US370691A - Stephen d - Google Patents

Description

Y (No Model.)

S. 11151121.13.v PRINTING TELEGRAPH. N0. 370,691. Patented' Sept. 27, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN D. FIELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE COMMERCIAL TELEGRAM COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 370.691, dated September 27, 188'7.

Application filed December 13, 1882. Serial No. 79,185. (No model.)

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraphs, is a specication.

My invention relates to that class of electric appliances the object of which is to record in of which the following 1o printed characters at-a receiving-station the communications transmitted from a sendingstation. It particularly `relates to a' certain class of printing-telegraphs in which the typevwheels of the receiving-instrument are impelled by means of a constant force-as, for

example, a weight or spring acting through suitable intermediate wheelwork-and in which said constant force is subordinated to and controlled by certain electrical conditions Y established upon one or more line-wires.

My invention has for its object to furnish a simple, rapid, and certain receiving-instrument' for a printing telegraph system especially adaptable to the transmission of quotations of 2 5 stocks, &c.

The essential features of my improved receivinginstrument are as follows: The instrument is provided with two type-wheels carried by independent shafts. One wheel may convengoently carry the letters and the other the numerals, and each is provided with a blank or unison point, which may represent either a space or a dot. Through the agency of suitable driving mechanisms a tendency is given to both wheels to revolve continuously in the same direction. The intermittent advance movements of the type-wheels are controlled, lfirst, by an escapement mechanism common to both,which acts simultaneously upon each un- 40 der the influence of intermittent pulsations of current traversing a conductor preferably devoted to this purpose alone; and, secondly, said advance movements are independently governed by the action of an arresting mechanism, the object of which is to hold one of the wheels at its blank or unison point during the periods in which the other wheel is in operation. This arresting mechanism is operated by the same current which actuates the 5o impression-producin g mechanism or press; but

while the press is actuated to produce an im pression by currents of either polarity, the character of the action of the arresting mechanism depends upon the direction or polarity of the current. Thus a copper current may be used to arrest the letter-wheel and a zinc current to arrest the figure-wheel, while either current will serve to actuate the impressionproducing mechanism. Vhen either wheel has once been arrested, it retains its position of arrest-that is, with its blank space presented to the recevingstrip of paper-so long as there is no change in the polarity of the printing-currents. The other type-wheel, being free to advance under the action of the intermittent current, may be proceeded with independently, and any number of successive impressions may be taken therefrom, so long as the polarity of the printing-current is not changed.` When it is desired to print from the other wheel, the operator at the transmitting-station will first bring the wheel which has been in use to the unison or blank point, and will there arrest it by reversing the current. The same action not only liberates the other wheel, but liberates it in unison with the transmitting device, so that it may proceed independently in the manner described.

My invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings, which are especially designed to exhibit the principle of operation of the apparatus.

Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view, the case of the instrument being shown partly in section.

' Referring to the drawings, the type-wheels are sho'wn at A and A2. The former may conveniently carry the letters, and the latter the numerals, punctuation-points, and other miscellaneous characters, as desired, this being a matter of discretion. Both are provided with blank or unison spaces. Each type-wheel is carried upon a separate shaft, asseen at B and B2, and both shafts are driven by the weight C, acting through suitableintermediate mechanism. Both type-wheels advance step by step in the same direction. The shafts, further, respectively carry escapement-wheels D and D, each provided with a like number of teeth engaging with the pallets'upon the anchors E and E2, carried by the rock-shaft F, which is arbored at points F and F2, and is provided IOO with an armature, Ii, intervening between the confronting poles of the polarized magnet G. The latter is included in the circuit of the lineconductor 1 1, which conveys impulses alternately positive and negative established thereupon by any suitable transmitting device. rIhe independent circuit of conductors 2 2 includes the operating-magnets of two distinct mechanisms-namely, the printing-press mechanism operated by the electro magnet H and the unison mechanism for detaining the typewheels upon their blank spaces when out of use, operated by the polarized magnet K.

The printing mechanism is shown at H. It is actuated by an electromagnet, H', with a neutral armature, H2, included in the circuit 2 2 and responding to currents of either polarity. The armature H2 carries a platen, H2, over which passes aband or tape of paper, Ht.

The mechanism for feeding the paper may be of any suitable character, and may be actuated in any wellknown manner-Sas, for example, by the retrograde movement of the printing lever or armature H2. lith every impulse, therefore, of sufficient intensity, whether positive or negative, that traverses the circuit 2 2 an impression will be taken of the character or figure immediately above the platen at that particularinstant. If, as is normally thc case, the blank point of one of the wheels is above the platen, animpression will be taken from the other wheel only.

rlhe device for arresting and detaining the particular type-wheel which is not in use is also operated by the current traversing the circuit 2 2, already referred to. It consists of an electro magnet, K, between the poles of which a polarized armature, K', carried by an armature-lever, K2, fulcrumed at K3, plays between the stops A3 and At, under the action of currents of alternating polarity, in a well known manner. The type-wheels A A2 are respectively provided upon their confronting faces with projecting stops A A4. The armature-lever K2 is extended beyond its fnlcrum K3, passing between the type wheels A and A, as shown. XVhen the magnet K is excited by positive currents, the polarized armature K will be attracted toward one of the pole pieces and the extension K2 will be moved into the path of one of the stopsas, for example, the stop A3 of the wheel A. A current in the opposite direction will cause said extension to release the wheel A and move into the path of the stop A2 of thewheel A2. Inasmuch as this action is practically instantaneous, it will be'understood that one or other of the type-wheels A A2 is at all times in a state of arrest bythe action of the eXtension-piece K2. The other type-wheel is at the same time set free to revolve, and printing may be effected with it accordingly. The stops A3 and A4 are placed in such positions upon the faces of the wheels A and A2 as to determine the arrest of each wheel in a position with its blank or unison point presented to the press mechanism.

