g6 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Fb] 



REGISTER OF NEW PATENTS. 



ELFXTRIC TELEGRAPHS. 



John Nott, of the city of Cork, genlleraan, for "cerlnin Imprnremenls 

 in the means of Cdinmuiucatins: intdligence from one ]>Uice to nnother." — 

 Granted January 2" ; Knrolled July '20, lBir,.—( Keported in Newton's 

 London Journal.) Willi Eni;Tavings, Plate VI. 



These improvements in the means of communicating intelligence from 

 one place to another consist in certain novel arrangements of apparatus, by 

 ■whicli audible and visible signals can be given through the agency of elec- 

 tro-maKnetism. 



In Plate VI, fig. 1 represents the external appearance of the apparatus, 

 as seen in front : fig. a is a vertical section, taken transversely through the 

 apparatus, nearly at its centre; fig. 3 represents the internal construction 

 and arrai'geratnt of the working parts of the apparatus, as they would 

 appear if the dial plate and front part of the case were removed ; and fig. 

 4 is a horizontal section of the apparatus, taken below the magnets, show- 

 ing the mechanism by which the course of the electric fluid may be changed 

 from the electric telegraph to the signal-bell. 



In the front of the box or case, a circular dial-plate, fig. 1, is fixed, on 

 which are four series of letters, which are pointed out by the long arm of 

 tlie index ; and also two concentric circles of numerals, indicated by the 

 short arm of the index. This plate is graduated on its face into ninety-six 

 equal divisions, formed in a circle ; and to each, one of the letters or one 

 of the numerals reft-rs. Upon the outer end of an arbor a, passing through 

 the centre of the dial-plate, a index 6, is affixed, whicli is carried round 

 upon the face of the dial-plate by successive actions of the mechanism, 

 produced by the elnctric fluid ; each successive action moving the index 

 over one space of the graduated circle, so as to enable the operator to leave 

 the pointoflhe index in a state of rest, opposite to any letter or numeral, as 

 the case may be ; and, by repetitions of the like movements and rests, to 

 point to such letters as will spell, or numbers that will indicate, the word 

 required to be communicated. These actions of the mechanism are eflected 

 hv currents of electricity, through the agency of a key or lever, rising or 

 falling at the touch of ihe operator, as in a piano-forte. 



The electric fluid is derived from a galvanic baliery near the apparatus, 

 as at A, 15. fig. 4, and passes, by wires coiled round electro-magnets, from 

 one pole to the other pole of ihe'battery. Tw o electro magnets, C, C, D, D, 

 are attached to the vertical backboard c, c, of the apparatus, as shown in 

 figs. 2 and 3; and in Ihe same plane, nearly conceutric with these magnets, 

 is a ratchet-wheel (/, fixed upon the arbor a ; which latter passes through 

 the centre of the dial-plate, and carries the hand or index b. Two lever 

 armatures e. e, are supported by fulcrum axles, turning in the brackets/,/, 

 which armatures cross each other, and their movements are rendered 

 simultaneous by a connecting link g, immediately over Ihe axis of the 

 ratchet-wheel d. To the extremities of the inner arms of these lever arma- 

 tures two pallets h, h, are connected, by joints ; which pallets are pressed 

 against the periphery of the ratchet-wheel by delicate springs, causing the 

 pallets to take into ihe teeth of the ratchet-wheel ; and, by the rising and 

 falling of the armatures, these pallets move the ratchet-wheel round;— the 

 extent of action of the pallets being limited by two latch-stops t, j, which 

 give rise to a dead-beat movemeut of the index, as it is carried round the 

 dial-plate. The outer extremities of the armatures bear upon slight springs 

 k, k, fixed to the back-board of the instrument. 



