US1337783A - Signaling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

F. R. MCMURRY.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.8,1918.

1,387,783. Patnted Apr..2o,1920.

Racplw'ma /2 6 z E z u lD UNITED sTATEs :PATENT oEEicE.

FRED R. MCMURRY, WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, Nv. Y., A CORPORATION' OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALIN'G MEcHanrsi/L Application filed February 8, 1918.

To all whom t may concern ,of.New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Signaling Mechanism, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description.

y This invention relateslto telegraphy and particularly to improvements in intercommunicating printing telegraph systems.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of means whereby an operator at any one Yof two 'or more connected stations may be able to interrupt the transmission of a message .and signalthe sending operator at will.

A Jfurther object is to provide apparatus and circuits therefor arranged in a novel and reliable manner, whereby a minimum number of operating parts are required for insuring the operation of a signaling apparatus.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a printing telegraph system of the rotary.` distributer type, wherein the distributerarms at all stations are controlled by the sending distribut'er and are stopped and started once per revolution, therebyinsuring unison of operation of all distributers. It is to be understood, however, that this invention is in no way restricted to such a type ot printing telegraph systems.

lFor accomplishing the above objects an electricalenergy storage device is provided under the control of a relay connected in the line circuit and associated with a circuit controlling mechanism, which mechanism is unresponsive to normal currents provided-by the electrical energy storage device, when signaling current impulses are being sent to line, but is responsive to increased currents given off by said storage device. such as are provided when the line or loop is closed after being opened a sufficient time to permit the storage device to store up energy to its full capacity. The energy storage device may consistof a condenser or any suitable electro-static storage device connected to the-armature of a relay in the line circuit, which condenser is adapted to be charged when the relay armature engages its back Contact, and to discharge through the winding of a circuit control- Specifcation of Letters Patent.

.mitted Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

serial No. 216,092.

ling relay when the line relay armature engages its front contact. Thus, the. condenser will be charged and discharged alternately while signaling impulses are being sent over the line, due to the vibratory action of the line relay armature, and the condenser will not be permitted to attaima charge sufficient t0 eii'ect the actuation of the circuit or signal controlling relay as long as signaling impulses are being transrlowever, should an operator at any receiving station wish to effect the actuation of a signaling device at the sending station, in order to attract the attention of the transmitting operator, this may be accomplished by the receiving operator opening the line or loop at that station for an appreciable interval of time, and then immediately afterward closingy the line.

' Opening the line causes the denergization IThe length of time required to charge the condenser to its full capacity may be controlled by placing a suitable non-inductive high resistance 52 in series with the charging battery 5l.

The above and other objects of this invention will be fully set forth in the following description and claims, and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which is disclosed diagrammatically one specific embodiment of the invention.

This invention is here shown adapted for use with a current impulse distributing systern operating over a closed loop on the Morse principle. Obviously it is equally suitable for use with a system operating over a single line. conductor with `the usual ground return. The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing is that usually employed at a single station, although some of the stations may be provided with only the receiving apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing. Any number of stations may be interconnected, and while one station is transmitting, all'other stations may act as receiving stations.

The loop is represented 1n the accompanying drawing by conductors 1` and 2, With the usual line relay 3 connected in the loop. When the distributing apparatus is at rest the loop is closed through segment 47, brush 18 and sending ring 19. Any other station along the line that is provided with transmitting apparatus, will be connected 1n a manner similar to the transmitting apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing, lWhile if only receiving apparatus is employed the usual line relay will be connected in the loop. Therefore, when all of the distributers are at rest, the line relays at the respective stations Will be energized and the armatures controlled thereby will be held in engagement With their respective front contacts. f

A sending distributer 5 coperates ivith suitable current control means G to form current impulses for the line, and a receiving distributer 105 coperates with the 'line relay 3 to distribute the effects of the line current impulses to a selecting mechanism 106 for ,operating a receiving or home-recording mechanism, such as a printer. Each of the distributer faces is provided with a rotary brush arm which is frictionally mounted on a constantly rotating shaft 31 and is adapted to be released and stopped once per revolution, all of the distributer arms being controlled bythe sending distributer.

