455,414. Automatic exchange systems. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES, Ltd., 63, Aldwych, London.-(Assignees of Materiel Telephonique Soc. Anon.) Jan. 24, 1936, No. 2295. Convention date, March 7, 1935. [Class 40 (iv)] A machine for automatically recording on a ticket the numbers of the calling and called parties and other information such as tariff, time of day, date and duration of connections set up from a number of sub-stations has the following main features : (1) restoration to normal is effected at whatever stage in the sequence of operations the call is abandoned ; (2) renewal of the paper record roll causes a blank ticket to be made, and restoration to normal ; (3) abnormal tickets of prematurely abandoned calls and tickets made as in (2) are guided out of the normal ticket channel ; (4) as the machine may be installed at the outgoing end of a junction, the digit or digits significant of the junction have been sent before the junction is reached and a type member bearing such fixed digits is provided to supply the record. Mechanical arrangements, Fig. 1. The paper tape on roll 36 passes through a ratchet feed 95, 96 and normally extends to the cutter 90, 91, and after the record has been made, extends to an ejector 97, 98 which after operation of the cutter sends normal tickets into channel 112 and abnormal tickets into channel 111 dependent on the position of guide 109. The ratchet paper feed 95, digit printing member 73, digit wheel restoring lever 85, operating member 74 for the time and date printers 2, 3, punch 87 for conversation units, and ticket ejecting control member 103 are all actuated by cams carried by a power driven shaft 4 and clutched thereto by cams 66-69 on a sequence shaft 22. The shaft 4 is clutched to the driving member 57 at those periods during the setting up and existence of a connection during which recording of an item is required. The shaft 4 normally makes one revolution when clutched and performs a certain definite recording or ticket making operation or operations at each successive revolution, the revolutions being counted by a shaft 13 which winds up a spring drive for the sequence shaft 22. Circuits controlled by shaft 13 operate an escapement 25 for shaft 22, (1) after the called number, tariff, and calling number have all been recorded and (2) after the reply signal has caused a conversation unit to be punched and the time and date to be recorded. After additional units have been punched in position 3 of shaft 22, the release signal causes the shaft to go to position 4 from which, under control of shaft 13 it goes to position 5 in which the paper is cut and the ticket ejected, shafts 13 and 22 then stepping to normal. The spring drive for ticket ejector 97 is wound up by a flexible connection 100 to shaft 13. The position of the ticket guide 109 is controlled by levers 105, 108 which are first moved by the digit printing member B so that the ticket guide directs into the " abnormal channel 111. This occurs on all tickets. If the call is answered, the time and date printing member 74 restores levers 105, 108 so that the ticket is guided into the normal channel 112. Construction of variable digit type wheel and type member for the fixed digits, Fig. 3. The digit wheel 79 and block 123 carrying the fixed digit type 121 are both mounted on shaft 124. The type 121 is carried by an angle member 122 fixed by screw 126 to block 123 to facilitate changing the type. The type 121 must be moved to an ineffective position after the first of the variable digits is recorded and for this purpose its block is connected by link 128 to spring-controllecl lever 129 released by cam 116 when counting shaft 13 takes its first step. The block is restored to its effective position by cam 116 by the time shaft 13 has reached normal again. Detailed operations, Fig. 2. The seizure of the machine operates relay 35 and the digits of the wanted number are repeated over lead 38 to relay 33 and magnet 1 which steps the digit wheel 79, relay 33 short-circuiting a second winding over off-normal springs 117 to make it slow to release. At the end of the first digit, 33 falls back to energize clutch magnet 32 whereby shaft 4 is driven, 32 being held over off-normal shaft springs 118. As sequence shaft 22 is in position 1, cam 66 thereon clutches cams 6a, 6b to shaft 4 so that rod 73 operated by 6a prints the digit and subsequently cam 6b operating on lever 84 restores the digit wheel 79, the lever having a toothed sector engaging a pinion on the shaft of the digit wheel. Cam 5 on shaft 4 operating on pawl 93 steps the tape, and cam 11 steps counting shaft 13 to position 2, tension being applied to a spring 23 between shaft 13 and shaft 22, but the latter is held by escapement 25. When shaft 4 reaches normal, the clutch magnet 32 is released at off-normal springs 118. The remaining digits are printed in similar manner and subsequently an impulse is received by relay 34 over wire 