US1049568A - Chronometer-controlled signaling device for telephone-exchange systems. - Google Patents

Description

I. D. FELLOWS. GHRONOMETER CONTROLLED SIGNALING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED P123225, 1911.

1,049,568. Patented Jan.7, 1913.

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I. D. FELLOWS.

GHRONOMETER CONTROLLED SIGNALING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS. v

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1911.

Patented J an. '7, 1913.

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; UNITED STATES, ROFF CE. if

ravine D. rELLows, 0F sYiaAous NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or oNEHAL m JAMES H. MQCARTNEY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; 1 a

oHRoNoMErEaooNTEoLLED V SIGNALING DEVICE Eon TELEPHONE-Examiner:

' I SYSTEMS. I c

Specification of Iletters Patent. 1 PatefltedJal'l. 7, 1913.

1 Application filed February 25, 1911. Serial No.- 610,739.

To all whom, dismay concern: Be it known that I, IRVING D. FELLows, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in} the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Chroriometen. Controlled Signaling Devices for Telephone-f Exchange Systems, of which the following,' taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. I

This invention relates'to certain improve;

: ments in chronometer controlled signals for' telephone exchange systems and in some respects it is similar to the apparatus forming the subject matter'of my pendingapplica- 'tion #610,770 filed Feb 25, 1911,1in which any subscriber may at will'cause the operation of the signals at the central station over that particular line independently of the subscribers telephone; it v The main object of my present invention is to provide meanswhereby the same signals may be automatically operated over any subscribers line in case of the inability or neglect of the subscriber orvauthorized attendant to prevent such operation at the, proper time. In other words, I have sought to provide banks, factories and, similartelephone subscribers with simple means for sending in an emergency alarm at the'central ofiice in case the watchman orother attendant fails from, any cause to make the usual round of inspectionat regularv predetermined intervals oftime at which time, he

is required to be. present at the instrument to prevent its automatic action so thatif for j any reason he, should fail to perform this for police service to immediately ascertain simple operation, an emergency call would be automatically sent in to the central otfice the reason for such failure.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following.description.- y w =In the drawingsFigure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a subscribers station, line circuit, and part of a central exchange system showing .the chronometer controlled, signaling apparatus as electrically connected across the line circuit. Fig. 2is a diagram 'matic view of the electrical parts of the signal controlling apparatus shownin Fig; 11

Fig. 3 is an enlarged-top plan of the signal controlling mechanism constituting thej' main features of my invention taken connection with the line circuit. j Fig. 4 is a sectional view. of the same'apparatus taken on line 4-4 Fig. 3. Fig. dis a detail. sectional view' of the manually operating means for breaking. the connection between the. chronometer controlled actuator and signal operating mechanism taken on line 55 Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is" an enlarged elevation of a portion of the. clock train showing its connection with Y the actuator which controls the signaling apparatus. V v

This apparatus is adapted to be used more particularly in connection with a telephone subscribers circuit as A connecting the subscriberi's telephone instruments -B i with a central station -D in which is located the call lamp signal c-and cord circuit (Z, the electrical parts of the apparatus being connected by wires l-- across the main line circuit ACin proximity to the subscribers telephone instruments -B but between said instruments and central station so as not to interfere in any way with the free operation of the telephone system in the usual mannerand at the same time permitting the same signals at the central station to be utilized for emergenc callsas willbe hereinafter more f ll d scribed.

The operation of the signaling apparatus .is chronometer controlled and for this purpose I have shownan ordinary clock having the usual dial -2 and clock train 3 ,whichserves the double purpose of indicating the time and is also utilized to operate a rotary cam 4- constituting the primary actuator for the signaling apparatus; This:

cam or actuator 4cj is preferably secured to one' of the spindles of the clock train 3v as for example, the minute spindle so a as to make one complete revolution each hour and in the present instance itis shown 1 ,as' provided witha single cam tooth 5fy whereby the signal controlling, apparatus will be set in motion at the endof such hour unless prevented from doing so by the mechanism which formsa part ofthe sub- 7 ject matter of my present invention. 7 It evident,- however, that rotary actuator I V 4L' may beconnecfted-to any otherpart of 5 105 the clock train so astto make .one revolution any other predetermined interval of or itf mayibe provided with anynuniberpof v am teeth 7 55 spaced equidistant apart;-

-- circumferentially so as to cause the operation of the signal controlling apparatus at shorter intervals of time, as for example, if four of these cam teeth were employed spaced in the manner mentioned, the signal controlling apparatus would be brought into action at each quarter hour.

