source of energy or battery for controlling and operating the main electromagnet 5 may be in the main-line circuit, but is preferably located as just described. It will also be seen 1035that each segment is divided into five main parts, the first section of the segment 158 being blank, or covered with insulation, as indicated at 162, while the remainder of the segment traversed by the arm 152 is divided 1040into four contacts or contact-sections 163, 164, 165, and 166, insulated from One another. The segment 157 is divided into five sections or contacts insulated from one another and designated, respectively, by 16, 168, 169, 1045170, and 171. According as the make or break of the circuit is shorter or longer the switch arm controlled thereby will travel through a shorter or longer arc corresponding substantially to the time constant of the make or 1050break in the circuit. The section 162 is blank, because the shortest make of the circuit may operate directly upon the device controlled thereby without regard to selecting devices; but all other signals differing therefrom must 1055be controlled by different contacts on the segments. If the signal is a make representing a dash, the switch 152 moves through an arc approximately twice as great as when a dot is received, and hence reaches the contact 1060163 and closes a circuit through switch 152, contact-brush 156, contact 163, conductor 182, electromagnet 95, (which operates to release the sleeve 83 and permit the component selector 81, representing the dash, to move 1065away from the selector 80, which represents the dot.) the circuit from this point being through the conductor 183 and conductor 184 to the lever of an automatic switch 186 (which switch will be hereinafter described) for breaking1070 all local circuits (except that of the main electromagnet 5) from a source of energy or battery 189, the circuit from this point being by way of switch-point 185, conductors 302 and 300 to the source of energy 189, and 1075conductors 301 and 303 to switch 152.
When the letter “L” is to be selected, the switch 152 moves a greater distance and the brush 156 engages the contact 164, from which point the circuit is through conductor 192 to 1080solenoid 121, one-half of the coils of which are energized, the return-circuit being by way of conductors 183 and 184 and the other devices just described. When the cipher “0” is selected, the movement of the switch-arm 1085152 is still longer, owing to the increased value of the time constant of the electrical signal received, and the brush reaches the contact 165 and closes a circuit through the conductor 194, which energizes the other half 1090of the coils of the solenoid 121, the return circuit being through conductors 183 184, &c., as before.
Should the arm 152 travel through a longer arc than any of those just described and the contact-brush 156 pass beyond the contact 165, the 1095contact-brush coming into contact with segment 166 practically short-circuits the armature 2 of the motor while the current from the source of energy is flowing through the field-coil 2′. This destroys the function of the1100 motor to convert electrical energy into work, but causes the kinetic energy stored in the armature to generate an electric current which, flowing from the armature 2 through resistance-coil 215, (or switch 195 and point 213,)1105 conductors 307, 306, and 303, switch 152, brush 156, contact 166, conductor 309, and resistance 310, tends to react on the armature, thus acting as a brake and suddenly stopping the armature, the suddenness of stopping depending1110 upon the resistance in the coil 310. In this case the resistance is so adjusted that kinetic energy in the armature is not entirely counteracted by the current generated by it, thus leaving enough energy to operate the automatic1115 switch 186, as before described. Any tendency of the motor or other parts to turn backward after stopping may be counteracted by means of a ratchet-wheel placed upon one of the rotary parts and engaged by a pawl.1120 The normal motor-circuit is from the source of energy 189 through conductors 300 and 302, switch-point 185, automatic switch 186, conductor 184, field-coils 2′, armature 2, regulating-switch 195, (which will be hereinafter1125 described,) conductors 307, 306, and 301 to the source of energy 189.
After each make of the circuit there is a break the length of which varies according as it is desired to indicate the ordinary interruption1130 of the circuit after transmission of an electrical signal component of a code character or an extra space in a code character, a space between code characters or a word-space coming at the end of a series of code characters.1135 The ordinary interruption after each electrical signal component is received is the shortest and in this case is determined by contact 167 of the segment 157, it being clear from the previous description of the construction1140 and operation of the clutch mechanism controlled by the electromagnet 5 that the switch-arm 151 is caused to move each time that the circuit is broken. The various contacts 167, 168, 169, 170, and 171 correspond1145 to different spaces, and all of these contacts govern branches of a local circuit preferably controlled directly by the source of energy or battery 189 and are not governed by current in the circuit to the receiving instrument. In1150 fact, all of the electrically-operated elements governed by breaks in the circuit to said instrument are dependent upon the mechanical operation of the switch 151 resulting from the coupling of such switch to the shaft 111155 when the armature of the electromagnet 5 is retracted by its spring 48. If the break is the ordinary one, the brush 155 closes a circuit through the arm 151 and the conductors 303 and 301 to the battery 189, from which the1130