US2479678A - Crossbar switch having a plurality of selecting magnets with a common control and a common release magnet - Google Patents

Description

g- 1949' K. w. GRAYBILL ET AL 2,479,678

I CROSS-BAR SWITCH HAVING A PLURALITY OF SELECTING MAGNETS WITH A COMMON CONTROL AND A COMMON RELEASE MAGNET Filed Nov. 21, 1945 3 Sheecs-Sheet l INVENTORS. KENNETH W. GRAYBILL HANS SENGEBUSCH ATTORNEY g 1949- K. w. GRAYBILL ET AL 2,479,673

CROSS-BAR SWITCH HAVING A PLURALITY OF SELECTING MAGNETS WITH A COMMON CONTROL AND A COMMON RELEASE MAGNET Filed NOV. 21, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS 29 (as- H [31L- 4 INVENTORS. KENNETH W. GRAYBILL HANS SENGEBUSGH ATTOREY g- 1949- K. w. GRAYBILL ET AL 2,479,678

CROSS-BAR SWITCH HAVING A PLURALITY OF SELECTING MAGNETS WITH A COMMON CONTROL AND A COMMON RELEASE MAGNET Filed Nov. 21, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG? [IUUEIEIUUDUDUDHUUUUUUU FIG. IO

36 H H H H H H H H E) f 1] INVENTORS. j H H W w w -A O KENNETH w. GRAYBlLL 58 HANS SENGEBUSCH ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROSSBAR SWITCH HAVING OF SELECTING MAGNETS WITH A COM- MON CONTROL AND A COMMON RELEASE MAGNET Kenneth W. Graybill, Elmhurst, and Hans 'Seng'ebusch, Villa Park, Ill., assignors to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, 111., a'corporation of Delaware Application November 21, 1945, Serial No.'.630,065

.ment required.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved cross-bar switch wherein a single-group of magnets serves to selectively control both rankand file selecting members.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved cross-bar switch wherein an actuated contact set is mechanically latched under the control of a common release magnet.

Cross-bar switches have heretofore been disclosed wherein a number of contact sets are disposed in intersecting rows and wherein two intersecting groups of selecting members areaas to permit restoration of the selecting members and associated magnets; and in which the operated contact set is released by the reoperation of one or both of the members used to operate said contact set.

The principal features of the present invention are the provision of an improved cross-bar switch having individual magnets for actuating each member of one group of selecting members wherein the members of anothergroup of selecting members intersecting the first group are selectively actuated by the joint operation of one of said selecting magnets and a common control magnet, wherein the actuated selecting member of said other group is maintained actuated by said control magnet when the selecting magnet restores, wherein the subsequent operation of one of said selecting magnets causes the operation of a contact set at the intersection of the two actuated selecting members, wherein said contact set :is mechanically latched when the select.

2 ing and control magnets restore, wherein subsequent operations of any of the selecting magnets will not disturb theconnection established by said one contact set and wherein said one contact set is released by the operation of a common release magnet.

Other features of the invention will appear upon a further perusal of the specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings comprising Figs. '1.to 1'0, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective skeleton view of a portion of a .switch'ingmechan-ism constructed in accordance with itheinvention;

Fig. 2 is another perspective showing the method of mounting one of the contact sets and an operating member therefor;

Figs. '3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate various steps in the operation of the switching mechanism of .Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the switching mechanism of Fig. 1 including the supporting frame and other details of construction;

Fig. '8 is a front view as seen from the bottom of Fig. '7;

.Fig. 9 a rear view as seen from the top of Fig.7; and

Fig. 10 is a side view as seen from the right of Fig. 7.

The invention will first be briefly described, after which a detailed description of the illustrated embodiment thereof will be given. A plureality of contact sets are :disposed in intersecting rows and two intersecting groups of selecting members are provided for selectively operating any of thecontact sets through operating members indivdual thereto. Each selecting member of one group is arranged to move a row of the operating members so that any one of the operating members so moved may be engaged by corre sponding ones of the selecting members in the second group to operate the contact set at the intersection of the two actuated selecting mem-- bers. Individual magnets are provided for actuating each selecting member in the second group. The drawing illustrates two of the ten selecting magnets. A common control magnet is provided 'for operating the selecting members in the first-group. This control magnet is normally ineffective to operate any of the members associated therewith unless one of the selecting magnets is operated, in which case a correspond- .ing linger is moved by the operated selecting magnet so that the control magnet is effective to actuate a selecting member in the first group which corresponds to the operated selecting magnet. These fingers are arranged so that the control magnet is effective to hold the actuated selecting member in the first group after the selecting magnet is released. Thus by first operating a selecting magnet, next operating the control magnet, and then releasing the selecting V magnet; the selecting member in the first group corresponding to the operated selecting magnet will be actuated and held by the control magnet. The actuated selecting member moves its associated row of operating members so that a subsequent operation of any of the selecting magnets will operate the contact set located at the intersection of the selecting member in the first group held by the control magnet and the selecting member in the second group actuated by the subsequently operated selecting magnet. A latching mechanism is provided which is operated in response to the restoration of the control magnet to hold the actuated selecting member in the second group when the selecting magnet associated therewith is subsequently released. The operated contact set is thus held independently of the selecting and control magnets. A common release magnet is provided for releasing the latching mechanism to permit restoration of the switching mechanism to normal.