In large factories, mercantile houses, banks and other places where it is customary to employ night and day watchmen as a precaution against burglaries and other malicious interference with the general conduct of the business, the watchman is often required to make the rounds of inspection of the building at regular predetermined intervals of time and the apparatus forming the subject matter of my present invention is designed not only to protect the owners of the building or business interests against unreliable watchmen but also to protect the watchmen against malicious interference with their regular duties of inspection by automatically and quickly causing the emergency alarm to be sent in to the central station for transmission to the police station for police service to ascertain the cause of the inspectors inaability to attend to such duties. In order that these objects may be carried out, one or more of these instruments or apparatus may be placed in different parts of the building as may be required by the magnitude of the business and one of the duties of the inspector or watchman is to visit such parts of the building at regular predetermined intervals and at the proper time operate a part of such instrument which will prevent the operation of the signal by the action of the chronometer. For this purpose I have provided a movable connection as 6 between the actuator -5 and signal controlling apparatus hereinafter described so that the connection between the actuator and such apparatus may be easily and quickly broken at the proper time or just before the point of the cam tooth 5- is in position for transmitting motion to the apparatus through the medium of the connection -6. The means herein shown for breaking this connection or throwing the connection --6 from its operative position consists of a push rod 7 guided in suitable bearings -8 and having its outer end extending to the outside of an inclosing case C for the clock and other apparatus and provided with a hand piece 9- which is always accessible, the remaining parts of the push rod being concealed within the case.

The connection -6 preferably consists of a spring arm having one end slidably interlocked with a part of a main supporting frame 10 for endwise movement thereon and its other end movable axially of and normally in the same plane as the actuator 4 in close relation to its periphery so as to be operated endwise by contact of the cam tooth 5 therewith.

The inspectors duty is to be present to operate the plunger -7 just before the cam tooth 5 assumes a position to operate the sliding connection 6- and for this purpose the inner end -ll of the plunger is tapered or wedge-shape to ride against and depress the spring arm 6 from its normal position and also to engage a shoulder -19rthereon to assure the return of the spring arm endwise. This operation allows the cam tooth to override upon and to hold the adjacent end of the spring arm depressed while passing across the same, thereby allowing the retraction of the plunger by a spring 13 and permitting the inspector to continue his round of in spection without further delay, the spring 6 returning to its normal position as soon as the cam tooth 5 is moved out of alinement therewith. This connection or bar 6- constitutes what may be termed a locking bolt for normally locking the motor-actuated signal-controlling apparatus from movement and for this purpose is provided with an extension 14 having a loop 15 normally interlocking with an oscillatory locking dog 16 said extension 14 and bar 16 being held in their locking position by a comparatively light coil spring -17 as learly shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The signal controlling apparatus is actuated by a spring motor -18 which is governed by an escapement 19 acting upon an escapement wheel 20- which is connected to the motor by a suitable gear train 21, the escapement pawl being mounted upon a rocking spindle 22 to which is secured an oscillatory fan blade 23-. for additionally governing the action of the motor. This fan blade, which ,may be also termed a rock arm, and one end of the oscillatory locking member 16 travel in intersecting paths and are therefore adapted to engage one with the other so that when the pawl 16 is disengaged from the locking bolt -1l, it will be oscillated by the fan blade or rock arm 23-, while on the other hand if the pawl 16 is interlocked with the bolt 14t or otherwise held from oscillatory movement, it will act as a stop to retard the action of the-motor and other mechanisms controlled thereby.

The pawl -lfiis automatically or gradually forced into interlockingengagement with the locking bolt l4- by suit-able connections with the motor after the latter is wholly or partially run down or uncoiled, and for this purpose I provide a rock shaft or spindle 24 with a pair of radially projecting arms -25-- and -26" one of which as the arm 25 -is spring tensioned against the periphery of the outer heliX of the coil by a comparatively li 'ht spring 27 while the other arm -2 is slidably engaged with one end ofa lever 28 as best seen in Figs. 8 and 4., This lever 28- is fulcrumed at 29 to the main supporting frame and is provided with a shoulder -30 adapted to engage a coating shoulder -3lon the pawl 16 near its pivot as32 as the'coiled spring 18- expands in the operation of the mechanism connected thereto, thereby forcing the pawl 16 into interlocking engagement with the locking bolt -1l to stop further operation" of the motor until released by the operation of the locking bolt 1% through the medium'of the actuating cam -4-. v t c c The end of the pawl l6 which contacts with the governing blade or .arm

23 is also utilized when released by the,

shaft or the lock bolt -14 from its looking position to operate-a normally open circuit closer -33- whichtogetherwith an additional circuit closer 34e-- and sub scribers transmitter 35- are connected'in series to the mainline circuit A through the medium of the wires -1 as shown diagrammatically in Fig.2. h

The circuit closer 33 is provided with a spring contact arm 86 havingat least .a portion thereof disposed in an inclined planein close proximity 'to and adapted to contact with the underside of the adjacent;

portion of the pawl --16 so that when said pawl is oscillated in one direction by the governing blade 23, it will ride'up the incline of and depress the arm 86 into contact with its'coacting terminal as 37, thereby closing this portion of the circuit.

