US2355437A

US2355437A - Register translator or like device

Info

Publication number: US2355437A
Application number: US395707A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heptinstall Dennis Leonard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-06-19
Filing date: 1941-05-29
Publication date: 1944-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1961-08-08
Also published as: GB542010A

Description

Aug. 8, 1944.

D. L. HEPTINSTALL REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Fil ed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets- Sheet 1- INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL *2 Z2 d4 mm....mu

1944- D. 1.. HEPTINSTALL 2,355,437-

REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 6g .37 e 6 e 5 e F 4 i F 5 INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1944. D. 1.. HEPTJNSTALL ,3

REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR DENMS LEONARD HEPTIN STALL ATT Aug. 8, 1944. D. HEPTINSTALL REGISTER TRANSLATOR QR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL BY z: M

v A'r'mQNEY Aug. 8, 1944. D. HEPTINSTALL 2,355,437

' REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1944 REGISTER TRAN SLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Dennis Leonard Heptinstall, Bristol, England Application May 29, 1941, Serial No. 395,707 In Great Britain June 19, 1940 12 Claims.

The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to automatic telephone and like systems and more particularly relates to the provision of a translating device whereby the effect of one operation can be made to result in a variety of controls depending upon an alteration of a readily changeable element.

The invention has application to register-translators of the kind in which a number of series ofimpulses are received and converted into a series of other trains of impulses in which the relationship between the number of incoming impulses in each train and the number of trains of impulses has an arbitrary relationship with respect to the number of impulses in each train and the number of trains of impulses transmitted thereby, such translation is employed both by itself and in conjunction with register senders which simply repeat the impulses received without translation for routing purposes and the object of the invention is to provide a register translator which instead of being made up of a large number of components comprising switches, distributing frames and like apparatus is replaced by an arrangement which is almost Wholly mechanical, In this Way a very considerable saving in space is provided and the register translator unit whether with or without mechanical register senders is of a particularly compact construction.

While the invention has particular application to the reception and transmission of trains of impulses it will be understood that the principles of the invention could be equally applied Where the control is difierent from that exerted by incoming trains of impulses and where the control exerted thereby is other than the generation of outgoing trains of impulses, for instance the receiving side of a register translator could be operated manually or under revertive control while the transmitted signals may be of coded form and not simply a series of trains of impulses.

According to one feature of the invention a register translator comprises an impulse-responding device associated with an impulse-transmitting device through a mechanical linkage selected in accordance with the setting of the impulseresponding device and adapted to control the impulse-transmitting device so that the impulses transmitted have an arbitrary relationship dependent upon the mechanical linkage selected with respect to the impulses which the impulse- ,responding device receives. In this way the number of trains of impulses and the number of impulses in each train which are transmitted can be varied at will.

According to a further feature of the invention an impulse sender comprises a mechanical linkage adapted to be selected under the control of the calling party who may be an operator to de: termine the length of each of a number of movements of a member and the total number of movements of said member in order that an impulse-transmitting device controlled by said mem. ber may cause impulses to be transmitted having an arbitrary relationship to the operation .by which the mechanical linkage is selected.

According to a further feature of the invention an impulse sender includes an arm adapted to traverse a path having a number of component parts in each of which parts the arm is mechanically engaged after making a movement the extent of which has a definite relation to the number of impulses it is required to transmit, the mechanism for determining the extent of movement of the arm in each part of its. path being predetermined by a selecting operation. v

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example two forms of carrying the invention into elfect, although it will be understood that considerable modifications may be made in the methods of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents diagrammatically in elevation one form of mechanism for attaining the desired result, while Fig. 2 shows a side view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show an alternative form ofv mechanism embodying the invention, while Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate circuit diagrams representing the receiving and transmitting controlling arrangements respectively.

Referring to Fig. 1 the mechanism consists of three elements, an impulse responding device A, a plurality of mechanical linkages one of which is given the reference B, and an impulse-tran mitting controlling device C. The function of the impulse responding device A is to select a linkage such as B in response to impulses received while each mechanical linkage is designed to determine the extent of a series of movements of the impulse-transmitting controlling device C. It is important that the linkages such as B should be of a very simple character in order that they can be readily changed as it is these units which determine the translation, and the translation required varies according to the situation in which the device is used and according to the requirements from time to time. On the other hand the elements A and C can be of the same construction irrespectiv of the variations of the linkages such as B. It is these linkages such as B which replace the distributing frame used in existing forms of register-translator.