The functions of the transmitting apparatus designed to be employed in connection with the receiving apparatus herein described are, first, to establish upon the line 1 1 the requisite alternating pulsations for causing the step by-step advance movement of the particular type-wheel which is in operation; second, to establish the printing-currents upon the line 2 2 when the type-wheel in use has reached the position in which the required character is presented for printing, said printing-current being of polarity such as not to actuate the arresting or unison mechanism; and, third, the transmitter should be provided with devices whereby the transmitting-operator may change the polarity of the current. To accomplish these results any of the well-known electrical appliances heretofore employed for such purposes may be made use of; but as such appliances do not constitute the subj ect-matter of this invention a detailed description of them is omitted.

The operation of passing from one wheel to the other is as follows: Assuming that the type-wheel A has been in use, the type-wheel A2 meantime remaining at rest, and that it is now desired to print from the wheel A2, the operator by properly manipulating his transmitting mechanism causes the wheel A to advance to its blank er unison point. He then reverses the current which operates the unison mechanism, thus liberating the wheel A2 and arresting the wheel A. The wheel A2, having been previously stopped upon its blank or unison point, starts in unison with the transmitting mechanism, and thereafter moves in obedience thereto. Synchronism between the transmitter and receiver during the advancement of either wheel may be maintained in any well-known manner.

It is evident that the principle herein set forth of using two wheels and holding either in position while the other is in operation may be applied to a system in which only a single IOO conduetoris employed by using comparatively r feeble currents to operate the magnet G, and more powerful currents of alternating polarities to actuate the magnets H and K.

I am aware that it is not new to control two independent type-wheels by separate escape ments mounted upon independent levers, both of which levers are actuated, but not at the same time, by a single electro-magnet, the armature of such electro-magnet being mechanically connected with one or the other of the escapementlevers, as required, by means of a polarized tongue oscillating between the poles of said electro-magnet, and I therefore make no claim to such an organization.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of two independentlymovable typewheels, two stops connected one with each of said wheels, mechanism whereby a like advance movement is imparted to each of said wheels when they are free to revolve, and an obstructing or arresting mechanism actuated by the armature of an electro-magnet IZO to simultaneously move into the path of one and out of the path of the other of said stops, whereby one of said type-wheels is arrested at unison position and kept from revolving, and the other of said wheels is liberated at unison position and left free to revolve, and vice versa, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as hercinbefore set forth, of two independent escape- Wheels revolving in parallel planes, oscillating pallets for controlling the intermittent advance movements of each of said escapewheels, an electro-magnet for simultaneously imparting a like oscillatory movement to the pallets .of both of said escape-wheels, mechanism, sub

stantially such as described, for arresting the advance movement of either one of said wheels and simultaneously liberating the other, and an independent electro-magnet for controllingv the last-named mechanism.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of two independently-moving type-wheels, step -by-step escapement mechanism, whereby a like intermittent advancemovement is imparted to each of said type-wheels, an electro-magnet in one linewire for controlling said escapement mechanism, mechanism for locking one or the other of said type-wheels against the action of said escapement mechanism, and an electro-magnet in a second line-wire for determining the action of said locking mechanism upon one or the other of said type-wheels.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of two independently-moving type-wheels, step-by-stepv escapement mechanism whereby a like intermittent advance movement is imparted to each of said type-wheels, an electro-magnet in one linewire for controlling said escapement mechanism, mechanism for locking one or the other of said type-wheels against the action of the escapement, an electro-magnet in a second line-wire for determining the action of said locking mechanism upon one orthe other of said type-wheels, an impressionplaten common to bot-h type-wheels, and an electromagnet included inthe circuit of the second line-wire for actuating said platen.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of two independently-moving type 'wheels, step-by-step escapement mechanism whereby a like intermittent ad- Nance movement is imparted to each of said type-wheels, an electro-magnet in one linewire for actuating said escapement mechanism, mechanism for lockingone or the other of said type-wheels against the action of said escapement, a polarized armature actuated by an electro-magnet in asecond line-wire for determining the action of the locking mechanism upon one or the other of said typewheels, an impression-platen common to both said type-wheels, anda neutral armature actuated by an electro-magnet included in the circuit of the second line-wire for actuating said platen.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of two independently-movable type-wheels, ari-escapement mechanism common to both said type-wheels for controlling their intermittent advance movement, and mechanism actuated by currents of a determinate polarity to hold one of said type-Wheels in position to present its blank or zero point to the platen while permitting the other type- Wheel to proceed, and by currents of an opposite polarity to release the type-wheel first arrested and lock the other type-wheel in the manner described.

7. The combination, substantially as hercinbefore set forth, of two independently-movable type-wheels, mechanism normally tending to advance said type-wheels in the same direction, escapement mechanism common to both type-wheels for controlling said advance movement in accordance with successive electric impulses from a transmitter, a platen or whereby said wheels are advanced in the same direction, and stops upon said wheels for engaging with said projections respectively, according as said armature is actuated by currents of one or other polarity.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of December,

STEPHEN D. FIELD. Witnesses:

MILLER C. EARL, CHARLES A; TERRY.

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