US306238A

US306238A - gilliland

Info

Publication number: US306238A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1901-10-07

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E. T. GILLILAND.

TELEPHONE GIRGUIT vAND APPARATUS..

No. 806,288. Patented Oct. '7, 1884.

N. PETERS, PhulLimngmmmr. whmmun. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- E. T. GILLILAND.

TELEPHONE CIRCUIT AND APPARATUS. Y No. 806,238. l Patented 00's. 7, 1884. t E gig, 5. @Z7

l u 1.a( @j C?) @Fvg r migl LU f l y Juge/neraog? 75 I?? "l N. PETERS. Phummnagmphr. wnmngw". llc.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. T. GILLILAND.

TELEPHONE CIRCUIT' AND APPARATUS.

No. 306,238. Patented Oct. '7, 188.4.

N. PETERS, Pmwmnngmph, waslwmmn. D, c.

UNITED Srnrns artnr Ormes,

.AMERCAN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE CIRCUIT AND APPARATUS.

SPECPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,238, dated October 7, 1884.

Application filed April :21, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EZRA T. GrLLiLAND, oi' .Bostoin in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Telephonic Circuits and Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to systems of electrical intercom munication, and is intended espe. cially for use in conjunction with articulatingtelephones. The ordinary telephonie central office77 or exchange consists, as iswell known, of a central or exchange station,which is connected with a number of sub-stations by. means of telegraphic or telephonie lines ra-V diating therefrom, these latter being so organized and arranged that any two of the substatious may be placed, at a moments notice, (usually through the instrumentality of a switch-hearth) in direct telegraphic or-telephonic communicationrwith each other by the act of an attendant or operator at the central or exchange station, who, upon being notified to do so, connects the two vlines leading to the respective sub-stations, so that they are enabled thereafter to communicate with one another directly. Suitable signaling appliances are of course provided at the said central station, whereby signals may be received from and transmitted to sub-stations. Such an organization has proved very serviceable in a large number of cities and towns, and has gone into general use. Experience has, however, demonstrated that many small towns and villages throughout the country are debarred from the use of such systems by reason of the expense attaching thereto, for, inasmuch as the number of persons desiring to avail themselves of telephonie privileges and facilities in sparsely-populated localities is necessarily small, it frequently happens that a sufficient number of subscribers who are willing to pay a rental'high enough to make a central-office system profitable cannot be obtained, for the expenses of office rental and manipulation are substantially as great in an exchange of forty subscribers as they would bein an exchange of one hundred. These considerations have induced me to devise a system of intercommunication for such towns as are unable to sustain the expense of a regular exchange in which the central station,with all its paraphernalia of switching and signaling apparatus, together with the operators or manipulators thereof, are tot-ally dispensed with.

The object of my invention is, then, the establishment of an economical yet efficient system whereby a number of telephone-stations upon different main lines may freely signal and communicate with one another, dispensing altogether with the use of a central station or a central apparatus, and without the introduction of complex or expensive machinery or instrumentalities.

For the accomplishment of these purposes my invention consists, broadly, in a series of sub-stations, and a series of main lines extending between and entering all of the said substations, a looping-in switch being provided at each station, whereby the subscriber may introduce his signaling mechanism and telephones into any one ofthe main-line circuits, and call and converse with the sub-stations normally connected thereon.

It consists, also,in connecting the said apparatus at each station normally in any particular one of the said main lines, so that when the entire system is quiescenta certain number of stations-say live-are normally connected in and with N o. l main line, live more with vNo. 2 main line, live more with No. 3, and

so on. rlhus any station may call and com- Vmunicate with any other stationv on the same line without a change .in its connections, and may, furthermore, connect with any station on any other line by transferring his instrument-loop to the said line. Each sub-station therefore has its calling and telephonie instruments normally connected in one of the said main lines, and is understood to be so connected by all stations, while at the same time each station has the power of withdrawing its instruments 'from their normal location, and of transferring them to any other of the entering main lines, so that the stations on those lines may readily be called and communicated with.