The impulse responding device A as shown consists of a drum l adapted to be driven by two ratchet wheels I l and I2 secured to the shaft thereof, the teeth of the ratchet wheel ll being spaced apart at an angular distance equal to ten times the angular distance between the teeth of the ratchet wheel [2 so that each step of the ratchet wheel I! corresponds to ten steps of the ratchet wheel 12. The ratchet wheel H is adapted to be stepped by a tens magnet TM while the ratchet wheel I2 is adapted to be stepped by a units magnet UM. By arranging for ten teeth on the ratchet wheel H and 190 teeth on the ratchet wheel [2 it is possible by means of the magnets TM and UM in response to two series of impulses each consisting of ten impulses or less, to set the drum to any of one hundred different positions.

It will be understood that it is by no means essential that the construction of the impulse responding device should. be as described. Instead of a drum, one might arrange for the mechanical linkages supported on the surface thereof to be supported on a straight member having a plane surface and a linear movement. Similarly it is not essential that the movement of the drum should be efiected by ratchet mechanism as there are many mechanical equivalents well-known in the art of automatic telephone switch construction, such as motor drive, escapement control, spring control or combinations thereof which could readily be substituted by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The drum is provided on its surface with a number of rows of holes 13 (Figure 2), each row corresponding to one of the 100 positions to which the drum can be set. In the arrangement shown in the drawing it is possible to provide up to ten holes in a row and for each position of the drum pins varying in length and number as may be arbitrarily determined can be placed in position and changed from time to time according to the number of impulse trains it is required to transmit and according to the number of impulses in each individual train. The pins are adapted to be a tight fit in the drum and to abut against a fixed stop so as to ensure that the lengths they project are definite.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of pins; an alternative is described in connection with Figs. 3-7 and other arrangements can readily be conceived by those versed in the art. The drum is operated against the pressure of a restoring spring and is provided with a release magnet RM which has a detent [4 adapted to be withdrawn from the teeth of the ratchet I2 when the translator is no longer required to permit the drum under control of a spring l5 (shown in dotted lines) to restore to a normal position.

As described the drum is set by means of received impulses but it will be understood that the drum could be set under control of revertive pulses if desired or even under manual control without departing from the spirit of the invention. The device C is associated with and adapted to be controlled by an impulse-transmitting device to determine the number of impulses in each train and also the total number of trains of impulses to be transmitted. As shown the device C consists of a fixed shaft l6 carrying a sleeve IT rotatable and slidable with respect thereto and having a contact-making arm I8 at one end, a longitudinal ratchet H) by which the sleeve IT can be stepped from right to left, a rotary ratchet by which the sleeve may be rotated on the shaft l6 and a spring 2| which is adapted to tend to restore the shaft I! to a normal position both as regards axial movement along the shaft l6 and rotary movement round the shaft. The axial movement of the sleeve I1 is adapted to be effected by the pawl-controlling magnet 22 which is stepped with the transmitted impulses to move the contact-carrying arm l8 step-by-step until its projecting contact 23 engages with one of the pins of a mechanical linkage B. Engagement of this contact causes the impulse transmission to cease, the magnet 24 is operated to allow the sleeve I! to restore to normal, the rotary magnet 25 is operated to rotate the sleeve through one step so as to bring the contact-making member 23 opposite to an adjacent pin in the same row and the operation repeats.

The arrangement is such that the first impulse is not transmitted to the line so that when the number of trains of impulses that have to be transmitted is completed, the contact 23 engages a pin slightly longer than any of the pins which control the transmission of the series of impulses and this has the efiect of terminating the impulse transmission when the release magnet 26 is operated and the sleeve Il restored to its normalcondition.

It will be understood that as shown the rows of holes l3 are curved to conform with the rotary movement of the arm I8. They could, however, be arranged in a straight line if a suitable mechanical linkage were provided between the contact 23 and the arm l8, all that is essential being that a contact arm for each position should only be capable of engaging with one pin for each position and for this purpose contact 23 must be on the end of a rod of suflicient length to reach the shortest pin without the arm I8 and any member supported thereby contacting with pins in adjacent positions.

