US1222895A - Automatic phonographic responding and receiving device. - Google Patents

Description

F. SEELAU.

Auommlc PHNoGAPHm REsPoNnlN ANU RECEWING DEVICE.V

APPLlCATlUN FILED DEC-29, 1914.

1,222,895. y Patented Apr. 17, 19

3 SHEETSHSHEET I.

wif/265565. v fn Ve/Q.

F. SEELAU.

AUTOMATIC PHoNoGHAPHIfc REsPoNnING AND RECEIVING DEvlcE.

` APPLICATIDN FILED DEC- 29,1914. 1,222,895. Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

M 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M424] L JM F. SEELAU. n AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPHIC RESPONDING AND RECEIVIIIG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILEDDEC. 29. I9I4I 1,222,895. Patented Apr.17,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'i UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

FRANZ SEELAU, OF IBERLN-WILMERSDOBF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF T0 v ALEXANDER M. NEWMAN, 0F BERLIN-WANNSEE, GERMANY.

AUTMATIC PHONOGBAPHIC BESPQNDING AND RECEIVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Application Bled December 29, 1914. Serial No. H79,427.

To all whom it may concern.

Beit known that I, FRANZ SEELAU, a citizen of the German Empire, and residing at Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Automatic Phonographic -esponding and Receiving Devices, of which the following is a speclfica'tion'.

This invention relates in general to 1nstruments used in connection with telephones and which automatically respond to callers and record their messages. The invention bears less upon the responding and recording devices themselves than upon the auxiliary devices which govern the coperation of the instrument with the apparatus at the telephone exchange and Winch cause the phonographic devices to act.

t is Well known that modern telephone exchanges are equipped with automatic apparatus that enable the operator at the exchange' to supervise established telephone connections. This apparatus is generallycontrolled by switchmg operations at the telephone station thatl cause current to fioW from the exchange battery through the telephone line around the by-path of a condenser or to cease fiowing on account of the line circuit being blocked by the condenser.

Two kinds of telephone exchange systems with automatic clearing or supervisory signals are widely used. In the one kind the supervisory signals are caused to disappear when a condenser is made to block the talking circuit by the raising of the receiverl from the switchhook and in the other kind these signals disappear when the condenser is bridged over by a path for continuous current from the central exchange battery. Thus in the case of exchanges of the first type where the signalsy appear upon their deenergization, a closed path for continuous current exists as long as the telephone is not in use vl. e. as long as the receiver is on the hook, while in exchanges of the second kind, where the subscribers lines are permanently connected to the central exchange battery, in order'that a current may fiow through the calling signal of a line as soon as it is closed, the subscribers line circuit is blocked by a condenser that is included in the line circuit in series'with the subscribers bell as long V.as the subscribers telephone is not in use.

When the telephone is taken into use a switching operation occurs by which a circuit for continuous current is closed through the telephone arid this current causes the supervisory signal at the exchange to indicate that a conversai ion is being carried on.

The apparatus in the telephone exchange which are not mentioned above, need not be taken into account as it is only essential that the phonographic responding and receiving instrument be arranged to change the cir' cuit conditions of the subscribers line in the same manner as any ordinary telephone instrument so anto cause the proper operation of the supervisory signals at the exchange at the beginn-ing and end of a conversation.

VFurther functions of the phonographic instrument consist in the starting of the re? sponding device. in changing the instrument into its message receiving lcondition 'at the end of the response, and in restoring all parts to their iormal positions When the .message has been recorded. These functions are in themselves of a simple kind andfthey correspond in a general Way to the circuit changes effected in an ordinary telephone instrument by the hookswitch, except that they all have to be performed entirely automatically. Further switchin functions consist in connecting the microp one circuit for giving the resp inse, in connecting the receiver circuit for recording the callers message and in disc nnnecting these circuits and reconnecting the calling device after the message has been received. It is an important feature of the invention that the responding .sound box and he receiving soundbox are not operative simultaneously but are made operative separately at the proper moments by an automati: device. This device also causes the other apparatus to act at the dltferent moments in which their operation .1s required so that no apparatus will ever be 1n the operative condition, when its operation is unnecessary.

The invention is illustrated in the draw-V ing, Figure 1 sh )Wing the circuits of an entire instrument; Fi'. 2 showin a modified method of controlling the calling relay of the instrument; Fig. 3 is a side elevatlon, with parts in seztion, illustrating one mode of carrying .out certain mechanical and electrical arrangements; and Fig. 4 1s a detail sectional view of one of the switches forming part of the apparatus.

The telephone line coming from the telephone exchange, which is not indicated, is connected to the terminals'l, 2 of the instrument. From the terminal 2 a connection extends to a circuit changer 3 that is arranged to connect a bell 4 to the near side or far side of a condenser 5 included in the Wire of terminal 2. By these parts the supervisory signals at the exchange are controlled in the manner previously indicated. If the instrument is connected to an exchange whose supervisory devices give the clearing signal When the line circuit is closed the circuit chan er 3 will be arranged so that the illustrate while its right'hand contact will be closed when the instrument is being used. In exchanges in which thelearing signal is given when the line'cicuit is opened the circuit changer 3 will be arranged to act in the opposite manner, e. the illustrated osition would indicate the operating condition of the circuit changer. If an audiblecalling signal is not required a simple retardation coll forming a suitable current path for the supervisory signal current from the exlhange battery may take the place of the ell 4.

From the condenser 5 a connection extends to an electromagnetic switching device 6, which will be called a calling relay. This relay has tivo windings 7 and 8, the calling Winding 7 being connected to the exchange line and the winding 8 bein a locking winding which is included in a ocal battery circuit bythe closure of its contact 10 when the armature 9 is. attracted. When this lockingl circuit is closed the armature o f the rela 6 is locked in its attracted pos1t1onuntil 1t is restored by another means that 1s subsequently described. The contact 10 alsocloses the circuit of the motor 11 which drives thephonogra hic devices Whose functions are descrlbe in subsequent pararaphs. 'The armature 9 is shaped in the orm of a bell lever to the arm 12 of which one end-of a 'thrust rod 14 is coupled by a spring 13. The other end of the rod is fixed to a contact rocker 16 which is pivoted at 15. When the armature 9 is attracted the spring 13 is compressed and this would cause t e rocker 16 to be moved toward the right if it were not prevented b'y the detent 17.

This detent 17 is attached to the armature 18 of an electromagnet 19 in such a manner, that it releases the rocker 16 when the armature 18 isattracted and when the armature 18 subsequently returns to its original position the detent swings downwardly on its pivot so that it may pass the rocker 16. A spring 20 then brings the detent 17` back infn its blocking position. The rocker 16 carries a pair of contacts 21 forming a switch which lies in the path of travel of the armature 18 when the rocker is in its right hand position so that this -switch will be closed if the arposition will be its normal position,

mature 18 then returns to its normal position. Thiswill close the circuit of an electromagnet 22 which Will be energized and will pull the armature 9 of the calling relay7 6 back intoI its normal position so that the contact or switch 10, Whose closure started the described operations, will be reopened.

The arrangement could also be such that the switch 21 is normally closed and is inserted in the locking circuit of the Winding 8 of the calling relay 6. A separate restoring magnet 22 could then be dispensed with for the restoring of the armature 9 Would then be effected by the locking circuit of 8. being disrupted by the opening of the switch 21.

A retardin device 23 is coupled to the ar` mature 18., his acts in such a -Way that it allows the armature 18 to be attracted immediately the magnet 19 is energized but causes the armature to swing back slowly when the magnet 19 is dene'rgized so that the switch 21 is operated only when a certain period after the denergization of the magnet 19 has elapsed.