In carrying out my invention I have devisedseveral ways of accomplishing this transfer; and my invention further consists in apparatus whereby the said transfer of the instruments from one line to another, as also their IOO restoration, may be manually eil'ected, in apparatus whereby the operationis made partly automatic, and in other apparatus whereby the transfer may be et'tected either manually or automatically, while the restoration is completely and solely automatic.

In carrying out my invention, in order to eitcct the automatic restoration of the apparatus from any main-line circuit in which it has been placed to its normal line-wire, I have found it desirable to employ a switch or circuit/changer which may be set by the opera tor prior to the removal of the telephone from its support, so that the telephone,whcn so removed, will be introduced into any desired line to which it is set, and so that when tlie telephone is replaced in iis support the nor mal condition ot' things is automatically rcstorcd, and the station-instruments replaced in their normal circuit, or,with t-he exception ot' the signal-bell, withdrawn from all ot' the circuits. Such a switch or circuit-changer is shown and described in patentissued .Tuly 1S, 1882, to Theodore N. Vail, and numbered 261,186, and to that patent reference may be made. l have also :tfound it very convenient to employ at cach station a short cable, in-- eluding all the necessary wires, whereby the several line-circuits may be led into and out ofthe said stations. rihis extends, preferably, outward to the .nearest pole.

In the drawings by which my invention illustrated, and which constitute a part of this specification, Figure l is a diagram showing several main lines extending between a numbcr of stations. Fi Zand 3 are respectively i'ront and side views of the terminal pole at each station, showing the method of entering. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic drawing oi" a station apparatus adapted for manual operation. Fig. 5 is also a diagram ot' the station-circuits and apparatus, arranged partly for automatic operation. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one form ot' telephone-holding switch which l incorporate in my station apparatus. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same, showing also the station signaling zimiai'atiis and the several circuitloops. Fig. 8 is a detail ot' the circuit-chang ing device. Fig. t) shows another iorm ot' switch, worked by the telephoncsupport, together with the circuit arrangements. Figs. Il() and 1l are side elevations ofthe switch shown in Fig. 9, illustrating the two positions of said switch. Fig. 12 is a view of the entire switch and telephone-holder incased in a singie box. Fig. i3 is a modified form of Fig. (i, showing the instrumental. loop carried out, and indicating the complete arrangement shown in Fig. 1 4. Fi li illustrates the most complete circuit arrangement which i have devised, in which the stat-ion-instrumcnts are all maintained in one of the circuits when the telephone is in its support; and Fig. l5 is a diagram of a similar arrangement in which 5 the signaling-instruments are shown in one brauch circuit and the telephones in another.

My invention contemplates a number o't' main-line wires, W, extending to and between any number ol" stations, A, and entering all ol' the said. stations. XVe may suppose, i'or example, a system ot twenty subscribers, in which ease four main lines might each extend to the twenty stations, entering them all. Each ot' the stations may, however, have its instruments, or a part thcreol', normally connected with some detinite one ot' the wires, while at the same time the said instruments. or one or more ot' them, may be capable ot'being withdrawnfrom that specific line and be connected with any one ot` the other, lilies. in the castI ll have instanced there are tive stations normally connected with each line, and it is obvious that it must be clearly understood by all the stations which line any specijtic station is normally coimccted with, to the end that it' a station connected with one ot' the lines de; sires communication with a station on another line it may at once connect its instruments in the loop belonging to suchv line. rlhe wires V are supported between the stations A, A, AL', A, and A1 on poles, in the usual. manner, and inasmuch as it is evidently inceiwenient to bring all the wires loose into each station, l supply the stationpole with a suitable cover or cap, C, in which the several lines 1 terminate at binding-screws s. A compound conductor-cable, K. then extends i'rom these bind ing-screws down the pole, as shown in Figs. i and 3, and into the stations.

