GB1270814A - Telephone answering machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,270,814. Telephone answering machines. W. MULLER. 29 April, 1969 [14 June,1968], No. 21865/69. Heading H4K. [Also in Divisions G4-G6] A telephone answering machine includes a recording device and its drive arrangement together with a timing mechanism arranged as a sub-assembly on a frame which fits into a chassis forming part of a housing. The answering machine is of the type where a message can be recorded and checked and the machine then set to replay this message to a caller. Construction.-(a) Drive and control: Frame 20 supports shafts 34, 35 and 36 on which are mounted the recording medium carrier, intermediate gearing and control switching unit disc 22 respectively. Motor 23 is mounted on the frame and drives carrier 21 through drive wheels 25 which are supported from pivotal lever 26 and engage with the drive shaft 24 and the periphery of carrier 21 when an electromagnet is energized. Attached to disc 22 is timing disc 37 which has printed contact tracks on its lower surface which co-operate with brushes 40 to make the various connections in the correct sequence during operation of the machine. The intermediate gearing mounted on shaft 35 transmits the drive from the carrier 21 to the disc 22 so that the latter only revolves once for 16 revolutions of carrier 21. (b) Recording head: The recording head is mounted from shaft 33 which is pivotally mounted in frame 20 and has, at one end, a follower arm which co-operates with a cam 43a attached to disc 22. At the other end support 58 has a tab 69 which together with struts 66, 67 and fork shaped part 54 form a parallelogram linkage for head B. Spring 71 maintains the linkage under tension and the height of the head above carrier 21 can be adjusted by bending tab 69. In operation as disc 22 and carrier 21 revolve the head is moved radially across the recording medium by the action of cam 43a. (c) Recording medium carrier: An annular piece of foil 21a is supported at its inner periphery on a hub 44 which also carries a sheet metal turntable 45 which is encased in a silicone rubber covering 46 which is made cylindrical around the periphery of the wheel for engagement with drive wheel 25. Operation.-A message is recorded on the tape by putting switch S2 to the record position and closing microphone push button St to energize call circuit 79 causing relay AR to pick up and start motor M. The erase head oscillator 75 is energized under the control of timing disc contact m3 for a period corresponding to one revolution of carrier 21. The message is recorded by head TK and when the timing disc has completed one revolution contacts m1, m2 and m4 operate to switch off the machine. To check the recording switch S2 is put into the play-back position and operation commences as before using head TK to read the message and microphone Mi as loud-speaker. Erase head LK is not energized. The machine is connected to telephone lines a, b by operation of switch S2 and on receipt of a call signal circuit 79 operates after a delay to switch on the machine.