US1306829A

US1306829A - Automatic telephone system

Info

Publication number: US1306829A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1936-06-17

Description

E. A. MELLINGER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. |913.

1,306,829. Patented June 17, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

cfm/Era E. A.'MELLINGER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE sYsElvr.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. ILQS. l ,$06,829. PatentedJ une 17, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. A. MELLINGER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17.|913.

Patented June 17, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. A. MELLINGER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17| 1913.

Patented June 17, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4 WJOTNESSES E. A. IVIELLINGER.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. 1913.

1 ,306,829, Patented June 17, 1919.

6 sHEE'Ts sHEET a.

E. A. MELLINGEB.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED III-:3.11. 1913.

l ,306,829. Patented June 17, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

EDWARD A, MEIiLINGER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

macteo.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. MEILINGER, a citizen 'of the 'United States of America, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements iti Automatic Telephone Systems, of which thel following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in telephone systems and apparatus therefor,

and more particularly to automatic or senll automatic telephone systems or. combined manual and automatic or semi-automaticv systems of the type in whichthe operation of an automatic switch or automatic switches is controlled -by a plurality of selective actions at the calling substation.

According to one feature of the invention a calling device provided which is so arranged land constructedl that when any one of a certain .number of parties is to be called a single select-ive action on the part'of the calling party suffices to enable him to call therequired party instead of his having to effect a number of selective actions, as has heretofore been necessary, the plurality ofI selective actions on Avthe part of the calling subscriber being dispensed with by a settingiup operation.

According to another feature of this invention means are provided whereby after call is effected by anyA type of callingdevice,

and before the calling-party' has removed hisV receiver from thel'hook, an indication is given him when the called partyfremoves his receiver from the hook.l Furthermore, `means are provided for releasing allV of Vthe switches that have been operated if the `cal1ed\ -partv is busy. and for giving a signal tothe callto indicate .that the called party L horizontal positions, engaging -corresponding party is busy.

The form of apparatus forlcarrying the Dicker No; 1298 of 1910, though the appara-- tus can easily be' adapted, as'hereinafter referred to, for -use in other types of automatic or4 semi-automatic telephone` systems.

The invention will be lmore readily understood fromA the following description,

taken in yconuec'stionrwith ythe accompanyingdrawings which illustrate, by way of exam,-V

Specicationo Letters Patent. Patented than@ 1W, 1919, Application filed February 17, 1918. Serial No. 748,811. l

4 are details on an enlarged Fig. 6 vis a section on the line 6-46` Fig.. 5. v l 1g.v7,1s la side elevation of the same, the casingand 'somexother parts being in sec-V tion:

' F1g. 8 isa' part section on the line 8--8 of Flg. 6

Fig. 9. isafsection on an enlarged scale .l

ofpart of the gea-ringI employed. n

Fig. 10 is a sideelevation of parts which are addedA to the calling device shown in Figs. 5 to'v9 for carrying out'certain other features of this invention.- Fig. 11 is a front viewof the same. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus and circuitsfor carrying out cert-ain features o f this invention. A

' Fig. 13 1s a diagram showinga modicai tion which may be made in the circuits.

Like reference numerals and letters are in use throughout' the specification to indicate the corresponding parts.

Referring now'to Flgs. 1 to 4, inc1usive,a vertical board 1 is provided ,having arranged 'on its two vertical sides racksl 2, 2.

