US2236997A - Dialing arrangement for substation senders - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1941. M. R. FEINBERG DIALIRG ARRANGEMENT FOR SUBSTATION SENDERS Filed Sept. 21, 1939 INVENTOR. [lam/ell Rfkinbmy.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE DEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR SUBSTATION SENDERS Maxwell R. Feinberg, New York, N. Y.

Application September 21,1939, Serial No. 295,922 2 Claims. ,(Cl. 179-941) This invention relates generally to substation senders for use in automatic telephone exchange systems, and more particularly it relates to a dialing arrangement whereby a person using a telephone may establish connection with a desired station.

Among the disadvantages of the conventional dial type of sender are the necessity of first finding a desired numeral or letter on an arcuate scale provided with ten or more finger holes, which is a time consuming operation requiring a search over the scale. The user inserts his fingers into the selected one of the finger holes and then moves the finger hole plate to a zero position and releases it. The signalling impulses are transmitted during the automatic return of the finger hole plate to its initial position.

Among the objects of my invention is the provision of a simple adjusting element, to be engaged by the finger which always starts from one and the same position, so that search therefor is unnecessary. From this fixed starting point the adjusting element is moved to the desired numeral or letter. When the adjusting'element is released it, is automatically returned to its starting position, while the signalling may take place during either movement. I prefer that it be eiiected during the automatic return movement.

It will be observed that visual search for the desired numeral or letter takes place; simultaneously with the adjusting movement instead of preceding it, whereby a great saving in time is efiected.

A further disadvantage of the conventional construction is that movement of the adjusting element is in an arcuate path and the, inconvenience of this is increased by the use of the finger holes for adjustment,

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a construction in which the adjusting element is a thumb piece or button that moves in a straight path whereby convenience, speed and accuracy of manipulation are increased.

In the conventional dial ten or more finger holes are provided, and although the user may visually select the correct finger hole, he may accidentally insert his finger in the wrong hole.

An object of my invention is the provision of a construction in which there is only one single place for the application of the users finger, and this is in the form of a thumb piece or button, for which reasons danger of mistakes is greatly lessened.

The general object of my invention is the provision in a substation sender of a simple, eifective and inexpensive dialing arrangement in which the operation of dialing can be effected in a more natural way than hitherto and can be done with less effort and in less time.

These objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear or be pointed out are attained in the illustrative embodiment of my in.- vention shown in the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention shown applied to a telephone desk stand of the latest type, which combines the stand and the signal box;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the details of an impulse sending arrangement adapted for use with the embodiment of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a plan View of a detail in modified form.

In the drawing, I have shown at A a telephone desk stand for a hand telephone of the, most recent type, in which all the operative parts are housed within the stand, so that a separate box is unnecessary, and in connection with this stand I have shown an automatic calling arrangement that constitutes the subject of my invention.

In Figure 1 it will be seen that the stand is provided on its outside with a scale It, divided into sections, corresponding substantially to those of the dial of the standard automatic dial phone. These sections are numbered consecutively from 1 to O, the last appearing to the right of the numeral 9. Letters may be associated with all or some of the numbers, as in the standard dial phone. It will be observed, however, that at the extreme left is a blank space, and this constitutes a point of distinction between my scale and the scale of the standard dial phone, and constitutes the rest or starting point of a pointer II that is slidable laterally, so that its tip travels over the scale H3. The pointer H is connected to the impulse producing mechanism, to be hereinafter described, by an extension thereof that passes into the interior of the stand through a slot I2. For convenience in manipulation a thumb-piece or button i3 is shown extending outward from the pointer H. I

The impulse producing mechanism is shown illustratively by way of example as comprising a chain and sprocket system consisting of a chain M attached at its ends to a carriage I5, to which also the pointer II is attached, and further consisting of the sprocket Wheels I5, I! and I 8, carried respectively by arbors i9, 283 and 24, journalled in the frame 22.

movement is suflicient to permit the pointer to travel from one end of the scale l to the other.

The guides 23 and 24 are mounted on brackets 25, 26, 21 and 28 extending upwardly from the frame 22, and these serve also as stops to limit the movement of the carriage l5, and thereby to limit the movement of the pointer II. More particularly, the brackets 25 and 26 act to hold the carriage against movement to the left, in which direction it is urged by means such as the spiral spring 29, which is preferably initially tensioned to cause the sprocket wheel IT to move clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, and thereby, through its engagement with the chain l4, to cause the carriage I to move to the left.

Whenever. the pointer is moved to the right, as seen in Figure 2, the spring 29 will be wound up, so as to have its tension increased. When thereafter the pointer is released, the spring 29 automatically causes it to return to its initial or extreme left hand position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In order to control the action of the spring and. prevent too rapid movement of the parts, resulting in, undesirable shocks and noise, I may provide means, such as the governor 30 of any suitable or preferred type mounted on one of the rotating'parts, as for instance on the shaft 2|, whereby the speed of movement of the chain I4 is held below a predetermined maximum.

Transmission of the impulses is effected by means of a pair of contact springs 3| and 32 mounted on the base 22 and insulated therefrom as well as from each other, and by an impulse cam 33 loosely mounted on the shaft 2|. The springs 3| and 32 are arranged so that when their nose portions 34 and 35 are out of contact the signalling circuit is interrupted, while when they are in contact an impulse will be sent to the exchange for effecting the desired connection.

