US1695178A - Selective key for radio systems - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1928 1,695,178

- E. E. CLEMENT SELECTIVE KEY FOR RADIO SYSTEMS Original F l F 20, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec 11, 1928. 1,695,178

E. E. CLEMENT SELECTIVE KEY FOR RADIO SYSTEMS Original le Fe 20, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f fi ""0 lMvom/czz 126 11; J20 62 C 450 q 4- 3 as w L 3 164 1 I "I 125 I 122/ Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNlTED STATES 1,695,178. PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. cmmnn'r, or WASHINGTON, Drs'rnrcr or COLUMBIA, assreno'n 'ro EDWARD r. COLLADAY, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

SELECTIVE KEY FOR RADIO SYSTEMS.

Original application filed February 20, 1925, Serial No, 10,533. Divided and this application filed August 1, 1925.

My invention relates to radio broadcast distributing systems, and the present applica: tion is a division of my prior co nding application Serial No. 10,533, filed ebruary 20,

6 1925, now Patent No. 1,672,373.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the selective apparatus at a subscribers station, and in particular to provide a combined switch and signal key for controllin the central oflice line connection and selection of program, and also the local circuit connections of the subscribers receivers.

I attain my objects by connecting a loud speaker to the coils of a telephone and provide a locking ke with variable plunger movement to work t e circuit closin contacts.

My invention is illustrated in t e accompanying drawings, in. which: Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate,diagrammatically,

the telephone exchange portion, and broadcast distributing portion, respectively, of a combined telephone exchange and broadcast distributing s stem.

Fig. 3 is a iagram of a preferred form of subscribers apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the subscribers control apparatus of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a modified side view, partly in sec- 80 tion of the subscribers control apparatus of Fig 3.

In Fig. 2, is shown diagrammatically the ar rangement of switching a paratus especially adaptable to use with the orm of subscriber s apparatus shown in Fig. 3. In the switching arrangement of Fig. 2 the subscribers line terminal multiples 1 2, 3 and 4 extend from the telephone switchboard circuits of Fig. 1. The multiples 12 terminate in a jack switch 40 119, arranged to extend the connectionthrough contacts 120 and 121 to conductors 122 and 123 leading to the common battery B through the secondary windings of the repeating coils 124 and 125 and sleeve relay 42 in series. The

signaling conductor 4 terminates at one terminal of the signaling lamp 126, the other terminal of which is grounded, while the test con- I ductor 3 is arranged to be connected through a normally open contact 127 of the sleeve relay so 42 to a characteristic busy tone test device 128,

meter controlled apparatus 129 and the ungrounded side of battery B. As in Fig. 2, the subscriber is provided with an individual or line tube 37 whose output circuit is arranged Serial N0. 47,549.

to include the primary windings of the repeatmg coils 124-4125 and whose input circult is arranged to be connected through contacts 130131 of the sleeve relay42 to the brushes or wiper contacts of selector switch S. The ack switch 120 is operated by a dummy plu 132 which upon insertion in the ]&Ck closes t e contacts 120-121 and 123, the closure of the contacts 120121 effecting an extension of the line multiples 1-2 as previously described, while closure of the contact 123 extends the signal conductor4through to conductor 134 connected through a normally closed contact 135 of the rela 42 to the battery B. The selector switch contains bank contacts 88'--8 connected to separate 7 pairs of bus wires 136 (carrying No. 1 program), 137 (carrying N0. 2 program), an 138 (carrying No. 0 or announcements). The switch S does not need to be restored to zero, and may be left always in the last position to 7 which it has been moved, since the wires 139140 leading to the wiper arms of the switch are cut off at the relay contacts 130-131 when the apparatus is in disuse. The No. 1 and 2 program busses are connected to the output circuits of broadcast relay receivers 141 and 142, respectively, and the announcement bus wires 138 are connected to a local distributing apparatus or amplifier AS with a microphone Mf. This position or equipment on the radio switchboard corresponds to the information operators position on a telephone switchboard.