41, the circuit for 34 being completed over cam 17 in position 7 as shown, but provision may be made for a variable number of digits by commencing the hump of the cam at preceding positions. Relay 34 energizes the clutch magnet 32 and holds until shaft 4 has driven counting shaft 13 into position 8, the necessary revolution or revolutions of shaft 4 causing the tape to be stepped to form a space. A number comprising three or four digits and representing the tariff for a conversation unit is then received over wire 38 and printed in a similar manner whereupon counting shaft 13 is stepped to position 11 or 12, and a further spacing impulse over wire 41 sends the shaft to position 13. The number of the calling party is then recorded in a similar manner, shaft 13 being sent to position 19. The digits of this number are determined as described in Specification 440,348. In position 19, cam 18 operates escapement magnet 26 of sequence shaft 22 over cam 27 of this shaft which is thereupon driven by spring 23, magnet 26 being immediately released at cam 27 so that the shaft stops in position 2 in which the conversation unit punching cam 7 and the time and date printing cam 8 are clutched to shaft 4. The time and date printing devices 2, 3 receive clock impulses over wires 43, 44. The fact that the called party has replied is stored in the automatic equipment and when shaft 22 reaches position 2 a ground signal is sent over wire 39 to the equipment. The reply signal comes in over wire 38 to operate 33, but not 1 which has been replaced by resistance battery 52 at cam 16. Relay 33 now operates clutch magnet 32 and the consequent revolution of shaft 4 operates cams 7 and 8 to record the commencement of conversation, time, and date, the tape being moved one step by cam 5. Counting shaft 13 goes to position 20 and escapement magnet 26 is operated over cams 19, 28 so that sequence shaft 22 is spring driven to position 3 in which only the punching cam 7 is clutched to shaft 4. A ground signal over cams 29, 19 and wire 40 signals the automatic equipment that the recording apparatus is ready to receive further signals of conversation units which operate in a similar manner to punch holes and step counting shaft 13. Normally, a maximum of 12 units is provided for, switch 13 having 32 positions. When conversation ceases, relay 35 falls back and energizes magnet 26 over cam 21, springs 53 and cam 29 so that sequence shaft 22 proceeds to position 4 in which neither of the printing and punching cams are clutched to shaft 4. The clutch magnet 32 is now energized over cams 20, 30 causing successive revolutions of shaft 4 until this shaft has driven counting shaft 13 into position 32 in which the clutch magnet circuit is opened at cam 20 which also closes the circuit of escapement magnet 26 so that sequence shaft 22 is sent to position 5 in which cams 9a, 9b, 12 are clutched to shaft 4. Clutch magnet 32 again operates and the next revolution of shaft 4 operates the abovementioned cams, 9a operating cutter 90 to sever the paper tape, 9b releasing spring driven roller 97 to eject the cut-off portion and 12 operating ratchet mechanism 54, 15 to step shaft 13 to position 1 in which escapement magnet 26 is operated over cams 31, 21 to permit sequence shaft 22 to return to position 1. Conversations of abnormal length. At the end of 12 conversation units, the stepping pawl 51 of shaft 13 reaches a gap at position 32 in the ratchet wheel 14, so that rotations of shaft 4 for further units have no effect on shaft 13. When conversation terminates, shaft 13 is moved to position 1 by ratchet mechanism 54, 15 as described in the preceding paragraph. Premature release of connection. If this occurs before the printing of the digits is completed (shaft 13 in positions 1 to 18, shaft 22 in position 1), the relapse of 35 operates escapement magnet 26 over cams 21, 20 permitting shaft 22 to go to position 2 and thence by successive operations of magnet 26 over cams 28, 29, to position 4 in which clutch magnet 32 is operated. Shaft 4 rotates as in the case of normal termination of conversation and steps shaft 13 to position 32 whereupon the apparatus releases as previously described. Release takes place in a similar manner if the connection is released before the called party replies, shaft 22 in this case being in position 2. Renewal of exhausted paper roll. Normally, the paper from roll 36 keeps contacts 37 in the position shown, but when the paper is exhausted, contacts 37 change over and light lamp 56. When the paper conduit is opened, springs 53 change over and operate the clutch magnet 32 whereupon shaft 4 goes to position 1. The roll is then inserted, the end of the tape is passed between the feed rollers 94, 96, and the conduit closed so that contacts 53 are restored. As relay 35 is not operated at this time, the conditions are the same as for a premature release so that a ticket is made and ejected into channel 111. Busying the machine. A connection