US2672599A - Electric selecting device responsive to impulses - Google Patents

Description

Mal'Ch 16, 1954 W, Q FOSTER 2,672,599

y v ELECTRIC SELECTING DEVICE RESPONSIVE TO IMPULSES Filed March 24, 1952 @JM L Patented Mar. 16, 1954 ELECTRIC sELECTING DEVICE RESPONSIVE 'ro IMPULsEs William Gordon Foster, London, England, as-

sgnor to Telephone Manufacturing Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application March 24, 1952, Serial No. 278,162

Claims priority, application Great Britain l April 2, 1951 This invention relates to electric selecting devices responsive to impulses.

Electric selecting devices responsive to impulses are well known in the telephone and other arts for counting a number of impulses and for performing or causing the performance of desired operations in dependence upon the number of impulses. They are mainly of one or other of two kinds, namely of step-by-step electro-mechanical switches or of relay chains.

The present invention is concerned with an electric selecting device responsive to impulses, which partakes more of the nature of a relay selecting chain rather than of a step-by-step electro-mechanical switch, and makes use of socalled selective relay units to perform the operation of selection in response to impulses and, it may be, to perform or to cause to be performed a desired operation.

The term selective relay unit denotes a device which consists of an electro-magnetic relay having a plurality of sets of contacts, a linger magnet being associated with each set of contacts, each finger magnet, when energized serving to interpose a finger between its associated set of contacts and the armature of the relay so that only the set of contacts associated with the energized finger magnet is operatedupon when the armature of the relay is actuated. v

In our patent specification Serial No. 159,321 we have described an electric selecting device comprising selective relay units and responsive to impulses. The electric selecting device therein described comprises ten selective relay units and is capable of counting up to a maximum of ten impulses. In the System therein described, the selective relay units have other duties to perform in dependence upon the number of impulses counted, that is the ten selective relay units are required to connect a particular circuit to any one of one hundred other circuits, each selective relay unit being capable of connecting the said one circuit to any one of ten such other circuits. When such is the requirement, there is no objection to the provision of ten selective relay units. When, however, the maximum number of such other circuits is twenty arranged in ten numerical groups of two circuits per group a-requrement which can be satised by two selective relay units, it is manifestly undesirable to have to provide ten selective relay units, eight of which are provided for no other purpose than that of counting impulses. 1

The present invention, .by permitting the finger magnets of the selective relay units to take part 5 Claims. (Cl. 340-168) in the Ynumerical selecting operation makes it possible to perform or to control the performance of any one of 2n operations by means of two selective relay units each having n linger magnets.

According to the present invention, an electric selecting device comprises two selective relay units, each having n linger magnets, said selective relay units being adapted to be operated in alternation in response to impulses and each, when operated, closing a circuit for a finger magnet of the other, so that the linger magnets of one selective relay unit are operated in succession in response to odd-numbered impulses and those of the other are operated in succession in response to even-numbered impulses,` the electric selecting device being thus able selectively to perform or to control the performance of any one of 2n operations.

.The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 illustrates a selective relay unit and Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the invention.

A selective relay unit (hereinafter referred to as a SRU) as illustrated quite diagrammatically in Fig. 1 consists of five sets of contacts numbered respectively l-E, an armature AR, an energizing magnet SR and five fingers, shown as points, one to the left of each set of contacts. A nger magnet (not shown) is associated with each linger. If, with all the fingers in the positions indicated the armature AR is operated,

it will be unable to operate any of the contacts.

If, on the other hand, any finger is moved to the right so as to come between its associated bank of contacts and the armature, and after this the armature is operated, the bank of contacts concerned will be operated. Thus a means 1s provided for selecting, by energization of any one of the finger magnets, any one of the sets of contacts I-5.

Referring now to Figure 2, an electric selecting device responsive to impulses is shown. This consists of two SRUs and a number of other relays and circuits.