Referring to the alternative arrangement shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and '7 the drum I0 is replaced by two

circular plates

30 and 31 mounted on a shaft 32 which is controlled by means not shown but which may be similar to the means for controlling the drum A. These circular plates are spaced apart as shown and are provided with radial slots 33 at or near their periphery, there being one radial slot for each angular position which the plates are adapted to take up, that is to say that in place of 100 rows of holes as in the drum I0 there would be 100 slots in each plate. Furthermore the slots in. each plate would be in the same angular relationship so that plates 34, such as shown in Fig. 4, may be secured therein so as to lie at right angles to the

plates

30 and 3|. The

plates

30 and 3| are secured to

flanges

35 and 38 respectively, which flanges carry

radial springs

31, 38 either individual to each slot or individual to a number of slots as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. A plate such as 34 is adapted when placed in any of the slots to be secured in position by the

appropriate springs

31 and 38 engaging in

grooves

39 and 40 in the plate 34. These grooves are so shaped as to permit of the ready removal and replacement of the plates in the slot. Plates such as 34 act as mechanical linkages corresponding to the units such as B in Fig. 1, each plate being recessed on its outer side in a stepped manner, corresponding to the translation it is desired to effect. Fig. 7 shows a plate 34 in position in a pair ofslots of the discs 30 and. 3|.

Fig. 4 shows the shape of the stepped slots-for a translation of six digits 150072. Provision may be .made in the plate for the generation of any number of series of impulses but conveniently the number 10 has been selected as a maximum, while the example under consideration of course only deals with six digits, For each digit there is allotted a vertical strip of the plate 34 having a constant width, so that every plate has a strip for corresponding digits in the same relative position.

The element for use with this construction may be of substantially the same form as described with reference to Fig. l, the contact 23 in this case engaging with the bottom of the various stepped slots which correspond to the various digits to be transmitted. It will be appreciated that in this case the size of the contact member must be such as to penetrate to the bottom of each slot which it would only do if it does not foul the sides of any adjacent plates or adjacent slots. Instead of having individual retaining springs for each of the plates such as 34 a limited number may be provided shaped as shown in Fig. 5 which allows for a total of six, for each of the

circular plates

30 and 3|.

The operation will now be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. It will be assumed that the impulses will be received upon the line relay RA which is operated as soon as the circuit across the incoming line is closed; at contact ml the circuit for the slow release relay RB is completed. RB on operating at contact rbl completes a circuit for the right-hand winding of relay RC through contacts DNI which are operated when the drum is moved off-normal; at contact Th2 a circuit is prepared for the left-hand winding of relay RC and the tens magnet TM, at Th3 a point is closed in the circuit of relay RK. In response to the first series of impulses the magnet TM is operated to cause the drum to step through large angular movements corresponding in number to the number of impulses received. At the end of the series of impulses when contact ml remains in its closed position the relay RC releases due to contact DNI being opened at this time. The circuit is now completed for relay RK through contact rcl and off-normal contacts DN2 which are closed when the drum moves offnormal. Relay RK locks up at contact rkl and at contact r762 connects up magnet UM. In response to the next series of impulses the drum is stepped through small angular steps corresponding in number to the number of impulses received in the second train. Relay RC is energised in this circuit and completes a circuit for relay RCX at contact 102. When the second train of impulses ceases relay RC releases and a circuit is completed through contacts r103, 1'02, rlsl, rczcl and relay RTN. Relay RTN energises and locks energised over contact rtnl and at contact 1'tn2 (see Fig. 9) a circuit is prepared for relay RES in series with impulsing springs GD of an impulse sender having a 33% break and a 67% make of its contact. If and when springs GD close relay RHS energises and at contact rhsl completes a circuit for relay RSL through contacts rls I and sxm l. Impulsing springs LP which are controlled synchronously with springs GD for instance by means of a drive common to a plurality of impulse senders are connected across the outgoing line which however is normally shunted by the contact rslll. The impulse springs LP have a 33% make and a break, the springs LP and GD being operated so that when one makes, the other breaks and vice versa. When relay RSL is energised as previously described and opens its contacts rsll the contacts LP have just opened but as contact NP2 is still closed no impulse is yet transmitted. Relay RSL locks energised over contact 1312 independent of contact rhsl. Relay RHS at contact rhs2 also completes a circuit for relay RHX, which looks energised at contacts rhxl and at contact ThClIZ prepares a circuit for the horizontal step magnet 22. When the contacts GD next open relay RHS releases and completes a circuit for magnet 22 causing the sleeve I! to be stepped one step to the left while contacts LP close. The next Opening and closing of contacts GD result in the contact 23 being advanced a further step while due to opening of contact NP2 at the beginning of the second step a first impulse is transmitted by contacts LP which are no longer short-circuited. The operation proceeds step by step until the contact 23 engages one of the pins of the selected linkage B when a circuit is completed as follows: earth, contact 23, pin of linkage B. drum A, contact NPI (which with contact NP2 is operated when the sleeve has moved beyond the first step from its normal position), relay SXM to battery. Reday SXM operates and at contact smm3 completes a locking circuit for itself through con tact SNI which is closed when the sleeve l1 first moves off-normal. At contact srm2 the locking circuit for relay RI-IX is opened and RHX releases. At contact sxml the locking circuit for relay RSL is opened and this relay releases. Contact s.rm4 completes a circuit for the release magnet 24 so that the sleeve [1 restores to normal in an axial direction. Contact szcm5 completes a circuit for relay R0 and contact swmB completes a circuit for relay PA which is held operated over contact rol; relay PA at contact p'al opens the circuit of relay RHS. When the sleeve reaches its normal position contact SNI opens and relay SXM releases whereupon a momentary circuit is completed for magnet 25 over contacts smm5 and T02. Magnet 25 rotates the sleeve I1 one step. Due to the opening of the circuit of relay R0 at samS by the release of relay SXM, contact r02 opens shortly after, consequently the contact 23 is now brought opposite the second pin of the linkage B. Contact ro l opens the circuit of relay PA. Relay PA at contact pal prepares the original circuit for relay RHS so that the operation can now be repeated as regards the transmission of the next train of impulses. As relays PA and R0 are both slow to release it will be appreciated that a suitable pause is introduced between sucoesive trains of impulses.