The other circuit closer 34 is also normally open but is intermittingly closed by a toothed wheel 3S which is secured to one of the spindles of the clock train -2las best seen in Figs. 3 and 4 The teeth of the wheel38-'may be arranged in groups or sets ofdiiferent numbers each as for. example, two, three and four or any other ,numbers; which preferably increase in adirection opposite to that of the direction of rotation,"each group being spaced apart from those of the nextadjacent group a distance somewhat greater than the gap between the teeth of each group, thereby impressing corresponding pulsa- It-ions upon the line with definite pauses be-- tween each number of pulsations. The current impulses thuswimpressed upon theline energizes one or more of the signal lamps at the central station to produce corresponding fiashesgwhich are readily distinguished by a the operator as anemergency callfor'police protection which is-iimmediately transmitted by such operatorto the police station.

-tooth It is to be understood, however, that this emergency call is only produced by neglect or failure of the inspector to performhis necessary duty in breaking the connection between the actuator 4. and signal concommunication with the calling subscribers instruments. This bell is 'preferably in:

cased in the same housing with the clock mechanism and other parts of the apparatus where it IS PI'OtQCtQd from dust and. other foreign matter which might interfere with v the operation-of suclrmechan'ism and at the same time muflling or confining the sound within the box and rendering its.transmission more effective through the transmitter and line circuit. 7 V The spring motor -18- is shown m Fig. 3 as unwoundor expanded sufliciently to force the lever 28-- to its locking position against the shoulder '-31 of the locking member 16 in which position the lockinomember -el6- is held by the locking bolt 14 as long as the inspector performs regularly the operation of breaking the connection between the actuator 4 and sliding bar -6 by forcing the latter out of the path of 'movement of the cam tooth through the operation of the plunger 7 at the proper time.

Assuming now that the spring motorv .l8 has been wound up and thereby contracted in order to place it in condition for loop.

operating the apparatus, thusallowing the arm 25 to be drawn toward the axis of the 'motor by the spring 27-, the other arm -26 will, be. simultaneously shifted outwardly to rock the lever-+28 from its lockingposit-ion by moving the pin '30 away from the shoulder -31, whereupon the locking lever 16% will be free to opcrate, when released by the locking, bolt l4 Now, if for any reason the inspectorshould fail to operate theplunger -.7- I

to force thefree end-of the spring arm -6 from' its operative position while the cam said spring-arm, the latter will be operated endwise against the action ofv the spring '-'-17 to force the lockingbo'lt 14- from holding, engagement -with the lever 16y,

thereby freeingthe leve1il6 and. permitting the action of the motor 18.- by

5+ is passing the adjacent endof which operation the locking lever -16 is forced from its locking position by the vibratory action of the fan blade or escapement arm -23. As soon as the lever 16- is shifted from its locking position by the arm -28-, its inner end is forced against the inclined surface of the terminal '36--, thereby contacting said terminal with the terminal -37 to close this portion of the calling circuit and at the same time the toothed wheel begins to rotate to cause its teeth to ride against and intermittingly close the circuit closer 3l-, thus impressing current impulses upon the subscribers line circuit and through the central signal lamp c to indicate to the central operator that this subscriber needs police service, which information is immediately transmitted by said operator to the police station so that the police may immediately call at this subscribers station to ascertain the cause of the alarm.

\Vhile the flash signals are being sent in through the lamp -c, audible signals are simultaneously sent in to the central operators receiver by means of the bell l0 and transmitter 35- or if the police office is placed in communication with that particular subscribers station, these audible signals may also be heard through the receiver at the police station.

The motor -18 will continue to operate the apparatus to send in the lamp and bell signals until it has unwound or spent its force or rather until it has operated the arms 25 and 26 by its expansion sufliciently to return the locking lever 28 to its locking position against the shoulder 31, thereby forcing the lever 16- into interlocking engagement with the locking bolt 1% and also into holding engagement with the fan blade or arm -28- to stop further action of the motor.

It is now clear from the foregoing description that the operation of sending in the signals to the central station is entirely automatic and will continue until the action of the motor is automatically stopped by its own expansion through the medium of the lockin levers 28 and 16- coactin with the escapement arm 23 and also that when the lever 16- is thus forced to its locking position, it is automatically held in such position until again released by the action of the clock controlled actuator -4:-.

If for any reason the spring 17 should fail to return the locking member -6 to its normal position for contact with the periphery of the actuator its re turn may be positively effected by the operation of the tapering end of the push rod -7 which rides against the shoulder 12 and at the same time depresses the adjacent end of the spring.

