US2168864A - Telephone pay station - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 8, 1939 H. DGHLE ET AL I TELEPHONE PAY STATION Filed Feb. 25, 1937 FIG.

Ir nsi INVENTORS HINR/CH DOHLE HEINRICH LANGNER ATTORNEY.

FIG. 3

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE PAY STATION Application February 25, 1937, Serial No. 127,658 In Germany March 14, 1936 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a paystation in which coins held in an intermediate receptacle are collected by means of a magnet at the end of a call and refunding of the coins is promoted by the replacement of the receiver and effected after a period of time determined by a delay device; In previous paystations of this kind special relay arrangements were necessary in the exchange to prevent the possibility of fraud, by which relays the metering impulse was registered in the exchange until the collecting magnet was connected to the line.

These additional switching means in the ex- I change are obviated by the present invention.

This is of considerable importance to the whole setting up of the exchange since now the paystation requires no additional switching means in the exchange over and above those provided for a normal subscribers line. This advantage is achieved according to the present invention in that the collecting magnet effects the collecting of the fee by deenergizing before the operations which are involved on restoring the money, take place. In the operating circuit for the collecting magnet which circuit is established when the receiver is replaced, there is arranged in the exchange a contact dependent upon the metering relay whereby the energizing circuit of the magnet is broken when the metering relay energizes so that the fee is collected. The devices necessary for controlling the collecting magnet are thus limited to a normal contact of the metering relay disposed in one of the speaking leads.

Fig. 1 shows the paystation circuit, and

Figs. 2 to 4 represent diagrammatically the devices in the paystation which determine the course of the coins.

The references in Fig. 1 have the following significance:

HU represents the switch-hook contact. nsi represents the dial impulse contact and ma the dial ofi-normal contact. On the dial plate is arranged a so-called following contact 151" which closes in the event of the run back of the dial being willfully decelerated. ml and m2 represent the coin contacts which are switched over when a coin is inserted in the apparatus and remains switched over until the coin leaves the intermediate position. KM is the collecting magnet whose winding should have a very high resistance. F is the receiver and W the bell. In the exchange a normal contact 2 of the metering relay is connected in the b-lead. The mechanical construction which will be explained with reference to Figs. 2-4 is as follows:

In order to set up a call the calling party must first insert a coin in the apparatus. This coin comes into contact with a stop 3 in the coin channel I and thereby operates the coin contacts ml and m2. The opening of contact ml removes the short-circuit, across the impulse contact nsi so that the calling party can dial his call. The stop 3 projecting into the channel I is fixed to a lever 5 rotatable about a pivot 4. This lever 5 possesses a second stop 6 projecting into the returned coin channel 1. Rigidly fixed to the lever 5 is a cam member 9 which governs the movement of the lever. Two further stops l0 and H which determine the course of the coin and which are controlled by the armature 12 of the collecting magnet KM project into the coin channels. When the armature is released the stops Ill and H give free passage for the coin into the channel 8 and the channel 1. When the receiver is replaced, as will be explained in greater detail later, the lever 5 is rocked in such a manner that the stop 3 releases the coin. The coin first abuts against the stops 6 and II). On replacing the receiver the collecting magnet immediately energizes over the exchange loop and contacts 1) and 1222. Since contact 1122 is to be opened as soon as the coin leaves the position in which it is first checked a locking circuit is closed at contact km. The collecting magnet holds up over the A-relay in the group selector which is not shown. Since however the resistance of the winding of magnet KM is very large the control relay in the group selector releases and promotes the release of the connection. In the case of a call which has materialized the metering relay energizes during the release of the connection and opens the contact 2 (Fig. 1) so that the collecting magnet KM deenergizes. Through the release of armature l2 the stop Ill is removed from the channel 8 so that the coin passes from the channel 8 to the collect coin receptacle. If the call does not materialize the metering relay does not energize and magnet KM remains operated until contact 1) opens. Shortly before contact 12 opens the lever 5 is rocked so that the stop 6 allows the coin to pass into the return channel I.

The control of lever 5 will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2.

On the switchhook HU is a pin l3. When the receiver is removed the switchhook takes up the position indicated in dotted lines under the action of spring 14. In this position the lever l5 engages with the pin l3 on the switchhook HU, the pin l3 resting against the shoulder I6 of the lever l5. The lever I5 is subjected to the action of springs I1 and I8. In the lever I5 a slot I9 is provided into which projects a fixed pin 20. The spring I8 rocks the lever I5 about the pin 28 until the lever I5 rests against the pin I3 in the event of the receiver being removed. With the lever I5 is also associated a pneumatic pump 22 by way of the link 2I and by means of this pump the upward motion of the lever I5 promoted by the spring I1 is slowed down. To the container wall is attached a fixed guide pin 23 on which the lever I5 is guided by way of the slide surface 24. Fig. 4 shows a side View of the lever I5 in order to illustrate the position of the surface 24 relative to the pin 23. On lever I5 is mounted a pin 25 which engages with-the cam member 9 of lever 5 and thereby determines the motion of the latter. At a certain distance from the slide surface 24 the lever I5 carries a second slide surface 26. The mode of operation of the lever I5 is as follows:

On depressing the switchhook from the dotted position to that shown on the drawing in full lines, the lever I5, which in contrast to the position shown in Fig. 2 is set somewhat obliquely by means of the spring I8 at the commencement of the movement, is moved downward by the pin I3. The surface 24 slides over the pin 23. The direction of motion is determined by the pins 28 and 23 in cooperation with the slide-surface 24. As soon as the surface 24 has been drawn past the pin 23 the lever I5 is rocked under the influence of the spring I8 and the surface 26 now abuts against the pin 23. During the rotary motion about the pin 20 lever I5 comes out of engagement with the pin I3 so that an upward motion of the lever I5 is initiated by Spring IT. This upward movement of lever I5 is however delayed by the air-pump 22. During the upward motion of lever I5 the pin lies between the two slide surfaces 24 and 26. During the upward motion the pin 25 on lever I5 engages with the cam member 9 and in the first portion of the motion promotes a rotation of lever 5 to one side whereby the stop 3 is withdrawn from the channel I and stop 6 is pressed into the channel I, while in the second part of the motion the lever 5 is rotated towards the other side whereby the stop 3 moves into the channel I and the stop 6 is withdrawn from the channel I. At the end of the motion of lever I5 contact 12 which was closed when the receiver was replaced is again opened. On the upward motion of lever I5 the inner surface of the slide plate 24 rests in contact with the pin 23. As soon as lever I5 has reached the position shown in Fig. 2 the lever is rocked by the action of spring I8 so that it assumes the position shown. The rotary motion of lever I5 about pin 20 is limited by the pin I3 when the receiver is in position. Continued up and down movement of the switchhook is without influence on the motions carried out by lever IS in the manner described since the velocity of the upward motion of lever I5 is solely determined by the pump 22.

What is claimed is:

1. In a prepayment telephone, collecting means, refunding means, manually actuated means for causing the refunding means to refund the prepaid fee an interval of time after actuation thereof said actuation of said last means effective also to prepare the collecting means for operation, and means effective only when the collecting means has been so prepared for at times causing the collecting means to collect the fee during said interval of time.

2. In a coin prepayment telephone, coin collecting means, coin refunding means, means for originating a complete connection from said telephone, means for releasing said connection, said last means effective also to prepare said refunding means for operation, and means responsive to the release of said connection for causing the collecting operation to be completed before the refunding operation can be performed.

3. In a coin prepayment telephone, coin refunding means, means for originating an incomplete connection from said telephone, and means for releasing said incomplete connection, said releasing means eifective also to prepare said refunding means for operation, said refunding means effective, responsive to the preparation thereof by said releasing means, to operate independently of said releasing means and after a predetermined interval of time to complete the refunding operation.

4. In a telephone system, a coin prepayment paystation having a delayed action refunding means and a collecting magnet, another substation, means for completing a connection from said paystation to said other substation, means at said paystation for releasing said connection, said last means effective also to operate said magnet and to set said refunding means into operation, a metering relay, means responsive to said release of the connection for operating said metering relay to release said magnet, and means responsive to the release of said magnet for performing the collecting operation.

5. In a telephone system, a paystation comprising a telephone subset and coin collecting means including a magnet, another substation, means operable upon the deposit of a coin at said paystation for establishing a connection from said paystation to said other substation, means at said paystation for disconnecting said subset from the conductors of said connection, said last means effective also both to connect said magnet to said conductors to energize said magnet, and to move said coin into an intermediate position, a metering relay, means responsive to the disconnection of said subset for operating said relay to release said magnet, and means responsive to the release of said magnet for collecting said coin.

6. In a paystation, a telephone subset, coin collecting and refunding means including a magnet, means effective upon the deposit of a coin at said paystation for originating a connection from said subset, means for disconnecting said subset from the conductors of said connection, and means responsive to said last means for connecting said magnet to said conductors to energize the magnet and for moving said coin into an intermediate position, said fourth means effective also to refund said coin after a predetermined interval of time and to subsequently release said magnet.

7. In a device for collecting or refunding in serted coins, an insertion channel branching into a collection channel and a refund channel, a stop projecting into said insertion channel, a lever, means responsive to the operation of said lever in one direction for effecting the projection of a stop into the collection channel, for projecting a stop into the refund channel, and for withdrawing the stop from the insertion channel, said means effective to Withdraw said stop from the refund channel after a predetermined delay period, means for rendering said first means independent of said lever during said operation of the stops in the insertion and refund channels,

and means eifective under a certain condition for withdrawing the stop from said collection channel before the stop is withdrawn from the refund channel.

8. In a device for collecting or refunding inserted coins, an insertion channel branching into a collection channel and a refund channel, a rocking member bearing one stop normally projected into said insertion channel and another stop normally withdrawn from said refunding channel, means for rocking said member to withdraw said one stop from the insertion channel and to project said other stop into said refund channel, said means effective to restore said member to its normal position after a predetermined period of time, a normally deenergized magnet, a lever bearing a stop normally withdrawn from said collection channel and a stop normally withdrawn from said refund channel, means controlled by the operation of said first means for energizing said magnet to operate said lever projecting last said two stops into their respective channels, means effective under one condition for deenergizing said magnet before said rocking member is restored to its normal position, and means effective under an alternative condition for deenergizing said magnet after said rocking member is restored to its normal position.

9. In a device for collecting or refunding inserted coins, an insertion channel branching into a collection channel and a refund channel, a rocking member bearing one stop normally projected into said insertion channel and another stop normally withdrawn from said refund channel, a lever moveable within fixed limits, a linking member enjoying restricted plane movement and held in a normal position by a restoring means and a rotating means, said rotating means effective to place said linking member under control of said lever responsive to movement of said lever to one extreme position, said rotating means effective to free said linking member from said lever responsive to a predetermined movement of said linking member controlled by movement of said lever toward its opposite extreme position, said restoring means effective to return said linking member to its normal position, means for rendering said linking member independent of said lever during the return movement, and means for controlling the speed of said return movement, said linking member effective during said return movement to control said rocking member to withdraw said one stop from said insertion channel and to project said other stop into said refund channel, and subsequently to restore said rocking member to its normal position.

HINRICH DoHLE. HEINRICH LANGNER.

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