When the last train of impulses it is required to transmit has been sent an extra long pin is placed in the next hole opposite which the contact 23 is set so that when the sleeve is moved the :first step oif-lnormal before the contacts NPI or NP2 are operated, contact 23 engages this long pin and a circuit is completed from earth, 23, longpin of linkage B. drum A, contact NPI, relay RLS to battery. Relay RLS energises and at contact rZsZ completes a circuit for release magnet RM allowing the drum A to rotate to normal. At contact 1153 the locking circuit of relay RTN is opened and relay RTN releasesv At T184 a circuit is completed for release magnet 24 to permit the sleeve to restore in an axial direction along the shaft l6, relay PA being energised over contact 1155 and sleeve-c-fi-normal contact 8N2. At 'rZsS a circuit is completed for magnet 25 to allow the s eeve IT to restore in a rotary direction.

The mechanical register-translator is now restored to normal as well as the associated relays other than relays RA and RB which are automatically cut out of circuit following well-known practice in connection with register-translators when the register-translator is freed for setting up other connections. Similarly other auxiliary circuits including forced release due to delay to dial, permanent faults or the like can be incorporated in the circuit in a way similar to that adopted with the known register-translator circuits.

It is to be noted that if ever relays RA and RB are released for any reason such as the calling party releasing the connection before the register-translator has gone through its complete cycle of operations then a circuit is completed for relay RLS over contacts ml, Th2 and DN3 which effects the restoration of the whole of the mechanism to normal whatever the stage it has reached in its operation.

It will be appreciated that the element A may be set by one or more trains of impulses although it is described with reference to two, which is the most usual. The fundamental feature 01 A is that there should be a separate setting position for every translation it is desired to eiiect or that there should be the same setting position for a limited number of translations and means controlled by one train of impulses for selecting the translation to be used. In this latter case there might be a plurality of drums or a single drum with a plurality of sets of linkages B side by side. If there are only a small number of translations and the controlling impulses are formed of a number of series of impulses then it might be desirable to control the movement of the element A in a different way than by direct control by the impulses. Also the shaft of the drum A might be provided with a wiper engaging a number of contacts and a contact could be marked for instance by an operator pressing an appropriate key to cause the drum automatically to set itself to a position corresponding to the key depressed.

Similarly the element C which as described is actuated by impulses from a generator associated with a translator simultaneously with the transmission of impulses may itself work automatically under suitable control and generate the impulses for transmission.

It will be appreciated that while the operation of the drum is effected by the received impulses this ma not be altogether satisfactory owing to the moment of inertia which the drum will possess and for this purpose it may be arranged that the drum is power driven and released by the impulses or controlled by a source of power for a definite movement for each impulse. The pins of the linkage B may be replaced by screws or alternatively the whole of a code may be formed in one unit and secured in the drum. This would approximate to the plates employed in the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

The use of plates or other equivalent has the advantage that the whole code can be changed in a much shorter time. For instance the code for a particular transmission or routing may be prepared beforehand for all the register translators which require it and inserted in one single operation instead of individual operations for each train of impulses it is required to transmit.

