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Western Union Telegraph Company Records 1820-1995 400 cubic feet by Robert S. Harding and Alison Oswald

Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C;. archivescenter@si.edu; 202-633-3270; www.americanhistory.si.edu/archives
© 2001, second edition, by the Smithsonian Institution. All rights reserved.

Container List

SERIES 12: PATENT MATERIALS, 1840-1970

Box	Folder	Description
		Subseries 1: By Patentee, 1840-1914
		Buckingham, Charles, 1882-1900
455	1	Telegram to Buckingham regarding stock interests, January 7, 1882; Letter from Buckingham regarding royalty agreement between Western Union and Thomas Edison regarding assignment of inventions to Edison, November 1, 1884.
	2	Printing telegraph, 1892.
	3	Perforators, 1896.
	4	Telegraph transmitters and printing telegraph, 1897-1899.
	5	Perforator keyboards, 1900.
		Edison, Thomas A. 1868-1884
	6	Lists of Patent Office assignments, licenses, etc., for or relating to telegraphy, 1868-1876;
	7	List of U.S. Telegraph Patents granted to Edison, 1869-1970. Patent Specifications: Improvement in Printing-Telegraph Apparatus, 1869; Electrical Printing Instrument, 1869.
	8	Copy of bond in the sum of $20,000, Thomas A. Edison to William Unger, July 3, 1872.
	9	Patents for various improvements to the telegraph, 1872-1876.
	10	Patents, caveats, and diagrams relating to Edison's invention of fire alarm mechanism and signal apparatus, 1868-1875.
	11	Articles of Agreement between Edison and George A. Prescott conveying half of the title and interest in specific inventions to Mr. Prescott, August 29, 1874.
	12	Edison's Patents regarding improvements in telegraph apparatus, 1875-1876.
	13	Acoustic Telegraph, May 16, 1876 (diagrams).
	14	Announcement of Edison's invention of improvement in Duplex Telegraphs, April 1876.
	15	Letter of October 5, 1876, Patent Office communiqué of January 10, 1877, and diagrams regarding Edison's interference suit on Acoustic Telegraph (case 123).
	16	Copy of agreement between Western Union, Thomas Edison, and American Bell, May 31, 1878; Related letter of April 3, 1880.
	17	Patents for various improvements to the telegraph, 1878-1891.
	18	Patents for improvement in telephones, 1882.
	19	Diagrams regarding Edison's speaking telegraph; Edison's Canadian patents for Speaking Telegraph, 1879; 1883.
	20	Printing Telegraph, 1884 (reisssue 10,542).
479	1	Thomas Edison's patents, n.d.
		Gray, Elisha, 1872-1879
456	1	Patent granted to Gray for improvement in telegraph instruments, 1872-1875.
	2	Diagrams of Elisha Gray's invention of telegraphic equipment, January 27, 1876.
	3	Elisha Gray's handwritten copy of a letter relating to his invention of improvements in circuit-breakers for electro-harmonic telegraph, February 15, 1876; also diagram relating to invention, February 15, 1876.
	4	Improvement in Apparatus for Transmitting Musical Impressions or Sounds Telegraphically, 1879 (reissue of 166.095).
		Morse, Samuel F.B. 1840-1848
	5	Telegraph patent specifications, 1840-1848.
		Phelps, George, 1859-1879
	6	Telegraphic machines, 1859; Telegraphic apparatus, 1861.
	7	Printing Telegraph, 1869-1877, 1882;
	8	Galvanic Batteries, 1872; Magnetic Motors, 1874.
	9	Printing Telegraph transmitters and Speaking telephones, 1877-1879.
		Stearn, Joseph, 1872-1874
	10	Improvement in Duplex telegraph instruments, 1872-1874 (including keys and circuits).
		Skirrow, John, 1901-1914
	11	Improvement in and Relating to Telegraph Receiving Instruments, 1901; Telegraph Recording Apparatus, 1901; Quadruplex Telegraph Systems, 1903; Spring Jacks for Telegraph Switchboards, 1904; Multiple Contacts for Electrical Condensers, 1906; Apparatus to Indicate the Stoppage of Carriers in the Transmission-Tubes of Pneumatic-Dispatch-Tube Systems, 1914.
		Charles Wheatstone, 1874-1875
	12	Agreement between Wheatstone and Sir Charles Eckert regarding Wheatstone's patents, September 8, 1874.
	13	Patent to Sir Charles Wheatstone for improvement to transmitters for automatic telegraphs, December 22, 1874.
	14	Assignment of American patents for Wheatstone's automatic or fast speed telegraph, to the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Co., 1875 (draft).