The selectable contacts 11 to 15, inclusive, of the current control means 6 may be actuated by a manually operable keyboard or by an automatic tape transmitter, both of which are Well known in the art. lVhenever a character or letter combination is set up by the current control means 6. a common.

contact 10 is closed, thereby completing a circuit from grounded battery 9. back contact and armature 8 of break relay 7 energizing Winding of sending-start relay 4, contact 10, loca'l segment 16, brush 20 and local ring 21, to ground. Sending-start relay 4 thereupon attracts its armatures 22, 23 and 24. The attraction of armature 22 establishes a holding circuit for relay 4 from grounded battery 25, armature 22 and front- Contact thereof, holding winding of sending-start relay 4, segment 16, brush 20 and ring 21, to ground. This holding circuit will be maintained as long as brush 2O connects segment 16 with ring 21. The attraction of armature 23 completes a circuit through the break relay 7, but the relay is not energized at this time because condenser 26 has not been charged to its full capacity. The attraction of armature 24 completes an energizing circuit for the start magnet 27 from grounded battery 28 through armature 24 and front contact thereof, and Winding of magnet 27, to ground. lVIagnet 27 thereupon withdraws holding paivl 29 from enthe brush 18 passes olf of segment 47 the line o1' loop is opened, and consequently all of the line relays 3 at the connected stations are denergized, and their armatures engage their respective back contacts. llhen the armature 33 of each of the line relays at the connected stations engages itsback contact, a circuit is completed from grounded battery 34, armature 33 and back contact thereof, receiving local ring 121, brush 120, segment 116, through receiving-start magnet 127, to ground. Current in this circuitcauses the receiving-start magnet to \vith.

draw holding paivl 129 from engagement with the rotary distributer arm 130, thereby permitting the dist1ibute1arm at the receiving stat-ion to rotate in the same manner as the corresponding arm at the sending station. The line or loop has now been opened by the brush 18 passing off of segment 47 l and it will remain open while the brush 1S passes over thedead or disconnected segment 41. Consequently, all of the line relays at the connected stations Will remain deenergized until the loop is again closed.

Now assume that a character combination has been set up on the current-control means 6, by closing the selectable contacts 11 and 14. Then as brush 18 passes over sending segments 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46, the line or loop will be closed or opened, depending upon which of the selectable contacts 11 to 15 have been actuated. Since ive have assumed thatonly selectable contacts 11 and sending common ring 19, and the loop will be open While the brush 18 passes from segment 42 to segment 45, and from seo'ment 45 to segment 47; consequently, the llne relay armatures Will-be caused to vibrate in accordance with the condition of the loop or circuit through the line relays. The receiving arm 130 at each of the receiving stations 1s arranged to travel at approximately the `same rate of speed as the sending distributer arm 30; consequently, brushrllS will pass over and connect receiving segments 142, 143, 144, 145 and 146 With the receiving common segment 119, While brush 18 passes over and-connects sending segments 42. 43. 44, 45 and 46 respectively, with the sending common ring 19. Therefore, Whenever the loop is closed due to the actuation of the selectable contacts 11 to 15, inclusive, the line relays at each of the receiving stations will be energized. The line relay armatures 33 will be 1n engagement with their respective `Lasagna front contacts, while brush 18 passes over segments'42 and 45, and a circuit will, therefore, be completed from grounded battery 34 through armature 33 and front contact thereof, receiving segment 119, brush 118, segment 142 and selecting magnet 111, to ground, and also over the corresponding circuit to the segment 145, and through the winding of selecting magnet 114, to ground. 1n this manner the characters or letter combinations setup by the current 'control means may be sent out to anynumber of receiving stations and the characters or letter combinations may be recorded by suitable receiving or recording mechanism.

The local segments' 147 and 148 are ar ranged to be connected by the brush 118 after it has passedrover the five selecting segments, for the purpose of completing a circuit through any suitable mechanism, for example-a printing magnet, to record or print the character selected or set up by the selecting mechanism 106.

From an examination of the drawing, it will readilycbe seen that the sending-start magnet 27 and receiving-startcmagnet 127 will be denergized shortly after the respective distributer brush arms are released so that the holding pawlsJ 29 and 129 respectively will fall back in readiness to engage the distributer arms each timey they complete a revolution.

