US215551A - Improvement in printing-telegraphs - Google Patents

Description

5 Sheets-Sheet L G. L. ANDERS. Printing-Telegraph.

No. 215,551. Patented May 20,17Q.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GfL. ANDERS. Printing-Telegraph. No. 215,551. Patented May 20,1879.

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G. L. ANDERS. Printing-Telegraph. No. 215,551. 1151511155 may 2o, 1879.

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V'GEORGE L. ANDERS, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO E. B. WELCH, OF OAM- BRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVAEMENT IN PRINTING-TELEGRAPHAS'.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,551, dated May 20, 1879; application iiled June 1, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. ANDERs, of Boston, in the county of Sutt'olk, State ot' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraph Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the instrument, showing the straight key-board and its connections in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a front view, in elevation, showing the type-wheel and its accessory devices. Fig. 3 is a back view, in elevation, showing the face ofthe circuit-wheel. Fig. f1 is anend view, in elevation, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the manner in which the instruments are connected at terminal stations. Fig. 6 is a diagramgshowing the connection and arrangement of the circuits when the instruments are connected to a divided battery at the same station.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughont these several views.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of printing-telegraphs in which a step-by-step7 movement is given tov the type-wheel by the action ot' alternate positive and negative currents upon a magnet to whose armature is attached an escapement, which moves the type-wheel or controls its movement, and in which the circuit through the said magnetis connected to a range of circuit-breakers controlled by finger-keys corresponding to the letters upon the type-wheel by means ot' an arm, or its equivalent, rotated isochronously with the type-wheel, and traversin g the face of a disk composed ofconductin gsegments insulated from each other, and each connected to one of the circuit-breakers, and in which the printing is eli'ected by the action of a magnet operating on breaking or prolonging the current at the key corresponding to the letter to be printed.

The invention consists, iirst, in connecting the polarized or type-wheel magnets of two instruments at opposite stations to each other through a self-acting contact-arm at each instrument traversing the-face of a "sunflowermoreover, the two instruments are kept in unison; second, in `connecting the maindrivingtrain with the train which causes the rotation of the type-Wheel and the train which operates the printing mechanism by an epicycloidal gearing, whereby these trains, though driven by the same motor, act independently and separately.

In the accompanying drawings, A A' are two vertical plates of metal, which form the back and front sides of the instrument, and are supported upon a suitable base-board, 13. C'is the main driving-arbor, and D is a pinion on the same, which connects it to the drivingbarrel, which is not shown in the drawings. One end of this arbor O bears in the side A of the instrument, and the other end bears in the end ot' an arbor, C', which extends through a sleeve, C", and the other side, A, of the instrument. Upon this end ofthe arbor C, and at right angles thereto, is an arm, E, having at its extremity a beveled pinion, E'. H H' are two gear-wheels provided with crown-gear h, h' on their inside faces opposite to each other. One of these wheels, H, is attached to ashaft, C', running in the sleeve O". and the other wheel, H', turns loosely upon the shjaft O. The

beveled pinion E' gears with the wheels H H', moving both if both are free, but if one wheel is held fast rolling over the face ot' that wheel and communicating motion to the other.

F is the type-wheel arbor, which is supported between the plates A A. G is the type` wheel, ofthe usual form, on the arbor F, and G' is a toothed escape-wheel, ot' the usual construction, mounted on the arbor F, and I is a pinion on the arbor, which gears with the wheel H, and communicates the `movement of the driving-train to said arbor.

The pinion I is attached to the arbor F by a helical spring, I', so that the pinion I is pery mitted to have a limited loose motion on, its

arbor, thereby taking up the momentum of shaft P, which has its bearings in projections S S' extending from the inside of the vertical plate A'. When the attractive force ot' the magnet ceases the armature 0 is withdrawn from the magnet by the force of the dat spring O', which is attached at one end to the armature, and at the other end rests upon a pin, S", extending out from the vertical plate A. L is an arm attached to the rock-shaft l?, and projecting downward at right angles to the same. This arm has two pallets, a and b, secured to it on opposite sides thereof, and arranged in the manner as will hereinafter be described, so that they form an escapement for the printing mechanism.

