of Henry. A. Rowland for improvements in multiplex printingtelegraphs granted December 24, 1901, No. 689,753.

It will be assumed for the purpose of the present description that the manner in which the intelligence is impressed upon the line is substantially the same as shown and described in the application of Henry A. Rowland forimprovements in multiplex printing-telegraphs filed July 26, 1897, Serial No. 646,017, and issued as Patent No. 689,753that is to say, each character is impressed on the line by suppressing or otherwisemodifying a definite number or combination of line impulses.

If a subscriber wishes to transmit a-message, (see Fig. 2,) he operates the keys of his keyboard, each key connecting two segmentcircuits in the local transmitter-circuit, and when the transmitting-trailer reaches the segments so connected the magnet of the transmitter will become energized as the said trailer passes over the said segments and will attract its hammer and break the line connection through its contact once for each of said segments, thereby suppressing two impulses or semicycles of the line-current. The operator can, however, only operate his keys when they are unlocked periodically by the clapper k, which is operated by the magnet 7c, and this magnet, periodically energized by the plate m of the rotary contact-maker M, short-circuiting the brushes m. If the operator Wishes to send another signal or character, he operates another key of his keyboard, which connects two other of the segments in the transmitter-circuit, there being in practice eleven segment-circuitsforsuchcombinations. The invention, however, is by no means confined to the use of any specific form of keyboard, or, in fact, to a keyboard at all, as a tapetransmitter-such, forexample, as that shown and described in the above-mentioned application, Serial No. 646,017, or any form of wellknown tape-transmittermay be employed, if desired. Moreover, the transmitter T simply represents one of many devices for moditying the current, which may consist in either suppressing the impulses altogether or reducing them in intensity or reversing them or by impressing other impulseson the line, all as shown in prior applications of Henry A. Rowland, which it is not necessary to refer to here in detail, since the specific manner of impressing the intelligence on the line forms no part of the present invention. Normally the vibration of the tongue of theline-relay R sends local currents through the coils of the selecting-relays always in the same direction, but adjacent relays in opposite directionthat is, relay No. 1 receives normally a positive impulse, relay No. 2 a negative impulse, relay No. 3 a positive impulse, and so on. When, however, an impulse of the line -current is suppressed, the tongue of the relay R remains ICO against the contact to which it was last attracted, and thus sends an impulse of opposite sign through one of the selecting-relays. The relays are so wound that the normal distribution of the current among them sends all of their tongues against their back stops and the passage of impulses of opposite sign to the normal sends their tongues against their forward stops. Combinations of the said selecting-relays acting in this manner close local circuits to a printer P, and each combination causes the said printer to record the signal, as fully set forth in the abovementioned patent for improvements in pageprinters, No. 689,754, granted December 24:, 1901. Now letit be assumed that at each end of the main line L there are four subscribers AB C D and A B C D. These subscribers may be all near the respective central stations or anywhere within a radius of, say, one hundred miles of them. Let it further be assumed that A B C D are four subscribers in New York and A B C D subscribers in Chicago and that it be required to establish communication between A and A, B and B, O and C, and D and D. If the line is duplex, which we will assume is the case, as shown, each subscriber sets his sunflowers so that the segments of the transmitting and receiving sunflowers occupy corresponding angular positions. There being four subscribers at each end of the line, each subscriber may use a quadrant of his sunflowers. The sunflowers are therefore so divided that if subscriber A uses one quadrant subscriber A uses a corresponding quadrant, B and B corresponding quadrants, O and O corresponding quadrants, and so on. Let it then be assumed that A and A use quadrant No. 1, B and B quadrant No. 2, C and G quadrant No. 3, and D and D quadrant No. 4. Any messages sent by A must be received by A and by no othersubscriber, since A is the only one whose receiving-sun flower is set upon the first quadrant, and since the line is dupleX while A is sending to A the latter may be sending to A. Therefore all of the sunflowers ofA and A are set alike. In like manner communication is established between B and B during the time that the second quadrant of the sunflower is active and likewise with the other subscribers. Each subscriber will therefore receive messages from that subscriber only from whom it is intended that he shall receive, thereby insuring secrecy of transmission.

If there are only two subscribers at each end of the line, each subscriber may set the segments of his receiving-sunflower one hundred and. eighty degrees from his transmitting-segments, so that he will never be receiving at the same time he is sending, and in this way four messages may be upon the line at the same time without duplexing the main line.

The main line when once duplexed needs no further attention, as it is practically unaffected by changes in the weather. Any at tempt, however, to tamper with the line, as in an effort to prevent certain subscribers from receiving intelligence as soon as others, will result in unbalancing the line, resulting in its inoperativeness as well for one subscriber as for another.

A satisfactory arrangement of the apparatus for driving the sunflower-trailers at any of the substations is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, where Q and Q represent disk armatures of the synchronizer carrying, respectively, direct-current motor-coils and the regulatingcoils, while Q Q represent the synchronizer field-magnets. Both armatures are mounted on a common shaft 9, which geared to a countershaft g, carrying a disk 9 which connects, through an electromagnetic coupling S, to an arm 8, which carries the sunflower-trailers. This coupling comprises a portion of the automatic trailer-adjusting device hereinbefore referred to. Current is led into the trailers by the brushes 3 s and away from the sunflowers by the cables .9 3 The brush 3 conducts current to the magnet S, which passes out through the contactsprings s s as the pin 5", carried by the gear 3 makes contact with them. The arms t t, capable of being clamped by thumb-screws t to an upright V, are for the purpose of adjusting the angular position of the sunflowers, the said sunflowers being separately mounted upon concentric tubes and '6 respectively. The rotary contact-maker M for the clapper of the keyboard is in this case mounted on the counter-shaft g.