Referring now to Fig. 1, portions of two of the selecting magnets, I and 2, are shown, Each of these magnets comprises abar of magnetic material of rectangular cross-section with a winding on the central portion of the bar. These magnets are provided with magnetic armatures,

such as 31 and 4 4, which are bars of L-shaped cross-section having a portion cut out of the center thereof to clear the magnet winding. Each of these armatures has a pair of arms, such as 4 and 5, extending from one end thereof. Each armature has a further arm, such as B, welded thereto at a predetermined distance from one end thereof, which distance is different for each armature. These latter arms engage slots in corresponding selecting members, such as 38, 38'

and 38", hereinafter termed file selecting mem-' V bers. The arms 5 each engage a contact spring set, such as 3, not shown in Fig. 1 but which may be seen in Figs. 7 and 8. Each of the magnet armatures is pivoted so as to permit rotation thereof about an axis parallel to the length of the associated magnet. The pivot points are located near the corner of the L-shaped cross-section at either end of the armature. Thus when magnet 2 is energized, the armature 31 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction causing the selecting member 38 to move towards the lower right corner of the drawing. These file selecting members are biassed towards the upper left corner of the drawing by fiat springs, such as 9, engaging slots, such as ill, in the ends thereof. These springs are not shown in Fig. 1 but may be seen in Figs. 7 and 9. The biassing of the file selecting members in turn biasses the armatures, such as 31, in a clockwise direction against stops, such as l I, shown in Figs. 7 to 9.

Two further selecting members, such as 4|, hereinafter termed rank selecting members, are shown intersecting the file selecting members. Each of these rank selecting members is pivoted so as to permit rotation thereof about an axis perpendicular to and intersecting the file selecting members. Arms, such as 40, extend from one end of each of these rank selecting members. A control member l4, common to all of the rank selectingmembers, is located 'ustabove the arms such as 40 and 5. A number of resilient fingers, such as I5, are welded at one end to the control member M. The free ends of these fingers are positioned so as to be ope'ratively moved by the arms, such as 4, extending from the armatures of the selecting magnets. When so moved the lowermost portion 39 of the free end of the finger I5 is in position to engage the arm, such as 40, extending from the corresponding rank selecting member so as to rotate said member in a clockwise direction when the control member M is moved towards the lower right part of the drawing by the operation of a control magnet I6, which is provided with an armature l'l engaging a slot is at the end of the control member. A coil spring l9 biasses the armature l7 and control member l4 towards the upper left part of the drawing. Each of the rank selecting members is biassed in a counter-clockwise direction against a stop, such as 51, by a coil spring, such as 49; which stops and springs are shown in Fig. 9. Each of the rank selecting members has a number of arms, such as 2|, extending therefrom; each of these arms being located immediately above a corresponding one of the file selecting members. These arms each support a contact operating member, such as 43, made of elecrical insulating material. The operating members are each provided with two slots by means of which they are suspended on hooks projecting from a frame member as illustrated in Fig. 2. These operating members are not engaged by the file selecting members when the rank selecting members are in their normal positions, but when a rank selecting member is rotated, as previously described, the operating members associated therewith drop until their lower edges are engaged in slots in the file selecting members located thereunder. With a row of operating members engaged in the slots in the file selecting members, the operation of any of these file selecting members by their associated magnets will cause the lowermost edge of an operating member to be moved towards the lower left portion of the drawing thereby causing the active contacts, such as 23, associated with the operating member to engage corresponding passive contacts, such as 24, which in the preferred form illustrated take the form of bare wires.

