US561420A

US561420A - Paul minnis

Info

Publication number: US561420A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 1913-06-02

Description

(No Model.)

P. MINNIS.

LINE JACK EUR TELBPHONIG SWITGHBOARDS'. No. 561,420. Patented June 2Q 1896.

` j iwf j W M 97W UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes".

PAUL MINNIS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA, `ASSIGrNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE HOME TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LINE-JACK FOR TELEPHoNlC swlTeHBoARDs.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,420, dated J une 2, 1896. Application fired rebruaryiv, i896. Seriana. 679,648. (romeni.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL MINNAIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Line-Jacks for Telephonie Switehboards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to line-jacks for telephonic switchboards ,my purpose being to provide a construction whereby the insertion of a plug constructed in harmony with the linejack shall have the effect ofopening the callcircuit between the corresponding line-sta tion and the central station, switching in the communicating wires or service-wires which connect the line-stations with the central station and with a common return-wire, and finally completing a circuit which restores a visual call-signal at the central station to its normal position, in readiness to respond to the next call from the line-station.

It is my purpose, also, to combine with a line-jack of the kind specified a plug having such construction that it shall cooperate with the jack and its contacts in producing the results mentioned, and having such an organization that two separate wires entering the plug may be coupled electrically at any moment by a simple, slight, and rapid movement of the finger of the operator and again separated automatically, whereby the operators head-phonemay be cut in and out.

My invention also comprises other novel features, all of which will be fully explained hereinafter and then particularly pointed out and defined in the claims which complete this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to fully understand and to practice the same, I will now describe said invention in detail, reference being made for this purpose to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l. is a central longitudinal section of a line-jacl constructed in accord ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, the section-plane being at an angle with that in Fig. l. Fig. 3

is a similar section with a further an gularity of the section-plane. Fig. 4lis a cross-section in the line 4E 4:, Figl. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken in the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of the plug.

In saidrdrawings the reference-minieral l denotes one of the line-jacks of the switch-` board. It is formed of a substantially cylindrical body of insulating material of any suitable kind, having an opening for the insertion of the plug. The mouth of this opening is provided with a bushing 2 and faceplate 3, the bushing being screwed into the opening.

Connected electrically to the faceplate 3 is a conducting-strip 4L, lying in a longitudinal channel 5 in the exterior face of the body l and extending a little beyondits rearward end. In the interior is a conductor 6, also in touch with the face-plate and extending rearward till it meets the end of a slot 7, cut longitudinally through from the exterior and extending to a point a little distance from the rear end of the jack.

In the slot 7 lies a spring-contact S, fas tened at one end by a screw 9 at the rearward end of the jack, its free end passing into the opening beyond the forward end of the slot 7 and lying opposite the conductor 6,from which it is normally separated. Upon the same rearward portion of the jack are also mounted two contacts l0.. and l2, lying opposite each other and passing through slots 13 into the interior, their oppositely-eurved ends lying normally in electric'contact, but capable of being separated by the entrance of the plug. The line-jack is also provided with two contacts 14 and l5, also mounted on the rear end and lying partly in slots 1G and partly in the opening for the plug. These contacts are never in contact, their oppositely-curved ends being separated by an interval somewhat less than the diameter of the plug. All the contacts point toward or have their free ends nearest to the open end of the jack where the plug enters` The free end of the contact 8 lies nearest the open entrance end, andthe two closed contacts 9 and l0 meet at a point between the free end of the contact S and the contacts 14 and 15.

The conducting-strip 4is connected by wire,

as are the contacts S, 10, and 12, and 11i and 15, to the several circuits and multiples of the switchboard. The contact 8 forms part of the talkin g-circuit, the two closed

contacts

10 and 12 form part of a call-circuit, and the two open contacts 14: and 15 are parts of a circuit which restores the call-signal to its normal or original position.

The reference-numeral15 indicates the conducting tubular body of one of the plugs, in one end of which is inserted the shank 19 of a non-conducting point 20, slightly larger than the tubular body. Between the end of the latter and a metallic tip 21 the non-conducting point is exposed, and between the enlarged non-eonductin g point and a sleeve 22 of non-conducting material covering the tubular body the conducting metal 18 is exposed. Excepting this exposed portion 1S and the lnetal tip 21 the conducting-body is covered by the sleeve 22, on which is formed a collar 23 to limit the extent to which the plug is inserted in the line-jack.