A bar 3 has attached 'to' its two ends, re-

spectively, cords 4 which pass over pulleys- 5 at the top of the board and have their l other ends attached to weights 6. The bar 3' can, 'therefore, be easily set in various ing teeth in the'two racks 2, 2. Slidable on the bar`3 is a block 7, preferably of insulating material'. Thespring 8, as shown in Fig.- 4, which is an `under plan view of the .blocl5\7, is cut away at'its ends so as to leave a U-shaped portion, andthe spring9 is cut away so as to leave a portion 'betweenjthe two limbs of the'spring 8.

ley 10 is arranged and over this pulley *passes acord one end of 4which is attached to the piece 7I and the other ,end to a weight The springsfS and 9` -are connected to suitable a terminals, as shown. On an extension of the roda pul- -wheel 12. The spur wheel 12 gears with a` smaller spur wheel 13 carried on a spindle rotatable in the extension of the bar 3, and

this spindle carries a governor 14. Pins 15 are inserted in the board in horizontal rows,

so that when the bar 3 is set in any given.

out of contact therewith to a position 19, Y

shown in broken lines.' A rod or bar 20 is pivoted to the arm 16 and is slidablein guides 21. The ends of the bar 2O extend beyond theblock 7 and are adapted to .engage the sides of the racks 2 and 2 when the block 7 is moved as hereafter referred to. Thel switch arm 16x and the contact 18 are connected, respectively, to the two terminals which are connected to the springs .8 and 9.

At the bottom .of the board a portion is cut away and a fixed spindle 22 has mounted on it four

cylinders

23, 24, 25 and 26, which cylinders are freely rotatable on said spindle. Each c linder has attached to it a toothed wheel 2 into the teeth of which the end of a spring 28 can engage so as to hold the cylinder in position, but allow4 of lits being turned easily by hand. Pins are v arranged on each of the cylinders as follows: On successive generating lines of the surfaces there are arranged, respectively, one pin, two pins, three pins ten pins. Thesurfaces ofthe cylinders are just flush ,y with the front surface of the board, so that the rollers can be set to provide rows of pins, as arranged in the upper part of the board.

The device described, as hereinbefore mentioned, is particularly adapted for use inl an automatic telephone system of the two-Wire type, such as described in the specification of said British Letters Patent No. 1298 of 1910, and the method of using it and of setting up the calls will now be described. The springs 8 and 9 are connected in series with the ordinary calling device, or in place ofthe ordinary calling device. The various subscribers that it is desired to call, for example, those most frequently desired to be called by the particular calling party, have allotted to each of them one particular row of pins. For example, in Fig. 1 pins are shown in the first level forcalling (reading from right to left) the number 5323 and in the secondi level 'the number 6614. It will be understood that the pins of the particular subscriber to be called are kept permanently in the board. If this calling party desires to call the subscriber allotted to the first level, for example, and against -which level the called partys name appears, it is only necessary lWhen the block reaches the right-hand side of the board, the right-hand end of the rod 20. engages the right-hand rack 2, and the switch arm 16 is moved to the position shown in broken lines at 19.' The shortcircuit is therefore rem'oved from the springs 8 and 9, and as the block returns the pins 15 cause the necessary impulses to be sent. That is 'to say, there are five breaks in the circuit, then a pause, then three breaks, then a pause, then two breaks, then a pause andthen Vthree breaks. When the block 7 reaches the left-hand side of the board, vthe left-,hand end of the rod 2(1)'engages the left-hand rack 2, andv consequently the Switch arm 16 is moved over to make con tact with the contact 18, thereby leaving the block 7 ready for the next call. The return movement of the piece 7 is governed by the governor 14.

It will thus be seen that after the pins arev set up for the kcalls of particular parties to be called the calling part does not have to consider what the num er of the called party is, but merely has to'move the bar 3 to the particular osition allotted to the particular party -to be called.

The

cylinders

23, 24, 25 and 26 are pro vided so that, instead of alteringthe pins fixed in the board, a call may be set up and left set up for any length of time desired. For this purpose the cylinders are merely rotated-so that the particular groups of pins come into the horlzontal level over which the springs 8 and 9 move when the bar 3 is in its lowest position. i