The latching mechanism is shown at the lower right portion of Fig. 1. This mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft 25 having a plate 26 and a cam 2'! secured thereto. A number of flat springs, such as 28, are riveted to the plate 26 at their uppermost ends. Each of these springs is positioned so as to normally clear the end of the file selecting member aligned therewith when the shaft 25 is rotated counter-clockwise. The shaft 25 is biassed in a clockwise direction by a fiat spring 29 engaging an arm 30 which extends from the shaft. A further arm 3i Fig. '7, extending from the shaft engages a frame member to limit the clockwise rotation of the shaft. The spring 29 and arms 30 and 3| are shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A pawl 32 is pivotally secured to the end of the control member I4 and is biassed against the cam 21 by a coil spring 33. When the control member I4 is actuated by the operation of the control magnet IS, the pawl 32 drops 34;or:=3|" tormedattheend thereof. The ten.- sion' of the flatspring. -such..a.s. 28,- against the lug, such as 34, overcomes the opposin'gtbias exerted on the file selecting member by the. flat spring, such as 9, engaging theslet, such-as ill,

at the opposite end thereof; thercbyholding the file selecting member actuated. after the associated selecting-magnetais released. =When the control magnet -l i restores, the actuated rank selecting member is released causing all of the operating members associated therewith excepting that-held by the actuatediileselecting member. to be raised out --oiengagement with their corresponding-file selectingmembers.

The connection established as described above is released by the operation of the common re- "lease magnet 35 having an arm 36, biased by spring 12, extending 'from the armature thereof.

The arm (iii-raises the-pawl out ofengagement with the tooth in thecam-fl to thereby permit restoration of the shaft-2i and the actuated file selecting member when magnetiii-is energized.

When the actuatcdflle selectedmember restores, the tension of the active con-tact springs. such as which illustrate various steps in-the sequence of operations. All details notncccssary to an understanding of the opeiation have been omitted from these figures to avoid confusion. In Fig, 3 the mechanism is shown atgnormal. v the magnet armature--81 ha been operated,

In F 4 h y ct ati sthe rresp dingfl c s ct membe sa to the lef wlthout-efiect at the mom n and, d essi gflnge J5 i oa ositi he e 9 en a es t e. arm. 0 ex en in r se ec in member 1. some con ro member l s o e a e o theleit bythc subscquentcns a n of. con ro magnet: 1'6. thereb rotatin th mem er aboutits pi ot po n .2. Th

rotat on f membe l. e m sall of. t e .opera ing members, such as '43 and43', associated therew th to dro r rari din-came selectin m mbe 8 is ti l.actu= .ted.ithe co re pondin one. Qftbe operati g nicmb rsr leased b .meml he M wil itc t. on'thc. m mber .38. until it reres andt is one: .1 18 member. will. then drop comp e ely. t. s ould b noted...that pawl 32 ha en a ed the iootnin. cam; 11 .prost ate v tating. sha t 5.; clockwise the contr l ma nctifi. s su sequent y. r leased. .In Big 5,.mas-

.n t. a mat re 13 has. becurcicascd. thereby pern1 insfrle sele ti sin mb r 3.8 associated therewith t r tore. .Flngcnfliifi. remains. depressed sinc it is at hed und r. he arm 110: the ank selectin m mber 4iv whichis herefor heldactu tcd. Ma net armature 4 was-s bs q ently o erated th reby ac uatinafih electin member '38 whichv-intu n actuated the operatin m mber 4 locatcdetthe intersection of se1e.ct.

m mbers M. and 3 5. .1131. hus cremat d.v he

conta t setassoc' t wi hcme n er-fli. Th control mag et l 1s then-released. as Shown in Fi 6. causing control member. ii to r s e t e r h herestoration ofmember l4 rotate shaft... 25. n, a,.c .ockwi c..d. cc ion. thus, causin s ing- 2.8 o engase uaafl-formodrat theendo =-memher- 38', ther by .hold ngthislm m er a uated after a net rmatu e.-nassub eeuen ly released. All other springs corresponding .to.

.coil spring 49. Operating member-J3 is frictionally held due to the tensionof its associated active contact springs which press it against selecting member 38'. The displacement of operating member. 4.3 to theleit provides clearance between itselfand .the inclined arm of selecting member 4!, upon which it normally rests, to thereby prevent interference with the restoration of the member 4|. When the release magnetv 85 is subsequently operated its armature raises the pawl 32 to disengage it from the tooth or cam 21, thus permitting the shaft to rotate counterclockwise to its normal position. Selecting mem- -.ber 38! consequently will be releasedv and restores to the right. The pressure exerted on operating member 43 by its associated contact. set. now forces it up the inclinedarm of member 4| to its normal resting position. thereon as. shownin Fig. 3.

