US1925478A - Automatic telephone apparatus - Google Patents

Description

se ffiass. A, BOY; A 1,925,478

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1952 8 Sheets-She'et 1 Fig. I

Sept. 5, 1933.

A. BOYE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15. 1932 Fig.2

8 Sheets-$heet 2 Sept. 5, 1933. A. BOYE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 15, 19152 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hill I] III [[HWHHIHIHI IIIIIIHIH Sept. 5, 1933.

A. BOYE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 5, 1933. A BOYE 1,925,478

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Sept. 5, 1933. A. BOYE 1,925,478

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Fig 18 108 106 106 r- A A 3 145 125 125 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 We STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Alfred Boy, Paris, France Application July 15, 1932, Serial No. 622,749, and in France July 30, 1931 8 Claims. (Cl. 17990) cilitate the handling and to accelerate the operations in automatic telephone stations, to substitute for the dial device an apparatus provided with mechanically rotated discs put in juxtaposition every one of these discs which is assigned for calling up a predetermined station being provided with teeth or the like acting upon a switch hereinafter called the short circuit switch, while a second switch a so-called mechanical interrupter produces current gaps at a regular rhythm during the rotation of the discs in such a manner that when the short circuit switch is closed it short circuits said current gaps and then when it is opened through the action of the teeth of the disc in use, a predetermined number of gaps are produced in the line by the second, in order to compose successively the call signal and the groups of ciphers which constitute the com plete indication of the called station; the short circuit switch may be moved by means of a runr ner device which is brought on opposite the desired disc and the indications of the stations that correspond to the discs are inscribed upon a suitable index board.

The present invention has for its object an improved apparatus of the above described kind which allows of making all desired connections that are not merely anumber of connections equal to that of the discs utilized.

With this object in view the invention is char-- act-erized in that the apparatus comprises a number ofshort circuit switches equal to the number of groups of gap series to be sent (thus in Paris where a station is characterized by three groups of gap series, that is: 1st the station call signal.2nd-the first couple of ciphers.3rd the second couple of ciphers-(as for example Cent. 23-34) the apparatus will have three short circuit switches and as many discs as will be necessary to allow of making up all the call signals and all the cipher groups of the subscribers stations.

In a mode of construction designed to be used for calling stations indicated by a signal call and two groups of ciphers, the apparatus comprises one hundred discs in alignment each provided with three toothed portions: one for the call signal and two for each pair of ciphers, the three short circuitswitches having each a pole connected with one pole of the mechanical interrupter while the other poles of the short circuit switches are separately connected to three brushes arranged to frictionally engage the three separate conducting sectors of a rotary distributor which rotates synchronically with thediscs and is moreover provided with a middle crown connected with the three sectors which engages a fourth brush connected with the second pole of the mechanical interrupter which produces rhythmized gaps.

Generally speaking the number of discs in the apparatus according to this mode of execution will be equal to the first number of n+1 ciphers so'as to allow of calling stations having a call signal which comprises at least 1 group of n 7 ciphers.

According to an improved mode of construction, another characteristic of my invention consists in that the usual short circuit switches of which the runners are mechanically driven by the same motor as the discs and that movable knobs are provided for stopping said runners which are in their turn provided with means for raising the knobs when they are themselves brought back in their inoperative position.

In a modified construction the apparatus comprises as many rows of discs as there are'short circuit switches every disc being provided with teeth on a portion of its circumference the inoperative position of which is suitably determined a so that all the discs being simultaneously actuated the short circuit switches move in the prescribed order.

In this apparatus the above mentioned rotary distributor is not necessary and this considerably simplifies the electric connections.

In a modified form of the above device the teeth or the like are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the discs in each rowwhich may be smaller in that case, but the rows of discs are operated successively.

A further object of this invention is to provide an arrangement capable of being applied to the various devised embodiments, in which the driving teeth of the short circuit switches are formed upon the edge of the middle opening of station-. ary rings put in juxtaposition, and the short circuit switches are rotated inside said rings by means of shafts relatively to which they are movable Fig. 1 is a general diagram of the electric conapparatus.