R is an arbor supported at each end in the vertical plates A A', and R' is a pinion on the arbor, which engages with the gear-wheel H, and communicates the movement of the motortrain to the arbor. T is an arm attached at a right angle to the arbor R, and of such a length that its end will bear against the eX- tremity of the arm L, thereby preventing the arbor R from rotating, and consequently-preventing the rotation ot' the wheel H and arbor C. T is a cam on the arbor R, and Visa lever attached at one end to a rock-shaft, U, bearing on the upper part of the vertical plate A, and at the other end resting upon the cam T. To the rock-shaft is attached the feed-lever U', which carries a feeding-clamp for moving the strip of paper similar to that which 1 have described in a former patent. V' is a spring bearing against the lever V. W' is a at spring, carrying on one extremity the printing-pad W, and at the other end secured to an arm, W", attached at right angles to the sleeve C" on the outside of the vertical plate A. X is a projection or cam under the printing-pad, against which the teeth X' X' of the wheel g', mounted on and turning with the arbor C', bear, so that as each tooth passes under the projection X the printing-pad will be forced against the type-wheel.

Theleaves of the pinion R' are in such a ratio to the teeth of the gear-wheel Hthat the arbor R will make a complete rotation while a tooth or 'cam 'on the wheel g' is passing under the printing-pad.

Y is the inking-roller, and Y the swinging arm supporting the same.

G" is a circuit-closing disk of the well-known form, fastened to the outside of the vertical plate A', and composed of a series of metallic segments, p a, insulated from each other and from the type-wheel arbor, which passes through the center of said disk.

F is a metallic arm att-ached to the type'- wheel arbor and rotating with it, the end of' which arm traverses the face ot' the circuitclosing disk.

The plan view in Fig. 1 shows the straight key-board which is used with this instrument. It consists of a row of spring or lever keys, p a', which bear against the strips of metal z' c', which extend longitudinally under the keyboard, and to which the keys are connected in alternate series. One of these strips is connected tothe main battery at the station, and the other is connected to the earth, as shown in Fig. 1; but, as shown in Fig. 5, the connections are different at the two opposite stations, the battery at station 1 being connected by its positive pole to the strip z, andthe battery at station 2 being connected by its negative pole to the strip c. Another plan is to use only one battery, but divide it into ten parts, and connect the center to the earth. In this arrangement the strips z and c, at station 1, are

connected respectively to the positive and negv ative poles of the divided battery, and thev strips z c', at stationl 2, are each connected to the earth. b

To the springs p u are attached knobs a b c, marked with the letters of` the alphabet, and by means of these knobs the springs or levers are depressed, and connection with the conducting-strips broken. Each of the springs p is in connection, by a wire, 1, with a segment, p, of the circuit-wheel, and each of the springs a is in connection, by a wire, 2, of a segment, a, of said wheel.

The circuit is as follows: Supposing the arm F' of' each instrument to be upon a positive segment of the circuit-wheel, the current will then pass from the positive pole of the battery M B, at station 1, to the conducting strip z',- thence, by one ot' the springs p and its connecting-wire 1, to the corresponding segment in con tact with the arm F' 5 thence, through the type-wheel arbor, to the wire3; thence, through the polarized magnet and wire 4, to the line; thence, through the circuit wheel and magnet of the other instrument, to its strip z, andv thence to earth.

If the arms be upon a negative segment of the corresponding circuit-wheels, the course ofthe current will be reversed, and it will pass from the negative pole of the main battery at station 2 to the strip c' of the key-board oi' the instrument at that station, thence through the instrument to the line, thence through the instrument at station 1 to the strip c, and thence to earth.

When the instruments are at rest, the typewheel magnets are thrown out of circuit by a switch in the usual manner; but when theswitch is closed the current will pass as before explained,` the magnets will be excited, and their armatures will vibrate. This moveand the arm F to the next segment of the circuit-wheel. As before explained, the current will now be reversed, and the armatures will vibrate to the opposite poles of the magnets, and the type-wheel will again rotate one tooth, and this automatic action will continue as long as the switch is closed, causing the rapid rotation of the type-wheel. y

If now it is desired to print a letter, the spring corresponding to that letter is pressed down by its knob, and connection with the battery is interrupted at that point, so that when the arm F in its rotation reaches the segment corresponding to and connected with the depressed spring, the circuit will be broken, and the rotation of the type-wheel will be arrested.