		Subseries 2: By Patent Number, 1900-1954
458	1	# 689,426 to 1,834,910, 1901-1931(radio antenna, signaling system, Simplex printers, regenerative repeaters, and printing telegraph systems).
	2	# 1,860,343 to 2,227,121, 1932-1940 (secret telegraph receiver, automatic message exchange system)
	3	# 2,265,339 to 2,484,838, 1941-1949(Telegraph exchange systems, multi-office systems, storage systems, facsimile telegraph system)
	4	# 2,511,832 to 2,673,235, 1950-1954 (message allotting, reperferators, switching systems).
	5	# 173,750, 1876 (improvements in printing telegraphs).
	6	# 1,732,556 to 1,766,270, 1929 (high-frequency radio oscillators).
	7	# 1,771,375 to 1,830,329, 1930-1931 (high-frequency oscillators and generators).
	8	# 1,830,642 to 1,875,347, 1931-1932 (oscillator/generator).
	9	# 1,877,872 to 1,900,038, 1932-1933 (oscillator systems, frequency transformation systems).
459	1	# 644,497 to 1,410,793; also # 773,171, 1900-1922 (Granular detectors).
	2	# 854, 813 to 1,211,754, 1907-1919 (Detectors and rectifiers).
	3	# 1,229,915 to 1,391,672, 1917-1921 (Condensers).
	4	# 1,214,265 to 1,523,401 (also # 18,579), 1917-1932 (detectors, rectifiers, batteries, and static reducers)
	5	# 1,525,159 to 1,810,475, 1925-1931 (Crystal detectors).
460	1	#1,557,692: Type wheel setting mechanism for printing telegraph receivers, October 20, 1925
	2	#1,558,610: Printing mechanism for printing telegraph receivers, October 27, 1925
	3	#1,669,201: Printing telegraph systems, May 8, 1928
	4	#1,700,225: One-wire printing telegraph systems, January 29, 1929
	5	#1,707,521: Printing telegraph systems, April 2, 1929
	6	#1,707,522: Current transmission apparatus for printing telegraph and other systems, April 2, 1929
	7	#1,711,497: Current transmission apparatus for printing telegraph and other systems, May 7, 1929
	8	#1,711,498: Printing telegraph systems, May 7, 1929
	9	#1,713,128: Printing telegraph transmitters, May 14, 1929
	10	#1,732,601: Printing telegraphs, October 22, 1929
	11	#1,732,602: Printing telegraphs, October 22, 1929
	12	#1,752,084: Printing telegraphs, March 25, 1930
	13	#1,753,656: Printing telegraph, April 8, 1930
	14	#1,767,128: Printing telegraph systems, June 24, 1930
	15	#1,827,362: Printing telegraph systems, October 12, 1931
	16	#1,845,875: Automatic ticker transmission, February 16, 1932
	17	#2,090,203: Type wheel printers, August 17, 1937
		Subseries 3: Miscellaneous Patents, 1846-1908
457	1	R.E. House, George B. Hicks, E.A. Calahan, 1846-1868.
	2	George Anders, George Bartlett, Edward Calahan, Theodore Foote and Charles Randall, Samuel Laws, Henry Paine, Marshall Lifferts, Landy Lindsay, Frank Pope and James Rowe for improvements in telegraph apparatus, 1870-1871.
	3	Edward Calahan, Davis Hermann, Moses Farmer, Theodore Foote and Charles Randall, Frank Joes, Henry Nicholson, George Prescott, Henry Van Hoevenbergh, Gerritt Smith, and John Smith for improvements in the printing telegraph, 1872-1874.
	4	Pierre Dujardin, Thomas Eckert, Stephen Field, Thomas Foote and Charles Randall, Gerritt Smith, and John Smith for improvements in the printing telegraph, 1872-7184.
	5	Handbound notebook of patents for electrical conduits and electrical wiring, 1872-1884.
	6	Agreement between John and Augusta Guest and the American District Telegraph Co. regarding transfer of patents, 1874.
479	2	Two diagrams of Alexander Graham Bell's telegraph, 1875.
	3	Miscellaneous drawings for Western Union teleprinter, n.d.
457	7	Stephen Field, Joseph Stearns, Georges d'Infreville, Joseph Stearns - Reissued Patents, 1880-1882.