Fig. 3 is an elevation illustrating a runner and a locking knob.

Figs. l, 5 and 6 are detail views made respectively as indicated by the arrows l, 5, 6 in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a part plan view of the mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the discs in a modification that comprises three rows of discs.

Fig. 9 is a diagram of the corresponding electric connections.

Fig. 10 is a general diagrammatic view showing the mechanism of another apparatus which comprises stationary toothed crowns and a rotary short circuit switch.

Fig. 11 is an end View of the cylinder provided with crowns showing also a short circuit switch.

Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the mode of assembling of the crowns.

Fig. 13 is a part plan view of the electric current collecting bars connected with the short circuit switch.

Fig. 14 is afront elevation along the arrows 14 in Fig. 13. v

Fig. 15 is a front view of a device which comprises three rotary short circuit switches.

Fig. 16 is the corresponding diagram of the electric connections.

Fig. 17 shows a modification comprising three rows of toothed crowns.

'Fig. 18 is the corresponding diagram of the electric connections.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that the first type of apparatus comprises discs 1 mounted and secured upon a shaft 2 (Figs. 1 and 7 dividedfor example in three portions a, b, c, of. which a surrounds for example one half of the circumference and b and 0 each a quarter of same with a wide notch at d.

A plurality of teeth designed to form the call signal of the station to be called fOPE for example are carried upon the portions. of the discs; the portion 1) carrying two groups of teeth designed to form the first couple of ciphers, 10 for example, and the portion 0 two groups of teeth designed to form the second couple of ciphers, 10 for example. There are altogether 100 discs contained in a cylinder 3 soas to allow of composing every existing group of two ciphers. This number of discs is also quite sufficient to comprise all the call signals or proper names of the telephone stations to which the stations to be called are connected.

The shaft 2 is drivenby means of multiplying gears from another shaft 4 carrying an outer lever 5, which allows of setting a spring 6, the shaft 2 being displaced only when the lever which has been depressed is released, a pawl device 7 being provided to this end.

The shaft 2 drives in its turn with a high multiplication a screw 8' integral with a rotary cam 9 which is the mechanical interrupter designed to produce rhythmized gaps. A speed regulator not shown is. provided upon said screw 8 so that when the interrupter opens the contact 10 at a regular rhythm (Figs. 1 and 7)., current gaps regularly spaced in time are produced. The gaps are sometimes short circuited sometimes set free in order to break the current in the line L through the short circuit switches. In the present mode of construction there are three such'switches 11, 12, 13, comprising a friction blade which when it engages the teeth opens the circuit and thus allows the gaps produced by the switch 9 to be felt through the line. The switch 11 is designed to make up the call signal of the station OPE for example, the switch 12, the first couple of ciphers, 10 for example, and the switch 13, the second couple of ciphers, 10 for example. These switches are each formed integrally with a run ner 14, 15, 16 respectively in order to allow th m to be brought opposite the proper disc (Fig 2) and to come above the notch in the discs when in the inoperative position.

, The movable blades of the short circuit switches are connected by means of contact brushes and bars shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 to one pole 10 of the contact which is actuated by the mechanical interrupter 9.

The other poles of the short circuit switches 11, 12, 13 are also connected by contact brushes and conducting bars to stationary brushes 1'1, 18, 19 under which pass respectively and successively conducting sectors 29, 21, 22 supported'upon a plate 23 driven bythe mechanism at the same speed as the discs. The three sectors are electrically'connected together and connected also to a middle crown 24 itself connected through a brush 25 and a conductor to the other pole 10 of the rhythmized gap producer.

It will easily be seen in Fig. 1 that even in the particular case when the three switches are opposite the same disc (OPE 10-lil for example) they will operate successively considering that there is only one brush at a time in engagement with one sector of plate 23. 1

It will be noted that the only inportant condition is that when the breaking device 9 opens the circuit the latter must also be opened by the switch. blade as it'passes upon the solid portion of the teeth. It is of little consequence that the circuit is re-opened' by the blade when it is closed by I the interrupter. Consequently the width of the teeth need not be strictly accurate the main point being the total length of the teeth.