One of the SRUs, namely that given the general reference SRUI, is represented vby its energizing magnet SRI, its armature ARI, ve finger magnets FMI, FMB, FMS, FMT, FMS, ve fingers respectively fl, f3, f5, f1, fg, and five sets of contacts srHa). SRUI also has certain othercontacts, which are operated every time an armature ARI operates, indicated by the reference srl followed by a solidus and a numeral. SRUI may also have other contacts Relays B and C are retarded release relays-` and relay IP is an impulse-relay respoizlsiveA toI interruptions by the line circuit for deliweisilflgv impulses from its contact ipl to the electric selecting device constituted by the two: SRUis.

All the relay contacts in Eu'igure are; repre sented in their normal (at resti positions andfalll the coils are die-energized. Operation asiolf lows: switch S, which if the electric selecting device forms part of a telephonesystem; maybe ated the line circuit is interrupted a certain nuinf ber of times, depending on the value of the digit being dialled,` and the relay IP is tie-energized` a` corresponding number oi'ftirnes,

The. first time relay Il? cle-energizes it closes a circuit from earth v-ia contacts 'ipl (ba-cir), bl

(front) and swt (bac-31e)- for-energizi-ng magnetvr It also. closes arr obvious circuit for` relayV SR-t; C` Both-SR1 andsCwillbecome-energized; SR? operates. its armature and' thereby closes acire cuit for linger magnet Flr/l2, from earth, via. contacts b2'y (front), c2 (front) SRU@ number one,` iflngerimagnet to nega-tive.-

SRifalsotcloses a holding circuit from earth by Way of contacts b3 (front.)` crit/2- (back-l, srt/l (fronti, througnwinding of relay SW and the winding of' SR1 i. Relayf SW' does notV operate in thiscircuitas. it;.has earth connected to both sides of its winding; that is via the connection-l just traced to. one side, and from earth, via` con tacts,r ini (back). hl (front). and sw (ba-ck): to the .other side.

Wfhen relay; IR re-operatesthe .short circuit is removed .from relay: SW and this relay now operalles;

Whenreiay iPf releases for the secondI impulseacircuitiscempletedfor energizing Winding SR2, this circuit oe-ing from. earth via ipl (back), bi (fron-t) swl (iront), and 3x2/'I (back). SRZJopcrates its armature AEZ, and by reason of thefactvthat finger fis between contactsSRc)A number two and armature ARZ', these latterfcon tacts are closed and a circuit is thereby completed.

foringer. megnetFll/IS, the circuit being similar to that for' EME'. SR2.r also; transfers itself: into..

a holding circuit; by way of' earth, contact` b2 (front), contact S102 (front) and-Jrnahe-before-- break contacts. srt/l (front At sr2/2r'it opens a circuit` forrelay and the holding.:.circuit of. SR1; SW vis :still held, however, in a circuit fromr earth by way of contacts zpl (bachi), b1' (fronti) andstct; (front), ,to negative. SRI derenergizes andtclosesatsrl/Z an alternative. hol'dingcircuit. toi-.1 SR2: thisalternative holding circuiti isN from; eartln. via; contacts.r b2 (front )1, sri! 2J (back )l, mi2/t (front). anx1-.the-winding ofSRZto negative;

this circuit-being At the end of this second impulse, when relay IP re-operates, the circuit for relay SW is opened and this relay releases, SR2 however, remaining held.

In response; ta the third: impulsa SR1! again becomes energized' and atcontactsl SRI'uz) number three, closes a circuit for finger magnet FM4. E?. is thought unnecessary to trace the operations any.. iuether as they should be suiciently clear i isomthe description already given.

For the present description it may be supposed that onlyrtwo impulses have to be counted. Underfsuch a supposition we are now at the positionl that SR@ energized with inger i2 between, contacts, SRMa) number two and armature ARZ, and that these contacts are closed. Al'socontacts swr-2th) number two are closed. BMK is energized but has no elect until SRI shouldbe operated in response to three impulses (which in the present supposition we have exc1uded)..

