US1228007A - Connector repeater-switch of automatic telephone-exchanges for handling fire-alarm calls. - Google Patents

Description

l. ERICKSON.

CONNECTOR REPEATER SWITCH 0F AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGES FOR HANDLING FIRE ALARM CALLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1914. RENEWED APR. 24. 1916.

1,228,007. Patented May 29, 1917.

svunntoz l Jbhn Erickson/ a UNITED STATESZ PATENT OFFIC -.1

JOHN nnrcxsou, or cmcaco, rnrnvorsfassrenon, BY mnsm: sssremmnrs, "ro nocnns'rna n. access, or nocnnsrna,,,new roam CONNECTOR HEATER-SWITCH OI AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE-EXCHANGES FOB Specification of Letters Patent.

HANDLING FIRE-ALARM CALLS.

Application filed February 25, 1914,'Seria'1No. 821,097. Renewed April 24, 1am. Serial-Ho. eases.

To all whom it may concern: r

Be it known that I, JOHN 'EmoKsoN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Connector Reeater Switches of Automatic Telephonexchanges for Handling Fire-Alarm Calls; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to. the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this'specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide certainimprovements in the ar rangement, adjustment and means of operating-the connector repeater switch ofan v automatic telephone exchange system which isvu'sed for the transmission of the impulses of current employed for actuating therfire alarm signal-recording mechanism at. the fire department headquarters after theconnection with said circuit has been established throughthe various selector switches which are em 'loyed for connecting through the central '0 cc or exchange the subscribers circuit on'which the call ,is initiated. To

these and other ends the invention consists I -in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel .features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

showing'a' subscribers line circuit equipped- In the drawings: The figure .is a diagrammatic illustration with a signal mechanism and indicating said circuit extended through'the first, sec- The invention will best be understood by 0nd and third selector switchesto the.re peater switch embodying thepresent invention asused in practice m-a large exchange.

' Similar reference numerals throughout a brief description of the difliculties encount'ered in attempting to operate fire alarm I signals over an automatic telephone exchange system in which the subscribersset up their desired connectionsby means of an impulse 'transmittin mechanism comprising a-dial A which t e operator. adjusts by imparting thereto a partial revolution and whi h, when released, will transmit one or 'more impulses which control the operamoved a shorter distance it will despatch nine, eight, etc. impulses or only one 1mpulse. In an automatictelephone exchange of one thousand lines or under the connec- Patented May'29, 1917.

tions between any two subscribers circuits will be effected by the use of one selector and one connector switch, and in larger exchanges the number of selectors is increased,

although the operation of the additional switche'slis the same,.the call bei received in the first selector, transmitted it to a second selector, thence to the thir selector and eventually to the connector. A detai ed description and construction of these switches and their operation is not required because of the general knowled of these mechanisms possessed by those skilled in the telephone art, although ior convenience as a means oi reference on this subject would mention the patents granted {jointly to mg Alexander.

J self, Charles J. Erickson an Keith for automatic telephone connector and selector switches, Nos. 815,176 and 815,321, respectively, issued March 13, 1906,

which disclose generally the arrangement of;

the 'banks of contacts, and the rotary and vertically movable. shafts carrying the I wipers cooperating'with said contacts, a1 though it will be understood, of course, that the electromagnetic operatin devices by which these movements are e ected may be changed to suit various conditions of service. v I

These central ofiice automatic switches when actuated to connect asubscribers'cin cuit with the fire alarm circuit leading'to fire department headquarters are not controlled in their/movements bythe dial Abutby "the alarm signal boxmechanism, and.

the purpose of my invention, as will hereinafter appear with greater particularity, is

ito' so arrange the alarm box'mechanism and the switching apparatus that, in the event a subscriber erroneously endeavors mama lish connection with the fire department headquarters by the o eration of the dial A," either by accidenta y oallingrthe wrong number or by a fpremeditated'attempt to establish such a nne ti mthe s t hes ova connected through to the connector repeater switch.

