US2685002A - Lock for telephone instruments - Google Patents

Description

July 27, 1954 M. REILLY 2,685,002

LOCK FOR TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS Filed June 6, 1952 i E IN V EN TOR. I M1255 fizzy Y Arranwy Patented July 27, 1 954 UNITED ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to lock for telephone instrument, and particularly for the type of instruments known as dial telephones which employ rotary reciprocating dial-wheels movable over a dial plate and having finger-operating holes, by the use of which the user of the telephone directly calls the desired telephone num-- ber and exchange.

It is one of the objects of this invention to prevent the connection of a dial telephone instrument with the telephone line by an unauthorized person, and to this end to provide locking means for locking and releasing of the controlling or connecting element for transmitting the signals from the dial to the telephone line and thus when the element is locked to prevent the use of the telephone by unauthorized parties or individuals.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiicient locking mechanism adapted to be mounted in the casing or stand and to cooperate with a movable pawl which comprises the element for transmitting signals from a notched disc connected with the dial to the line.

Still another object of my invention is to provide within the casing or stand a housing provided with a slidable plunger bolt adapted to be normally retained in released position by a spring and to be movable into locking position against the action of said spring and to combine such bolt with a key-operated lock provided with locking means for engaging and disengaging with a suitable locking notch in the said housing and having a pusher member adapted upon insertion into said housing to engage and move said bolt into its locking position, whereupon it engages and moves out of operating position the pawl element which, as aforesaid, comprises the element for transmitting signals from the movable dial wheel to the line. Upon release of the lock and removal thereof from the housing, said pusher member will disengage said bolt which in turn automatically disengages said pawl which is then automatically moved against the action of the pawl-operating spring again into engagement with notches in a disc movable by the finger-operated dial-wheel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a housing for enclosing a key-operated lock of the type hereinabove specified in such manner as to prevent removal of and breaking ofi the lock, to utilize an enclosed housing having a locking bolt adapted to engage the signaltransmitting or connecting pawl at the side sur- 2 face thereof opposite to the operating contact surface thereof.

Still another object of my invention is to move such pawl about its axis and hold the same at a sufficient distance only to prevent actuation thereof by the aforesaid notched disc which is connected and conjointly movable, as aforesaid, with the finger-operated dial-wheel.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a dialtelephone instrument including a stand and dial mechanism, and showing my lock device slightly projecting from my bolt housing in the telephone stand or mounting;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the dial mechanism removed from the stand and showing the means including a dial-connected notched disc and pawl for transmitting signals from the dial to the telephone line, and also showing my bolt housing with the bolt in automatically withdrawn position after removal from said housing of my key-operated lock;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing my bolt in a position engaging the transmitting pawl and moving it out of connection with the dial-connected disc and my key-operated lock inserted in said housing with its pusher moving said bolt into locking position;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the transmitting pawl removed from its operative position;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the pawl shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through my bolt housing after removal of the key operated lock and pusher member and showing the spring-released bolt in disengaged or released position.

In accordance with my invention I have shown a mechanism including a bolt-housing and bolt combined with a key operated lock and pusher by which a dial telephone instrument may be locked or unlocked and held in such locked or unlocked condition for an indefinite period of time, Fig. 2 showing my housing in unlocked condition with the bolt withdrawn, while in Fig. 3 I have shown the dial instrument in locked position with a key-operated lock having a pusher member inserted in my bolt housing, and in this View the dial mechanism is arranged in locked position with the transmitting pawl element held out of connection with a notched disc which moves conjointly with the finger-operated dial wheel, my said bolt thus locking the parts and preventing an unauthorized person from procuring a connection by a movement of the dial.

Referring now specifically to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 indicates a stand or casing for mounting dial mechanisms of a dial operated set, it being understood that suitable means is provided at the rear of the casing l for the accommodation of wires, not shown, but which commonly lead into the casing or stand and to suitable receiving and transmitting means. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown a ring-shaped housing 2 conventionally used for mounting the dialplate finger-operated dial wheel and connecting parts of the dialing mechanism. As shown, this ring-housing is suitably mounted on the stand or casing i and is connected thereto by screws and lugs 3. Bottom views of this housing are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and, as illustrated, the