The apparatus described is for calling a number of a called party consisting of four digits, but it is obvious that the ap aratus may be constructed for calling num ers of any number of digits. Referring now to Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, another calling device operating on the principle of the calling devicedescribed in connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 will now be described. Mounted on a suitable base 30 are standards 31 and rotatable in the standards is a shaft 32 which is of square crosssection beyond the parts fitting in the bearings. A number of disks 33 are mounted on the shaft, and for this purpose the disks have radial slots 34 and in these slots are provided springs 35. Collars 36 are provided on the shaft 32 and the disks it bemoese@ tween these collars. They can be slipped onto the sl1aft,the springs 35 holding them in position. y the disks 33 are arranged rings 37 held in position byscrews, and between these rings and the disks are arranged radial pins. or strips 38.v These pins can be moved radially and are curved at their inner ends, the

depressed portion bein adapted to fit into one of two correspon mg annular depressions 39 in the disks (see Fig. f'8 andthe lower portion of the disk or the right-,hand side, of Fig. 7). -The 'ins 38 can, therefore, be placed in one or tlie other of two positions-' that is, so that they either project or do not and slidable lon this bar is a block 41 of insulating material. On the under side of the piece 41 isscrewed a spring 42 which can be depressed by al spring-pressed handle orvplunger 43. The springl 42 is provided with a tooth 44 whichis a apted to engage in slots 45 lin the under side of 'the bar 40. TwoA springs 46 normally in contact are lsupported on the block 41, and outside of these two springs are two springs 47 insulated therefrom but normally keepin the springs 46 in contact.. The springs 4 extend beyond the springs 46, as shown, and two guard-pieces 48A are arranged -outslde them.

y 0n the pins 38 forcing the springs 47 out of contact the springs 46 also separate.

Mounted on a spindle 49 rigidlv secured to the standard 31 is an arm 50. Rotatable on the spindle 49 is a ratchet wheel 51 rig-l idly secured to a spur wheel 52.- A springpressed pawl 53 is carried by the arm 50 and is adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 51. A` clock spring 54 surrounds the spindle 49 and has one end attached thereto, the outer end of the spring` being attached to a pin '55 4on the arm 50.) The spur wheel 52 gears with a spur wheel 56 carried on the shaft 32. The shaft 32 also has rigidly attached to it a spur wheel 57 which gears with a I spur wheel 58 mounted on a spindle rotaonly in one direction.

table in a bearing formed by an extension of the standard 31.A Mounted on the latter spindle is a worm wheel 59, which worm wheel meshes with a worm 60 on the spindle of a governor 61. Attached to a suitable standard' 62 is a spring 63 having an angular projection 64 on its curved end 6 5, which latter is adapted to engage inthe slot 34 of the disk 33 adjacent to the gearingdescribed.y

Mounted on the shaft 432 is a ratchet wheel 66 with which engages a s ring-pressed pawl 67, so'as to allow the sha t 32 to rotate The apparatus is provided with a casing v68 having a slotv 69 to'allow of the movement of the arm 5 0, and on the top of the p Around the circumference of project beyond the.periphery ofthe' the end 65 of this spring in I diu-m of the spur wheels casing are provided tablets 70 carrying the names of the subscribers who can be called. The block 41 is provided with a pointer .71 whichA can be set opposite the name of the partlcular subscriber to bey called and indicates when the block 41 is inthe correct posltion for so doing. 4

1 Each of the disks is allotted to a particuar so set as to effect the necessary impulses to o erate the switches. For example, the disk s own in Fig. 6 is set to callthe subscriber whosefinumber is 5423. The springs 46 are j connec/ted 1n serles with an ordinary call-mg otherwisethe guard-pieees 48 would engage the disks and prevent movement.y When the block 41 is in tlie proper position the plunger 43 lsreleased, the tooth'44'engaging the corresponding slot 45 in the under side of the bar 40. The arm 50 is' then depressed. During this movement the pawl 53'slips over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 51,'the shaft `32 being prevented from rotation, as'also the ratchet wheel 51, by means of the ratchet wheel 66 and the pawl 67. In the position of the arm 50 it engages the pro# j ectlng portlon 64 of the spring 63 and keeps U the slot 34 of the disk adjacent Vto the gearing. After a small normal y movement of the arm 50 the end 65 of the i spring 64I moves out of the slot 34. During the downward movement of the arm 50 the sprlng 54 is `wound up. On the release of the arm 50 it is returned by the spring 54 andthe pawl A53 rotates the ratchet wheel 51, and thereby the shaft 32 through the me c 52 and 56. The projectlng pms 38 separate the springs 47 and thereby thus sending the necessary impulses 'to the line to effect the automatic switching. The

