GB583434A - Improvements in traffic recording equipment for use in telephone or like systems - Google Patents

Abstract

583,434. Automatic exchange apparatus. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC LABORATORIES, Inc. Oct. 27, 1944, No. 20918. Convention date, Jan. 22. [Class 40 (iv)] [Also in Group XIX] A traffic recorder for recording at regular intervals the busy or idle condition of the individual trunks in one or more groups, comprises scanning switches for testing the condition of the trunks, switches for counting the number of trunks found busy in each group during each testing cycle, switches for aggregating the numbers registered on the counting switches over a series of cycles, and date and time switches, together with electricallyactuated printing mechanism for recording the information supplied by the switches. Figs. 16-19 show examples of the record obtained for 5 groups of 10 trunks, 3 groups of 16, 2 groups of 25 and a single group of 50 trunks. In each case, the first line or heading shows a series of digits identifying the trunks, the number in each group and the date. Each succeeding line which represents one testing cycle shows a mark for each trunk found busy, the number of busy trunks in each group and the time at which the cycle occurs, while the last line shows the total number of busy trunks in each group over a prescribed number of cycles. The apparatus is assembled as a movable unit, Fig. 20, and is equipped with terminals for connection with the trunks to be observed and with key-switches for determining the grouping and for setting the date and time switches, the latter being provided with indicating lamps and being placed under the control of a time pulse unit when the start key is actuated. Three scanning switches are employed alternatively according to the grouping selected, and one of them serves both for the first and last groupings mentioned above by the use of a change-over relay. Two counting switches are used alternately and five sets of aggregating switches are provided, one of them being of larger capacity than the others for use with a single group of 50 trunks. At the beginning of each testing cycle, the trunks under observation are connected to a set of storage relays which energize or not depending on the condition of the individual trunks, busy trunks being grounded, and mark the terminals of the scanning switch accordingly. The heading of the record is printed during a preliminary cycle of the scanning switch, after which the conditions for testing are established by the advance of a sequence switch. The latter then steps on after every fourth testing cycle and after 60 cycles have been made at 15 second intervals initiates a final cycle to print the totals.