US2005357A - Telephone time-announcing system - Google Patents

Description

T. w; VARLEY TELEPHONE TIME ANNOUNCING SYSTEM lime 18, 1935.

Filed Oct. 10, 1934 @111 2 2/ :2 W n J R N RB W TI CALL'NG STATION MOTOR Hou 015K "MINUTESHDISK 2720M WVa/iey INVENTOR' BY //M W ATTORNEY Patented June 18,' 1935 "$005,357 n I .TELEPZI-IONE TI E-IANNOUNCI NG SYSTEM Y Thomas WQ Varley, New York, 1N. Y. i Application ctober 10, mar-seam. 747,656 T Thisiinvention relates to new and useful improvements in telephone exchange systems and particularly inautomatic, systems in which the calling party must be notified when to begin dial;-

. The vobjectof the present invention is to pro-:

vide an arrangementwhereby upon the extension of a-calling, line to a selector switch, instead of applying the so-called dial tone to the calling line for informing the calling party that-he may proceed with the dialing of thecalled number digits, a time-announcing device is connected with his line. Thus, in placeof a mere buzz the calling party, obtains some useful information, the time of 'the,day,and by obtaining this he will know that the dialing may start. 2 Where merely a tone is applied to the calling line, itoften happens that the subscriber does not wait for theapplication of, the tone, starts dialing too soon, with theresulting establishment of erroneous connections. It is more likely that calling subscribers will be awaiting the time .announcement'than the otherwise meaningless dial tone.

A further 7 advantage; :of my improved :system isthat callingsubscribers do not need to dial special numbers or call special operators in order to obtain time announcements; The. tying up 'of expensive central oiiicexiswitchingequipment is thus obviated:- I t i M c 30 ,,While the inventionis disclosed in combination with so-called full automatic machines'witching systems, it will be obvious to those skilled inthe artthat it is applicable to the other types of systemsalso, and that the invention is not limited'to 35 any specific type of time-announoing-or switching y mus :The drawing represents diagrammatically an embodiment of the present invention as applied to a machineswitching system in which sequence switches are used for controlling the establishment of connections, only so much being: shown of the switching system as is necessary for a clear understanding of the invention.

"Referringnowto the drawing, upon the removal of the receiver from the switchhookatpthe calling subscribers station the magnet M of 'the linefinder LF is operated to extend the calling s Claims (01. 179%) selector and the "called station and all central en change sender may be employed for registering the impulses produced by the calling dial, y

7 Upon the extension of the. calling line tothe trunk I, a sequence switch associated with the :line .finder and, whose magnet is indicated at MN is operated, through theagency ofa relay R10 in a manner not shown in detail, tomove into its second position. I-nfthiszpositionthe two left hand contacts of sequence switch spring G and the upper left-hand and lower right-handqcontacts-of sequence switch spring H are closed, extendingthe calling line through the line finder Wipers, the trunk line at, the sequence switch springs G and H, conductors 2., to the secondary winding-of a transformer 3 through which, ina manner to be presently described, the time announcements 'arexconveyed to the calling party.

When the subscriber. hearsth'e time announce- ,ment, he may dial. This will make and break the circuitof an impulse relay R9 which, through its armature and back contact, controls the circuit of operating'ma'gnet -M18ofithe district selector DS anda' slow-acting relay RI 8; .Upon the energization of relay R18 a circuit is 'clo'sedhtrom ground, through the front contact, and "arzrnz'iture of relay Rtflto energize,,relay RHL; Duringithe sending of thefirstjgroupof impulses/the: relay R| 8 being slow to release, remains energized, but

uponthe termination offthe first digit, the line circuit is interrupted longenough to permit the deenergization of relay RIB, whereupon the relay RID-becomes deenergized and, permits the sequence switch magnet MI I to move the sequence switch out of position ,2, whereupon the upper left-hand contact of sequence switch spring G and the lower right-hand contact of sequence switch ated is well known to thoseskilledin the art..v The details are disclosed in volume 3 of" Automatic Telephone Systems (London 1924) by WilliamAitken, Fig; 112, page 272, being particularly referred ,to. The calling party may now proceed with the dialing of the further digits in the usual manner. The announcing system consists of a main shaft 5 which'maybe driven bya suitable time-'- controlled motor 6 connectedtosaid'sh'aftby a pulley I. The shaft carries two glass photographic i plates or discs 8 and 9;togetherrwith a worm gear "land a switching? cam I l.x The wormgear i0 drives two commutators I2 and I3, which are conv nected ,bygan intermediate gear, and the cam l'l' controls switching mechanism for opening and closing an electrical circuit.

The discs 8 and 9 are centrally positioned between the arms of carriages I4 and I5, respectively. These carriages are reciprocally mounted on respective pairs of parallel rods I6, I6 and I1, I! and are held in normal position by means of weights I8 which are suitably secured to their lower portions. The discs 8 and 9 each carry half circle concentric photographic voice records. For instance, the first record on disc 8 or the minute record would be the word oclock, the second the word one and the third the word two and so on to the sixtieth record on which would be the words fifty-nine. l a

