US7521A - Improvement in the - Google Patents

Description

A. N. HENDERSON. YE AND NAY APPARATUS.

/ Patented July 22, 1850.

v4: NORRIS PETERS co., wasuma'mu. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. N. HENDERSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-CHEMlCAL PRltlTiNG IN COLORS FOR TAKING AYES AND NOES.

Spct-ilic-ition forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,5 2], dated July 2271650 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT N. HENDERSON of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have -invcnted certain Apparatus for Taking the Ayes and Noes by Galvanic Electricity and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clcar, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes it from all other things beforeknown,

\Vhcn used for the purpose of taking the ayes and noes in a legislative assembly I employ metallic types having-duplicate sets of the members names, one set withthe word Aye and the other with Nay attached to each name. On the desk of each member are a'pair ot'keys, which strike on studs which communicate by wires with the types at the speakers desk. Over the types is placed a a piece of paper chemically prepared with some substance which is decomposed. by the action of a current of electricity and becomes colored or discolored in theplaces where the current passes through, orit may be colored previously and be bleached by the action of the electricity.

The desks of the members are represented in the drawings by a at, having the keyes Zr and sin a convenient situation. These keys are attached at dto the wire a, colored rod, which leads to the battery, and by pressing on any one of the keys 0 a connection is made with a wire, it, colored blue, which leads from th e members desk to the types 1) having the members name with the word Aye annexed; or by pressing the other key, 0, aconnection 1s made in a similar manner 'with the name having the word i Nay annexed.

is placed apiece of sensitive paper, and on it. a metallic plate, g, the plate being connected with the opposite pole of the battery.

When it is required to take a vote a piece of the prepared paper is laid on the types and I the plate placed over them. Each member then touches either the Aye or Nay key as he pleases to vote. If in the allirmative, he presses the key 1) down on the stud f, and thus forms a communication through the wire it. with the types 7., representing his name and the word Aye at the speakers desk. The

passage of the electricity through the paper from the types to the plate g, which is con nected with the other pole'of the battery, stains the paper and gives a perfect impression of the name with Aye annexed to it. If he touches the other key, a, the types in the other column are acted on by the current passing through the stud q and the wirem, colored green, and the name with Nay is printed on the paper. In this manner the votes of the whole can be taken simultaneously and the speaker have a printed list of the members with their votes annexed to their names.

The several wires 6 are joined to one main wire, 12, which leads to the battery.

In order to make a perfect contact with the whole surface of the types 70 and p and the plate 9 with the paper interposed, I cause the plate to press on them by the springs I, whichalso serve to make the connection with the battery through the wires 0. To do this more perfectly I also set the types It and p on an i elastic bed of india-rubber or springs m.

s and t are screw-cups which connect the wires a and o with the battery.

The paper should be damp when used. Among the various substances which may be used for preparing the paper for the above purposes are the following, viz: A saturated solution of cyanide'of potassium in water, to every twenty parts of which add one part of sulphuric or nitric acid, which gives a green color when acted on by the electricity. The acid may be omitted, but the impression is not quite so permanent. A saturated solution of sulphate of copper gives a black impression. The same with the addition of cyanide of po tassium until the liquid becomes clear, which gives a greenish impression. A strong solu tion of cyanide of potassium with chloride of silver gives a green impression, All the above leave the paper white until acted upon by the galvaniccurrent. About twenty parts of a weak solution of prussiate of potassa with one of sulpluric acid colors the paper slightly and gives adeqr-blue impression by the electicity.

\Vith paper saturated with the above solutions the changes are made which prod'nce the alteration of color, according to the nature of the solution, entirely within the paper or other fabric Without acting on the metal of the types or plate. To prevent such action I prefer to make them of platinum, gold, or other metal,

which will resist corrosion by the substances employed to prepare the paper.

It is obvious that this invention can be applied to many other purposes besides that of taking ayes and nays, such as printing, telegraphing, 85c.

vInstead of using paper previously prepared by a chemical solution, I find that the paper can he used merely damp in the parts where the current is to pass through. This I do by placing over the dry paper, when laid on the types, a piece of thick card or similar substance saturated with moisture, and above this a metallic plate connected with the battery. The paper is then acted on by touching the keys, as before described, and the impression,

though invisible when the paperis taken out, becomes apparent upon applying a proper chemical solution.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new therein, and for which I desire to secure Letters Patent, is,-

1. The mode, substantially as herein described, of imprinting words, letters, figures, &c., upon paper or other fibrous substances by placing the paper or other substance (either chemically prepared or not, as above set forth) between two surfaces of a metal which is not acted on by the substances employed, on one of which the letters or figures are raised by passin g a current of galvanic electricity through the prepared material, substantially as above described.

2. Passing the electric current between metallic surfaces, as above described, through damp paper otherwise unprepared, and afterward applying a chemical solution, by which the efl'eet of the electricity becomes visible whenever it has passed through the paper, for the purposes above describedtelegraphing, &c.

ALBERT N. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

EDW'ARD EVERETT, WM. GREENOUGH.

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