479	4	Charles Chester, James Clark, Mahlon Frost, George Hicks, David Hughes, John Humaston, Austin Park; 8-page booklet advertising a time clock, 1882).
457	8	Electric time-controlling system (William F. Gardner, inventor), 1883-1886 (including photoprint of Gardner).
	9	Patent specifications for electric clocks: James Hamblet, 1883; Chester H. Pond, 1884-1886.
	10	John Barclay, Thomas Eckert, and Sigmund Bergmann, Bradley Fiske, Samuel Freir, Oliver Robinson, and Pierson Wicks for improvement in telegraph transmitters and relays, 1893-1908.
	11	J.C. Ludwig. Dial Telegraph, 1876.
	12	H. Splitdorf. Telegraph Sounders, 1874.
	13	Thomas Eckert patent application, 1887, 1901 (clasps for supporting cables)
		Subseries 4: Patent Application Files, 1954-1966
461		D-6581 Kline, Et Al #90,995 (Interference File) "Electrically Inscribable Lithographic Offset Printing Plate"
462	1	D-6583 Wise & Zabriskie #2,872,275 "Facsimile Apparatus For Use In Producing Tickets, Messages & the Like"
	2	D-6584 Buckingham, W.D. #2,903,512 "Facsimile Telegraph Scannign Apparatus"
	3	D-6585 Buckingham, W.D. #2,794,775 "Electroplating With Tungsten"
463	1	D-6586 Cannon, W.D. #728,261 "Method & Means To Overcome Delay Distortion" (Canadian?)
	2	D-6587 Turner, F.T. #2,794,856 "Transistorized Keying & Mark-Hold Unit"
	3	D-6588 Vernam, G.S. #2,938,944 "Telegraph System"
464	1	D-6589 Parrott, R.D. No Patent Number "Telefax Mobile Recorder"
	2	D-6590 Buckingham, W.D. #2,882,434 "Tungsten Concentrated Arc Lamp"
	3	D-6592 Markley, Et AL #2,857,583 "Molded Modular Terminal Block"
	4	D-6593 Jelinek, C. #2,919,304 "Facsimile Transmitting System"
	5	D-6594 Wise, R.J. #No Patent Number "Telefax-Transceiver EM 2127 Adapter"
	6	D-6595 Edgar, W.S.W. #2,902,538 "Dial Facsimile System"
465	1	D-6596 Wise, Ridings, & Hackenberg #2,894,065 "Facsimile Optical Scanning System"
	2	D-6597 Buckingham, Et Al #2,982,815 "Facsimile Transmitter"
	3	D-6598 Riding, G.H. #2,903,517 "Record Communication Telephone System"
	4	D-6599 Hewett, Et Al #2,868,874 "Message Accumulator & Stacker"
	5	D-6600 Hewitt, E.W. #2,912,501 "Message Paper Cutter"
466	1	D-6601 Zabriskie, D.M. #3,039,104 "Copy Marker In Facsimile Apparatus"
	2	D-6602 Boughtwood, Et Al #2,899,548 "Diversity Telegraph System"
	3	D-6603 Parrott, R.D. #2,912,497 "Optical Scanner"
467	1	D-6609 Light, G. #2,929,864 "Telegraph System"
	2	D-6610 Kline, B. #2,338,042 "Nonsmudging Copying Ink"
	3	D-6612 Buckingham, D.D. #2,894,066 "Facsimile Transmitter for Telegraph Message Blanks & the Like"
468	1	D-6613 Bedell, E.E. #2,853,358 "Facsimile Stylus-Belt and Stylus Holder"
	2	D-6614 Steeneck, R. #2,891,109 "Printing Telegraph Signal Normalizer"
	3	D-6615 Recca, Et Al #3,033,925 "Loop Gate Transmitter"
	4	D-6616 Ridings, G.H. #2,919,305 "Telautograph System"
	5	D-6617 Bedell, E.E. #630,926 (Canada) "Facsimile Stylus Holder"
	6	D-6617 Bedell, E.E. #2,829,942 "Facsimile Stylus Holder"
	7	D-6618 Buckingham, W.D. #2,938,721 "Copy Sheet Storage and Feed Mechanism"
	8	D-6619 Turner, F.J. #2,803,792 "Motor Stabilizer"
469	1	D-6620 Steeneck, R. #3,012,097 "Single Channel Auto-Synchronizing Telegraph System
	2	D-6621 Currie, F.L. #3,001,008 " Telegraph System"
	3	D-6622 Duerr, K.B. Abandoned "Electronic Start-Stop Regenerative Repeater"
	4	D-6623 Hewitt, E.W. #2,908,370 "Sprockett Feed Paper Synchronizer"
470	1	D-6625 Pierson, O.E. Abandoned "Transitorized Amplifier with Automatic Gain Control"