The operation of the system using the subscribers apparatus of Fig. 3 with the central ofiice circuitsof Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: The subscriber desiring broadcast service calls as before, by making short closures of his line with the starting button after first pushing it down beyond the lock- 5 ing position. These short closures flash both the telephone switchboard lamp L (Fig. 1) and the broadcast switchboard lamp 126 (Fig. 2). The operator at the broadcast service board perceiving the flash of the 100 lamp 126 knows that the subscriber wants broadcast service and responds by inserting the dummy plug 132 in the 'ack switch which extends the subscriber s line multiples 12 through contacts 120-121 to the con- 1 5 ductors 122-123, thereby completing the subscribers line circuit through the secondary windings of the repeating coils 124--125 which circuit may be traced from battery B (Fig. 2) through the circuit elements, secondary winding of repeating coils 124, 122, 120, 1, into Figs. 1, 69, into 3, I, 118,- 10a 110-111,114, 117, 70, into Figs. 2, 121, 123, 42, and through secondary winding of repeating coil 125 back to battery B. As this circuit includes windings of the relay 42 this relay is energized closing the input circuit of the subscribers line tube 37 onto the wipers of the switch S by way of contacts 130-131 and conductors 139-140 and as the output circuit of the tube 37 ineludes primary windings of the repeating coils 124125 the subscriber now hears on his loud speaker 101 (Fig. 3) one of the broadcast programs or the announcements from the announcer bus according to the position of the switch S (Fig. 2). If it is one of the programs that he receives and he desires to select some particular item, he can by means of the button 105 (Fi 3) propel the wipers of the switch S around step by step until they come in contact with the bank contacts 8 connected to the announcers bus 138, and by listening, he will hear a continuous announcemeritv of the items then u on the busses, the items to follow, the num ers or call letters of the stations from which the said items are being sent, and any other interestin information connected with the same. aving ascertained a whole list of items available for the moment with the number of the program busses on which they are to be found, the subscriber may by operation of his button 105 operate the switch to start from the announcer bus as zero and step around to the desired bus such as 137, 136, etc.

When the subscriber desires to discontinue the broadcast service, he actuates the off or release button 106 to release the button 105 and restores his receiving apparatus and line circuit to the open or normal condition whereupon the sleeve relay 42 (Fig. 2) becomes deenergized opening the input circuit of the tube 37 at contacts 130-131 and energizing the signal lamp 126 in a circuit which may be traced from battery B (Fig. 4) through circuit elements 135, 134, 133, 126 to ground and back to battery B. The broadcast service operator perceiving the steady glow of the lamp 126 knows that the subscriber desires disconnection and thereupon withdraws the plug 132 which opens the contacts 120121-133 of the jack switch 119. The opening of the contact 133 extinguishes the lamp 126 while the opening of contacts 120121 opens the connection across the subscribers line multiple 12, thus restoring all circuits to normal.