finger-operated dial wheel 4 is rotatably mounted in suitable manner and has suitably connected to and movable conjointly therewith, as for example, by a common axial shaft 5, a disc 5 provided with a series of notches '5 arranged in alignment with the finger holes I of the dial wheel 4. This wheel 4 is preferably formed of metal and is operated to move into contact with a suitable stop to its normal starting position by a spiral spring S wound around the shaft 5 and anchored at S thereto. Said spring has its opposite end anchored at S in a stationarily-positioned pin S The finger operated wheel 4 and notched disc 5 are mounted to move against the tension of the spring S which is, therefore, adapted to return both the notched disc 5 and the dial wheel 4 to normal starting position when the same are moved against the action of said spring by the finger of a user, said notched disc 5 being operated conjointly with the finger-operated dial wheel and its notches 6 conforming, as aforesaid, with the finger holes 1, the notches in said disc are adapted to engage a pin in the nose of a pawl 8 which is mounted to oscillate on a pivot 9. As illustrated, the pawl 8 is moved against the action of a spring connecting member I l and has a pin ii! extending downwardly from its nose portion to engage each notch and to oscillate out of the same as the disc is turned conjointly, as aforesaid, with the finger wheel 4. The pawl 8 upon engagement with the notches will thus be independently moved by each notch and will in turn, upon oscillation by the notches, move the spring connecting element 1 l into and out of connection or engagement with a pivot mounting member a on which the pawl is mounted and also intermittently open and permitted to close a spring switch connection member H1 of a switch comprising line-connected switch members ID and It". The pivot 9 is connected with a base member 9 which, in connection with the member H, also is adapted to transmit signals to the telephone line. The pawl, as shown, is formed of insulating material and is provided with a cut-out cam section 8*. This cut-out section exposes the pivot 55 and permits the spring memher I l which has crimped portion that normally fits within the depression 8 to intermittently engage and be moved out of connection with the pivot 9 upon movement of the pawl by the varione notches in the wheel 5 which also, as aforesaid, opens and permits closing of the switch ele ments ill and le A signal or signals to the telephone line will thus be given upon the movement of the pawl 8 by the notched disc 5, which, as aforesaid, is connected to and conjointly movable with the finger-operated dial wheel 4 above the numbered and/or lettered dial plate per se.

The above signal-transmitting mechanism is conventional in the operation of finger-operated telephone dial mechanism and by the use of my invention, it will be seen that I provide a bolt member adapted to engage and move out of contact with the disc, notches the pawl 8 so as to prevent any signalling to the line by the fingeroperated dial-wheel which is, as aforesaid, connected with the notched disc.

To so disconnect the finger-operated dialwheel and its conjointly-movable notched disc from the telephone line connecting members, I preferably provide in the stand I an enclosing housing 53 extending within said stand below said dial housing member 2. Said housing [3 has mounted therein a spring-pressed bolt member 36 adapted in locked position, as hereinafter specified, to engage tangentially one side of the pawl and to move the same to a position in which its notch-engaging pin it will be held out of engagement with the notches 6 of the disc 5, thus disconnecting the said pawl from the said notches and preventing the transmission of signals through the members 9, e If), it, lfl II and 2 to the telephone line.

In the embodiment shown, the bolt i4 is in the form of a plunger mounted within a cylindrical bolt housing and is provided with a head portion we movable within said bolt housing and has its engaging finger passing through an opening in the casing. The plunger is then guided in said casing, and, to cause the same to be normally held in withdrawn or released position. an expansion spring 55 is positioned between the inside bottom 53 of the casing l3 and the head hi of the bolt or plunger M.

A suitable key-operated lock having a pusher means may be utilized to engage the head I6 and to press the same into engaging position. In the preferred form of my invention, the casing of a key-operated look I? is insertable in the bolt housing and provided with a suitable keyactuated element li for engaging and locking the lock casing to a notch in my bolt housing and with a pusher member ii extending inwardly therefrom.

In Fig. 6 I have shown my spring-pressed bolt member terminating at one end with the head 54*. By inserting my lock and pusher into the colt-housing the bolt per se may be moved into engagement with the pawl. Upon release of the key-operated element from its notch and removal of the lock casing and pusher member, the bolt It will be automatically withdrawn or pressed outwardly by its spring and release the pawl for engagement with the notched disc and thus permit transmission of signals to the telephone line.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a dial telephone instrument, in combination, a mounting casing, 21. fixed dial plate mounted in said casing, a finger-operated dial wheel having finger inserticn openings mounted in said casing and movable in the arc of a circle about said dial plate, a notched disc movable conjointly with and in a plane below said finger-actuated dial wheel, said notched disc having its notches arranged in alignment with the finger insertion openings in the finger-operated dial wheel, signal-transmitting mechanism mounted in said casing and embodying suitable contacts, an oscillating pawl movable by successive engagement with the notches in said disc into and out of engagement with one of said contacts to produce signals, and a bolt normally retained in an inoperative retracted position in a housing connected with said casing but movable to engage said oscillating pawl and to move the same out of the path of movement produced by the notches and thus to prevent successive operative movements of said contact by said pawl.

2. A dial telephone instrument as claimed in claim 1 in which the bolt is normally held by a spring in retracted position out of engagement with said oscillating pawl, and a key-operated lock casing is releasably connected with said mounting casing and is provided with a projecting element engageable in connected position of the lock housing with the bolt to move said bolt into engagement with said pawl, and in disconnected position of the lock housing is disengaged from said bolt to permit release thereof from said pawl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,762,746 Shann June 10, 1930 2,372,262 Edwards et al. Mar. 27, 1945

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