As briefly mentioned heretofore,- the. switching -mechanism is preferably. constructedso asto extend connections directly to barewiremultiples, rather than to individual. contacts. since it is particularly intended for use in .telephoneswitching systems. In such an application the individual contacts of a number of corresponding switches would-have to be. connected together by strap wires. A considerable saving isefiected when these individual contaotsand associated wiring are eliminated. In ordertousebare wire -multiplesto which circuits are'directly extended,

a number of identical switches are mounted one above the other with the bare wire multiples extending therebetween in parallel-vertical planes.

.This form of construction has been illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 which show the uppermost switch of a group. For convenience, there are ten vertical multiples each including lO gr-oups of conductors, each group comprising four conductors. Each switch includes one hundred active contact sets, each includin fourtcontacts, arranged in ten ranks of ten sets each. The forty conductors in each multiple are supported by insulating blocks, such-as 48, shown in'Figs 2, 7, and 9. The insulating blocks-of each multipleare secured to a panel, such as 22,: at spaced intervals. As may be seenin -Fig. 2, hookshaped flat contact springs, such as 23,are clamped at one end between the insulating blocks and, clamping plates, such as 52, with the free ends of the springs aligned with corresponding ones of the multiple conductors, such as 24. As previously mentioned, the contact operating members are suspended on hooks which are formed; in the clamping plates. The free ends of the contact -ber of switches in the whole unit. Each, of; the

above assemblies 7 includes two end plates, such as 53 and 54, Big 7, which are secured to the panels. and whi h i turn support the selectin ma'gnets, the armatures therefor, and the rank selecting'members. As may be seen in Fig. 9, -one of the end plates of each pair is formed with extending arms, such as I I, 56, and 57, which serve as armature backstops, rank selecting member bearing supports, and rank selecting member stops, respectively. Ten such completed panels stand vertically, front to back, and are secured together by tie plates, such as 58 and '59. An end panel 60 is also secured to the tie plates. The end panel supports the control'relay l6, guide plates slidably supporting the file selecting members, and the fiat springs 9 for biassing 'these' members. Similar guide plates, such as 6|, are secured to the panel on the right as shown in Fig. 10. The latching mechanism for each switch is also secured to this latter panel. The -release relay .35 is attached to an arm extending from tie plate 58, which also supports the contact sets, such as 3, associated with each selecting 'magnet. The control member [4 is slidably secured to the tieplate 58 by shoulder rivets, such "as 62, as shown inFig. 8. At the right of this figure there is shown a contact set 63 which is arranged tobe closed, whenever the latching :mechanism is operated, by the arm 33' extending from the latching mechanism shaft. These springs are used to open the circuit to the release magnet 35 after the latching mechanism is released thereby.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that numerous modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts vmay be resortedto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is; l

1. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of contact sets disposed in ranks and files, a pinrality of magnets each corresponding to a rank and to a file of said contact sets, a control magnet, means controlled by the operation of one of said magnets and said control magnet for selecting the corresponding rank of contact sets, and means responsive to a subsequent operation of any one of said magnets for selectively operating the'contact set in the corresponding file and in the previously selected rank.

2.The combination in a cross-bar switch of a plurality of selecting magnets, a common magnet, a plurality of contact sets controlled by said magnets, and means responsive to the operation of one of said selecting magnets in conjunction with the operation of said commonmagnet fol lowed by the release of said one selecting magnet and the operation of a second one of said selecting magnets for selectively operating one of said contact sets corresponding to said two selecting magnets.

3. In a switching mechanism,'ranks and files of contact sets, a group of rank selecting members, a group of file selecting members, a group of magnets each corresponding to a rank selecting member and each associated with a file selecting member, a'normally ineffective control member, fingers operated by said magnets rendering said control member efiective to operate a corresponding rank selecting member, said operated rank selecting member being held by said control member independently of said magnets, operating members individual to said contact sets, said operated rank selecting member causing a corresponding rank of said operating memtiers to be moved into operative relationship with ported thereby to fallby gravity into engagement with said second group of bars, and means;

said file selecting members, whereby subsequent operations of said magnets are effective to selectively operate .contact sets in the selected rank.-

4. In a switching mechanism as claimed in claim 3, latching means operated inresponse to a subsequent operation of said control member to hold'the file selecting member associated With;- the subsequently operated magnet independently thereof.

5. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of contact sets disposed in ranks and files, a plurality of selecting magnets each corresponding to a rank and to a file of said contact sets, a common magnet, means responsive to the joint operation of one of said selecting magnets and said common magnet for selecting the corresponding rank of said contact sets, and means responsive to a subsequent operation of one of said selectby said members in response to the sequential operation of certain of said magnets for selectively operating one or said contact sets and in response to a reversal in the order of operation of said same certain magnets for selectively operating a different one of said contact sets.

8. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of contact sets disposed in ranks and files, a plurality of magnets each corresponding to a rank and to a file of said contact sets, a common magnet, and means responsive to the successive operation of one of said selecting magnets, said common magnet, and another one of said selecting magnets for selectively operating one of said contact sets in accordance with the selecting magnets operated and the order of operation .thereof.

9. In a switching mechanism, a first group of; parallel bars, a second group of parallel bars intersecting said first group, a contact set at each; point of intersection of said bars, individual con- .tactfoperating members normally supported by the first group of bars, means operated to actu-. ate any one of the bars in said first group to per-. mitthe'contact operating members normally supoperated to actuate any one of the bars in said; second group to selectively operate the contact set at the intersection of said two actuated bars.

10. A v switch comprising two intersecting groups of selecting members, a separately operable contact set at each point of intersection, a control magnet and a plurality of selecting magnets for operating said members, and means operated by said members in response to the operation. of a pair of said selecting magnets and said control magnet for selectively operating one of said contact sets in case one of said selecting magnets of said pair is operated before the other selecting magnet of said pair and for selectively operating another of .said contact sets in case "said other selecting magnet and said control magnet is operated before said one selecting; magnet a V 11. In a cross-bar switch, two groups of crossed bars, individual magnets for operating each bar in one of said groups, a common magnet for operating any bar in the other of said groups, and means responsive to the operation of one of said individual magnets for selecting a corresponding one of the bars in said other group to be operated by said common magnet.

12. In a switching mechanism, a plurality of contact sets arranged in ranks and files, a pair of magnets each corresponding to one rank and one file of contact sets, means operated by said pair of magnets for operating a contact set in either of two ranks or in either of two files, the magnet of the pair first operated determining the rank of the contact set to be operated and the magnet subsequently operated determining the file of the contact set to be operated, and means for operating said pair of magnets sequentially in one order or in the reverse order whereby a contact set in either of two ranks and files may be operated dependent upon the order of operation of said pair of magnets.

13. A switch comprising a first group of selecting members and a second group of selecting members which intersect said first group members at a plurality of points of intersections, a separately operable contact set at each point of intersection, magnets for operating said members, each said magnet being individual to a first group member and individual to a second group member, means responsive to the operation of a first magnet for operating its individual first group member, means for thereafter operating the second group member individual to said operated first magnet, means responsive to the release of said first magnet for releasing its individual first group member, said first means responsive to the reoperation of said first magnet for reoperating its individual first group member, and means operated in response to the reoperation of said first group member for operating the contact set at the intersection point of said reoperated first group member and said operated second group member.

14. In a cross-bar switch, a first magnet, a second magnet, a first and a second bar individual to each magnet, said bars intersecting each other at four points of intersections, a separately operable contact set at each point of intersection, means responsive to a first operation, the release and then a reoperation of said first magnet for operating its individual first and second bars to operate the contact set at the intersection of said first and second bars individual to said first magnet, means responsive to a first operation,

10 the release and then a reoperation of said second magnet for operating its individual first and second bars to operate the contact set at the intersection of said first and second bars individual to said second magnet, means responsive to a first operation of said first magnet, the release of said first magnet and then the operation of said second magnet for operating said second bar individual to said first magnet and then said first bar individual to said second magnet to operate the contact set at the intersection of said second bar individual to said first magnet and said first bar individual to said second magnet, and means responsive to a first operation of said second magnet, the release of said second magnet and then the operation of said first magnet for operating said second bar individual to said second magnet and said first bar individual to said first magnet to operate the contact set at the intersection of said second bar individual to said second magnet and said first bar individual to said first magnet.

15. In a cross-bar switch, intersecting bars, a first magnet, a second magnet, a first, a second, a third and a, fourth set of contacts, means responsive to a first operation, the release and then a reoperation of said first magnet for operating a first pair of said intersecting bars to operate said first set of contacts, means responsive to a first operation, the release and then the reoperation of said second magnet for operating a second pair of said intersecting bars to operate said second set of contacts, means responsive to a first operation of said first magnet, the release or said first magnet and then the operation of said second magnet for operating a third pair of said 1 intersecting bars to operate said third set of contacts, and means responsive to a first operation of said second magnet, the release of said second magnet and then the operation of said first magnet for operating a fourth pair of said intersecting bars to operate said fourth set of contacts.

KENNETH W. GRAYBILL. HANS SENGEBUSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,472,503 Taylor Oct. 30, 1923 2,021,329 Reynolds Nov. 19, 1935 2,338,181 Holden W Jan. 4, 1944

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