24 indicates a switching'device that is energized by talking currents and which, in its simplest form may consist of a telephone receiver 25 coupled with a microphone 26. The microphone 2 6 is included in the circuit of the magnet 19, While the telephone receiver' 25 may be connected to the talking Wire. The microphone 26 ordinarily presents so vmuch resistance to the energizing current of the magnet 19 that this current is not strong enough to attract the armature 18. But if the receiver 25 is energized by talking currents the condition of the microphone 26 will be altered so that its resistance diminishes. Consequently the magnet 19 will receive sufficient current to excite it. A But f" soon as the receiverp25 ceases to be ted by talking currents the resistance of the microphone 26 rises so that the magnet 19 ceases to be energized.

- The receiving device or recorder which records the callers message on the phonographic cylinder is indicated at 27. As the construction of the same has no bearing on the present invention it will only be indicated in a general way. It consists chiefl of a telephone receiver whose diaphragm 1s coupled with a phonographic recording stylus. The mechanical parts of this device may, however, be constructed in accordance with other phonographic recording principles.

28 denotes the principal part of the respending device that acts in conjunction with' the parts of this invention; its details may be arranged in any desirable manner. It will be assumed that .it consists of any desirable type of microphone whose diaphragm is mechanically coupled with a phonographic reproducing stylus. The other parts of the responder and of the receiving device have no bearing upon the invention. It need only be mentioned that the devices 27 and 28 are arranged in the usual way like the sound boxes of talking machines (phonographs) t'. e. `the stylus of the responder 28 is actuated by a sound reproducing cylinder while the stylus of the receiving device 27 engages with a sound recording cyl-l inder.

An important part is played bythe switch 29 which is closed by the responder 28 after `it has given the response to the caller and which is re-opened when the callers message is recorded. The other arrangements of this switch are of no importance. The switch 29 has a tendency, say by the action of a spring, to take the open position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the switch 29 is in the path of thel slide carrying the responder 28, so that as the latter moves toward the right as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, it will engage the switch 29 and close the circuit at this point. When the responder 28 returns toits' initial position, moving from right to left, it comes out of engagement with the switch 29 and the latter resumes its normal open position.

` Letters PatentV No. 1168432.

"are closed. armature lever 30 as controlhng the posi- The means for causing the responder 28 to return to its normal position form no part of my present invention and have not been shown in the drawings, so as not to obscure the illustration of the parts to which my present invention relates. However, mechanism suitable for returning the responder to its normal position is disclosed, for instance, in Fig. 1 of my UnitedStates The function of the switch 29 is to close the circuit of an electromagnetic switch 30.which uncouples the responding cylinder 50 and couples the recording cylinder 51 to a driving device when it 1s energized and controls a number of switches 31, 32, 33, 34, the switches 31, 32 being opened while the switches 33, 3l Fig. 3 shows oneend of the tion ot a sleeve 1l by means of which the driving belt 11 can be shifted from the pulley 50', in operative connection with the responding cylinder 50, to the pulley 51',

in operative connection with the recording cylinder 51. The other end of said armature lever 30 controls the position of the switches 31, 33, 3l. The reasons for these switching functions will be explained when ythe mode of operation of the instrument is described. The functions of other switches `35, 36, 37 in the various circuits willthen also be made clear. These switches and also the contact 3 may he controlled by the armature 9 of the calling relay 6 or preferably by the motor 11. In order that the circuits may be represented in a simple manner it willbe assumed that the normally armature 9, while the switches 36 and 37` `are controlled in any suitable way by the motor 11, for example, by the governor,

'switch 53 of the motor. The circuit changer" 3 may be also shifted by this means.

As regards the other elements of the circuit combination of the instrument, it need only be mentior ed that the microphone of the responder 28 is connected in the well known manner with an induction coil 38 the secondary windings of`which are connected to the talking or line circuit. yThe connections of the speech transmission circuits may, of course, be arranged in any other yknown manner. The batteries- B1to B shown in tle variousparts of the s S- tem of circuits may be individual batteries, but it will generally be preferable to use one or several comm )n batteries.