A third electro magnet E, E, is aflixed to the back-board, figs. 2 and 3, 

 and is intended to give motion to the machinery of the signal bell, attached 

 to the telegraph. The armature of this magnet is shown at /, (, and is a 

 T-formed lever, supported at the extremities of the edge of its longitudinal 

 bar by pivots, bearing in the brackets m, vi, projecting from the back- 

 board. The arm of this lever /, passes through an opening in the back- 

 board, and lies inclined, as shown in fig. 2. When this armature is at- 

 tracted by the magnet, it will be drawn up into a horizontal position, and, 

 in rising, the extremity of the arm will take into the fork at the eud of the 

 kver «, and thus cause the hammer ji", to strike upon the bell or gong F. 



The means by which the electric fluid is conducted from the battery, 

 through the wires of the electro-magnets, to the corresponding apparatus 

 at the distant station will be clearly understood by the following descrip- 

 tion:— Two wooden cylinders G, H, aresupported on horizontal axles, by 

 stanilards fixed to the longitudinal support I, I. Two separate strips of 

 mf tal, as conductors, are passed nearly round the circumference of each of 

 these cylinders, leaving unoccupied a conducting portion on each cylinder 

 bftneeu the ends of the strips. Upon the support I, I, eight erect springs 

 1. 2, 3 4, 5, G, 7, 8, are fixed ; which springs severally jiress against the 

 peripheries of the cjlinders G, and H. 'Ihe springs 2 and 3, are connected 

 by a conductincr strip of metal, fig. 4, and tlie springs (i and 7, are also 

 connected in like manner ; the latter beiug perfectly detached or insulated 

 from the former. A wire 9, connected with the pole A, of the battery, 

 leads to the stud K, whcie it is held fast by a binding screw ; and to this 

 stud K the ecd of anoiher wire 10, is soldered, which passes under, and 

 is attached to the oiieraiiug finger-key J, and, bending down, terminates 

 immediately over a cup of mercury 11, best seen in fig. 2. The eud of a 

 wire l" is soldered to the erect spring 0, and is brought round into com- 

 raunicaVicm with the mercury in the cup II. On the key J, being de- 

 Pressed by the finger of the operator, the pendent end of the wire 10, will 

 he brought into contact with the mercury in lbs cup 11, wheu the eleclric 



fluid from the battery A, will be instan ly conducted from the pole A of 

 the batiery, through the wires U, 10, 12. to the spring 0, and from tlie 

 spring 6, through its connection (fig. 4), to the spring 7, and ttienre over the 

 baud on the cylinder H, to the spring S, and from that spring, by a wire 

 13. to one pole of the electro-magnet C, as shown in tig. 3. The electric 

 fluid will then pass through the coils of this magnet C, and thence, by a 

 wire, to one pole of the magnet D, and, proceeding through the coils of 

 this magnet U, will then descend from its other pole by the wire 14, to ths 

 stud L, fig. 4 ; to the under part of wliich stud it is soldered. Anothrr 

 wire 15, is attached to this stud L, by a binding screw, from which it 

 proceeds to tlm telegraph at the distant station, and the current of electri- 

 city is by that means conducted through the electro-magnets of such dis- 

 tant telegraph, which is precisely similar in construction to the apparatus 

 above described. The electric fluid having passed through this course re- 

 turns from the distant telegraph by the wire 10, to the stud M, fig. 4 ; 

 which wire is secured thereto by a bimling screw. Another wire 17, sol- 

 dered to the under part of this stud M, conducts the electric fluid to the 

 erect spring 4, from whence it proceeds over the band on the cj Under H 

 to Ihe erect spring 3, and from that spring by a wire 18, to the stud N ; 

 from the binding screw of which another wire 19, soldered or connected to 

 the under part of this stud N, leads the current of electricity to the other 

 pole 15, of the battery, and thus the electric circuit is completed. 