governor 61, it will be seen, controls the,

speed of the disks l33 as the arm 50 returns permit the springs 46 to separate,

to normal position.. J ust before the arm 50 reaches its normal position it engages the spring 63, which is thereby depressed and enters the slot 34 in the disk adjacent to the gear as soon as'the latter and with it all of the other disks return to normal position, thereby preventing overrunning of the disks. 1n the construction of calling device so far described the arrangement has been such that a pair lof springs are separated to send impulses. However, it is obvious that in any of the constructions of apparatus it can be arranged so that contacts would be closed, as would be necessary, for example, in a three-wire type of Strowger or other similar system, additional contacts being provided for sending supplementary impulses that may be required.

In practice, the bulk of the calls of a telephone `subscriber are made to a very limited number of subscribers, say twenty or thirty, and a calling device constructed according to this invention enables these subscribers to be called with a single selective operation on the making 1t simpler and easier to effect a call and tending to prevent errors in making a call. A calling device constructed according to this invention is, therefore, particularly applicable for use with telephone systems having a large number of subscribers, as in this case the subscribers have numbers consisting of several digits and consequently necessitating normally several selective operations on the part of the calling party.

As hereinbefore mentioned, according to anotherfeature of this invention means arer provided whereby after a call is effected by any type of calling device, and before thc calling party has any necessity for removing hisreceiverfrom the hook, an indication is given him when the called party removes his receiver from the hook. Also, if necessary or desirable, an indication is given to thecalling partyif the called party is busy. Furthermore, if the called party is busy all the switches that have been operated are released, this obviously being an additional advantage, as it enables the switches to deal with a larger number of calls than would otherwise be possible. Should a calling device be constructed and arranged so that the call is repeated at intervals, as hereinbefore referred to, it may be unnecessaryl to provide means for indicating when the called party is busy, the calling device being arranged to operate until the calling party gets the indication that the called party has removed his receiver from the hook. According to the preferred method of carrying this part of the invention into effect, the two indications to be iven to the calling party are effected broa ly by the following means: In a two-wire type of automatic telephone-system, as described, for example, in the specification of said British Letters Patent No. 1298 of 1910, when the called party removes his receiver from'the hook the direction of flow of current to the calling party is reversed, and this reversal of current is employed to indicate or control the indication that the called party has removed his receiver from the hook. To give the indication when the called line is busy the connectors are so constructed and arranged that the line of the calling party is opened. this opening of the line indicating or controlling an indication to the calling party that the called party is busy. The opening art of the calling party, thereby iof the calling partys line as just referred to also serves to release all the 'switches op- @rated by the calling party.

One specific method of carrying this part of the invention into effect will now be described in detail in connection with a calling device of the type shown and described in connection with Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings.V In Figs. 10 andi '11 are shown the modification or addition to the calling device which is necessary for carryingthis part of the invention into effect'. Attached to one standard 3-1 is a bracket carrying an electromagnet or relay 81 and a polarized electromagnet 82.

Attached to the bracket is a block of insu-v net 81, on being attracted, forces the. three

springs

87, 88 and 89 into contact. When current flows in one direction through the polarized electromagnet, the armature 94 holds the armature 93 of the electromagnet '81 in its attracted position. Fig.'12 shows diagrammatically a calling substation F provided with a calling device of the type shown and described in connection with. Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings, and having the additional apparatus described in connection with Figs. 10 and 11, and thetrunk line leading to a called substation F', thecall bein shown as completed. So far as the ordinary substation apparatus and the automatic apparatus employed in effecting a connectionl is concerned, the circuits correspond to those shown in the specification of said British Patent No. 1298 of 1910, all circuits and apparatus being omitted4 which are not directly concerned in the present invention. At H, K, L and H is a line switch, selector, connector and line switch, respectively, as in the specification referred to. The connector L is similar to the connector L of the speciminal of which is connected to battery B.

