US487098A - Charles e - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. E. SORIBNER. v TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD APPARATUS.

No. 487,098. Patented Nov; 29, 1892.

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CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-SWITCHBOARD APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,098, dated November 29, 1892.

Application filed April 21, 1892. Serial No. 430,] 52. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SCRIBNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Telephone-Switchboard Apparatus, (Case No. 307,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the operators outfits for telephone-exchanges. Its object is to provide means for automatically disconnecting the operators telephone set from a tele phone linecircuit.

My invention consists in a pivoted lever, retarded in its motion by suitable means, provided with contact-points and circuit-connections, whereby it is adapted to connect the operators telephone with the connecting-cord circuit when in one position, the switch orlever being normally held in such position by one of the connecting-plugs.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Therein I have shown two sub-stations, each connected bya line-circuit with spring-jacks upon two sections of multiple-switchboard and with an individual annunciator upon one of the boards, a pair of connecting-plugs of ordinary construction and their usual cord-circuit, and my improved automatic switch.

The apparatus at the substation-substation 1, for exampleis of the usual character, comprising calling and signal-receiving apparatus, a telephone set, and a switch adapted to connect the signaling appliances or the telephone set with the line-circuit, according to its position. The apparatus at the sub-station is connected in a grounded circuit by means of the line a with spring jack switches 12 1) upon two sections cc of multipleswitchboard at the exchange and with an individual annunciator d at the section 0 of switchboard. The individual annunciator d of the line to station 2 is placed upon the other section 0 of switchboard, so as to be under the care of another attending operator.

The operators connecting apparatus com prises the connecting-plugs e c, which are connected together by flexible cords ff and a conductor g, callingkeys h h, each adapted to disconnect one of the plugs from the otherand to connect it with a grounded callinggenerator 'i, and the telephone set It. A keyl 5-5- is provided, by which the operator is enabled to connect one terminal of her telephone set- 70 with the conductor g and thus with the circuit of two subscribers in connection. A clearing-out annunciator m is included in a branch between the conductor g and earth to respond to the signal fordisconnection. The bell-crank lever n is pivoted at the point a. One arm n of the lever carries a flexible contact-spring n adapted to make contact with an anvil it, which is connected with the operators telephone set It. Aspiral spring 0 tends to withdraw the contact-spring n from its anvil 11 The motion of the lever is re tarded by a piston 19, moving in a dash-pot. The arm n of the lever is provided with a socket to receive one of the connecting-plugs e, which normally rests therein, the Weight of the plug being sufficient to close the contactspring a upon the anvil n in opposition to the tension of the spring 0. The lever 'n is connected through the medium of the spring 0 with the conductor g. i

In the operation of the system shown a subscriber-for example, at station 2-desiring 8o connection rotates his calling-generator, as usual, sending signaling-current through the line-circuit a and the different spring-jacks b 5 through the annunciator d to earth, operating the annunciator and announcing the signal to the attendant at the switchboard 0. The operator, seeing the signal, inserts the answering-plug e of a pair of connectingplugs into the spring-jack b at her switchboard, whereby the circuit is extended from 0 station 2 over the line a, to the line-spring q of the spring-jack b thence to the plug 6, through the cord f, key 77., conductor 9 to the lever 71, thence through the contacts p 1? to the operators telephone set 70, thence to earth, and returning to station 2. The operator is thus enabled to communicate with the subscriber at station 2 and to receive his order, say, for connection with station 1. The

operator then proceeds to test the spring-jack [00 of line to station 1 to determine whether the line is already in use or not in the usual manner-tha.t,is,.by applying to, the test-ring q, of the spring j ack b at herbeardz the tip of the other connecting-plug e of the pair. If the line to station 1 were in use, the test-ring q would be connected through the connecting-plug, by means of which connection. al-

ready existed with the line a, and thence to test-ring to which it was applied, thence over the line-circuit to earth, and at each such application a click would be produced in the operators; telephone-receiver: which would indicate toherth-at the line was already in use. WVhen the plug e was removed from. its socket in the lever 72 n, the lever at once be gan to rise in response; to the tension of the spring o; but being retarded in its movement by the pistonauddash-potp it would rise so slowly as to. allow the operatorsufficient time to make the test with the plug 6 before separating the contacts 41, n and disconnecting h-er telephone from the plug-circuit. Having found the line to station I not already in use, the. operatorinserts the plug e. fully intospring-jack-b, thereby completing a con tinuous loop circuit, including both thesnbstationsl and-2. The circnitmay be traced, as before, as far as the conductor g, whence his now extended through the key h, cordf, and the plug e to the spring-jack b, then through the line-spring q thereof to the line a, and thence to sub-station 1. The operator now depresses the calling-key h, disconnecting the cordffrom the conductor 9 and connecting it with oneterminal of the callinggenerator 2', whose other terminal is grounded, and thus sending a call signal to station 1, to

which the signal-bell thereat responds.

If at any time the operator desires to connect her telephone set with the circuit joining the two subscribers, she may do so by depressing the listening-keyl. I V

When the subscribers have completed their conversation, one of them by rotating his callin g-gen eRLtQ 1-his telephoneswi'tchbeing in its lowest positioni s ends; a signal for disconnection over the line-circuit, which finds circuit to the conductor g, and thence through the clearing-out annunciator m to earth, operatingt e annn ci t r and indicati g o. the attending operator that the connection is no longer desired.

I do not limit myself to the details of the construction herein shown and described, since numerous modifications of my invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claimzasnewand desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a connecting plug, Of, a, switch-lever held in one position bytheplng. when out-of use,- switch-contacts thereon, and means for retarding the motion of theswitch-lever, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a,.-(i0l1[l0.(3: lg" plug, of; switch-lever held in. one position by the.- plugwhen, outof use,.switch-c ontacts thereon'adapted to be separatedwhenxsaid plug is remeved fo use, a telephone vse connected with one of said switclncontacts, the other switchcontact being connected with the plug-circuit, and means forretardingthe motion of said switch-lever, substantially as specified. a v

3. The combination, with a connectingplug, of a switch-lever normally held in one positionby.the-weightof the, connecting-plug,

switch-contacts upon the said lever-adapted tobe separated when said plugis, removed for use, circuit connections with said plug, a telephone set; and other circuit. connections, whereby the telephone set is. normally connected through the switch-contacts with the plug-circuit, and means for retarding the said lever in its motion, substantially as, specified.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of April, A.D. 1892.

V CHARLES E. SCRIBNER. Witnesses:

F. R. MCBERTY, GEORGE L. ORAee.

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