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Highton's improved electric telegraphs
Highton's Improved Electric. Telegraphs.
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Although there is much that is objectionable in Mr. E.'s remarks about the slip of the wheels of our sea steamers, as well as about the number of paddles, and also of the material of which they are formed, yet I have not time at present to examine them. B. 3Y'ote.--The centre of the area of the paddle is not, in either case, strictly the point" from which to calculate, but it is sufficiently near in this case, and gives what advantage there may be to Mr. E.
Highton' s Improved Electric Telegraphs. There are now at the Euston station, temporarily erected for the inspection of the Directors of the London and North Western Ra~way Company, a series of improved electric Telegraphs; these improvements have been made and patented by Mr. Edward Highton, C. E., Telegraphic Engineer to the above Company, who seems to have investigated the subject very extensively and successfully, as far as can be judged at present from the specimens we have seen. One is an improvement on Wheatstone's, for simplifying the arrangement of the figures referring to the letters on the dial, by which the letters of more frequent occurrence are so arranged as to require the least number of ticks, saving about 15 per cent. of time.-The pointer is moved by means of a horse-shoe magnet, surrounded by multiplying coils of wires, and suspended on an axis, and is acted on so powerfully and directly by this arrangement, that it does not vibrate, which facilitates the reading. Another shows tt,e letter telegraphed in an aperture on the dial, being an improvement on Mr. Nott's plan;--the latter had the disadvantage, when a wrong letter was telegraphed, of continuing the error ~hroughout; there was no means of rectifying it; but Mr. High/on, by means of an instrument which he has invented, and calls a percenode, can reverse the current immediately, and rectify the error. The peculiarity of the instrument consists in its capability of eompleti, g, at a distant station, one of either of two different circuits, without the possibility of any accidental confusion. There is another with a neat dial-plate, showing the letters of the alphabet in a circle, and figures under them. The pointer in the centre of it is made to pass rapidly round, and when it comes to the right letter it is stopped for a moment. Should the wrong letter be telegraphed, the error can be immediately rectified, and, if worked skilfully, will save nearly half the usual time. The principal telegraph is worke-d by a system of lettered finger-keys, by which any desired letter of the alphabet can be made instantly to appear on the dial, without the passing of a single other letter. This is accomplished by means of three wires and "a certain mathematical law of variation," which Mr. Highton has discovered in the transmission of electric currents. This t e l e ~ r a~, . ph has been named the "express telegraph" b~' the Directors,' and appears to work with great facility. The mechanism is very simple. There are no wheels. The letters are shown by the movement of three pendulous screens, one behind the other, having certain openings and letters on them. They are moved to the right or left by the electric power, and do not vibrate, but show the desired letter steadily. Thus~ with three
904
.Me.chan/cs, P/~cs, ~
¢,~.
wires, and the corresponding system of keys, any of the 96 letters o'f the alphabet may be exhibited at a distant station, as fast as the opdrator can put his fingers on the keys representing them. There are a variety of machines for pr~,,,ring the letters telegraphed-one, by means of the transposition of six s) mbols, all the letters are represented; another, which is nearly finished, will print the letters of a message in the usual type, without the chance of mistake, at a distant station, (by means of certain combinations, and three penenodes, connected with three wires,) as fast as the operator can point out the letters. One great advantage in these improvements is stated to be, that it requires but little power to send the signals along the line, in consequence of its being transmitted to other an~{ more powerful electric apparatus, provided at the stations, to receive it and show the signals. They are put in action when in use, and out of action when not wanted. Lond. Rail. Jour., Oct. 1848.
The Improvement of Chronometers. The talent and ingenuity which have been directed to the improvement of chronometers for many years past, have left but few defects in their conconstruction, excepting the imperfect compensation for change of tempera° ture: this has formed the great object to which the efforts of persons interested in their improvement have been directed. The defect alluded to is this, that if chronometers are adjusted for extremes of heat and cold, ithey wi!l gain in the intermediate temperatures. The cause of this defect s, that the balance-spring loses elasticity by an increase of temperature at an accumulating rate over the effect produced by the ordinary compensation. The great difficulty of obtaining a principle, the effect of which could be increased or diminished precisely in the same de~ee as the ternperature increased or diminished the elasticity of the spring, has perhaps occupied more time, and led to more profitless ezperiments, than any obo static which has ever opposed itself to the progrem of chronometrical improvement. Mr. Loseby has introduced mercuryto achieve the object desired, which, by its fluidity, seems to admit of being adjusted so that its effect varies exactly in the same proportion as the change of temperature alters the elas.ticity of the spring, or in other words, whmh makes the law of the successive alterations of the momentum of inertia adapt itself to the law of alteration of the elasticity of the spring, whatever that law may b e. (./tstronomer Since .the invention was submitted to the Government in 1843, it has undergone several trials by order of the Board of Admiralty, with a view to test its principle. The chief points which required to be proved were, first, whether the principle admitted of being adjusted to the irregular loss of elasticity in the spring; and, secondly, if the effect produced bythe mercury would be sufficient. The fluidity of the agent used at once answered the first point, and it was therefore to the second that the trials have been chiefly directed. The result shews that not only can the ordinary defect be obviated, but in most of the trials it has even been reversed.