The relav 97 is provided with three'contact springs and the upper trunkis broken, one side being connected to the two springs 98 the talking conductors. current in the polarized electromagnet82. an bell 275. or givesany Upon the relay 97 being energized the spring arated, so that the-line isop v99 and into contact 100 is moved out of contact with'the Spring. with the spring 98. The

three springs just referred-td are widely seppreciable time, or', to obtain' along break,

-any suitable dash-.pot maybe connected with the armature of'therelay.

The substation F provided with the orferred to, namely, a telephone hook and l a ringer and a'coiidenser." At the telephone hook an auxiliary contact 101 is provided,

this contact 101 and the upper contact being vso constructed that the switch hook, on rising, does not break contact .with the contactV it makes contact with theupper contact.' l

- 4The subscriber Idesir'ingto make a call sets;

the block carrying' the impulse springs46 opposite the name of the subscriber to be called, as described in connection with Figs.

5 to 9, inclusive. il-Ie then depresses the arm 50 and on its retlirn movement the disks 33 begin to move with the shaft 32. Before any impulses are senti/he arm91 allows the-two springs 84 and 85th-come into contact.- This closes a circuit over-the line from the lead 157, contact 101, impulse springs 46, springs 84 and 85, sprind s" i8 and 86 to the line 158.

The line switch is consequently. operated Y in the ordinary manner and as described 1n the specification referred to. The impulses are then sent to operate the selector K and the connector L. i'ijDirectly afterthe. sets of impulses have been completed the arm 9 2 separates the springs 86 and 87 and immed1 ately closes the

springs

87, 88 and 89. A c1rv cuit is vthereby lclosed throughthe electrothe hook'and the line receiver hookl does not break contact with .65

vby means v'of the usual magnets 81 and 82,`this circuit being' from the line 157, contact 101, impulse springs 46,. spring 89, spring- 88, lmagnet 81,y magnet 82' andthe line 158.f.=5'-\The magnet 81 attracts its armature and holds the springs 87,88 and 8 9 in contact 'and -tlie spring 87 out of contact If, -the called `'subscriber answers he reverses the direction of the current 4in the calling subscribe'risline in the usual .manner back bridge relay (not shown) which operates the springs 273 to reverse the connection of the relay 274V to This reverses the upon its armature moving, itstrikes a other signal to indicatetol the calling subscriber that the calledl subscriber has answered. The calling subscriber can then removev his Areceiver from is not broken, as the the Contact 101 "until 'it makes contact with 1 scribed. dinary apparatus, asinthe specification rev9 5. 'and 96, thereby ener'gazing-Jv f contacts therefor, 'a receiver andtransmitter,4

. ferred to.

may be employed. In'

. thesprings 105 and 106.

' into effect, those the upper contact. l Upon the hook completingits upward movement'thecircuits of the magnets 81 afnd` 82 are broken, so that u on the hanging up of the, receiver the switc es switches are released in a' manner'to .bedef The relay'272is energizedifthe called lineV is busy. This closes-the springs e-l'elay 9 so-"ythatcqnmct betwn the spingsee and 100 ,is firstI broken and@ then F'after some inoperated. The 4relay 97 `has its springs separatedv tol va somewhat considerable distance,