Consequently instead of several. teeth there may be used a boss of a width equal to the space between the fianks of the first andthe last tooth.

When the blade of a short circuit switch has passed beyond the toothed portion of the considered disc, the current gaps produced by the breaking device 9 are short circuited.

It will be understood that the runners, as well as those in Fig. 2 which controlthe short circuit switches could be moved by hand.

The present apparatus however has been devised to automatically produce this displacement and to reduce the operations to depressing three knobs.

To this end the shaft i carries a ratchet wheel 26 which when the lever. 5 is depressed actuate-s in one direction only by means of the pawl 27, a

bevel wheel 28 in gear with a pinion 29 secured upon a horizontal shaft 39 perpendicular to the axis of cylinder 3.

The shaft 30 carries also pulleys 31, one for each runner which are frictionally driven by cones 32 with which they are kept in engagement by means of springs 33. Similar pulleys 34 are mounted opposite the first upon a shaft 35 on the other side of the cylinder. A small cable 36 runs upon each pair of pulleys and passes through the corresponding runner, 16" for example (Figs. 3 and 7) to which it is secured in such a manner as to drive it along. In that case every runner (Fig. 3) has a difierent shape to that shown in Fig. 2. The body of the runner such as 16 comprises an arm 16 sliding upon a'notched bar 37 which is locked with great accuracy in the desired position by means of a spring pawl and ball device engaging in the notches of said bar 37.- The short circuit switch, 13 for example, is carried upon the arm 16.

The body 16 carries on the other part a small shaft 38, a stationary ratchet wheel 39 mounted upon same prevents the rotation in one direction of pawl 10 and of a blade wheel 41 formed integrally with it, but allows the latter to rotate in the other direction. A knob 42 provided with two grooves 13, 44 in which a spring 15 engages according as it is depressed or raised is placed in front of each compartment of the board T. When the knob is depressed (as shown in Fig. 3) and the runner moves forward,-during the downward movement of the lever 5-one blade of the wieel 11 engages the round edge 42 of the knob and rotates until it meetsan abutment 46 carried upon a small plate 47 at the end of the shaft 38, when the blade wheel is in the position shown in Fig. 4 and cannot move any further. Consequently the runner is locked and the pulley frees itself. When all the runners have thus stopped upon their respective knob and when the shaft 30 has ended its direct rotation, a cam 48 provided with a triangular shaped groove fixed upon the shaft 4 has brought the finger 19 of a lever 50 pivoted at 51 in the position indicated in Fig. 7. The lever 50 by the intermediary of a small connectingrod 52 has caused another lever 53 to swing around its shaft 54 and thus caused a rod 55 to engage in a star wheel 56 keyed upon the shaft 30. This shaft is thus prevented from moving and the spring 57 is set.

From that moment, the lever 5 being released, the main spring causes the discs, the interrupter 9 and the plate 23 to rotate, the apparatus operating to produce in the line a number of current gaps which is determined by the discs opposite which the three short circuit switches have come to a stop.

During this movement of the main driving shaft the right hand transverse portion of the cam groove 48 allows the rod 55 to remain in engagement with the star wheel 56.

When. the main driving spring has completed its operation the cam 18 has been returned to its,

first position and it consequently allows the rod 55 to obey to the action of a spring 58 and disengage itself from the star wheel 56 so that the spring 57 is free to exert its action when the shaft 30 rotating in the opposite direction causes the return of the runners pulleys, whichhave been automatically brought again in engagement by means of any suitable device such as a mechanically operated fork. During this operation the blade wheel ll considering that it can rotate only in the dir ction imparted by the knob 42 returns the latter to its upper position. When all the runners have reached their original position the shank 4113 of pawl 10 engages a stationary abutment 59 which disengages said pawl from the ratchet 39, so that the blade wheel can follow again its first direction (one of its blades being vertical) under the action of a spring 60 connected both to one of the blades and to the small. plate 47. The apparatus is then ready for a new operation.

In the case when it is desired to call again the same station there has been provided a screw 61 which allows of locking the star Wheel 56 and to thus prevent the spring 57 from returning the runners to their first position. A system of rods, not shown, moved by said screw will then raise again the pawl 2'7 so that the next down ward stroke of the outer lever 5 will not operate said mechanism.

In order to facilitate the reading of the indications upon the index plate (Fig. 2) placed on the top of the apparatus the cipher for the tens may be larger than that of the units, and a special colour may also be provided besides every unit cipher. The seven colours of the rainbow might thus be used (but not in their natural sequence) blaclgwhite, and black and white.

It will be easily understood on the other hand that the apparatus instead of comprising a singlerow of discs may have thr e such rows rotating simultaneously as shown in Fig. 8, one of thecylinders driving the others by means of gears. In that case the discsin one cylinder would carry the names of the exchange offices, OPE, GEN, TRU, etc. In the second and the third row they would hear the first and the second pair of ciphers respectively. The necessary teeth or bosses would be distributed as before in one region only of the circumference of the discs, but these regions would be displaced from one row to the other in the manner shown in Fig. 8, so that the short circuit switches 11, 12, 13 would be successively operated in the proper order and the distributor 23, Fig. 1, could be omitted. The three switches would then be in series as shown in Fig. 9.

The cylinders could also be operated in such a manner that they rotate successively. In that case the teeth or bosses could be uniformly distributed upon the circumference of every disc thus allowing of reducing their diameter.

The apparatus may also comprise more than 10.0 discs so as to allow of calling some particular stations: police, fire alarm, etc.

Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 1e relate to an apparatus in which the toothed discs constituted by crowns, that is to say by hollow discs, are stationary while the short circuit switches rotate. In this mode of execution however it has been supposed that the apparatus comprises one short circuit switch only.

As will be seen in Fig.- 10 the apparatus comprises a driving spring 101 secured upon a shaft 102 which carries a lever 103 and a ratched wheel 10% driving by means of a pawl 105 a main wheel driving in one direction only. This wheel 106 meshing with a pinion 107 drives another shaft 108 and by means of a transmission the last element of which is a helical wheel 108 rotates endless screw 110 that carries the interrupter 111 whi V1 is capable of opening at contact 112 at a regular rhythm, a speed regulator not shown being provided upon the screw 110.

the inoperative position the interrupter 111 and the shaft 108 retained in a predetermined position by means of abutments 113, 114 made in one with a part 115 sliding upon a guide 116.

When the lever 103 reaches the end of the run a winding up the spring, a cam 116 moves an con; quently allows the latter as well as the interrupter 111 and the shaft 108 to rotate.

The shaft 108 rotates in the center of crowns 100 put in juxtaposition and enclosed in a cylinder 11'? (Figs. 10 and 11).

The crowns and the cylinder are provided with a longitudinal opening which allows their introduction from the back by causing the flat support 118 to swing around an axle 119 carried by an arm 120 having also a flat shape.

The crowns 105) (Fig. 11) are made in two parts hinged together upon a shaft 121 and having shank extens no 109 provided with notches 109 rhich enga n the transverse grooves of a supporting bar 122 (Figs. 11 and 12) while the other end of both portions of each crown also engages in grooves for need in another pair of bars 123. A hook 124; connects both shanks 109 so that the crowns are strongly anchored.

Teeth or the like designed to break the contact by putting apart the blades 125 and 125 of a short circuit switch are formed upon the crowns 159. The blades said switch are carried upon a ring 127 movable upon a square shaft 108 which draws it along rotation. The ring 127 is l a shank 127 having an arm 127 provide, n groove 12% wider than that of the crown tee a. so that when the system 125-127 is rotated the arm 127 does not abut against the teeth of "is crown opposite which it comes. In the inoperative position the groove 128 straddles ."lger 129 of a runner 129 slidable upon a longitudnal bar 130 provided with notches in which a connecting rod 132 engages under the action of a spring 131 formed integrally with the runner thus insuring the correct locking of the runner (see Figs. 9 and 11).

