Mr. Bain's Electric Printing Telegraph
`Mr. Bain's Electric Printing Telegraph
`Lond Mechanics Mag
`Lend Mechanics Mag
`Journal of the Franklin Institute, of the State of Pennsylvania, for the Promotion of the Mechani...Jul 1, 1844; 8, 1;
`Journal of the Franklin Institute, of the State of Pennsylvania, for the Promotion of the Mechani...Jul 1, 1844; 8, 1;
`American Periodicals
`American Periodicals
`pg. 61
`pg. 61
`
`Mr. Bain's Electric Printing Telegraph.
`The dispute between Professor Wheatstone arid Mr. Bain, as to
`ihe legal and moral standing of each in the matter of electro-tele-
`graphs, and electro-clocks, has already been noticed by us at some
`length. We have no intention of alluding to that dispute further, on
`the present occasion, than to remark that it has not deterred Mr. Bain
`trom pursuing the subject. Having completed a telegraphic appara-
`tus, he has profited by the liberality of the directors of the South
`Western Railway Company, to fix it on their line, and to exhibit it
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 1
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 1
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`at the Nine Elms Station, to a great number of gentlemen interested
`in railways, and in the progress of science. The apparatus transmits
`signals to and from Wimbledon, a distance of six miles; its action,
`while we witnessed it, was extremely rapid, and very certain; every
`message (indicated by numbers,) was transmitted and returned cot.
`redly, the process of printing it going on in the meanwhile.
`This important invention has some peculiarities which require to he
`separately noticed, before a correct idea of their joint effect can be
`obtained. 1st, it is now well known that if a metallic communication
`be made in one direction, between the distant parts of an electrical
`apparatus, water, or the moist earth, will serve safely for that in the
`other, or returning direction. Sonic part of the dispute bel'ore men.
`timed, referred to the priority of the discovery, or application. of this
`fact; and it turned out that neither of the present disputants was
`really the first who had observed it, although Mr. Bain certainly had
`re-discovered it. But the latter named gentleman has made another.
`and more important advance. In the former case the earth was
`merely found to be a safe medium for transmitting the electric fluid.
`He has now found that a considerable length of moist soil may lit
`made to generate electricity enough to work a telegraph, by merely
`burying in the ground. or immersing in water, at two distant paints.
`a sufficient surlace of positive and negative metals, and conneetin2
`them by au insulated wire. In this manner is obtained the electrica.
`power which controls Mr. Bain's telegraph. A copper plate beim'
`placed in water at London, and a corresponding zinc one at Wimble-
`don, the two being connected by a single copper wire, the
`galvanic battery is entirely dispensed with. We may here add that
`Mr. Bain has found, that the greater the length of moist soil compr,-
`hended between the metallic surface, the more intense is the electst
`current obtained, although it is of leas quantity.
`lie finds also tha:
`this terrestrial electricity is very constant in its intensity.
`
` fume i is
`It
`that the telegraph can be worked with metal plates of only 4 spin,
`inches each, naking sq, tare inches of surface in each. The piatts
`actually employed are each of one foot square.
`Secondly, clectro-telegraphs have chiefly hitherto been Untnediatrly
`actuated by the deflecting power of the galvanic current. If a needle.
`which freely vibrates on a centre, is placed in the middle of a
`formed of litany convolutions of insulated wire, in such a manner
`that it is parallel with the plane of the coil, and can vibrate freely,
`and if an electric current be directed along the wire, the needle
`be deflected from its original position, and this deflection will take
`place to the right hand, or the kft, just as the current may pass, in one
`direction, or the other, along the wire. A variety of contrivances
`have been emp!oyed for indicating, by the motion and direction thus
`given, to several needles, the message intended to be transmitted by
`the electric telegraph. The indication depended on the deflection of
`In sonic.
`the needle by the immediate action of the galvanic force.
`however, a weight was employed •to move the machine, and the mo-
`tion, thus obtained, was interrupted by bringing into action the parts
`of an electro-magnetic apparatus at the distant end, by means of
`. it 1015, page 2
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`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproductiCPjareaStord rEXtal
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 2
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`wires connected with a corresponding apparatus at the end from
`which the signal was made. In Mr. Bain's new telegraph the ma-
`chine is actuated by weights, but its motion is stopped by a detent,
`until interruption of the galvanic current is made to release it at the
`pleasure of the operator at the other station. The acting power is
`here not in the electric current, but in the weight, and the current is
`required to be only of the trifling energy necessary to move the con-
`troliug detent under very small pressure.
`Each telegraphic system on Mr. Bain's plan consists of the plates
`and single wire already described, and of two machines, exactly alike,
`one at each of the two stations, between which the communication is
`ro be made. The machines themselves form part of the metallic con-
`nexion between the plates. So long as the electric current flows
`without interruption, the machinery is quiescent, being locked by the
`detent : but the instant the connexion is broken, the detent makes a
`sii;lit rotation, by which the clock work is disengaged, and the sig-
`It is preferred, and with good reason, we think,
`kalaing commences.
`to wake the rest of the machinery—not its motion —depend on the
`continuance of the connexion, since any failure of the electrical ap-
`paratus is then instantly brought to notice by its putting the machine
`in action.