The disc 9 or hour record carries twelve half circle concentric records, the first record being that of the word one and the last of the word twelve. well known manner upon a photographic film which forms a part of the transparent discs. The carriages I4 and I5 have light projectors I9 and 20, fixedlymounted upon one of their arms at one side of the rods, and on the other arms of the carriages opposite the projectors. are fixedly mounted photoelectric cells 2I and 22. The cells areequipped with appropriate lenses for concentrating or focusing the light rays from the projectors onto and through the photographic records to the sensitive areas in said light cells, and these cells are connected by suitable circuits to the amplifiers 23 and 24. The output circuits of the amplifiers are connected by means of a switching circuit to the primary of a repeating coil 25 whose secondary is 3. T If the optical system, say on carriage I4,-is properly adjusted so that a beam of light passes from projector I9 through one of the photographic records on disc 8, and if disc 8 is rotated at the proper speed the word or words'originally impressed photographically upon the disc will be reproduced over the announcing circuit by means Oil the light cell 2 I and the amplifier 23. This is alsotrue, of I course, with regard to the operation of the opticalsystem in connection with disc 9. It isevident, therefore, that with the two discs 8 and 9 in operation combined with the optical systems, a constant repetition of-words impressed on the discs may be obtained at each revolution, and if carriages I4 and I5 be moved forward the width of one record a new announcement may by the switch 26 under control of the cam II. It

willbe noted that during one-half of the revolution of cam II contact is made withthe output circuit of amplifier 24 and during the other half of the revolution, contact is made with the output circuit of amplifier 23. A condenser 21 is inserted in the circuit connected with the amplifier 23, and

an additional condenser 28 is connected in the circuit of amplifier 24 to prevent direct current flow.

The commutator I2 revolves once a minute and projections on'this commutator operate switches 29 and 30 once per minute. The projections are oifset as regards each other and are indi- These voice records are made in any,

vidual to the switches 29 and 30. The function of switch 29 when operated is, first, to open the output of either amplifier and second, to close momentarily a circuit through the stepping magnet 3I which moves carriage I4 forward one notch, bringing a new record into place. The return of switch 29 to normal reconnects the output of the two amplifiers under control of cam I I to the common repeating coil 25, the secondary of which is connected to a common announcing circuit throughout the exchange.

In the operation of the system it is necessary of course to return the carriage I4 to its normal position once an hour, and the carriage I5 to its normal position once in twelve hours. This is accomplished by switch 39 in combination with switches 32 and 33 on commutator I3, which makes one revolution in twelve hours and is provided with twelve projecting points, one of the points being longer than the others. The returnof the minute carriage I4 is accomplished as follows: During the last part of the announcement of the fifty-ninth minute one of the points on cam I3 makes contact with switch 32, and closes a circuit therethrough from battery, inner make contact of switch 30, winding of stepping magnet 35 to ground. The closure of this circuit operates relay 35 which causes the pawl mechanism associated therewith to engage the teeth of the carriage I5 and step the carriage forward ing of release magnet 34, associated with carriage I4 to ground. The closure of this circuit causes the operation of magnet 34 which disengages its pawl from the teeth provided upon said carriage, whereupon it is returned to normal by the weight I8. The switch 30 releases after making the momentary contact just described, and immediate contact is made with switches 29, and a circuit is closed through the left contact of said switch from battery, primary winding of repeating coil 25, to ground through the winding of stepping magnet 3| associated with carriage I4. The closure of this circuit operates stepping magnet 3| which causes the carriage to be moved along its rods to again start off with the new minute announcement.

The long point on cam I3 which makes contact with switch 33 once in twelve hours is slightly offset with respect to the shorter tooth on the opposite side of said cam so that contact will be first made by the long tooth to close switch 33 and immediately thereafter contact will be made with switch 32 by the oppositely positioned shorter tooth. The closure of switch 33 establishes a circuit through the make contact of this switch from battery, middle make contact of switch 30, winding of release magnet 36 associated with carriage I5 to ground. The closure of this circuit energizes release magnet 36 which withdraws its pawl from the teeth of said carriage and allows it to be returned by means of the weight I8 to its normal position. Immediately after carriage I5 is restored to normal, the circuit previously described for operating stepping magnet 35 is closed through switches 30 and 32, whereupon said carriage is again stepped upward to announce the hour one, and upon the breaking of contact of switch 30, a circuit is closed through the make contact of switch 29, as above described, for operating stepping magnet 3| associated withcarriage practiced without departing from the I spirit v I4 to cause it to step upward to announce the minute one. The function of the lower or back contact of switch is to open the output circuit of either amplifier while carriages I4 or I5 are in motion, thus preventing imperfect or partial announcements being made.

The carriages I4 and I5 are thus successively advanced with their optical systems in respective synchronism with their photographic discs so that it is possible to make a constant announcement of the time throughout each minute exceptffor a few seconds at the close of each minute and hour when it is necessary to open the announcing circuit to allow the switches to set the apparatus for a new minute or for a new minute and hour as the case may be.

During the periods the amplifier 23 is. connected with the optical system of carriage I4, a

circuit is closed from ground through the output of said amplifier, condenser 21, left make contact of switch 26, right make contact of the amplifier 24 with the optical system of carthereof as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In an automatic telephone exchange system, telephone lines means including a selector is operated under the control of the calling party. a

2. In an automatic telephone exchange system, telephone lines, means including a selector switch for establishing a connection between a calling and a called line under the control of a calling party,. automatic means for connecting a calling line with said selector switch, a

time-announcing unit, means for automatically connecting said unit with the calling line upon the operation of said automatic means,and means operative upon the actuation of said selector switch for disconnecting said unit from the calling line. 3. In an automatic telephone exchange system telephone lines, means including a selector switch for establishing a connection between a calling and a called line under the control of a calling party, automatic means including a line finder for connecting a calling line with said selector: switch, a time-announcing unit, means operable upon the seizure of the calling lineby the line a finder for connecting said unit with ,the latter, and means operable upon the actuation of said selector for disconnecting said unit.

THOMAS W. VARLEY.

Images