so that-the line Ais opened for a comparatively long interval of time',` as hereinbefore re- Instead of arranging the springs at some distance apart,as jfustmentioned, or of providing a-.dash-potjfor 'the armature of the relay 97, the arrangement shown in Fig. 13 place of the relay y97 there is arranged a relay 102-w-hich is quick tofenergize'but slow'to denergize. The line is' broken and connected to .the` two contact springs 103 and 104 of this relay, while the circuit of the relay 1.02 is completedthrough When; therefore, thesprings 95 and 96 are'closed by the ener- 'giz'ation of the relay 272,'the -relay 102 is energized, but its armature breaks .its own circuit so that it denergiz'es slowl and the connection between two parts of t e line is not completed for Sonie llittle time. To aid in this the armature of the relay 102 m-ay be loaded, so that it does notmove until the energizing current has nearly reached its maximum value. Thel denergization of the relay 8l may serve tooperate a bell 276 or give any -other suitable signal to indicate that the called line is` busy. Itmay be noted that the'bells 275 and 27 6 may be of differentsize or may be arranged in any manner to give different signals.'

The circuit at the connector is temporarily opened, as just described, and not perma nently opened, as vmight be more easily anranged, for they reason that if the circuit were permanently opened, upon ,a call being made in the ordinary way'to a vbusy subscriber, the calling subscriber would not get the ordinary busy signal.

j It is obvious that various modifications can be made in carrying the various features given above being merely by way of example.`

Y l. In a telephone" system, means for connccting a calling and a called telephone line, means under the control of the calling telephone to signal the called telephone, means for indicating to the calling party before he removes-his receiver from the hook that the called party has answered.

2. In a telephone system, aplurality of subscribers lines, means including auto- 'matic switches for establishing connection between two of said lines, and means for indicating to a calling party before he has removed his receiver` from the hook that the called party has answered.

3. In a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers lines, means including automatic switches for establishing connectiony switches without removal 'of the receiver from the hook at the calling station, a s1 nal at the calling station, means controlle the response of the. called subscriber for reversing the currenton the calling line, and

means controlled by said reversal of current for operating said signal before the callingsubscrlber has removed h1s recelver from the hook. 4

5. In a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers lines, means for establishing a connectionbetween two of said lines, a signal on the calling line, and means for positively operating said signal when an attempt is made to establish connection with a busy line to thereby indicate to the calling subscriber that the called line. is busy, a

source of current for supplying current to the line for talking, means for removing said source, said signal responsive to the removal of said current.

6. In a telephone system, a plurality bf subscribers lines, means including automatic switches for establishing a connection between two of said lines, a signal on the calling line, and means for positively operating said signal when said automatic switches attempt ton establish connection with a line which is busy, a source of current for supplying current to the line for talking, means forv removing said source, said signal responsive to the removal of said current. l

7. In a .telephone system, a plurality of subscribers lines, means for establishing a connection between two of said lines, a signal on the calling line, means for positively operating said signal when an attempt is made to establish connection with a busy line to thereby indicate to the calling subscriber that the calledline is busy, and means for automatically releasing said connection when said signalI is operated, alsouree of current for supplying current tothe line,

for talking,`means for removing said source, said signal responsive to the removal of said current. I

`8. In a ytelephone system, a plurality of subscribersI lines, means including automatic switches for establishing a connection between two of said lines, a signalen the calling line, means for positively operating said signal when said automatic switches attempt to establish connection with. a line which is busy, andv means for automatically releasing said automatic switches when 'said signalis operated, a source of current for supplying current to the line for talking,

means for removing said source, said signal V `responsive to the removal of said current.

9. In a telephone system, a line, atelephone Ifor said line,pau'tomatic progressively movable trunking means for said line for eXt'ending a connection toward a called line, an impulse sender at the telephone for controlling said means, a battery for operating lpurposes, a signal at the telephone responsive to, current of one kind over said line to operate the signal in one manner to indicate that the called line is busy and responsive to eur- `rent of another kind to operate the. signal in a' different manner to indicate that the called party has answered, another signal at the telephone, said signal yresponsive to current of a dilfere'nt character to indicate'that the calledline is busy.

Signed by me at Halton House, 20-23 Holborn, London, England, this 18th day'of January, 1913.

Y p EDWARD A.\M-13LL11\IG.1+3R.f Witnesses: i i

ALBERT JONES, WILLIAM S. COLLINS.