The station apparatus comprises, as usual, a signal-bell for indicating incoming signals, a generator or equivalent device For scudi n our going signals, anda telephone or telephones. (Atransinitting-telcphoue is not essential, but is preferably employed.)-

ihe principle oi' my invention clearly shown in Fig. et., which represents a diagram ot'the station circuits and. appiratus adapted exclusively for manual operation. At each station the several lines j', after issuing i'rom. the cable K, may be terminated as shown. in the figure, which is assumed to represent one of the stations in which the apparatus is normally connected with main line No. 1, Il( is the entering cable, which maybe composed ot' any number of conductiiigwiies, f. present instance I show four loops, each constituting the in and out wire ot' a single main line. The several lines are numbered l, 2, .5. and 4. In the special station under consideri ation a call-bell, i), is permanentlyincluded inloop l, and this station is said to be connected in lino-circuit No. il.. iach oli'the other loops, 2, 3, and Li, terminate in thisI station and in thc other stations ou No. ll4 wire in springjacks J, into which the signaling and telcphone apparatus ol' the station-:ma y be looped by means ofthe i1istriuncntalities which l, am now about to describe. A casing, E, ineloscs a magnetogenerator, which is operated by the crank c, and a levei'switeh, 7l, i'or transi'crring the tlu'ouglreireuittrom the generator to the telephones, and also, when desired, for closing the circuit oi the transmittor-battery ITS in the separated by a sheet of some suitable non-cond. The magnetotelephone T, when not in l use, is hung on the hook it, and, by means of the cord c', is so disposed, in a manner well understood, as to be adapted for inclusion in the circuit of the wedge IV and conducting-cord e when removed from the said hook. rIhe transmitter T is not essential to the working of the apparatus, but is preferably employed as facilitating conversation. It also is, when employed, included in the telephone-circuit and brought into action by the removal of the magneto-telephone from its support. rIhe entire apparatus is in the loop e', which, by means of the wedge, (which is one ot' an ordinary character, consist-ing of two metallic surfaces ducten) may be included in any of the lines entering the station by means of their several spring-jacks J. W'hen the station is not in communication with any other station, the wedge NV is preferably left in the spring-jack J ot' circuit No. l, so that the station-instruments form apart ot' the said circuit; or it may, at the option of the subscriber, be left disconnected from all of the lines, leaving the signalbell only in circuit. It', however, the subscriber should inadvertently leave the wedge in any of the spring-jacks belonging to the other line-circuits, the only adverse result is in the additional resistance thus thrown into that circuit, since the alarm-bell is still inlinecircuit No. l, whereby calls may be duly received; yet in sonic cases it may be found desirable to include the signal-bell in the loop controlled by the wedge \V, and I may so connect it, if I prefer, without departing from the spirit ot' my invention. Stations on lines 2, 25, and Aidesiring to communicate with stations online No. 1, will insert the wedge NV into the jacks J, which there represent No. 1, and call the required signal of the station they desire. In like manner stations on No.1, desiring to communicate with stations on Nos. 2, 3, or 4, will insert the wedge \V into the jack J of such line-circuit and call and converse.

I will now proceed to describe the apparatus by which I effect a certain amount of automatic operation in these devices.

Fig. 5 represents the complete apparatus, and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 enlarged details of one l'orm ol`- the automatic and circuit-changing apparatus. The chief distinction of the organization shown in Fig, 5 from that in Fig. 4 is that the spring-jacks J ot' the ditl'erent lines are all incorporated with and inclosed in the mechanism in the case E, and that by turning the handle n, which projects from the front ot' the case, to the figure l, 2, 3, or et, representing the desired line, the subscriber or operator is enabled to determine before he removes his telephone from its support which line he will be connected with. The several lines. asin the preceding view, enter the station Aby the cable K. They are divided and pass to the generator and switch-case E, No. l first passing are connected with one another on a branch of the operative loop, as before, the shunted generator being in another branch of the saine loop.

te'erring to Figs. 6, 7, and S, it will be seen that the several line-loops terminate i n as many spring-jaws J to J each of which is indicated on the front oi' the case by an index-number, and that the signal-bell D may be placed in the circuit ot' that one of the said line-loops to which it belongs-in the present illustration, No. l. Fig. S shows a side view of one of the said jaws J and o3t` the wedge XV', adapted for insertion therein. rlhe telephone-support 7L, which is pivoted at fu, and which is adapted to operate as the ci rcuit-changer, is formed of two sides, 0 and o, insulated from one another by an insulating-partition, o', oan-y suitablcnonconducting material. One terminal, 5, ofthe generator and telephone-box, by means of a contact-spring. fr. rests on a collar of the pivot @awhile the other terminal, (i, of the said loop, similarly rests by the spring o upon the collar of the complementary pivot u, thus constituting a telephone or generator loop adapted to be completed by being included in any one ot' the entering` line-wires.

