The Story of the Atlantic TelegraphField, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
History
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
Transatlantic cables
In the Siphon Recorder (a view of which is shown in Fig. 1), the
indicator consists of a light rectangular signal-coil of fine wire,
suspended between the poles of a powerful electro-magnet, so as to be
free to move about its longer axis which is vertical, and so joined up
that the electric currents constituting the signals through the cable,
pass through it. A fine glass siphon-tube is suitably suspended, so as
to have only one degree of freedom to move, and is connected to the
signal-coil so as to move with it. The short leg of the siphon-tube dips
into an insulated ink-bottle, which permits of the ink contained by it
being electrified, while the long leg is situated so that its open end
is at a very small distance from a brass table, placed with its surface
parallel to the plane in which the mouth of this leg moves, and over
which a slip of paper may be passed at a uniform rate as in the Spark
Recorder. The effect of electrifying the ink is to cause it to be
projected in very minute drops from the open end of the siphon-tube,
towards the brass table or on the paper-slip passing over it. Thus when
the signal-coil moves in obedience to the electric signal currents
passed through it, the motion then communicated to the siphon, is
recorded on the moving slip of paper by a wavy line of ink marks very
close together. The interpretation of the signals is according to the
Morse code; the dot and dash being represented by deflections of the
line to one side or the other of the centre line of the paper.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
[Illustration: FIG. 3.]
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