`N ow, should a receivingoperator at any of the receiving stations wish to signal the sending operator for any reason whatsoever, for example-to have certain portions of a message corrected or repe'ated, the attention of the sending operator may be attracted in the following manner:

At each receiving station a key or switch 50 is provided for the purpose of opening the loop. At the sending or central station the line relay is provided with the additional armature 32, for the purposel of controlling a circuit through the break relay or circuit controlling mechanism 7. An electrical energy storage device or condenser 26 is provided for operating'the relay 7. One terminal of the condenser is permanently connected to the line-relay armature 32 and the other terminal thereof is connected to ground. The line-relay armature 32 copcrates with a back contact in order to provide charging current for the condenser 26, from grounded battery 51 through resistance 52,v back contact of armature 32, and condenser 26, to ground. lVhen the armature 32 is in engagement with its front contact a circuit is completed from one terminal of condenser 26, armature 32 and front contact thereof, armature 23 of sendingstart relay 4 and contact thereof, through the energizing winding of the break relay 7, to ground. This circuit is completed whenever the line relay is energized and the arnaling device. The attraction of the `relay mature 23 of the relay 4 is in its attracted position. It will be seen that when impulses are being sent over the line, the line relay will be alternately energized and denergized, depending upon the character combir'iations set up by the current control means, and consequently, the line relay armature 32 will not remain in engagement with its back contact for a sutlicient period of time to permit the condenser 26 to charge to its full capacity. However, should an operator at any one of the receiving stations actuate the switch 50, thereby opening the loop for a period of time suilicient to permit the condenser 26 to charge to its full capacity and then again close the loop, thereby causing the line relay to attract its armature 32 and establish a circuit through relay 7 as hereinbefore traced, the break relay 7 will be caused to operate due to the discharged current from condenser 26. Relay 7 thereuponattracts its armatures 8, 54 and 58. The attraction of armature 8 opens the energizing circuit of the sending-start relay 4, thereby preventing further rotation of the sending distributer. The attraction of armature 54 establishes an energizing circuit through the signaling device 55, which may be a bell, lamp or any other well known sigarmature 58 establishes a holdingircuit from grounded battery 59, switch 60, armature 58 and contact thereof, through winding of relay 7, to ground, so that the relay 7 will remain energized and the operating circuit through the signaling device will be maintained until the sending operator appears and opens the holding circuit through the by withdrawing the switch 60. Y

After the transmitting operators attention has been attracted, the receiving operator may then communicate with the sending operator by means of a key and sounder or by means of a current control mechanism such as shown at 6.

This feature in telegraph parlance is known as breaking or break-in signals and is highly desirable, especially in systems where one station is rality of stations are receiving. Such a system finds a ready ield in news distribution work, where newspaper items are sent from a central station to a plurality of outlying stations.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph system, the combination of a sending station and a receiving station, a signaling device at the sending station, line circuit connections extending between said stations, a line relay at the sending station, a second relay at the sending station under the control of theline relay for controlling said signaling device, an armature for said line relay, electro-responsive means connected to the line relayarmature,

sending and a pluand means at the receiving station for controlling'the action of said electro-responsive means to effect the actuation of said signaling device through the instrumentality of said .second relay.

2. In a telegraph system, the combination ofl a sending station and a receiving station, a signaling device at the sending station,

i line circuit connections extending between said stations, a line relay at the sending station, a condenser associated with the line relay, means at the receiving station for controlling the electrical condition of said condenser, and means operable by the discharge current of said, condenser Jfor controlling the operation of said signaling device.

3. In a telegraph system, the combination of a sending station and a receiving station, line circuit connections extending between said stations, a line relay at the sending station, an armature for said relay, opposing contacts 'for said armature, a condenser connected to said armature and adapted to be charged when the armature engages the back contact thereof, a circuit controlling device associated with the. said condenser and, adapted to be operated by the condenser discharge when the line relay armature engages its 'front contact, and a signaling device responsive to the actuation of said circuit controlling device.

4. In a telegraph system the combination 'of a sending station and a receiving station,

a signaling device at thesending station, line circuit connections extending between said stations, a line lrelay at the sending station, impulse storage means located at the sending station and associated With the line relay, means for storing energy in said storage means, and means at the receiving station for eecting and operation of said signaling device by releasing the energy stored in said storage means.

5. In a telegraph system the combination of a sending station and a receiving station, a signaling device at the sending station, a line circuit connecting said stations, a line relay at the sending station, electro-static storage means associated with the line relay,

and means at the receiving station for ef# fecting the operation of said signaling device through the instrumentality of said electro-static storage means.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of January A. D., 1918.

FRED R. MCMURRY.

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