It will be observed that the contact-maker M is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as provided with three brushes, whereas in the diagram Fig. 2 only two brushes are shown. The third brush on the left (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) is used in connection with the counting mechanism of the keyboards and forms no immediate part of the present invention, and therefore need not be described.

V represents a mercury or other liquid viscous damper, consisting of a fly-wheel having an annular chamber filled or partly filled with mercury or other liquid for damping the oscillations in the movement of the synchronizer-shaft and assisting greatly in maintaining a uniform or steady motion. This feature, however, forms no essential part of the present invention, being fully described in the application, Serial No. 19,070, above re ferred to.

W represents the connection between the counter-shaft and the shaft upon which is mounted the type-wheel of a page-printer.

The form of the invention herein shown is susceptible to many modifications and changes, which may be made without departing from the spirit tl1ereofsuch, for example, as the abandonment of the transformers and relaying the local current directly from the source of local current, substituting other means than the condensers for producing the alternating current-such, for example,as the substitution of resistances for the condensersas shown in the patent to H. A. Rowland, No. 691,667, or by the use of the wellknown split battery or other suitable means.

What is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a telegraph-line, of central stations in communication over said line, one or more substations at each end of said line, a circuit relayed from the main line and passing from each central station to its respective substations.

2. The combination with a telegraph-line, of central stationsin communication over said line, one or more substations at each end of the main line, a circuit relayed from the mainline circuit and passing from the central stations to their respective substations, and receiving apparatus at the substations operating upon the said relayed circuit.

3. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of dynamo-electric machines delivering alternating currents to said line, central stations in communication over said line, substations at either end of said line, and a relayed receiving-circuit connecting said substations with said central stations.

4. The combination with a telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a transmittingcircuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, and a receiving-circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations.

5. The combination with a duplex telegraph-lin e, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, and a receiving-circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations.

6. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of means for impressing alternating electric currents on said line, a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations,a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, and a receiving-circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations.

7. In a system of telegraphy, the combination with two central stations, a main line connecting said stations, one or more substations at each end of said line, a line forming a continuation of the main line and connecting the said central stations with their respective substations, main-line transmitting apparatus at each substation operating upon the said line connecting them with the central stations, a relayed circuit connecting each of said substations with their respective central stations, and receiving apparatus located at each of said substations and operated upon said relayed circuit.

8. The combination with two central stations, a telegraph-line connecting said sta tions, one or more substations at each end of said line, a line forming a continuation of the main line and connectingthe said central stations with their respective substations, main-line-transmitting apparatus at each substation operating upon the said line connecting them with the central stations, a relayed circuit connecting each of saidsubstations with their respective central stations, main-line receiving apparatus located at each of said substations and operated upon said relayed circuit, and local recording apparatus located at the said substations for making a record of the messages.

9. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, a balanced main-line relay at each of said stations, one or more substations operating through each of said central stations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of the main line at each end and passing to the respective substations, means located'at the substations for impressing intelligence upon said transmitting-circuits, a source of direct current at each central station, a circuit at each central station carrying a periodically-varying current relayed from said source of direct current by the main-line central relay, said relayed circuit passing to the respective substations at each end of the line, receiving apparatus at the substations operating upon the said relayed circuit, and alternatingcurrent dynamo-electric machines delivering currents to said duplex line.

10. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of dynamo-electric machines delivering alternating currents to said line, central stations in communication over said line, substations at either end of said line, a relayed receiving-ci rcuit connecting said substations with said central stations, and means located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidly-recurring intervals.

11. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a

transmitting-circuit forming a-continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, a receiving-circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations, and means located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidly-recurring intervals.

12. The combination with a duplex telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, a receiving-cir- IIO cuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations, and synchronously-operated current-distributers located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidly-recurring intervals.

13. The combination with a telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, a balanced main-line relay at each of said stations, one or more substations operating through each of said central stations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of the main line at each end and passing to the respective substations, means located at the substations for impressing intelligence upon said transmitting-circuits, a source of direct current at each central station, a circuit at each central station carrying a periodically-Varying current relayed from said source of direct current by the main-line central relay, said relayed circuit passing to the respective substations at each end of the line, receiving apparatus at the substations operating upon the said relayed circuit, and alternating-current dynamo-electric machines delivering currents to said main line.

14. The combination with a telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, a balanced main-line relay at each of said stations, one or more substations operating through each of said central stations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of the main line at each end and passing to the respective substations, means located at the substations for impressing intelligence upon said transmitting-circuits, a source of direct current at each central station, a circuit at each central station carrying a periodically-varying current relayed from said source of direct current by the main-line central relay, a transformer connected in said relayed circuit, a circuit connected to the secondary of said transformer passing to the respective substations at each end of the line, receiving apparatus at the substations operating upon the said relayed circuit, and alternating-current dynamo-electric machines delivering currents to said main line.

15. The combination with a telegraph-line, of dynamo-electric machines delivering alternating currents to said line, central stations in communication over said line, substations at either end of said line, a relayed receivingcircuit connecting said substations with said central stations, and means located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidly-recurring intervals.

16. The combination with a telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, a receiving-circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations, and means located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidly-recurring intervals.

17. The combination with a telegraph-line, of a central station located at each end of said line, one or more substations, a transmitting-circuit forming a continuation of said main line at each end and extending to the respective substations, a receiving circuit relayed at each central station and passing to the respective substations, and synchronously-operated current-distributors located at each substation for allowing the substation apparatus the use of the main line at rapidlyrecurring intervals.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRIETTA H. ROWLAND, Administratrz'oc ofthe estate of Henry A. Rowland, deceased.

Witnesses:

COLUMBUS OD. LEE, D. N. SILLs.

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