Since no further impulses are, to be received contactv ipl will be held away from its resting position and" relay C consequently release after a shortl delay. Relay/Cat ccnt'act'c (fronti Will open the circuit for finger magnet FMG-'arid at' contact c2' (ba-cle) Will close a circuit by way of` contact SR2-(li) number twoA fortheperforrnance` or control of desiredoperati'on number two:

Iclaim:

l. An electric selective device responsive` to:

impulses from a. source of impulses, saidi device including two selective relay units each-- having' a plurality'of sets of: contacts,- an armature, anl energizing coil', a plurality offingers one asso;-

citedl'witheach set of contacts-fop interposition.

between said set of'contacts andsaid armature,A a likeplurality of finger magnets onev associated.

with each 'ng for, interposing-whenV energizedI its associated nger between aseti of! contacts.

and saidarmature, andconnections betweensets ofcontacts-.oi each selective relay unit andi` fingermagnets of thefotherrselective rela-yunitfso-that.

each selective relayunit. .whenl energizedcloses: an energizing circuit through one sety ofiits con@ tacts and" one finger magnet of theother selective relay-:uniti said; selective device further including`4 pulses from said source tosaidenergizing coils;r

includes a. switchingrelay having a changeover contact; a iront :contact and a1backcontactla connection .from the changedvercontact. to,y salda sourcerof. impulses, .aconnection from saiclft'ont: contact: to.. theA energizingl winding ofv one, selec.. tive-relay unit, and aconnectionf 'fromssaidibaclc Contact: to the energizing winding. of the other-` sel'ective relay unit, and. circuitl means-from said' sourceofi impulses through contacts ofsaict se lectivaV relay. units to. said switching. relay for operating said switching` relay in responsezto.

impulses from asource oi"impulses-, said'device'4 including two selective relay units each havinglal plurality of sets of contacts; an. armature;y an.

energizing, coil, a plurality of'-ngers, oneA associated .with each set-of" contacts for 'interposition between said setfofcontacts saidfarmature; a-

like pluralityy oififinger magnets, one associated with each finger for interposingewhen'energizedi itsf associatedE fingen between A a: setiV of; contacts and said armature, connections between sets of contacts of each selective relay unit and finger magnets of the other Selective relay unit so that each selective relay unit when energized closes an energizing circuit through one set of its contacts and one iinger magnet cf the other selective relay unit, said selective device further in cluding switching means for directing odd-numbered impulses from said source of impulses to the winding of one of said selective relay units and even-numbered impulses from said source of impulses to the winding of the other of said selective relay units.

4. An electric selective device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said switching means includes a switching relay having two windings, a changeover contact, a front Contact and a back contact, a connection from the changeover contact to said source of impulses, a connection from said front contact to the energizing winding of said one selective relay unit, and a connection from said back contact to the energizing winding of the other selective relay unit, a further connection from said front contact to one of said two windings and a further connection from said baci: Contact to the other of said two windings, said further connection from said back contact including a front contact on said one selective relay unit and a front -contact on said other selective relay unit,

5. An electric selecting device responsive to impulses, comprising in combination a source of impulses, a rst relay, a second relay, switching means, circuit means including said switching means for directing impulses from said source of impulses to said rst and second relays in alternation thereby to operate them in alternation, a plurality of sets of contacts for each of said first and second relays, means for selecting sets of contacts of said first relay one at a time, means for operating the selected set of contacts, means for selecting sets of contacts of said second relay one at a time, means for operating the selected sets of contacts, and means including said sets of contacts of each said relay for operating ths operating means of the othen relay, whereby said first and said second relays effect a progressive selection of said sets of contacts.

WILLIAM GORDON FOSTER.

References #Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,305,450 Stibitz Dec. 15, 1942 v2,314,187 Abbot Mar. 16, 1943 2,456,169 Bellamy Dec. 14, 1948 2,538,815 Bellamy Jan. 23, 1951

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