rIlhe details of the said telephone-loop may be understood by reference to Fig. 7, in which it is fully delineated. The contact-springs s and si are merely terminals ol" the transmitterbattery circuit of which the wires and c are a part. The said circuit is at this point, for obvious reasons, normally open, and when the telephone T is removed from its support the lever iiies upward under the influence of the spring S or its equivalent, and brings one of the sides o and o into contact with the two i'lat springs s and s2, uniting them electrically and closing the circuit. A lever, L, provided with handle, a, pivoted at l), and capable of swinging in a horizontal plane, has a slot, r, cut through it, iu which works the head it" of the wedge W, which, as in Fig. 4, consists of two metal surfaces, m and m', separated by a non -conducting partition, t'. The entire wedge, although controlled by the lever L, is supported on the telephone-switch lever Il, which passes through the wedge bythe square hole o2, the said wedge being capable of sliding freely along the said telephone-lever when moved by its controlling-lever L. The metal surface m ot' the wedge is in electrical connection with the side 0, and the surface mis similarly incontact with the other side, o, of the telephone-switch lever. An index, as, is sliown on the front ot' the box E, and the handle ot' the leveigL may be turned opposite to the tigure representing the desired line. rIhe whole is arranged so that by turning the said lever until the handle thereof is opposite the required number the station-instruments, or such part ot' them as may be transferable, may be introduced into the circuit of the line-wire with which the station to be communicated by one of its loop-wires to the station signalwith is normally connected, whereupon, if the bell. The telephone receiver and transmitter l telephone T is removed from its support, the

IOO

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spring S draws down the rear end el' the pi\'- oted switch-lever, forcing the wedge YV between the spring-jaw J ot" the desired linewire. rlhe required stations may then 'besig naled by turning the crank c, aller which conversation may be carried on. In this plan it will be seen that the calling station must remove his telephone from the support before he can call a second station. Conversation may already be passing over the line, and would be broken in upon were the subscriber to call without iirst listening; but the fact that the subscriber must iii-st remove his telephone will tend to remind him invariably to listen and ascertain that the liuc is not in use betere he sends the call-signal, while the additional resistance of a single telephone and transmitter makes no practical ditlerencein thewm-king of the line.

