US248138A - Telephone-exchange apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) hem-sheet 1.

0.. E. BUELL-r TELEPHONE EXCHANGE APPARATUS.

No. 248,138, Patented Oct. 11,1881.

(No Model.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet '2. O. E. BU ELL.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE-APPARATUS.

No. 248,138. men d Oct. 11,1881.

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WITNESSES:

MOM BEN-(0L N PETERS. Phulu-Lilhumpher. Wnxhmgmm D, C.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

CHARLES E. vBUELL, OF NE'VV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO JAMES SMITH, OE HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, AND GEORGE W. COY, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,138, dated October 11, 1881.

I Application filed June 15, 1881. No model.)

new and useful Improvements in Telephone- Exchange Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention constitutes an improvement upon that class of telephone-exchange apparatus in which the connection and disconnection of the subscribers lines with one another are effected from the subscribers stations and. without the assistance of ceutral-office attendants.

Although I have shown in theaccompanyin g drawings one particular form of automatic switch for the purpose of illustration, my invention is applicable to any automatic exchange apparatus.

As hitherto constructed, automatic switch apparatus has been defective in that it has been impossible for direct communication to be held, telephonically or otherwise, between the central office and subscribers over the wires used in operating the switch and in communicating between subscribers,while,fu rth er, in case of accident to the switch or derangement thereof, the business of the exchange would for the time being come to a stand-still.

The objectof my invention is to remedy these defects and to provide means whereby, without disturbing the automatic switch, oral communication may be held between the central office and any subscriber, or vice versa, while, further, in case of derangement of any portionv or all of the automatic switch devices, communication may still be held between subscribers.

To this end my invention consists in interposing between the automatic switch and the subscribers lines a manually-operated telephone-exchange switch of any ordinary construction, the various subscribers circuits passing through said switch to the automatic switch, means being also provided for connecting the various lines to ground before passing .to the automatic switch and for disconnecting or breaking the connection to ground through the latter. 0

I have shown in the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2, two forms of manually-operated switch and two ways of carrying out my invention. Other switch-hoards and other means or devices for making the various elect-rical connections contemplated by me may,

7 however, be substituted for those shownwithout departing from the spirit of theinvention. Referring to Fig. l of the-drawings, A rep resents a section of an automatic switch constructed after the manner set forth in Letters Patent of the United States granted M. D. and TA. Connolly and T. J. McTighe,December 9, 1879, No. 222,458, before referred to, wire 6 of the subscribers wires beingshown as connected thereto. I

The various subscribers circuits are numbered from 1 to 6, consecutively, and each passes to the automatic switch and its earth-connections through a manually-operated telephone 7 switch-board, C, interposed between the auto matic switch A and the various lines. Entering the central office, each circuit is, through an annunciator and call-bell, a,;to a key on switch, I), adapted to disconnect the line from the switch-board and" connect it to a calling battery or generator, 0,- to a spring-jack, d, of any approvedconstruction, to he used in con- ,nection with divided insulated metallic tips 6 6, connected to telephone communicating apparatusM; to avertical strip, e,of the switchboard; to a switch,f, and thence to the controlling devices of the automatic switch, and to earth. Line6 is shown connected to a subscribers station atB, at which point the appa- 5 .ratus is of substantially the construction indicated in the patent to Connolly and McTighe;

S representing the switch adapted to connect the line either to a rheotome, B, and a polechanger, O, for battery P, to a call-bell, R, or 9 to a telephone, T. Said switch also closes the circuit of battery 1? through the electrodes and the primary of the induction-coil in M T at the same time that it connects the line to the telephone-receiver T. 5

The switches f in switch apparatus C are each adapted to break the circuit of a subscribers line with the automatic switch apparatus and its ground and connectthe line to earth through a wire, 9.

The normal operation of the system when the various subscribers circuits pass to the switch apparatus A is the same as the patent above referred to, and need not be rehearsed. Should, however, oral communication be desired between the central oflice and a subscriber, or vice versa, the switch-board apparatus 0 may be instantly brought into use, the predetermined signal necessary to make such a desire on the part of a subscriber known being given on the bell a by the opening and closing of the battery P by means of switch S or other device, while, vice versa, the central-ctfice-attendant depresses hey I), thus placing battery or generator 0 to line and simultaneously disconnecting the line from the automatic and the manual switch devices, so as to prevent thebattery c from affecting the electromagnetic devices of switch A.

Telephoneapparatus M may beinserted into the line by means of the spring-jacks d and tips 6. The necessity for such communication may arise from a failure of the automatic switch device to operate properly, so as to place a subscriber in communication with the party desired, in which case he can communicate to the central-office attendant the fact that he fails to get a response, and the attendant thereupon makes the desired connection in switch-board C, before doing which he disconnects the switchesffrom the points to which are connected the wires leading to the automatic switch A.

Should the automatic switch become so far deranged as to require repair and make its further use for the time being impossible, it and its earth-connections may be entirely disconnected from the subscribers wires by means of the switches f, and the ground-connection g substituted. The lines may then be connected and the business of the exchange continued without interruption by means of the switch 0 alone, its operation in this duty being well understood. Other contingencies may arise under which it may be brought either wholly or partially into use in conjunction with or wholly independent of switch A; but I do not deem it necessary to specify them all.

In Fig. 2 of drawings I have shown a somewhat different form of manual switch-board, although the general operation of the apparatus is substantially the same as that of Fig. 1. Instead of the switches f normally interposed in the circuit and adapted to be turned, so as to substitute a ground-connection, g, I employ an upper row of switches, t, whose pivots are connected to ground 9, and a series of connectingplugs, at. one in each circuit.

Switches t may be turned so as to connect with the line-strips e, thus connecting the lines to ground, while the connection of the various circuits with the automatic switch A is controlled by the plug-switches X.

Instead of connecting-strips m, as shown in Fig. 1, switch-levers n are used for connecting the lines. The operation ofthese devices is well understood.

In Fig. 2, line 1 is shown connected to the subscribers station B and to the automatic switch A. Another form of pole-changer, G, is here shown. The effect of turning its arm 11 12 so as to occupy the position shown in full and dotted lines and connect with the segments H can be readily followed by tracing the circuits. The switch S connects the line to rheotome, bell, and telephone in the manner indicated, (also shown in Fig. 1;) but the circuit of the battery through the transmitter is controlled by a gravity-switch, G S, in a wellknown manner.

Other forms of manual central-oflice switch may be substituted for those shown by interposingthem in the circuits in substantially the same manner.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with an automatic telephone-exchange switch, of a manual exchangeswitch interposed in the subscribers circuits between the lines and the automatic switch, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an automatic telephone-switch, a manual exchange-switch interposed in the subscribers circuits between the lines and the automatic switch, and devices adapted to break the connection of the lines with the automatic switch and to substitute an independent ground-connection for the manual switch.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of an automatic telephone-exchange switch and a manual exchange-switch interposed between the automatic switch and the lines, and signaling-keys adapted to make connection with a generator and to simultaneously break connection with the automatic switch devices, substantially as described.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of an automatic telephone-exchange switch, a manual exchange-switch, and a disconnecting-switch interposed between the two and adapted to close an independent connection to earth.

CHARLES E. BUELL.

\Vitnesses:

J 0s. R. EDsoN, GEORGE W. 001*.

IIO

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