Finally mention musty be made of a switch 44: which is adapted to close the circuit of the electro-magnet 19 as well as the telephonic relay 24, and which is provided for the purpose of preventing disturbances in the instrument in case certain operations are carried out in an unusual manner, as described in subsequent paragraphs. The arrangement of this switch is such that it is momentarily closed at the end of the re- -Sponding operation and after the recording ing device 30 iu which case it would'be operated together with the other switches of this device at :he finish of the responding operation when-ille action of the recording cyllnder 1sstarted. Thls swltch may be 1 equipped with a `suitable retarding device 52 by which it if closed after 'the recording cylinder 51 has executeda few revolutions. The operation of the instrument is as follows: i

The calling current Hows from the telephone exchange through the telephone line to the terminals 1 and 2 and through the bell 4. A part cf the calling current flows through the windings 7 of the calling relay 6 and energizes this relay so that it attracts its armature 9 und closes the contact 10. This results in the liowing 0f current from the battery B1 through the winding 8 which keeps the armature 9 attracted even if the current through :he winding 7 ceases. The contact 10 sin'iullaneously closes the circuit of the battery E2 and of the motor l1 of the instrument so that the motoris started and shifts the circuit changer 3 thereby causing the supervisory signal. at the exchange to apprise the exchange operator of the proper reception of the call. It will be observed (Fig. 1) that both terminals or'v same time the switches 36 and 37 are closed and this results in the responding micro; phone 28 receiving current from the battery BG through the contact 31 andpin the connection of the secondary circuit of the responder through the switches 32, 37 to the exchange line. The responding cylinder 50 l now acts upon the responder 28 and the response recorded on the responding cylinder is transformed into talking currents which are transmitted through the induction coil 38 to the exchange line and thus to the person who called the instrument. This responding condition of the instrument re- 'mains unaltered until the responder has pronounced the entire response. The switch 29 is then closed which causes the electromagnet 30 to be energized and this results in the responding cylinder 50 being thrown out ofl engagement with the driving gear and in the starting of recording cylinder 51.

The armature. of the magnet 30 also alters the condition of the switches 31, 32, 33, 34 so that 31 opens the primary circuit and 32 opens the secondary circuit of the microphone 28 of the responder whose action is no longer required. The switch 33 connects the recording sound box 27 and the telephonie relay 24, which is actuated by the talking currents, to the. exchange line while the switch 34 closes the secondary circuit of the telephonie relay 24 which includes the battery B5 and the electromagnet 19.

After the caller, who is connected through the telephone exchange tothe instrument, has received the response imparted to him by the responder 2 8, he will commence delivering his message. The talking currents representing the message will flow through the recording sound box -27, which will have been shifted onto the recording cylinder 51, and the diaphragm of the sound box will be oscillated so as to produce a phonographic record. The. talking currents also energize the receiver 25 of the telephonie relay 24 and thus reduce the resistance of the microphone 26 suiciently to causel an energizing current to flow through the electromagnet 19. This magnet will then attract its armature 18 and will move the detent 17 so as to release the contact rocker 16 so that it will be moved by the thrust exerted upon it by the spring 13 of the attracted armature 9 into its operating position in which the switch 21 is located above the armature 18. Short intervals that occur during the delivery'of the message, and during which the telephonie relay 24 is not energized, Will not result in any alteration of the message receiving condition, because the dash-pot 23 releases the armature 18 only after a certain defined interval, that is long enough for all practical purposes, has elapsed. When the armature 18 nally moves up the spring 2O allows the detent to turn down, so that the rocker 16 remains in its operating position and the armature 18 closes the switch 21. This completes the circuit ofthe magnet 22 which is then energized and pulls down the armature 9 of the calling relay 6 thus opening the contact 10 of the locking Winding 8 so that the relay 6 reverts to its normal condition. This removes the thrust exerted upoin the spring 13 so that the rocker 16 also returns to its normal position andthe detent 17 assumes its normal position behind the rocker 16, while the switch 21 that is moved out of the path of the armature 18 is re-opened and the circuit of the magnet 22 disrupted. The opening of the contact 10 also switches olf the motor 11 so that the switches 3, 36and 37 assume. their normal positions. The circuit of the magnet 30 is also opened so that the switches coni trolled by its armature also assume their ample, when a wrong connection is estab- A lished by the exchange operator. The telephonicjrelay 24 will not be energized in such cases and in order to restore the instrument so that .it will be in readiness for the next message the switch 44 comes into action. The circuit of the magnet 19 will then be closed momentarily by 44 instead of by the telephonie relay 24. The magnet 19 will then attract its armature 18 and release the rocker 16. All parts of the instrument will` then be restored to their normal positions in the manner already described.

Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a purely electromagnetic locking device `for the relay 6 this device being also controlled by a telephonic relay. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between this device and that already explained will be described. In this device the armature 9 is provided with .a

contact 10L for switching on the motor 11 that is separate from the locking circuit contact 10. The locking circuit includes the back contact 39 of a relay 40 and a front contact 21a of a relay 19 is connected in parallel with 39. The relay 19 performs the functions of the'magnet 19 of Fig. 1. The circuit of the relay 40 is prepared by a switch 43 and is closed by the switch 42 of the relay 19. The switch 43 is controlled by the motor 11. The relay 40 has a switch 41 `by which it keeps its own locking circuit closed after it has been energized and by which the relay 40 is prevented from affecting the locking circuit of 8,' this locking circuit being then controlled solely by the telephonicl relay 24. The winding of the relay 212 that corresponds to the switch 21of switches 10 and 10a.

Fig.,l, Ais equipped .with a retarding device 23 which acts in such a -way that the switch 21 opens onlywhen a certain interval after the denergization of the relay 19 has elapsed. The switches 21a and` 42 could be operated by separate relays.

The operation of this device is as fol lows The attracted armature 9 closes the 10 completes the locking circuit which includes the locking winding 8 and the back contact 39 of the relay 40, so that the armature 9 islocked in its attracted position, and 103L switches on the motor 11. The motorv then .closes the switches 43 and 33. This condition of the instrument continues until the telephonie relay 24 and the recording sound box 27, F ig. 1, are energized by the talking currents in the manner described in connection with Fig. 1. The relay 19 will then be energized in a circuit which includes the switch 33 and will close the switches 42 and 21a. Switch 42 closes the circuit of relay 40 which breaks the circuit of the locking winding 8 at contact 39. But as the circuit of windihng 8 was previously closed by 21 the armature 9 remains in its attracted position. lVhen the current through the relay 19 is weakened the switch 42 is opened. Nothing will, however, be aii'ected by this because the relay 40 is kept energized by its locking contact 41. But the switch 21a will be opened after a certain interval by the retardingdevice 23,.this interval being longer than the intervals which ordinarily ensue duril'lg the delivery of a. message. W'hen the switch 21a is opened and the circuit of the winding 8 is thus interrupted the calling relay G is denergized and the armature 9 falls back and opens the switches 10 and 10a. This switches off the motor 11 and the consequent opening ofthe switches 43 and 33 denergizes the relay 40 so that all parts lof the instrument are restored to their normaln positions. I claim.:- l 1. In combination with an automatic respending and conversation recording instrument, a telephone exchange, a source of calling current, an electromagnet, a switching member controlled by the said electromagnet, a circuit for energizing the said electromagnet by current from the said source and for operating tie said switching member, means for locking the switching member in its operated position, and means actuated by the said electromagnet for controlling a supervisory :signal located at the ex change; V

2. In combination with an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument, a telef hone exchange, a source of calling current, an electromagnet, a switching member controlled by the said electromagnet, a circut for energizing the said electromagnet by current from the said source and for operating the said switching member, means for locking the switching member in its operated position, means actuated by the said switching member for controlling a supervisory signal locatedy at the exchange, a talking current circuit, a

telephonie switching device adapted to be energized by current in the talking circuit,

means formaint: ining the instrument in an oily-normal condiionythis means being controlled by the said telephonie switching device and being :rendered operative; during the flowing of talking current through the telephonie switching device, and means for restoring the said switching member to its normal position afterthe said telephonie switching device ceases to be energized.