Theletters upon the type-Wheel are arranged insuch relation to the the segments of the circuit-wheel that when the type-wheel stops the letter corresponding to the depressed key will be over the printing-pad.

The printing is eifected as follows: Gn the interruption of the currents in the type-wheel magnet the soft-iron armature O, which was held down by attraction, is released. The rock-shaft P will oscillate, moving the arm L, and withdrawing the pallet b on the arm L from the end ofthe arm T. The motion of the wheel H' having been arrested by the arrest of the type-wheel, the bevel-gear wheel E' will roll over the face of the wheel Il', and will communicatemotion to the toothed wheel H, thence to the arbor C' and toothed wheel g', and to the pinion It' and arbor R.

The arbor R will now rotate once until the arm T strikes against the pallet a on the arm L, and the wheel g will move one tooth, thereby operating the printing-pad and effecting theimpression of the letter on the paper strip and the cam T', at the same time rotating once, will operate the lever V and rock-shaft U, and cause the feeding-clamp to draw the paper strip the proper distance after the feeding has been effected.

When the key is released the circuit willV .again be closed, and the armature O will be attracted, causing the oscillation of the shaf't P and releasing the end of the arm T from the pallet a, but arresting it by contact with the pallet b, so that the train will again act upon the type-wheel arbor.

Insteadof effecting the printing by breaking the circuit and releasing the armature 0, this printing may be effected by prolonging either of the currents and attracting the armature, which is provided with a retraetin g-sprin g of sufficient strength to resist the attraction due to the magnetism derived from the rapid alternating currents in the polarized magnet, but not of sufficient power to hold the armature if either of these currents is prolonged.

The prolongation of the current is effected when a key is depressed by means of the arrangement of the additional conducting-bars k k'. (Shown in the plan viewin Fig. l.) These bars are arranged in such a manner that when the key is depressed and leaves the bar c' or z' it comes in contact with 7c or k', and the reversal of the current by the circuit-wheel is thereby prevented. The rotation of the type- .wheel is consequently arrested, and the prolonged current in the polarized magnet will cause the attraction of the soft-iron armature and the printing will be effected.

Iam aware that it is not new to effect an automatic transmission of currents in a printingtelegraph instrument by means of a segmental disk with suitable connections, as this is found in the patent to Moses G. Farmer, July 22, 1856, No. 15,373, where an automatic make and break is effected by a system of circuits and the use of a segmental disk, which differ from the system which. I use in that they produce currents in the main circuit in one direction only.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, 1s-

1. A divided battery having its opposite poles connected alternately, through suitable circuitbreakers, to the segments of a sunflower-disk, in combination with a self-acting contact-spring traversing the sunflower-disk and acting to complete the circuit, substan-A tially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the conducting-strips 'z' c' and their respective ranges of circuitbreakers and keys, the conducting-strips k k', arranged and connected substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a printing-telegraph, two trains independently and separately operating to rotate the type-wheel and move the printing mechanism, respectively connected to the main driving-train by epicycloidal gearing, as described,

and each operated by said main train, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination ofthe magnet MM', polarized armature N, escapement N', escapewheel G, type-wheel arbor F, pinion I, wheel H, pinion E', arm E, arbor C, and pinion D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the magnet M M',

armature O, arbor P, arm L, arm T, arbor R,

pinion It', wheel H, and arbor C', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the wheels H H', arbor C, arm E, beveled pinion E', and arbor C', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7, The combination ofthe magnet M M', armatures N and O, escapement N', escapewheel Gr, type-wheel arbor F, pinions I, E, D, and R', arbors C, C', P, and It, arms E, T, and L, and wheels H and H', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE LEE ANDERS.

Witnessesz JANE ANDERs, L. G. DUNTON.

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