	2	D-6626 Vernam, G.S., Et Al #3,006,986 "Telegraph Switching System"
	1	D-6627 Allen, Currie & McManus #2,874,218 "Phasing System"
	2	D-6628 Boughtwood, J.E. Abandoned "Keying Circuit for FM Carrier Transmitter"
	3	D-6629 Hill, A.S. #2,914,607 "Facsimile Phasing and Repeating System"
	4	D-6630 Buckingham, Turner, & Ridge Closed Out "Facsimile Scouting Beam Scanning System"
471	5	D-6631 Hartle & Moore #2,952,930 "Means for Transmitting Tickets by Facsimile"
	6	D-6632 O'Brien, F.L. Abandoned "Magnetic Storage and erasing System"
	7	D-6633 Newell, E.L. #3,007,000 "Submerged repeater Switching System"
	8	D-6634 Cannon, W.D. Abandoned "Method and Means to Overcome Delay Distortion"
472	1	D-6635 Haupt, F.J. #3,016,186 "Tape Reading Punch"
	2	D-6636 Zabriskie, D.M. #2,938,761 "Facsimile Stylus and Damping Mechanism"
	3	D-6578 Hill & Zabriskie #2,805,115 "Paper Feed Mechanism"
	4	D-6579 Light & Janson #2,878,305 "Book Message Adapter With Number Checking"
	5	D-6580 Zabriskie #2,770,517 "Facsimile Scanning Mechanism"
	6	D-6693 Johnson & Clan No Patent Number " Uniform Length Message Burster"
473	1	D-6808 Sewnson, O.W. Not Patented "Tape Puller"
	2	D-6855 [Dodgson, R.S.?] No Patent Number "Handyasky One Hand Alphanumeric Keyset Terminal"
	3	D-6871 Boughtwood, Krantz & Spilling "Overall System Concept"
	4	D-6873 [Boughtwood?] No Patent Number "Synchronous Data Loop Transceivers"
		Subseries 5: Contract Department Correspondence Re Patents, 1927-1945
474	1	1927
	2	January 1928- July 1928
	3	August 1928- December 1928
	4	1929
	5	January 1930- July 1930
	6	August 1930-December 1930
	7	January 1931-April 1931
	8	May 1931-July 1931
	9	August 1931-December 1931
	10	January 1932-May 1932
	11	June 1932-December 1932
475	1	February 1933-July 1933
	2	August 1933-December 1933
	3	January 1934-June 1934
	4	July 1934-December 1934
	5	1935
	6	1936
	7	1937
	8	1938
	9	January 1939-August 1939
476	1	September 1939-December 1939
	2	January 1940-June 1940
	3	July 1940-December 1940
	4	January 1941-September 1941
	5	October 1941-December 1941
	6	January 1942-April 1942
	7	May 1942-August 1942
	8	September 1942-December 1942
	9	1943
	10	1944
	11	1945
		Subseries 6: Invention Records & Submission Forms, n.d.
473	5	I-463 Balch, R.E. " Programmable Instruction Generator"
	6	I-465 Augiar, G. "Solid State Crossbar Switch"
477	1	Subseries 7: Hazeltine Electronics Division Correspondence, [1960-1963?]
		Subseries 8: Western Union Transcontinental Microwave System, 1961-1962
	2	Phase II Service Channel System Revision No.5, May 17, 1961
	3	Proposed Contract including, February 1, 1961 System Map, September 20, 1961
	4	Proposed Contract including, October 8, 1961 System Map, February 1, 1962
		Subseries 9: Litigation Materials, 1851-1887
478	1	Benjamin B. French et al. vs. Henry J. Rogers et al., Bill, Answer, and Exhibits, U.S. Steam Power Book and Job Printing Office: Philadelphia, 1851.
	2	Court documents pertaining to The American District Telegraph Co. vs. The Mutual Telegraph District Co. case, July 6, 1883.
	3-6	Western Union vs. Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Co. case. Original exhibit patents (indexed), including patents of Moses Farmer, J. Stearns, D. Hughes, 1887.
	7	Black Box (automatic volume control) materials, 1935-1944
478A		Speaking Telephone Interferences. Evidence for Thomas Edison. Interfering Applications and Exhibits, Vol. 2.

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