Upon the open end of the sleeve and tubular body a cap 24 is mounted, having slots 25, through which screws 26 are tapped into the sleeve and body 18. These slots permit a limited longitudinal movement of the cap, which is normally pressed outward by a springl27, coiled inside the cap.

`lVithin the tubular body 1S is a metal core 2S., to which is attached one of the wires 29 of the flexible cord. In the head of the cap 2i is a' metal ring 30, inclosing a bushing 31, the ends of the same projecting into the cap and outside the head of the latter, the exterior portion being inclosed and protected by a lling 32. rl` he second wire of the leXible cord is connected to this bushing and rino'. By pushing the cap 24 inward the bushing and ring are caused to engage the end of the metallic body, thereby coupling the wires electrically. This arrangement is especially adapted for cutting the head-phone of the operator or a magneto-generator at a central station into and out of the talking-circuit.

Then inserted in the line-jack, as shown in dottedv lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the contact 8 rests on the exposed part of the conducting-body 1S, thus making connection between the service-wire attached to contact S and wire 29 of the iexible cord, and the free end of contact S is pressed against conductor o', thus establishing a test-circuit through bushing 2, face-plate I5, contact-strip 4i, the test multiple wire, and multiples of contactstrip 4 to the face-plates of the corresponding jacks of the switchboard. The two

contacts

10 and 12 are separated and rest upon the exposed non-conducting point, thereby opening the call-circuit. Finally, the metallic tip of the plug presses against the contacts 11 and 15, and thereby completes a circuit which restores the call-signal to its normal position.

The plug and line-jack described form part of an application iiled by me, of even date herewith, for a telephone-switchboard.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a telephone-switchboard of a line-jack consisting of a cylindrical body of non-conducting material, a conducting face-plate and bushing an exterior and an interior conductor in electrical contact with the bushing, a single springcontact entering the opening for the plug through a slot in the non-conducting body of the jack, its free end normally separated from the interior conductor, two opposite springcontacts entering said opening and having free ends normally in electrical contact, their points being turned toward the mouth of the plug-opening, and a pair of separated contacts also entering the said plug-opening, a plug having a metallic tip to engage an couple the latter contacts when the plug is inserted, a non-conducting point on said plug to separate and break the electrical contact between the closed spring-contacts and an exposed conducting portieri on the plug behind the non-conductin g point, to engage the single spring-contact electrically and press it against the interior contact of the jack when the plug is inserted in the jack, substantially as described.

2. A line-jack for telephone-switchboards,

comprising anon-conducting body having an opening for the plug, two separated contacts, two normally-closed spring-contacts and a single spring-contact, all insulated from each other and rigidly attached at one end to the outer face of the non-conducting body, and all entering the opening for the plug in the jack through longitudinal slots in the nonconducting body, in combination with a plug having a metal tip to engage and electrically connect the separated contacts, a non-conducting point to separate the two closed contacts, and a metallic body having an exposed portion to electrically engage the single contact, and couple it with the wire of the cord, and with an interior conductor in the jack, substantially as described.

3. In a telephone-switchboard, the combination with a line-jack, having a non-conducting body provided with an opening for the plug, two separated contacts, two normally-closed contacts,and a single contact, all attached at one end to the outer face of the non-conducting body and entering the plugopening through slots, of a plug having a nonconducting point to separate the closed contacts, a metallic tip to electrically connect the separated contacts and a conducting-body to electrically engage the single contact and press its free end against an interior contact which is engaged with a face-plate, bushing, and exterior contact, the rest of the body being covered by a non-conducting sleeve, a cap mounted on the open end of the body, a

IOO

IIO

spring pressing said Cap o the sleeve, t Wire iny hand in presence of two subscribing witeonneeted to the condnetingbody, and a seenesses.

0nd wire connected to :t eontaeterino in the T esp, the latter being` capable of engatging the PAUL MINA IS' 5 metal body portion by pressing` the eftp in* Witnesses:

Ward, substantially as described. CLAYTON B. CLARK,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set WILLIAM H. SULLIVAN.