Referring now to Fig. 4 which shows the subscribers key 102 in detail, this key comprises a mounting plate 141 carrying a downward extension 142 at the lower end of which is mounted the contact supporting igs. 1, 2 into" base 143. 105 is the starting button which has bearing in the mounting plate 141 and base 143 through the upper stem 144 and the lower stem 145, respectively. Mounted betwen the upper and lower stems 144145 is a cam member 146 having a cam surface 147 arranged, upon downward movement ofthe cam member, to move the contact spring 109 into engagement with the contact spring 110 and the latter into engagement with the contact spring 111. Another cam surface 148 on the right hand side of the member 146 is arranged, upon downward movement, to move the contact spring member 149 to the right and disengage the contact 114. The right hand side of the member 146 is made straight or parallel in its direction of movement, above the cam surface 147 so that when the member 146 is moved downwardly to operate the spring contacts 109, etc., a continuous downward movement. will maintain the contacts closed. As will be seen from the drawing, the cam surface 148 is placed above the cam surface 147 while the cam engaging portions of the springs 109 and 149 are at substantially the same level, so that upon the first portion of the downward movement of the member 146 the contact springs 109-110-111 will be actuated, and upon further downward movement the spring 149 will be actuated. Below the mounting plate 141 near the upper portion of the cam member 146 is mounted a locking plate 112 mounted on springs 150 arranged to normally hold the plate in the position shown. The locking plate 112 is provided with an aperture 151 through which the cam member 146 passes, the right hand edge 152 of the aperture being round or beveled so as to have easy cam action with the cam projection 113 on the member 146. This cam member 113 is arranged, upon downward movement, to throw the locking plate 112 over to the right against the tension of the spring 150 until the cam member 113 passes below the edge 152 whercupon the plate moves back bringing the edge 152 over the top edge of the cam 113 thus preventing upward movement of the button 105 beyond this position, the button 105 and cam member 146 being tensioned upwardly by the compression spring 107 arranged to engage the stem 145 through the cross pin 153, at its upper end and to bear against the base member 143 at its lower end. As the button 105 is locked only against the upward movement, it is free to be pushed further downward to operate the spring 149 and to return out of engagement therewith without permitting the contacts 109110111 to become separated. To release the button 105 and permit it to return to its normal position, the off or disconnect button 106 is provided which also has bearing in the top of plate 141 and base 143 through its key stem 154 and guide stem 155 and is normally held in the lease the ke 105 under tension of the spring .means 107. It wi 1 thus be seen that in operation when the button 105 is pushed down half way it. will become locked against further upward movement and maintain the contacts 109110-111 closed during further downward and upward movements of the cam member 146 below this half position which latter downward and upward movement will effect an opening and closing of the contacts 114, and that when the finger of the operator is removed from the button 105 it will remain locked in the half osit-ion leaving all the contacts closed until the release button 106 is depressed permitting the button 105 to return to the normal position shown and permit the contacts 109-110-111 to assume the open normal position shown.

While I have herein shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention for the sake of disclosure, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such specific, embodiments but contemplates all such modifications and variants thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, while it is referable to use the separate contacts 114 i 3 and 4) for selecting or signalin it will e obvious that these contacts may be omitted and the line circuit opened and closed after the button 105 is locked down, by the contacts 109110-111, by providing a depression 148 in the member 146 just above the cam surface 147 into which the sprin 109 would move upon complete downwar movement of the button, as shown in Fig. 5.

What I claim is:

1. A key set comprising a set of two normally open pairs of contacts, a normally closed pair of contacts in series with said normall open contacts, unitary actuating or all said contacts arranged upon partial movement to close said normally open against the contacts but upon further movement to open said normally closed contacts, tension means arranged to normally hold the actuating means in a normal position to permit said contacts to assume normal position, locking means operable upon an operating movement of the actuating means to lock the same against return movement from the partial movement position to normal, but permitting movement between the partial position and full movement position, and means for releasing said locking means.

2. A key set for controlling a signaling and a. communication circuit, comprising a set of contacts normally maintaining all the circuits open, a set of signaling contacts in series with the first set, and normally maintaining the signaling circuit closed, actuating means for said contacts adapted in partial movement to close the communication contacts and thereafter maintain them closed, in further or full movement to open the signaling contacts, tension means arranged to normally hold the actuating means in a position to permit said contacts to assume normal position, locking means operable upon an operating movement of the actuating means .to lock the same against return movement from the partial movement position to normal, but permitting movement between the partial position and full movement position, and means for releasing said locking means.

3. A key'set for effecting communication with a multiconductor telephone circuit, and for signaling thereover, comprising circuit closing contacts forming terminals of said conductors, respectively, and unitary self contained actuating means therefor movable into three positions, opening the circuit in the first or'normal position, closing the-same in intermediate or partial movement position, and again opening the same for signaling in the third or full movement position, tension means arranged to hold the actuating means in normal position, locking means operable upon an operating movement of the actuating means to lock the same against return movement from the partial movement position to normal, but permitting movement between the partial position and full movement position, and means for releasing said-locking means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

EDWARD E. CLEMENT.

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