The primary difliculty which has been encountered heretofore is due to. the fact thattelephone subscribers or operators in establishing connections through the various switches would, through error in the operation ofthe dial A cause the switches at the central oflice to set up a connection with the fire alarm circuit with the result that upon the subsequent rotation of the dial. in an attempt to complete the number of the station-they intended to 'call would cause the actuation of the signal gong and'regist'er of the fire department headquarters. For instance, if the last digit of the number called was 5 a correspondi strokes would be imparted to t e gong and giving what would otherwise be termed a false alarm.

1 These difiiculties I have been able to eliminate by connecting the fire alarm circuit to the last set of contacts in the row of contacts on the" connector switch; making all the other contacts busy, and so mountingthe wipers on the connector shaft that in order to reach the fire alarm circuitcontacts it is necessary that the rotary movement imparted to said shaft shall be at least one step more than is ordinarily required, i. e. if the connector switch is provided with ten sets of contacts in a row, then 'I would adjust the wipers so that eleven or required to be imparted to the rotary shaft to bringsaid wipers into engagement with the last set of contacts. Therefore, ten steps oranything less than this number of move-. ments caused by the operation of the dial A would effect the release of the connector repeater switch automatically in the usual manner by which said release is effected, but as the signaling box B is capable of transmitting eleven or more "impulses it is- PCS-w sible, therefore, to arrange the apparatus so that the wipers of-the' connector switch can' only be moved into engagement with the last set of contacts by the movement of said box mechanism.

As a type of signal box mechanism which may in part begutilized for actuating the automatic switches, reference is made to Patent No. 958,719, issued May 24 1910, to F. S. Bronson, for signal box for fire alarm sys-. tem, and to my pending alplication, Renewal Serial No. 793,470, filed, October 4,

1913. This mechanism comprises an arbor B carrying a switch actuating wheel G and a code wheel D, the former being provided with the necessary grooves or notches whereby circuit contacts are opened .and closed selector switches re eater switch, is prov ded wit other'nsets of to successively actuate the and finally the connector. and the latter number of a circuit composed of wires r,

more steps would be' notches which control the transmission of impulsesover the circuit previously established to transmit to the fire alarm headquarters the code signal of this particular alarm despatching mechanism. In the fi her of steps of the Wipers of the connector repeater switches to complete the'connection of the subscribers circuit with the fire alarm circuit, after which the code signal is despatched by impulses sent over the line y opening and closing the contacts controlled by the wheel D.

In order to illustrate my invention in "detail I have shown the connector switch mech-v anism in its simplest form, many of the parts required in' actual service being omitted. The rotary shaft, as the three wipers s s and s which cooperate with the three rows of horizontal con-' tacts. The rotary movement of the shaftis caused by therotary magnet R arranged in r, over which the rotary impulses are imparted by the eleven notches or recesses c on the wheel C. The trunk or circuit leading to the fire alarm headquarters comprises the wire i connected to the last terminal in the upper row which is engaged by the wiper s when the latter takes its last step. With the parts in this position they are then closed to ground the wire "leading to contact f which is engaged y contact f grounded over the wire f. This pair of contacts 7" and f are on the line relay L which is energized by rea.-

son of the closing of the subscribers circuit.

7 The release of the switch is effected by disengaging the holding pawlof the shaft S which is caused by the energizing of the rebattery lead X to wire contacts t, t on .relay V, wire 25, to .wi'per s. The release wire t leads fromthe last contact 2!" of the bottom row of contacts to the normally closed springs t, t? on relay U,the

indicated by S, carries i the subscribers circuit after the alarm im-.

pulses have been transmitted. This circuit may be traced from t, relay T, wire t,

0 lastmentioned v Spring g fi d by the wire t to'the constep by step movement of the rotary magnets tact t" on the line relay L, which last'menscrlbers circuitand that it, is the movement of the armature of thisrelay that causes the R and the shaft S and consequently the spring f alternatelyenga es the contacts f an ti", the latter furnis ing the ground over which the release of the 'switch shaft S is effected, but that this. release does not ocour while the impulses are being transmitted regularly at a predetermined rate because of' the slower action of the relays U and V, the

residual magnetism of which holds said re lease circuit open 'momentarily while the switch wipers are stepping from one contact 0 v to another.

Now in order that the connector switch may be released automatically in the event a subscriber accidentally 'picks' up this cir- -cuit and, further, to requ re said switch to b6 operated by elevenor more impulses, the first nine contacts of the lower row are joined together, as indicated; by w and are also connected to .the first contact yof the middle row. It-will be noted that the Wipers s and s are set on a shaft S-in such position that they do not engage the first contact of their respective rows-of terminals upon the I first step ormovement of the shaft S, .but

that middle wiper s does engage the first contact 3/ in readiness to transmit the release impulsein the event 'the wipers are 'not further advanced. Upon the second movement of the wi ei-s a a, a the last mentioned wiper engages the first contact of its row and asal of these contacts with the exception of the last one are cornnectedwith ground over the wire W the releasewill be effected if the switchis allowed to stop in any one of the first ten positions since ten is the greatest number of impulses that can.

be despatched 'by the subscribers sendligs impulse mechanism A. The result descri might .be accomplished without offsetting the wipers s, s with relation to the middle wipers a, but this would require making the switches with eleven or more contacts in each row ind it will, therefore, be seen that the scheme that I have suggested of ofl'setting the wipers is that all of the parts can be made to conform to switch mechanism in use at the present time. In other words,

- I am enabledto carry out my invention by arm S and-S a circuit is established from S, wire .f, to the ma be transmitted after the cessation of im- Wiper S reaches contact t there is an ill-- terval of time when the subscribers circuit is closed prior to the switching of the control to the box number wheel D. The circuit is at once established from battery, wire f, contacts f, f, wire f, switch arm S, wire 7, relay M to battery lead X. This energizes relay M breaking contacts m, m, thereby deenergizing relay V, closing contactst i which thereby completes the circuit to the release magnet T with'the excep tion of holding it open at contacts t and f of relay L. After the completion of the fire alarm call, the subscribers'line is opened, deenergizing relay L, .closing its contact, thereby energizing release magnet T restoring the switch to normal position.

7 At the time the switch 'is first established in reaching the adjusted position of switch ground,'wire f, contactsf, f, wire arm at Z controlhngthe recording apparatus at fire headquarters. The operation of the release magnet T is prevented while the switch arm S? is being stepped around by the opening of the circuit of said magnetat the contacts t, t by energization of the relay- V, over a circuit; leading from battery lead X, and connected to the wire r, the result being that rotary gnet R and relay V are connected in multiple and, therefore, relay V is continually energized while rotary magnet is receiving impulses, due to the fact that "the relay V is slow acting. The circuit of the release magnet' T must be opened after the wiper S has reached the contact t, so that impulses from ground over the wire t may pulses through line 'relay L, which is accomplished by providing a relay M in a circuit connected on one side to battery lead X and on the other to wire I", leadingfrom the last contact on the bank traversed by switch arm S; When said switch stops the last position the relay M is energized, thereby breakinga pair of contacts m" and m interposed in wire rof the circuits of relay V and rotary magnet R.

This results in restoring the circuit of the magnetT at'the contacts t, t in readiness fora release impulse when the, fire alarm impulses have ceased, and interrupts passage of current to the rotary magnet R;

From the foregoing it willbe seenthat upon 1 the transmission of'the eleven impulses 1n At the same time the back release circuit is established so that the connector repeater its circuit opened by the opening of contacts f and 1) wire at, contact If, switch arm S wire t contacts t wire release magnet T, wire t-to battery lead X. This energizes release magnet T, restoring the switch to its normal position.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an automatic telephone exchange system comprising a subscribers circuit provided with a manual impulse transmitter adapted to despatch impulses limited to a given maximum number,. and automatic switches controlled by said impulses, of an alarm impulse transmitting mechanism associated with said subscribers circuit adapted to transmit current impulses of a number greater than the maximum number which may bedespatched by the manual transmitter, a connector switch comprising cooperating wipers and contacts and means for driving the wipers in accordance with the current impulses when ac} tuated by a number of impulses less than the total transmitted by the alarm transmitter, and an alarm trunk leading. from the contacts of the switch upon which the wipers rest after being advanced.