T...rough this displacement of the runner 129 the movable blade 126 of the short circuit switch is brought opposite the teeth of the suitable corresponding crown to make the desired connection.

The blades of the short circuit switch engage on the other hand two conducting bars 133 133 (F s. 1, 2, l, 5) connected together at their extre? ities by a small insulating bar 134 which through the shaft 108 in such a manner be drawn in its rotation.

At their forward ends the bars 133 133 constitu two brushes 135 135 respectively engaging fr1ctionally insulating conducting crowns 136, 13 connected with the line L relatively to which the tei iinals of the contact 112 are shunted.

It will therefore be seen that the runner being the suitable position when the lever 103 is released. after having been depressed, the shaft 158 an... the interrupter 111 will start their movement and the blade 126 of the short circuit switch being displaced by the teeth of the considered crown will sometimes short circuit the rhythmized gaps produced by the system 111-112 and will sometimes allow gaps to be felt in the line L as i preceding apparatus.

In the apparatus which comprises three runners as above described, the inner crown teeth will be divided in th ee parts a, b, c (Fig. 15) for the station cell signal, the first couple of ciphers and the second couple of ciphers respectively. The apparatus will also comprise 1G0 discs put in juxtaposition so as to be able to compose the indications of all the existing stations. A board similar to the one shown in Fig. 2 will show the call signals and the cipher groups in three rows 1 and it will be possible to compose the complete indications of a station means of three runners 138 138 138 (Fig. 15) moved independently from one another, each one driving a short circuit switch.

The runners are each provided with a finger 139 139 133 as shown in Fig. 15, which when the rotary system is at rest engages in the groove of an arm or shank 140 M0 140 formed integrally with a ring 141 141 141 each sliding upon a shaft 108 108 108 These three shafts rotating together around the middle one 108 constitute in some sort a single shaft, that is the shaft 108 in Fig. l.

The middle shaft 108 has for example a rectangular shaped section and the other two a triangular section, the rings 141 141 1 11 having an inner section of corresponding shape.

Conducting bars 1d2 3142 for shaft 103 143 143 for shaft 108 1 14., 14 1 for shaft 108 are set in one side of each shaft in parallel with the edges of said side.

Two springs interposed between the side of the shaft that carries the bars and the corresponding wall of ring 1 11 frictionally engage the bars 142 142 of shaft 108 they are insulated and are both connected by means of a screw or the like to the switch blades 145 145 respectively.

In a similar manner there are provided for the shafts 108 108 switch blades 145 146 connected to the bars 1 43 1 13 for the first and 147, 141-7 connected to the bars 144 144* for the secend.

The blades 145 146 147 designate the three movable blades for the three short circuit switches, that is to'say that under the action of the crown teeth they can break. the contacts 1&8, 149, 150.

It being necessary for the switches to operate successively although in some particular cases they come all three together opposite the same crown, the electric connections will be the same as in Fig. 16.

In this figure, the stationary switch blades 145 146 147 are connected by means of friction springs to the bars 142 143 14 1 set in the shafts 108 108 108 These bars are connected together to a brush 151 which rotates with the shafts 108 158 108 and is in constant frictional engagement wth the crown 152 of a stationary distributor 153, said crown being connected to one pole of the contact 112.

The movable switch blades 145 146 14 7 are connected by means of friction springs to bars 1 12 M3 1% set in the shafts 108 108 108 these bars being themselves connected to brushes 154, 155, 156 which. may frictionally engage, respectively but never simultaneously, the displaced conducting sectors 157, 158, 159 of a stationary distributor 153. These sectors are electrically connected together and to a conducting central bearing 150 which is in constant frictional engagement with a brush 151 connected to the other pole of the contact 112 which is opened at a regular rhythm by the interrupter 111.