`The electro-magnetic apparatus, which is employed solely to ac-
`tuate the detent, is constructed as follows:—A light vertical spindle
`carries a brass bar, on each extremity of which is fi xed, by the mid-
`dle of its length, a semi-circular magnet, the ends of the two magnets
`nearly touching each other, and the magnets themselves nearly com-
`pleting a circle, of which the spindle is the centre. Two insulated
`wooden bobbins, affixed to the frame of the machine, are bored out
`;Ar:ze enough, longitudinally, to admit the magnets to pis through
`them without touching, and they carry the coils of wire which form
`part of the electric route. They are placed longitudinilly to the
`magnets, and so that the ends of the latter meet within their central
`cavities. When the electric current is made to pass along these coils,
`the magnets, with their spindle, are made to rotate through a small
`arc in one direction ; as soon as the current is interrupted, the power
`of these coils ceases, and a constant magnet, placed at a little distance,
`brings back the electro-magnets, and their spindles, to their original
`position. A protuberance on that spindle fulfils the office of detect,
`being cut on one side nearly to its centre; the extremity of a long
`light arm, which is carried by one of the last arbors of the clock-work,
`and, therefore, revolves rapidly, rests on this protuberance when it
`is in one position, and passes by its flat side when in the other.
`Each machine consists of three parts, that which gives motion to a
`hand like that of a clock ; that which, on the pointing out of a tele-
`graphed figure, strikes a bell ; and that which prints the figure. Sup-
`posing now the machine to be set aping, by having made the neces-
`sary electrical disposition for releasing the detent, we observe, first,
`that the hand rotates in front of a dial, its point passing by the nine
`digits, a cipher, a large dot, a vacant space, and its starting place,
`arranged in a circle; next we see, that, on the hand being stopped at
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further riarnreaatIlbFeeNi.btibit arOilan.page 3
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 3
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`any figure, by breaking the electrical connexion, its part of the ma.
`chine stops, the striking part begins to go, and soon strikes a spring
`bell, and the printing apparatus acts so as to leave an impression of
`the figure, at which the machine was arrested, on a piece of paper
`wound round a revolving cylinder on the left of the machine. This
`is repeated for any figure, or any number of them, which may hate
`been desired. When the communication is closed, the same is done
`with the dot, or period. After waiting, perhaps, half a minute, the
`machine begins to go again, apparently of its own accord, but real;;
`by the action of the assistant at Wimbledon, and the sante figures airs
`repeated by the hand stopping at each of them, and printing it, a!„1
`sounding the bell also as before. The same interruption of tile elec-
`tric current, which slops the machine at one station, stops also at the
`.<1111C instant that at the other ; and as the hands of the two machnics
`are originally set together, and afterwards revolved at the same spci d.
`it is obvious that the figure at which one is stoppod, will be potut,,;
`out at the same instant by the other. The printiog is etketed l,v
`types projecting radially '10111 the It1'14)1101'y of a wheel. The typi•.
`are so disport d on the periphery, and the wheel is so geared to
`machinery which mutes the hand, that when a given figure is pointeil
`out on the dial, the same is presentul by the wheel to the
`The type wheel is pressed forward to imprint the figure On the pap,
`The two machines, we have said, are exactly alike. Tim veloem
`of their rotation is renlated by small (governors. like those used la
`steam engines, and it is necessary that the machines should pretty
`exactly agree in this respect.
`lf, however. ally error of this, or ativ
`other, kind should occur, so that time two tnaehin, s do not point to the
`same figure at the same time, it is instantly discovered by the foliow-
`ing contrivance: The machine, if left to itself, would stop at anyone
`of the figures, or spaces; it goes only so long as the attendant 1:4 cps
`l'av to this there is one;
`in due order the requisi•te metallie circuit.
`exception, that of the vacant space which we Hoke of as formai.;
`part of the circle in which the figures are dispose d; here tic twain,
`would not stop of itself. Now if time two machines arrive at this
`space at the same time, they will both pass over it without snippily!:
`but if one of them points to this space, while the other points to a
`figure, a stop will there take place, by virtue of the action of the law:
`machine, and the attendant at the other then instantly perceives, by
`the improper stoppage on the vacant space, that the instruments dl
`It is obviously easy to ascertain what is the figure tn
`not agree.
`which the hand of each machine should point, to correspond with the
`other, since it will readily he seen what figure the hand of one ni,i•
`ehine passes over without spontaneously stoppiog, when left to Used'.
`This novel and highly ingenious telegraph seemed to us to act with
`perfect correctness in its construction, and the methods devised for if
`use. Most effectual precautions seem to have been taken against the
`undetected continuance of error. We understand that a tele2raph of
`this kind has been at work satisfactorily for the last eighteen months.
`The importance of the physical discovery, on which its peculiar action
`depends, will not be disputed ; and the invention, both in its ctreet.
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further ncaaafiasthIblEathilaitp14195,. page 4
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 4
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`and its details, will necessarily command the attention of the railway
`It is remarkable for simplicity; this, however, distinguishes
`world.
`not so much the mechanical parts, which are always in sight, and
`subject to ready comprehension, and easy repair, as the electrical con-
`nexion ; here a single wire suffices, and a failure, if it were to happen,
`would be known to belong to that one wire, precluding the delay,
`vexation, and uncertainty which are occasioned by a like misfortune
`to one of the many wires required by other electrical telegraphs.
`Its
`comparative cheapness, and its facility of management, are important
`recommendations; but a still greater, we think, is the uniformity of
`1i3 action, depending, as it does, not on batteries, whose power is con-
`stantly varying, but on the electricity of the earth itself. We con-
`rratulate Mr: Bain on this successful exhibition of the results of his
`jog-continued labors, and we earnestly trust that neither pirates nor
`nroleSSOrS wilt again annoy him.
`
`Load. Mechanics' Mai.
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
`Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 5
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`Comcast - Exhibit 1015, page 5
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