Figs. t) to 12 exemplify a modification ot' the above combination. F 'l0 and ll are sectional elevations oll the switch or cireuitehangcr shown in the said moditcation. It consists o1" aseries ol'spindles--one for each linerircuit-which, when in theirnorlnal position, maintain the loop of their respective lineeir cuits closed, but which,whenpushedin, introduce the station aplmratus into th e linecircuit ol"theparticularspindle pushed. Anynuniber ol" such. spindle-switches may be employed, according to the number ot" the entering` lines. ll have shown tour. Each switch consists ot'a noirconducting base, N, on which a spindle, t, is capable ot` sliding longitudinally when pushed inward by the button (g, or when retracted automatically by its retracting and conducting'springs uf-' The spindle carries a non-conducting block, zr", in which is lett a single conducting-plate, ./r', crossing the said block, and two other conductingplates, mi, insulated from one'another, but each in elcctri cal connection with one of the wires oi" the gen` erator and telephoneloop, as shown in the diagrannFig. 9. The plates are in electrical connection with the points nf, to which the springs un' are attached, and the circuit is from these through the springs to the screw in, and from thence by the wires 5, (i, 7. 8, 9, and l0 to and through the generator M, magneto-telephone T, and transmitter T', the generator, however, being normally shunted by the wire t), which in practice is broken either manually or by the movement ot' the crank c when the call is being sent. lhe wires and (i ot' the telephone-loop are branched to each oi" the spindle-switches, where they remain as open terminals until any special spindle is pushed in. The several main-circuit loops entering7 as shown in Fig. t), are made normally complete or continuous by their contactsprings q and q', which rest upon the conducting-plates a. Then the spindle is pushed in, the said springs are brought each in contact with one ot' the plates r2, which, be ing permanently in circuit with the telephoneloop, constitutes that loop virtually a part ot' the line-circuit. Any spindle so pushed in would, by the constant tension of thcsprings ln.12,withdraw itself as soon as the pressure was .removed from its button Q, it' means were not provided for its retention. It will be observed that on each spindle is an upwardly-projecting stud, R, and that attached to the telephone-sup port lever is a lug, ar, projecting downward and inward. Se long as the telephone rests on the yoke h the lug .fr/,which is attached Vto the pivot-rod V, is prevented from engaging the stud but it' the telephone is irst removed and any ot' the spindles are then pushed in, the stud Rol` that spindle passes the end ol' the lug, andthen on the attempted withdrawal ot' the spindle engages therewith, the said lng being brought into its path by the retractil spring S, which is attached to 'theheel 7L ol" the telephone-switch lever. The spindleis thus locked, and t-hc telephone-loop is brought into the circuit of the main line representei'l by such spindle until the telephone is replaced, when the lug reeedes, freeing the spindle, which thereupon i'lies outward. The axis ol' the switch-lever is furnished with as many cams or lugs .r as there are spindle-switehrs, and thus is enabled to control them all. The line-loops 2, (5, and 4 are merely indicated in the drawings.

Fig. 12 is a representation of the spindleswitch arranged in a compact case, Y, independent ot' the generator and telephones,

From the foregoing descriptioiil it will appear thatany stationoperator desiring to communicate with any other sta-tion will first .remove his telephone, will then push in the spindie et' the line with which the required station is connected, will listen to sec il'such line is already in use,and then proceed. to call and converse with the required station; and that when, on the conclusion ot' the conversation, he replaces his magneto-telephone the spindle will automatieallybe freed and ily outward, thus disconnecting the telephones. The station call-bell is, as before shown, pernmnently con nccted in its own circuit.

The plans which up to the present point in this spceitieation have been described, while showing the signal-bell constantly in circuit with one line, show no means of maintaining the signal-sending and telephonie apparatus in such line7 or of restoring t-he saine thereto after it has been used in any other line. The plans shown in Figs. 13, 1i, and l5 ali'ord such means. In these organizations the complete apparatus is made to depend i'or .its external connection upon the condition ot' the conduct ing-sides 0 and o ot' the switch-lever, which practically constitute the terminals ol' a nor4 mally-open telephone-loop which may be eon nected with any circuit. In every respect the telephone-supporting switch itseltdepicted by Figs. 18, l-i, and 'l5 is identical with that shown in Fig. 6, and hereinbei'ore described. rllhe loop leading from the sides o o byineans ofthe springs '0 and 'U' is, however, shown in detail. The switch has, moreover, an additional attachment. The switch-leveris 'fitted with an extra I OO ITO

IISI

.same time totally disconnected.

double wedge, 20, by which its two sides o and o', when the telephone T is in place, supported by the switch, are brought into connection with the two jaws of an auxiliary spring-jack, 21, all of the jacks J being at the This auxiliary jack 21 is in the circuit of the wire to which the station is supposed to belong. In this case, therefore, it is in circuit with the spring-jack of No. 1 circuit, and as the loop of the generator M and telephone T is always connected with the two sides of the switchbar, the. said loop is thus normally, by means of the extra wedge 20 and jack 21, connected with circuit No. 1, virtually constituting a part of said circuit. The path of the circuit entering the station is then by wire 1 into the signal-bell D; from thence to onespring of the auxiliary jack 21 to one side, m, of the wedge 20 to the side of the switch-lever, to pivot-collar u, spring v, wire 5, generating appara-tus M, wire 8, telephone T, wire 6, spring o', collar a', switch-lever side o to the other side, m', of the wedge 20, front side of the auxiliary spring-jack 21 to one side of the spring-jack J, normally by spring-contact to the other side of the same jack, and then out to line. Then this plan is adopted, the subscriber may, if he so desire, signal by operating his generator without removing his telephone from its support.