It will be understood that a mechanical register-translator according to the invention may not only generate impulses for setting up a connection but may also generate metering pulses for which a. special position may be allocated in the linkage B.

What I claim as new and desire to secur by Letters Patent is:

1. In a register sender, a plurality of series of mechanical devices, each series preset in accordance with a plurality of digits, means responsive to received impulses and operated thereby to select a particular one of said series, a transmitting device, and means for operating said transmitting device under control of said selected series to transmit a plurality of series of impulses corresponding to the digits for which the pre selected series of devices is preset.

2. In a register-sender, a sender, a control arm, means for repeatedly operating said arm to cause transmission of a plurality of series of impulses one series for each operation, the number of impulses in each series determined by the extent of movement of said arm, the number of series of impulses transmitted determined by the number of repeated operations of said arm, a controller, means for setting said controller to any of a plu rality of positions in response to a series of impulses, each position of the controller having means for determining the extent of movement of said arm in each of its plurality of operations and the number of operations thereof, each position of the controller causing said arm to transmit a particular plurality of series of impulses having a particular plurality of impulses in each series.

3. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which impulses of a plurality of series are rcceived by the device, and in which there is means responsive to the received impulse series to set the controller to a particular position.

4. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which said controller comprises a step-bystep mechanical device having a plurality of groups of mechanical limiting devices, one group for each POsition and wherein said controller is rotated responsive to received impulses to bring a particular group of limiting devices into operative relation with said arm.

5. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which there is means for causing the repeated movement of said arm first in an axial direction to control the transmission of one series of impulses, then in another direction to prepare for transmission of the next series of impulses, and then again in an axial direction to transmit another series of impulses.

6. In a register-sender, means for receiving incoming impulses and a sender for transmitting a plurality of series of impulses having a definite relation to the incoming impulses, said means comprising a rotatable element having a plurality of paths thereon each including a plurality of limiting devices, said sender including a repeatedly operated arm, said rotatable element selectively operated by received impulses to present a particular one of its paths to said arm, and means for then operating said arm repeatedly to engage each of the limiting devices in the selected path, to transmit a particular series of impulses for each limiting device engaged.

7. In a register-sender, means for receiving impulses and a sender for transmitting a plurality of series of impulses, a controller for said sender comprising a member mounted for motion in a forward direction in each of a plurality of paths, means responsive to received impulses for interposing a stop in the path of said member in each of said paths to determine the extent of movement of said member therein, means for then operating said member in its forward movement in a first path, said sender transmitting impulses throughout said forward movement,

means for stopping the transmission of impulses when the member engages the stop in said first path and causing the member to shift and move forward in succeeding paths, the distance moved by said member in each path determining the number of impulses transmitted by the sender in a single series.

8. A register-sender such as claimed in claim 7 in which the stop member of any path has a particular position which will prevent further operations of said member and sto the transmission of impulses. 7

9 In a register sender, means for receiving incoming impulses corresponding to digits, and means for transmitting series of impulses corre sponding to digits, an element having endwise and rotary movement, a controller having means for determining the extent of endwise movement of said element, means for operating said controller in response to incoming impulses corresponding to one or more digits to a particular position, means for then operating said element repeatedly in a forward movement in each of a plurality of rotary positions, said sender transmitting impulses in a series for each forward movement of said element, said controller in accordance with its position limiting the forward movement of the element in different manners in each of its rotary positions to determine the number of impulses transmitted in each series.

10. A register-sender as claimed in claim 9 in which the position to which the controller is operated also determines the number of rotary positions in which the element is operated to thereby limit the number of series of impulses transmitted.

11. In a register translator, a sender, a mechanical device having a plurality of positions, and a plurality of limiting devices in each position, said mechanical device operated by a series of impulses to one of its positions, said sender having an element movable different distances to transmit different series of impulses, said element operated to transmit the same number or a greater or smaller number of series of impulses than was received by the said mechanical device, said element controlled in the number of series of impulses transmitted by the limiting devices in that position.

12. In a register sender, a mechanical controller having a plurality of positions, each position having a plurality of preset limiting devices, means for operating said mechanical controller to a selected one of its positions, each movement of the controller moving all of said limiting devices as'a unit, a transmitter, a control arm for the transmitter, means for repeatedly operating said arm to transmit a plurality of series of impulses, determined by the position of the controller.

DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL.