US1246545A - Telephone-exchange system. - Google Patents

Description

H. P. CLAUYSEN. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5, 1916.

1,246,545. l Patented Nov. I3, 191]'.

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APPLICATIN FILED AUG.5. 1916y 1,246,545. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

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'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORIORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application led August 5, 1916. Serial No. 113,285. 4

To aZZfwLom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY P. CLAUSEN, a cltlzen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester 'a switch of this type in which rapid and accurate operation may be obtained.

A feature of the inventionl is the provision of driving mechanism common tol a number of lines and which may be utilized to operate movable contacts individual toy said lines, the extent of motion of such t contacts being determined by a stop common to the trunks towhich such lines have access.

A further fea-ture of the invention is the use of line and cut-oil' relays which control mechanical 'operations in addition to performing their circuit-controlling functions.

The general operation ofpa preferred form of the invention is as follows: a wiper rotates overan arcuate bank containing test terminals of a group of trunks until an idle trunk" is located. During this hunting movement, a gear wheel is rota-ted, such gear wheel drawing out a toothed rack arranged to be operated bythe plunger of a solenoid. A shaft having a ratchet connection to such gear wheel is provided with a plurality of gear wheels individual to subscribers lines. When a subscriber initiates a call, his line relay forces a rack bar into engagement with a ear wheelon the common shaft, such rac bar being arranged to move a brush set over trun terminals upon rotation of said-gear wheel. The line relay also completes a circuit for the solenoid, which attracts its lunger, rotatin the shaft and causing the Ibrush set indivi ual to the line calling to come to rest on the terminals of the selectedtrunk. A cut-oii` relay is then energized to allow the subscribers rack bar to be drawn from engagement with its associated gear'wheel, the bar being held in its elevated position. by a'pawl controlled by the cut-oif relay. The .cut-oil' relay also performs the Vusual circuit-controlling functions. The test wiper is thenl again stepped over the master bank contacts 1n search of the next idle trunk. It is obvious that the extent of motion of the toothed rack operated by the solenoid is determined by the position assumed by the test wiper.

It is thou ht the invention will best be understood rom the following detailed description of the structure and operation of the switch, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch structure embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a lock-out bar; and Fig. 4, illustrates diagrammatically circuits, suitable fory causing the desired operation of the switch. In the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

A shaft 1 is rotatably mounted and carries a vplurality of gear wheels 2, therebeing a gear wheel 2 individualto each calling subscriber. Associated with each'gear wheel 2 is a rack bar connected by a link 4 to a brush carriage 5. Rack bar 3 is normally held out of engagement with wheel 2 by the action of a spring 6 through the action of a link 7 pivotally connected at one end to a vmounted, and pivotally connected at its other end to the armature` 9 of a line relay 10. A cui-foif relay 11 is arranged to operate a set of contact springs indicated at 12 and a pawl 13 which may be forced into engagement with a series ofnotches 14 on rack bar 3, against the tension of a spring 15 to hold the bar in its elevated position. A sleeve 16 is rotatably mounted on shaft 1 and carries fixedly secured to it a ratchet wheel 17 and a gear wheel 18. A ratchet connection is secured between gear wheel 2 and gear wheel 418 by means of an arm 19 and a dog 20. Gear 18 is engaged by a rack bar 21, which is held in position by a roller 22. At one end of rack bar 21 is secured a magnetic plun er 23 arranged for attraction by asolenoi 24. Wipers 25, 26 secured to ratchet wheel 17 are arranged to rotate with it and to swing over contact sets 27, 28 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Contact springs 29 individual to each line are arranged to be operated by an insulated knob 30 carried by arms 31 actuated by a common bar 32, which in turn is actuated by a pivoted lever 33 which is moved when plunger 23 approaches the limit of its movement under control of solenoid 24, the extent of movement of plunger 23 and lever 33 being determined` by a stop 34. Lever 33 is normally held retracted by a spring 35. Ratchet Wheel 17 is arranged to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by a pawl 36 actuated by armature 37 of a stepping magnet 38. A locking bar 39 is arranged to be operated by an armature 40 of a locking magnet 41 and is pro.- vided with notches 42, as best seen in Fig. 3, with which projections 43 on rack bars 3 may engage when such rack bars are driven into engagement with one of gear wheels 2.

IWhile the ratchet wheel 17 is being stepped to carry wipers' 25 into engagement with contacts of an idle trunk, magnet 41 is energized to move bar 39 to the right sothat if a call comes in at this time, the rack 3 individual to such line cannot be forced into engagement with its associated gear wheel 2, since slots 42 are now out of alinement with projections 43.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the operation of circuits suitable for use with this switch is as follows. Assuming first that the-wiper 25 has moved into enga ement with the contact 27 of an idle trun the rotary motion of ratchet wheel 17 will have actuated gear wheel 18 to draw out rack 21 a distance such that on its return movement a gear Wheel 2 will drive a subscribers brush set carried by his rack 3 into engagement with the terminals of the selected trunk, as previously described. An incoming subscribers line is represented by conductors 50 and 51. When the subscriber removes his receiver from the hook a circuit is completed from ground, inner upper armature and back contact of cut-ofi relay 11, line 51, substation apparatus of the called subscriber, line 50, outer upper armature and back contact of cut-ofi relay 11, right-hand winding of line relay 10, to grounded battery. Relay 10 is energized and attracts its armature, forcing rack 3 into mechanical engagement with a gear wheel 2 and closing at its front contact a circuit from grounded battery, armature and front contact ofrelay 54, conductor 55, relay 56, conductor 57, armature and back contact of relay 58, conductor 59, left-hand winding of relay 10, contact 60, and armature and front contact of relay 10, to ground. It should be noted at this point lthat relay 54 is energized at all times when there is an available trunk, but will be denergized when the last trunk relay 61 operates to remove the last of the multiple connections to ground from conductor 62. Contact 60 is closed except when the plunger 23 is fully attracted by soleniod 24 at which time contact 63 is closed by the operation of common lever 33 and arm 31.

Relay 56 is energized and completes a circuit from grounded battery, armature and front contact of relay 54, conductor 64, Winding of solenoid 24, to ground at the armature and front contact of relay 56. The solenoid 24 attracts plunger 23 and withdraws rack bar 21, rotating wheel 18, and the action of dog 20 and arm 19 Causes the subscribers gear wheel 2 to be rotated an equal amount. The rotation of gear wheel 2 causes vertical movement of rack 3, which moves -a brush set 65, 66, 67 into engagement with terminals 68, 69, 70 of a selected trunk, the extent of motion of rack 21 being determined by the position assumed by Wipers 25 and 26, as previously described. When plunger 24 is fully attracted, contact 60 is opened and contact 63 is closed by the action of arm 31, whereupon a circuit 1s completed for cut-off relay 11 from grounded battery, winding of relay 11, contact 63, and armature and front contact of relay 10, to ground. Cut-off relay 11 attracts its armatures and at the same time throws pawl 13 into engagement with one of the teeth 14 on the side of rack 3 to maintain the bar in its elevated position. At its upper armatures, cut-off relay 11 opens the circuit of right-hand winding of relay 10, and since the circuit through the lefthand winding was broken by the action of arm 31, relay 10 is denergized. When relay 10 is denergized it withdraws rack 3 from engagement with gear Wheel 2 by the action of spring 6, as previously described. At its upper armatures and front contacts, relay 11 connects lines 50 and 51 to brushes 65 and 66-,-and since the brush set 65, 66, 67 has been positioned on terminal set 68, 69, 702 relays 61 and 71 are energized over a circuit 'from grounded battery, winding of relay 71, terminal 68, brush 65, upper armature and front contact of relay 11, line 50, sub s tation apparatus of the calling subscriber, llne 51, inner upper armature and front contact of relay 11, brush 66, terminal 69, Windin of relay 61, 'to ground.

hile Wiper 26 was resting on terminal 28 individual to the trunk selected by the common selecting mechanism, a circuit was closed for slow-release relay 72 from grounded battery, conductor 73, terminal 28 and its Wiper 26, `resistance 74, to ground. Relay 72is energized in this circuit and remains energized for a suiiicient length of time after Wiper 26 has been restored to normalv by the action of solenoid 24, to allow. the cut-ofi relay 11 to lock up over a circuit from grounded battery, winding of relay 11, its lower armature and front Contact, brush 67, terminal 70, and the armature and front contact of relay 7 2 to ground. This locking circuit of relay 11 is divertedto ground at the armature of relay 71 as soon as that relay is energized, and the cut-off relay 11 is therefore maintained energized as long as the brush set remains on the terminals of the trunk.

While wiper 25 was restin on a terminal 27 individual to an idle trun relay 75 was energized over a circuit from grounded battery, winding 4of relay 75, wiper 25, terminal 27, to ground at the amature and back contact of relay 71. When wiper 25 is restored to its normal position by the `action of solenoid 24, relay 7 5 is denergized, closing at its'armalture and back Contact a circuit from ground, amature and back contact of slow-release relay 56, armature and back contact. of relay 7 5steppin,c` magnet 38, slowrelease magnet 58, interrupter 76, to lgrounded battery aithe armature and front contact of relay 54. The circuit of magnet 38 is made and broken successively by interrupter 76. ln response to 'the operation of ma net 38, ratchet wheel 17 is stepped aroun carrying 4'with it wipers 25 and 26 and gear wheel 18,which draws out rack 21. As soon as wiper 25 arrives on a contact 27 associated with an idle trunk, vwhich idle condition would be represented by ground on such terminal 27 due to the denergized condition of relay 71, a circuit is closed vfor relay 75 Jfrom grounded battery, winding of relay 75. wiper 25, terminal 27, and the amature and back contact of the relay 71 of such idle trunk. Relay 75, at its left-hand armature, opens the previously tracedv circuit of mag- 'net 38 and allows wiper 25 tocoine to rest on terminal 27 of such idle trunk. At this time rack bar 21 will have been drawn out a distance such that on its return it will move the brush set of the next calling subscriber a distance sufficient to place such brush set in engagement with the terminal of the selected trunk. l' y While relay 75 was denergized, a circuit was closed for locking magnet 41 from grounded'battery, winding of magnet 41, to ground at the right-hand armature and back contactof relay 75. Magnet 41 attracts its armature and moves bar 39 to the right 'to prevent rack 3 being driven into engagement with a gear wheel 2 during the hunting operation ofthe switch, should a call be initiated during such hunting operation. l

.When the last available trunk is seized, relay 54 will be decnergized, sincegthe last of its multiple connections to ground will have been removed when relay 61 of such last available trunk is energized. No hunting will take place at this time, since the circuit of stepping magnet 38 is held open at the armature and front contact of relay 54. As soon, however, as a trunk becomes available, relay 54 will again energize due to the denergization of relay 61 associated with such available trunk, and the circuit of magnet 38 will be completed to move theimaster mechanism into position to select'suc'h trunk.

If there should be only one trunlc available and the wiper 25 should, for any reason, step past the contact of such trunk, the motion of wi er 25 would continue to the end of the series of contacts, since no ground would be. found. On the eleventh step, Wiper 26 engages an extra contact 76, whereupon a circuit is closed from grounded bat# tery, armature and contact of relay 54, conductor 55, relay 56, conductor 77, contact 7 6, wiper 26, resistance 74, to ground. Relay 56 is energized and completes a circuit from grounded battery, armature and contact of relay 54, conductor 64, winding of solenoid 24, to ground at the armature and front contact of relay 56. Rack 21 is then fully rel tracted by solenoid 24 and hunting again takes place in the manner previously described.

After a trunk has been seized and relay 72 has been denergized, a circuit will be completed for a trunk signal 78 from grounded battery, signal 78, armature and back'contact of relay 72, to ground at the armature and front contact of relay 61 which, it will be remembered, was energized when the trunk was seized. A connecting operator at O, one of whose connecting cord plugs is indicated at 79, upon observing the display of signal 78 'inserts plug 79 into a jack 80 in which the seized trunk terminates, whereupon relay 72 is energized over a circuit from grounded battery, winding of relay 72, sleeve contact'of jack 80, sleeve of plug 79, t0 ground. From this point the connec-l tion may be established in any' desired manner.

When conversation is completed, the oper ator at O is informed by the operation of well-known supervisory signals that connection is no longer desired. She thereu on removes-plug 79 from jack 80. When t e calling subscriber replaced his receiver on the hook relays 61 and 71 were. denergized. The removal of plug 79 from jack 80 allowed relay 7 2 to' denergize. The locking circuit of cutoff relay 11 is now broken and it deenergizes, thereby withdrawing holding pawl 13 from engagement with one of the teeth 14 on the side offrack. Rack bar 3 is then drawn downward to its normal position under the control of a spring 81. 4The trunk is now in condition to be again selected and the apparatus individual to the calling line is in its normal condition, ready to receive another call.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone exchange system, incoming and outgoing lines, an automatic switch for interconnecting said lines, movable contacts individual to said incoming lines, driving mechanism therefor common to said inf coming lines, a single constantly effective stop for said driving mechanism, and means for associating a movable contact with said driving mechanism, the `extent of motion of said movable contact being limited by Said stop.

2.v In a telephone exchange system, incomin and outgoing lines, an automatic switch for interconnecting said lines, mov- 4able contacts individual to lsaid incoming lines, driving mechanism therefor common to said incoming lines, means common to said incoming lines for selecting an idle one of said outgoing lines, said drlving mechanism being moved from its normal position a distance dependent upon the position assumed by said selecting means, a single stop for said driving mechanism, vand means for associating a movable contact with said driving" mechanism, the extent of motion of said movable contact being limited by said stop.

3. In a telephone exchange system, incoming and outgoing lines, an automatic switch for interconnecting said lines, movable contacts individual to said incomlng lines, driving mechanism therefor common to said incoming lines, means common to said incoming lines for selecting an idle one of said outgoing lines, means for associating a movable contact with said driving mechanism, and means for preventing such association while said selecting means is operating.

4. In a telephone exchange system, incoming and outgoing lines, an y automatic switch for interconnecting said lines, movable contacts individual to said incoming lines, driving mechanism common to said incoming lines, means common to said incoming lines for selecting an idle one of said outgoing lines, said driving mechanism being moved from its normal position a distance dependent upon the position assumed by said selecting means, means for associating a movable contact with said driving mechanism to connect an incomin line with -a selected outgoing line, said se ecting means being restored to normal by the operation of said drivin mechanism, and means for causing said se ectingmeans lto hunt for an idle outgoing line immediately after having been restored to its normal position.

5. In a telephone exchange system, incoming and outgoing lines, an automatic switch for interconnecting said lines, movable contacts individual to said incoming lines, driving mechanism common to said incoming lines, means common to said vincoming lines for selecting an idle one of said switch for interconnecting said lines, movable contacts individual to said incoming lines, driving. mechanism therefor common to said incoming lines, means for associating a movable contact with said driving mechanism to establish connection between an incoming line and an outgoing line, a circuit for controlling said driving mechanism, and means for interrupting the driving circuit of said mechanism when all of said outgoing lines are busy. f

Inwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of August A. D. 1916.

HENRY P. oLAUsEN.

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