Although I prefer the arrangement of contact-springs v shown in the iigures, in which they are in frictional contact with the pivotcollars u and a, because by so placing them there is very little mechanical resistance offered against the free movement ot' the lever on -its pivots, there are many other Ways which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

In practice the same switch-lever which I employ for the purpose hereinbefore described is also utilized, in a manner well understood, to make any other necessary circuit changes, such as cutting out the signaling-instruments and introducing the telephone. I do not, however, regard it as essential to recount such attachments circumstantially, as they are not material to my invention. In Fig. 15 I have indicated that such changes may be eiiected by placing the manual button-switch Sin the instrument-loop circuit, and including the signaling-instruments in one branch thereof, and the telephones in another. Normally, the

g switch Si is turned to the button s, and the line-circuit No. 1 is thus led through the signal-bell and generator cia wire 6, wire 11, bell I), wire 12, generator M, wire 13, button s, switch S5, and wire 5. 'When the subscriber desires to listen or converse over the line, the switch is turned to s, and the circuit is from wire (i to wire 11, telephone T, wire 7, transmitter T/, wire 15, and button s6.

To the end that my invention shall be thoroughly understood, I will describe the operations necessary ior a complete communication.

CTI

Suppose that No. 2 on line No. 1 desires to talk with No. 1+i on line No. 3. The subscriber at No. 2 will, it' the plan shown in Figs. 5, (i, 7, 13, 14, and 15 be adopted, first turn the lever L till the button a comes opposite the iigline and restores the normal condition of thev circuits.

It is obvious that a system such as I have described presents many advantages. A central office, with its expensive apparatus and necessary operators, is dispensed with. Each sub-station is known by all the members of the system to be always on his own line-wire, and can be signaled there, and each sub-station, while in a line of comparatively lowresistance and in normal circuit with but iew other stations, is capable of being readily put into connection with many other stations, each of which is always to be found on its own line. Each sub-station, moreover, caureadily ascertain whether any other station is or is not already busy, and,`as he can communicate directly with any station, can always understand the reason of delay in obtaining the desired correspondent. Furthermore, each station, upon the conclusion of a conversation, is automatically restored to its original condition, and the resistance of all lines is thus kept at a minimum.

I do not in this application claim any specia form of circuit-changing switch, per se, as any desired i'orm may be employed, and as, moreover, I propose to iile a separate application. for Letters Patent for one of the forms I have herein shown-to wit, that illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12.

I do not regard the establishment of a number of line-circuits, all oi which enter all the stations together, with a single station apparatus adapted to be included, at the pleasure of the operator, in either of the said lines, as being new, parte, as I believe such a system to be well known in the ordinary practice of commercial telegraphy, an d I do not broadly claim such a system; but

' Vhat I do claim as oi' my own invention is- 1. A system of telephonie intcrcommunieation comprising a number of subscribers stations connected directlytogether, without the intervention of a central office, by a series of main lines entering each station, a call-bell at cach station, permanently connected with one main line, and a single telephonie and signal- IOO IIO

ing apparatus at each station, normally ineluded in the circuit of one of the said main lines, but adapted to be withdrawn therefrom and introduced into any other of the said main lines,whercby a subscriber normally connected wit-h any one ofthe lines may connect himself with any other of the said lines and communicate with subscribers normally connected therewith.

cation, a series ot' subscribers sta-tions connected directly together, without the intervention of a central ot'liee, by a series ot' main lines entering each. station, each station being appropriated to a particular line, so that a given number ot'stations are normally connected with eachiine, a cal l-bcll at each stati on,pe'r manently connected with the particular main line to which that station belongs, telephonie and signaling apparatus normally connected with that line, and means, substantially as indicated, for witlnlrawing said telephonie and signaling apparatus it'rom the said main line, and Yfor including it in the circuit of any other main line, so thatcall and telephonie signals maybe exchanged between it and the stations on the second line.

3. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, ot` a series of subscribers7 stations, a series ol' main lines, each ot the said lines extending to all ot' t-he said stations, a telephonie and signaling apparatus at each station,normally in circuitwith one of the said main lirios, on which incoming calls maybe received. and conversation carried on, switching devices whereby the said apparatus may be included l'or outgoing calls and conrcrsation in any other ot' the said main lines, and means for the automatic restoration ot' the said apparatus to its normal line-circuit upon the conclusion ot' a communication, substantially as described.

l. rlhc combination, substantially as hereinbei'ore described, ot' a series otsubscribers7 stations, a series ot` main lines, all ot' which extend to and loop into all the stations, a series ot spring-jacks or other loop-receiving devices-one l'or cach line at each station-a telephonie and signaling apliaratus at each station, the said apparatus consisting ot a signal-bell i'or receiving callvsignals, a generator i'or sending alls, a telephone or telephones, and a switch-bar constituting a support i'or the receivingtelcphone, with switch ing devices included, normally, in one ot' the said main lines, but adapted to be withdrawn therefrom and included in anyone ot' the Vlinccircuits by means ot' the springjacks theretor, means, controlled by the telephone-helding switch-bar, i'or maint-ai ning the said apparatus in the desired linecircuit during thc displacement ot' the telephone, and other means, actuated by the telephone-holding sup port when the telephone is .replaced therein, Vfor automatically transferring the apparatus to its normal connection.

5. In a system ot' telephonie inter-communication in which a number oi stations are directly connected together by a series ot' mari-n lines and at each station ther-cot', a series ol' spring-jacks or other loop-receiving and circuit-closing devices, each jack or circuiteloser itsclt' constituting a station-loop ol' a ,separate main-line circuit, a signal-bell for 2. In a system ot' telephonieintcrcomnnnnreceiving incoming calls perlmuiently connected in the circuit et' one ot' the said main lines, an instrument-loop including in its cir cuit agencrator i'or sending outgoing call-signals and a telephone or telephones, and adapted to be normally included in and l'orm a part ot' that main circuit in which the sfr- -nal-bell is connected, but capable oit'. transference therefrom to any other et' the said main lines by means ot' the respective loop-rccciv ing devices, whereby the subscriber at any station is enabled to signal and converse with any station on any ot' the lines, and at the same time may receive a call-signal upon his own line, substantially as described.

(i. In a system ot' telephonie communicz'rtion comprising a number ot' main lines entering all the stations and terminating thereat in spr'ingjacks-one for each mai nline-the combination ot' the tcleplmnie and signaling apparatus in a loop at each stat-ion, and the wedge forming the terminals ot' said loop, said wedge being carried by the telcplione-sumierting` arm, and being adjustable thereon, to make contact with the spring-jacks ot' any line-cir cuit, whereby on adjusting the said wedge and removing the telephone the said loop is automatically included in the desired mainline circuit, and on restoring the teleiljihone such connection is broken, substantially as described.

7. In a telephone system ot' the character described, the coml'iinaiioin, at a station, ot

the springiacks-one ior each main line-the wedge forming the terminals ot' a loop, includ ing the telephone and signaling apl'iaratus, said wedge being carried by and adjustable on the telephone-supporting arm, so as to mahc contact with one oi' the sl'ii'ixig-jacl s when the telephone is removed, an auxiliary springjack permanently included in the circuit ot' the particular main line to which the station helen gs, and a second wedge, also carried by the supporting-arm, and arranged to make contact with said last-named spring-jack when the tele] honc is inplace,wherebythe removal ol" the telephone automatically includes the said loop in one oi' the main-line circuits, dcterminml by the position ot' the zzdjustable wedge, and its replacement automatically restores said loop to the particular-line to which the station belongs, substantially as deseribtnl. In testimony whereot'I have signed my name to this speei'tcation, in 'the presence ot" two subscribing witnesses, this lst-th day ot'ilrjiril, 1881-.

lZ M T. Gl'lllyllnltll). lVitnesses:

D. E. Rien-tiens, (tno. lVi'Lras lrunon.