The American Electro Magnetic Telegraph: With the Reports of Congress, and a Description of All Telegraphs Known, Employing Electricity or GalvanismVail, Alfred
History
The American Electro Magnetic Telegraph: With the Reports of Congress, and a Description of All Telegraphs Known, Employing Electricity or Galvanism
Vail, Alfred
Telegraph -- History
Figure 51 represents a side view of the apparatus, used at the
_receiving_ station: _a, a_ is a side view of the multiplier, composed
of 30,000 feet of wire, (almost 5½ miles,) upon a table, B: _n, s_ is
the magnetic bar, weighing 30 pounds, from which rises a vertical stem,
_o_, upon which is a rod at right angles, supporting a mirror, H, on
one end, and at the other a metallic ball, I, as a counteracting weight
to that of the mirror. The magnetic bar is suspended by a small wire,
fastened to the vertical stem, and at the top is wound round the spiral
of the screw, _i_, which turns in the standards, _h′_ and _h_, upon the
platform, A, and which is secured to the ceiling. In the standards,
_h′_, there is cut a female screw, of the same gradation as that upon
which the wire is wound. By this means, the magnetic bar may be raised
or let down, by turning the screw, without taking the bar from its
central position in the multiplier: _g_ is a screw for fastening the
spiral shaft, when properly adjusted. P and N are the two ends of the
wire of the multiplier. G is a stand for supporting the spy-glass, D,
and also the case, E, into which slides the scale, F. The mirror, H,
is at right angles with the magnetic bar, and presents its face to
the spy-glass, D, as also to the scale at E. It is so adjusted, that
the reflection of the scale at E, from the mirror, may be distinctly
seen by the spy-glass. If the magnetic bar turns either to the right
or left, the mirror must move with it, and if a person is observing
it through the spy-glass, the scale will appear to move at the same
time, thereby presenting to the eye of the observer another part of the
scale than that seen when the bar is not deflected. The figures on the
scale will show in what direction the bar has turned, and thus render
it distinct to the observer, the only apparent object of the mirror,
spy-glass and scale.
For the purpose of generating the galvanic fluid, they use the magneto
electric machine. Their plan, being unwieldy and difficult to operate,
is omitted, and in its stead, we introduce that form of it, invented
by Dr. Page, which has already been described in figures 45, 46 and
47. There is also required for the purpose of making the desired
deflections of the magnetic bar, a commutator, or pole changer, such
as we have described in figures 48, 49 and 50. Figure 51 represents
that portion of the apparatus at the _receiving_ station. The magneto
electric machine, and the pole changer, properly connected, are the
instruments of the _transmitting_ station. Two wires, or one wire and
the ground, form the circuit between these two stations. The machine
is put in operation by turning the crank, and the person sending the
intelligence is stationed at the commutator, and directs the current
through the extended wires to the multiplier of the receiving station,
so as to deflect the bar to the right or left, in any succession he may
choose, or suspend its action for any length of time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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