That I claim is:

1. In combination with a normally open subscribers line circuit of a telephone exchange system, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit, a normally open electrio switch connected in the branch circuit, a circuit closer connected to the branch circuit, a motor and means actuated thereby for operating the circuit closer intermittingly to impress current impulses upon the line circuit when the switch is closed, means normally holding the motor against action, and clock actuating means for releasing the holding means, said holding means having a movable member actuated by the motor when released for closing the switch.

2. In combination with a normally open subscribers line circuit of a telephone eX- change system, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit and having a normally open electric switch therein, a circuit closer connected to the branch circuit, a spring motor and means actuated thereby for operating the circuit closer to impress current impulses on the line when the switch is closed, means normally holding the motor against action, clock actuated means for releasing the holding means and permitting the action of the motor, said holding means having a portion thereof operated by the motor to close the switch, and means actuated by the motor for restoring the holding means to its normal position for stopping the motor.

3. In combination with a subscribers line circuit of a telephone exchange system, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit, a transmitter connected to the branch circuit, a spring motor, means normally holding the motor against action, clock actuated means for releasing the holding means and permitting the action of the motor, and a sound producing device actuated by the motor for operating the transmitter.

4. In combination with a subscribers line circuit of a telephone exchange system, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit and having a normally open selfopening switch therein, a circuit closer connected to the branch-circuit, a spring motor and means actuated thereby for operating the circuit closer, holding means normally prcventing the operation of the motor and including a movable member, and clock actuated means for releasing the holding means to permit the operation of the motor, said movable member being actuated by the motor to close the switch.

5. In combination with a subscribers line circuit of a telephone exchange system, a branch circuit connected across. the line circuit and having a normallyv open selfopening switch therein, a circuit closer connected to the branch circuit, a spring motor ing the circuit closer, holding meanscnormally preventing the operation of the motor and including a movable member, clock actuated means for releasing the holding I means to' permit the operation of the motor,

said movable member being actuated by the motor to close the switch, and means actu ated by the motor spring for restoring-the holding means to its normal position. f

6. In combination with a normally open .subscribers line' circuit of a telephone e2;-

change system, a branch circuit connected across the hue circuit, a clrcuit closer connected 1n the branch c1rcu1t,,a self-acting motor for operating the circuit closer, a governor controlling the speed of the motor, a holding device coacting with the governor to normally hold the motor against action, a chronometer and means actuated thereby for, releasing the holding device at regular predetermined intervals.

7 In combination with a normally open subscribers line circuit of a telephone exchangesystem, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit, a circuit closer connected in the branch circuit, a self-acting motor for operating the circuit closer, a governor controlling the speed of themotor, a holding device coacting with the governor to normally hold the motor against action, a chronometer and means actuated thereby for releasing the holding device 'at regular pref determined intervals, and means actuated by the motor for restoring the holding de- I vice to its holding position.

8, In combination with a normally open subscribers line circuit of a telephone eX- change system, a branch circuit connected across the line circuit, a circuit closer connected in the branch circuit, a self-acting motor for operating the circuit closer, a governor controlling the speed of the motor, a holding device coacting with the governor to normally hold the motor'against action, a chronometer and means actuated thereby for releasing the holding device atregular predetermined intervals, means actuated by the motor for restoring the holding device to its holding position, and means operable Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

9. Ina chronometer controlled signaling device for telephone exchange systems, in combination with a subscribers line circuit, a branch circuit connectedacross the line circuit, a circuit closer, an electric switch, and a telephone transmitter all connectedin thebranch circuit, a self-acting spring motor, and means actuated thereby for operating the circuit closer, means including a movable detent for normally holding the motor against action, a clock actuated cam for releasing the holding means, means operable at will for displacing the part of the holding means which is adapted to be engaged by the cam to preventthe release of the motor holding means by saidcam, and a sound producing device actuated by the motor when-the holding means is released for operating the transmitter.

10. In a chronometer controlled signaling device for telephone exchange systems, in combination with a subscribers line circuit,

a branch circuit connected 'across the line circuit, a circuit closer, an electric switch, and a telephone transmltter all connected in the branch circuit,ra self-actingspringmotor, and means actuated thereby for operating the circuit closer, means including agaged by the cam to prevent the release of 7 the motor holding means by said cam, a sound producing device actuated by the motor'when the, holding means is released for operating the transmitter, and means actu- "ated by the motor spring during the operation of the motor for restoring the holding means toits holding position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 11th day of February 1911;

I IRVING D. FELLOWS. Witnesses:

' H. E. Crmsn, SPEAKING.

'- Washington, D. 0.

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