It will now be seen, that when the finger of the operator depresses the 

 key J, the pendent end of the wire 10, being thereby brought into contact 

 with the cup of mercury II, will cause the electric fluid from the battery 

 to pass through the circuit as described. The electric fluid, in proceeding 

 through the coils of the electro-magnets C, and D, develops an attractive 

 force, which, acting upon the lever armatures e, e, attracts the arms of 

 those levers toward the poles of the magnets, and, in so doing, raises the 

 pallets h, h ; one of which then moves the ratchet wheel </, and with It the 

 arbor a, and index-hand i, through a space equal to one division of the cir- 

 cumference of the dial-plate. On raising the finger from the key J, the 

 wire 10, is withdrawn from the mercury cup 1 1, and the circuit of electri- 

 city becoming thereby broken, all the parts will fall into their original 

 position, as shown in fig. 3; and the other pallet will move the ratchet, 

 and thereby cause the index hand to pass over another space or division of 

 the dial. A repetition of Ihe touch upon the key J, produces the same 

 efl'ect as dtscribed, and moves the index-hand through another space ot 

 division of the dial-plate, and so on, — the operator resting when the hane 

 /;, arrives at any letter or number upon the dial which he v^ishes to have 

 noted ; and by a succession of these movements and rests, the letters oi 

 9} mbols of any desired word or words may be indicated at the distant sta 

 tion. 



In commencing the telegraphic communications, it is desirable, in the 

 first place, to indicate whence it proceeds, which may be done by giving 

 one, two, three, or any other conventional number of strokes on the signal 

 bell. In order to effect this at the remote station, a current of electricity 

 is conducted in the way above described ; but a slight change in the posi 

 tions of the c> Under G, H, of the apparatus is first made. 



It has been already stated, that the wooden cylinders G, and H, havi 

 meiallic conducting bands placed partially round them; which bandi 

 leave non-conducting portions on the periphery of the wooden cylinders 

 It is by means of these that the operator is enabled to change Ihe curren 

 of the electric fluid from the telegraph to the bell, and rice reisO, by a sim 

 pie movement. At tigs. S and 4, (which represent the conducting wires ii 

 connection with the telegraph) it will be seen that the erect springs 1, am 

 5, bear against those parts of the cj Under G, over which the metallic band: 

 do not extend, — consequently those springs are at this time insulated ; bu 

 if the cylinders G, H, were turned ronntl simultaneously about a quart* , 

 of a revolution, the metallic bands of the cj Under G, would be brongh 

 into connection with the springs l,and 5 ; and at the same time tbespringi 

 4, and 8, would become Insulated, by having the uonconducliug parts v 

 the CJ Under H, brought into contact with them. This is effected by tin 

 movement of a sliding-bar P, in front of the apparatus, shown at fig. 1 ; 

 which bar is attached to parallel levers p, ;), fixed upon the outer eud of 

 the axles of the cylinders G, H ; and at the centre of the bar is an erect 

 index I). If the bar is slidden toward the left, as shown in the figure, its 

 index </, will point to the mark T, (referring to " telegraph,") and the cy- 

 linders will be situate as shown at fig. 3; the apparatus beiug then in a 

 position to communicate with the telegraph. But If the bar P be slidden 

 to the right, so ihat the index 7, points to the mark B, referring to the 

 "bell," then the cylinders G, H, will be turned round about a quarter of a 

 rotation ; by which means the cc.nducting bands of the cj Under G, will be 

 brought into contact w ith the springs 1, 5, and the bands of the cylinder H, 

 Hill be withdrawn or insulated from the springs4 and 8. \\ hen the cylin- 

 ders G, H, have been thus turned round, the electric fluid will be con- 

 ducted through the magnet E, E, instead of following the course previously 

 described. 



The finger of the operator being now applied to the key J, the electric 

 fluid will pass from the pole A, of the battery, by the wires 9, 10, ai:d 12, 

 to the spring G, and thence, passing over the band of the cyluuler G, will 

 proceed through the conducting spring 5, and wire 20, up to one pole of 

 the magnet E, E. The electric current will now pass through the coils of 

 the magnet E, E, and decend by a wire 21, leadlrrg from the opposite pole 

 of the magnet ; which wire is connected to the wire 14, which is soldered 

 to the stud L, as previously mentioned and shown at fig. 4. This causes 

 the electric fluid to pass from the stud L, through the wire 15, to the dis- 

 tant telegraph, and retum again by the wire 15, to the stud M, as before 