It will be understood that in this manner there never will be more than one of the brushes 15 i, 155, 155 in contact with the distributor and that consequently the operations will take place strictly in the required sequence.

The runners 138 138 138 may be guided by hand to their required position. They may also be moved by mechanical driving means of the kind previously described.

It will be evident that the apparatus may be provided with three rows of crowns shown in Fig. 17, those of the first row forming the station call signal, those of the second the first couple of ciphers and those of the third row, the second couple of ciphers. would be formed according to sectors (1, b, 0 displaced from one row to the other so as to in sure that the operations will follow each other in the required order considering the various directions of rotation of the shafts 108 108 108 In that case the teeth which would drive each other simultaneously by the intermediary of gears 162. In that case the distributor shown in Fig. 16would not be necessary and the electrical connections would be as shown in Fig. 18.

The teeth could also be distributed uniformly upon the whole inner wall of the crowns 169 instead of upon one sector only. In that case the rows of crowns would be operated successively.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my in vention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, as changes may be made as regards the drawing up or the indications of the subscribers station prescribed in certain towns. The number of short circuit switches and of runners would then be modified in accordance.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Automatic telephone apparatus for calling stations designated by groups of signs such as letters and ciphers by means of electric current gaps produced in the line, which comprises discs having together as many rows of teeth as there are signs for indicating a station, a short circuit switch for every row of teeth, said switch being movable along said row of teeth; means to rotate the discs and the switches relatively to one another only, in such a manner that every one of the latter engages all the teeth of the disc opposite which it finds itself; an interrupter and a contact piece controlled by same, means to rotate said interrupter synchronically with the relative rotary movement of the discs and the short circuit switches and at a continuous speed, the poles of the contact piece of said interrupter and the poles of the short circuit switches being connected in such a manner that the interrupter contact in series in the line is short circuited when any one of the short circuit switches is closed, every row of teeth of the disc being or" a suitable shape to cause the opening of the corresponding short circuit switch during a period'oi time corresponding to a number of times that the interrupter contact opens regulated by the signs of a group forming a part of the designations of a station and the whole of the rows of teeth corresponding to the whole of the groups of signs which serve to designate all the stations in the automatic telephone network.

2. Automatic telephone apparatus for calling stations designated by group of signs such as letters and ciphers by means of electric current gaps produced in the line, which comprises discs, means to cause said discs to make one revolution, said discs having together as many rows ofv teeth as there are groups of signs in the designation of a station, a short circuit switch for each row of teeth, said switch being movable along said row of teeth; a mechanical interrupter and a contact operated by said interrupter, means to rotate said interrupter in synchronisin with the discs at a constant speed, the poles of the contact of said interrupter and the poles of the short circuit switches being connected in such a manner that the interrupter contact which is in series with the telephone line is short circuited when any one of the short circuit switches is closed, every row of teeth in every disc being suitably shaped tov open the corresponding short circuit switch during a period of time that corresponds to the number of times that the interrupter contact opens,

said number being determined according to the signs which compose a group of signs forming part of a stations designation and all the rows of teeth together corresponding to the whole of the groups of signs which serve to designate the stations of the automatic telephone network.