"203
Although there is much that is objectionable in Mr. E.'s remarks about the slip of the wheels of our sea steamers, as well as about the number of paddles, and also of the material of which they are formed, yet I have not time at present to examine them. B. 3Y'ote.--The centre of the area of the paddle is not, in either case, strictly the point" from which to calculate, but it is sufficiently near in this case, and gives what advantage there may be to Mr. E.
Highton' s Improved Electric Telegraphs. There are now at the Euston station, temporarily erected for the inspection of the Directors of the London and North Western Ra~way Company, a series of improved electric Telegraphs; these improvements have been made and patented by Mr. Edward Highton, C. E., Telegraphic Engineer to the above Company, who seems to have investigated the subject very extensively and successfully, as far as can be judged at present from the specimens we have seen. One is an improvement on Wheatstone's, for simplifying the arrangement of the figures referring to the letters on the dial, by which the letters of more frequent occurrence are so arranged as to require the least number of ticks, saving about 15 per cent. of time.-The pointer is moved by means of a horse-shoe magnet, surrounded by multiplying coils of wires, and suspended on an axis, and is acted on so powerfully and directly by this arrangement, that it does not vibrate, which facilitates the reading. Another shows tt,e letter telegraphed in an aperture on the dial, being an improvement on Mr. Nott's plan;--the latter had the disadvantage, when a wrong letter was telegraphed, of continuing the error ~hroughout; there was no means of rectifying it; but Mr. High/on, by means of an instrument which he has invented, and calls a percenode, can reverse the current immediately, and rectify the error. The peculiarity of the instrument consists in its capability of eompleti, g, at a distant station, one of either of two different circuits, without the possibility of any accidental confusion. There is another with a neat dial-plate, showing the letters of the alphabet in a circle, and figures under them. The pointer in the centre of it is made to pass rapidly round, and when it comes to the right letter it is stopped for a moment. Should the wrong letter be telegraphed, the error can be immediately rectified, and, if worked skilfully, will save nearly half the usual time. The principal telegraph is worke-d by a system of lettered finger-keys, by which any desired letter of the alphabet can be made instantly to appear on the dial, without the passing of a single other letter. This is accomplished by means of three wires and "a certain mathematical law of variation," which Mr. Highton has discovered in the transmission of electric currents. This t e l e ~ r a~, . ph has been named the "express telegraph" b~' the Directors,' and appears to work with great facility. The mechanism is very simple. There are no wheels. The letters are shown by the movement of three pendulous screens, one behind the other, having certain openings and letters on them. They are moved to the right or left by the electric power, and do not vibrate, but show the desired letter steadily. Thus~ with three
904
.Me.chan/cs, P/~cs, ~
¢,~.
wires, and the corresponding system of keys, any of the 96 letters o'f the alphabet may be exhibited at a distant station, as fast as the opdrator can put his fingers on the keys representing them. There are a variety of machines for pr~,,,ring the letters telegraphed-one, by means of the transposition of six s) mbols, all the letters are represented; another, which is nearly finished, will print the letters of a message in the usual type, without the chance of mistake, at a distant station, (by means of certain combinations, and three penenodes, connected with three wires,) as fast as the operator can point out the letters. One great advantage in these improvements is stated to be, that it requires but little power to send the signals along the line, in consequence of its being transmitted to other an~{ more powerful electric apparatus, provided at the stations, to receive it and show the signals. They are put in action when in use, and out of action when not wanted. Lond. Rail. Jour., Oct. 1848.
The Improvement of Chronometers. The talent and ingenuity which have been directed to the improvement of chronometers for many years past, have left but few defects in their conconstruction, excepting the imperfect compensation for change of tempera° ture: this has formed the great object to which the efforts of persons interested in their improvement have been directed. The defect alluded to is this, that if chronometers are adjusted for extremes of heat and cold, ithey wi!l gain in the intermediate temperatures. The cause of this defect s, that the balance-spring loses elasticity by an increase of temperature at an accumulating rate over the effect produced by the ordinary compensation. The great difficulty of obtaining a principle, the effect of which could be increased or diminished precisely in the same de~ee as the ternperature increased or diminished the elasticity of the spring, has perhaps occupied more time, and led to more profitless ezperiments, than any obo static which has ever opposed itself to the progrem of chronometrical improvement. Mr. Loseby has introduced mercuryto achieve the object desired, which, by its fluidity, seems to admit of being adjusted so that its effect varies exactly in the same proportion as the change of temperature alters the elas.ticity of the spring, or in other words, whmh makes the law of the successive alterations of the momentum of inertia adapt itself to the law of alteration of the elasticity of the spring, whatever that law may b e. (./tstronomer Since .the invention was submitted to the Government in 1843, it has undergone several trials by order of the Board of Admiralty, with a view to test its principle. The chief points which required to be proved were, first, whether the principle admitted of being adjusted to the irregular loss of elasticity in the spring; and, secondly, if the effect produced bythe mercury would be sufficient. The fluidity of the agent used at once answered the first point, and it was therefore to the second that the trials have been chiefly directed. The result shews that not only can the ordinary defect be obviated, but in most of the trials it has even been reversed.