2. In an automatic alarm apparatus for an automatic telephone exchange system, the combination with subscribers lines equipped with manual impulse transmitters capable of despatching impulses of a given maximum number. and automatic switches for connecting said lines and an alarm impulse transmitting mechanism capable of despatching impulses 'of a greater total number than said manual mechanism, of a connector switch adapted to be actuated by I the combination I equlpped with manually said impulses, comprising cooperating wipers and contacts, means for advancing the wipers, and devlces for restoring them to normal uponcessation of the transmission of current impulses less in number than the total number of those despatched by the alarm transmitter and an alarm trunk circuit leading from the terminals of said switch upon which the wipers restat the limit of their movement.

,3.'In an automatic alarm apparatus for an automatic telephone exchange system, with subscribers lines 7 operated impulse transmitters capable of transmitting a maximum number often current impulses and wipers in any of the first ten positions and an alarm circuit leading from the contacts engaged by the wipers in their eleventh position of movement having alarm apparatus thereon.

4. In an automatic alarm apparatus for an automatic telephone exchange system, the combination with subscribers lines equipped with manually operated impulse transmitters capable of transmitting 'a maximum number of ten current impulses,

-an automatic alarm impulse transmitter adapted to despatch a greater number of such impulses, and an alarm circuit -provided with alarm apparatus, of an auto matic switch mechanism having cooperating wipers and contacts and rotary driving de-' vices actuating the wipers one step for each impulse transmitted by either of the transmitting mechanisms and also provided with release devices for restoring the wipers to their normal position, said release devices being adapted to be automatically operated upon the cessation of impulses which leave the wipers in any one of their first ten steps, but which are capable of operation in the usual manner by line control upon the eleventh or subsequent steps, and. an alarm 10 circuit leading from terminals with which the wipers engagewhen allowed to rest after the tenth step. 5. A' connector switch for use in transmittmg alarm impulses over the "lines of automatic telephone systems comprising a bank of contacts arranged in a plurality of rows one of which comprises. ten contacts, a set of line and release wipers, means for advancing the engagement with said contacts, said contacts and wipers being so positioned relatively to'ea ch other when the wipers are in the normal position that one step is reimpulses of the alarm impulse transmitting mechanism and incapable of being set by the manual impuls transmitter atom-said. 130

latter step-by-step into 7. The combination with an automatic telephone exchange system, including a, subscribers circuit provided with a manual impulse transmitter for despatching impulses, of an alarm impulse transmitting mechanism associated with said subscribers c1reu1t adapted to transmit current 1mpulses, and a connector repeater switch including cooperating wipers and contacts being capable of operation to a predetermined position by the impulses despatched by the alarm impulse transmitting mechanism and incapable of: operation to such predetermined position by the impulse from the manual impulse transmitter aforesaid.

8. The combination with anautomatic telephone exchange system including a subseribers circuit provided with a manual impulse transmitter for despatching impulses, of an alarm impulse transmitting mechanism associated wlth said subserlbers circuit and adapted to transmit current impulses, and a connector repeater switch ineluding wipers and contacts capable of beset for a predetermined eo-,

ing relatively operation by the impulse despatched by the alarm impulse transmitting mechanism and incapable of being so set by the impulse from the subscribers manual impulse transmitter.

9. In an automatic telephone exchange system including a subseribers circuit projvided with a manual impulse transmitter 10. In an automatic telephone exchange system including a subscribers circuit provided with a 'manualimpulse transmitter capable of transmitting a maximumnumber of impulses, of 'a connector repeater switch incapable of being set by the maximum or less number ,of impulses transmitted by the manual impulse transmitter, and means associated with the subscribers circuit for transmitting impulses in excess of the maximum number transmitted by the manual impulse transmitter for setting the switch aforesaid.

1 JOHN ERICKS ON.

Witnesses:

HYMAN L. Wmss, DAVID G. DEE.

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