Interruption of the circuit is effected by means of the impulse cam 33 which has teeth 36 adapted to engage the nose portion 35 and to move it so that the contact between. the spring 32 and the nose portion 34 of spring 3| is broken. On the other hand, when the nose portion 35 is in the indentations between the teeth 36 the nose portion 34 of spring 3| touches the spring 32 and an impulse is sent.

Movement of the impulse cam 33 is effected by a ratchet and pawl arrangement, comprising a ratchet 31 and a pawl 38, the ratchet being fixed to the shaft 2| so as to rotate therewith, while the pawl is carried by the impulse cam 33.

Due to this arrangement. the impulse cam will move clockwise (as seen in Figure 2), whenever the pointer moves to the left, and its movement will be proportioned to the movement of the pointer. The spacing of the teeth 36 and of the divisions of the scale II) are relatively so proportioned that when the pointer moves from the scale division to its left hand position, the impulse pawl will have advanced one tooth, and one impulse will have been. transmitted, when the pointer moves from the scale division 2 to its left hand position 2, the impulse pawl, will have been advanced two teeth and two impulses will have been transmitted, and so on for the different scale members. When the pointer H is released after being moved to any point on the scale, it is will be caused to move into its left hand position by the action of spring 29. It

is during this movement that the impulses are sent, while during the adjusting movement of the pointer to the right, the cam is stationary, since the pawl 38 permits the shaft 2| to run ahead of the ratchet 31. The cam 33 is held against counter-clockwise movement (as seen in Figure 2) by the nose portion 35 of the spring 34. If desired I may additionally provide a locking pawl and ratchet to hold the cam 33, such as will be described hereinafter in connection with Figure 3.

His obviously desirable, if not essential, that an impulse should be sent whenever the pointer is over any portion of one of the numbered areas, since a user of the device can not be depended upon to set the pointer accurately over the midportion of the numbered area or even over the number therein. Consequently the circumferential extent of the depressed portions of the moves the full length of its scale, theimpulse cam will have made one complete turn and ten impulses will have been sent. Obviously the parts might be arranged so that the impulse. cam 33 moves more or less than one turn for a full scale movement of the pointer provided the number of .teeth on the cam is correspondingly altered. For example, the impulse cam 33 might be arranged to turn once for a movement of the pointer H from one scale division to the next, in which case the impulse cam would be provided with only one tooth 36.

By way of illustration I have shown in the embodiment of Figure 3 an impulse cam 40 provided with live teeth 4|, which would require two turns of the impulse cam 40 to a full scale movement of the pointer It will further be observed that the teeth 4| are of slight extent, so that the interruptionsof the signalling circuit correspond to small movevments of the pointer. By making the teeth sufficiently small these interruptions may correspond substantially to the dividing lines or areas between the scale divisions, whereby the circuit will remain closed When the pointer is at substantially any point in one of the numbered areas.

In this embodiment the ratchet 42 carried by shaft 2| and pawl 43 carried by the cam 40 are so arranged that the cam 4|) is constrained to move with the shaft 2| on its counterclockwise movement, while it is free of the shaft 2| when the latter moves clockwise. In other words, the cam 43 will transmit impulses during the manual setting movement of the pointer II to the right, while on the automatic return movement of the pointer the cam 43 will remain stationary and no impulses will be sent. In order to hold the cam 43 stationary, that is, locked against clockwise movement I may provide means such as a pawl 44, mounted on the frame 22 and engaging the teeth of a ratchet 45 which is in fixed relation to the cam 43.

The impulses are consequently sent during the adjusting movement of pointer If and no impulses are sent during the automatic return movement, which is the converse of the arrangement shown in Figure 2, in which no impulses are sent on the adjusting movement but instead they are sent on the automatic return movement of the pointer after it is released.

While I have shown several illustrative embodiments of my invention it will be understood that the same may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein is illustrative merely and is not to be construed in a limiting sense, and that I do not limit myself other than as called for by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A station calling arrangement for automatic telephone installations comprising a telephone stand, and a signalling arrangement within said stand, said stand having a plane vertical wall and a wall having a substantially horizon tal portion which meets said vertical wall, a hor izontal slot in said vertical wall, an operating member for said signalling arrangement having a portion thereof projecting through said slot and a vertical portion extending upwardly from said projecting portion, a straight scale on said horizontal wall portion, and a horizontal pointer carried by said vertical portion of the operating member and adapted to move over said scale as the operating member is moved.

2. A station calling arrangement for automatic telephone installations comprising a movable member, an impulse sending arrangement operated by the movement of said member, a single abutment on said member adapted for engagement by the finger, whereby said member may be moved, a stop for limiting the movement of said member in one direction, means for urging said member into a limiting position determined by said stop and for returning it to said limiting postion when it is displaced therefrom, as by moving said abutment with the finger, and, after displacement, is released so as to be free to move, a fixed scale, and an indicator movable with said member and traveling over said scale to indicate the extent of movement of said member away from its limiting position, said scale being divided into relatively wide areas separated by relatively narrow intermediate portions, and said impulse sending arrangement being of a character so that when said indicator is over any portion of any one of said areas of the scale, said sending arrangement will be active to send a single impulse.

MAXWELL R. FEINBERG.

Images