3.,Autornatic telephone apparatus for calling, stations designated by groups of signsv by means of electric current gaps produced in the telephone line, which comprises discs having 'a bore provided with teeth, said discs having together as many rows of teeth as there are groups of signs in the designation of a station, a short-circuit switch for every row of teeth said-switch being movable alon said row, means to rotate every short'circuit switch in such a manner as to cause it to engage all the teeth of the opposite bored disc; an interrupter .and a contact operated by same, means to rotate said interrupter in synchronism with the short circuit switches at a constant speed, the poles of the contact of said interrupter and those of the short circuit switches being connected in such a manner that the contact of the interrupter in series with the telephone line is short circuited when one of the short circuit interrupters is closed, every row of teeth in every bored discbeing of a suitable shape to cause the corresponding short circuit switch to open during a period of time that corresponds to a number of openings of the interrupter contact determined by the signs of a group forming a part of a stations designation, the-whole of the teeth rows in all the bored discs corresponding to the whole of the groups of signs which serve to designate the stations on the automatic telephone network. *4. In. an automatic telephone apparatus for calling stations designated by groups of signs comprising at least one group of n ciphers, a number of discs equal to the first number of n+1 ciphers, means to cause said discs to make one revolution, said discs being arranged in one single row and provided each with a number of teeth rows equal to that or the groups of signs forming the designation of a station, the teeth rows which correspond to the signs of the same kind and of the same order being in alignment; a short circuit switch for every teeth row, said switch being movable along the teeth of a row, an interrupter and a contact operated by same, means to rotate said interrupter in synchronism with the discs and at a constant speed, one pole of every one of the short circuit switches being connected to the'like pole of the interrupters contact, the other poles of the short circuit switches being each connected to a brush designed to frictionally engage a special conducting sector, all the sectors being carried by a rotary distributor, means to rotate said distributor in synchronism with the discs, the distributor comprising a conducting crown which is electrically connected with all the aforesaid sectors and in engagement with a brush connected with the second pole of the interrupters contact which is in series in the telephone line, every row of teeth in the disc being so shaped as to cause the opening of the corresponding short circuit switch during a period of time corresponding to the number of times that the interrupters contact opens and which is determined according to the signs composing a group of signs that form a part of the designation of a station, and the rows of teeth considered as a whole corresponding to the totality of the groups of signs used to designate all the stations on the automatic telephone network.

5. In an automatic telephone apparatus for calling stations designed by groups of signs which consists in producing a predetermined number of electric current gaps for every sign in the telephone line, toothed discs having together as many rows of teeth as there are groups of signs in the stations designation, a spring motor to cause said discs to make one revolution, a short circuit switch for every row of teeth, a runner formed integrally with every switch to draw same above the disc designed for the call, a knob above every disc for every short circuit switch, said knob when depressed constituting an abutment for the runner of the short circuit switch, a driving means operated by the spring motor to move every runner so as to bring it against the abutment constituted by a depressed knob, automatic locking and unlocking means designed to prevent the runner from progressing beyond the knob and to keep it stationary during the rotation of the discs, a return spring for the runners put under tension by the runners driving system, means combined with the means which rotate the disc to free said spring at the end of the rotary movement and allow it to return the runners, and means pro vided upon the runner to cause the raising of the knob when said runner has returned to its starting point. 1

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that every row of teeth is carried upon a row of discs, each disc comprising a single row of teeth corresponding to a predetermined group of signs, said teeth extending upon the disc from an original point whose position, which is identical for all the discs of a row, is displaced relatively to the initial position of the teeth on the disc of the preceding row of a fraction of a circumference equal to the quotient of the unit di-' vided by the number of rows, sothat the action of the teeth in one disc of a row upon the corresponding short circuit switch will not begin before the action of the teeth on one disc of the preceding row upon its short circuit switch is ended, the relative rotary movements of the discs and of the switches taking place simultaneously.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that every row of teeth is carried by a row of discs, each disc comprising teeth distributed along its 'whole circumference, means being provided to successively produce the relative rotary motion of each row of discs and of its short circuit switch.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 devised for calling stations Whose designation comprises one group at least of n ciphers, characterized by the provision of a number of rows of discs equal at least to that of the groups of signs comprised in the designation of a station, each row comprising a number of discs equal to the first number of n+1 ciphers, every'disc being provided with teeth for one single group or signs, said teeth extending from an original point whose inoperative position is identical for all the discs in the same row, and being displaced, relatively to the original point of the teeth in the preceding row, of a fraction of a circumference equal to the quotient of the unit divided by the number of rows of discs, all the discs rotating simultaneously and the poles of all the short circuit switches being in series in a conductor which connects together the poles of the contact of the mechanical interrupter.

ALFRED Born.

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