3. In combination with a telephone exchange, a source of calling current, and an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument comprising an electromagnet having ai. energizing and a locking winding, a switching member controlled by the said electromagnet, a circuit for energizing the said energizing winding by current from the said current source and foroperating the said switzhing member, means for energizing the said locking winding, means actuated bythe said electromagnet for controlling a superx'isory signal located at the exchange, a responding microphone, a recording device, electrical connections joined to the responding microphone and to the recording device, anl means for automatically altering the electrical connections Aof responding microph one, recording device and of the said energiing winding.

4. In combination with a telephone eX- change, a source of calling current, an exchange line, and an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument comprising an electron lagnet having an energizing and a locking winding, a switching member controlled by the said electromagnet, a circuit for energizing the said energizing winding by current from the said current source and for operating the said, switching member,` means for energizing the said locking winding, mea us actuated by the said electromagnet for controlling a supervisory signal located at tl e exchange, a responding microphone, a recording device, a telephonie switching device and means `for automatically and separately connecting the said energizing winding, the responding micro-l phone and the recording device together with the telephonic switching device to the said exchange line.

5. In combination with a telephone exchange, a source of calling current, an exchange line and an automatic recording and responding instrument comprising an electromagnet havlng an armature, means for locking said armature in its attracted position, a telephonie switching devicea restoring switch, means movement of the said restoring switch, said restoring switch being adapted to restore the said armature to its normal position and said restoring switch and retarding ldevice being controlled only by the telephonie switching device.

6. In combination with a telephone eX- A change, a source of calling current, an exchange line and an automatic recording and responding instrument comprising an electromagnet having an armature, means for locking said armature in its attracted position, a restoring switcha telephonic switching device, an operating device controlled by the said armature for moving said restoring switch, means for preventing the action of the said operating device, said telephonic switching device actuating they said preventing means when energized and thencausing the said operating device to shift the restoring switch which unlocks the said armature.

7 In combination with a telephone exchange, a source of calling current, an exchange line and an automatic recording and responding instrument comprising an electromagnet having van armature, means for locking said armature in its attracted position, a restoring switch for restoring said armature, a telephonic switching device, an operating device controlled by the said armature for moving said restoring switch, a detent for preventing the action of the said operating device, said telephonic switching device actuating the said detent whenfor moving the restoring` switch, a retarding device for delaying the f energized and then causing the said operating device to shift the restoring switch which restores the said armature to its retracted position. v

8. In combination with an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument andmechanismor actuating said instrument, an electromagnet, an armature therefor, adapted to bring said mechanism into operation, a telephone exchange, a telephone line connecting said instrument with said exchange, a source of calling current adapted to energize said electromagnet through said telephone line, to operate said armature and thus bring said actuating mechanism into operation, means for locking the armature in its operated position, a switching member controlled by said actuating mechanism, and means controlled by said switching member and adapted to control a' supervisory signal at the exchange as long as said mechanism is in operation.

9. In'combination with an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument and mechanism foractuating said inl strument, a telephone exchange, a telephone 'line connected with said exchange, means connected with said line, for bringing said actuating mechanism into operation, a switch controlled by said actuating mechanism, and a condenser controlled by said switch and adapted to control a supervisory signal at the exchange when said mechanism is in operation.

l0. In combination with an automatic responding and conversation recording instrument 4and mechanism .for actuating said instrument, a telephone exchange, a telephone line connecting said instrument with the exchange, and a condenser controlled by the operation of saidactuating mechanism, lfor controlling a supervisory7 signal at the exchange.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses. y

4 FRANZ SEELAU. Witnesses:

HENRY I-IAsPER,

WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

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