US728161A - Combined telephone and fire-alarm system. - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 1 2, 1903;

ATE EFICE.

WILLIAM LIVINCsTON DENIO, OF ROCHESTER, N w YO K, ASsICNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOBART F. ATKINSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

COMBINED TELEPHONEAND FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,161, dated May 12, 1903. Application filed May 9, 1902. Serial No. 106,608. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LIVINGSTON DENIO, a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Telephone and Fire-Alarm Systom; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combined telephone and fire-alarm systems, the former being of the type having the source ofelectric energy for the system at the central section or exchange.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a telephone system with central of- {fice and subscribers connections and combined therewith fire-alarm devices and conq nections. stat suitable for use in the fire-alarm circuit.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a thermo- For simplicity of illustration but one tele: phone-line is fully shown, this being an allwire circuit 1 2, connected at one end to a central-office switchboard. (Indicated by the spring-jacks 3 3 3 Circuit-wires 1 2 OfAthemetallic circuit are connected at the exchange to light circuit making and breaking armatures 4 4, which are normally held bysprings '5 against contacts 6 6, to which are connected the terminals of the central storage battery 7 or other central source of electricity. In one of these connections is a line-relay magnet 8, the armature 9 of which is normally retracted by a spring from a contact 10 in a branch circuit from the central-station battery, including a visual signal, as an incandescent lamp 12, connected to one terminal of the.

storage battery, the armature being connected to the opposite terminal of the battery by a wire 13. Between armatures 4 4 is a magnet 14, the coil of which is connected to one of the battery-terminals and also to a contact 15 adjacent to the springs of the springjack of the subscribers line on the switchboard, so as to be connected to the jack and thence to the battery by a switch-plug 16 when inserted in the jack. There isone linerelay and one signal-lamp for each telephonecircuit. Spring-jack 3 indicates the switchboard connection of another subscriber, the connections being the same asthose of the circuit 1 2, already described. 3? is a springjack of the switchboard, the line of which is supposed to lead to the fire-department telephone. Toward the opposite end of the circuit 1 2 from the central exchange are one or more subscriberstelephones 17 17, which are supplied with current when required from the common central-oflice battery 7.

From the telephone-terminal 18 extends a wire 19 to bell 20,"condenser 21, to the opposite side of the circuit, and to a metal base connection 21, to escapemnt device 22, contact spring or. arm 23, screw 24, carried by the spring and resting against the free end of arn125, the Opposite end being pivoted on an insulating-block 26, the arm being normally supported on the upper end of the lockingarmature 27 of the tripping device. 28 indicates an insulating-block on the armature to limit the swingfof the escapement when the latter'is released and free to swing. From arm 25 extends a wire to magnet 29, thence to switch 30.

Normally the subscribers receiver rests on the hook-switch separating the switch-contacts 30 of the telephone-circuit. Hence the bell and condenser 21 form the only normally operative path between the circuit-wires 1 2, and this connection is Operative for alternating or pulsatingcurrents, but not for continuous currents, on account of the condenser which interrupts the metallic continuity of the circuit.

When a subscriber removes his receiver from the hook, the central exchange is automatically notified thereof by the lighting and steady shining of the corresponding switchboard or annunciator lan1p12, the circuits-being as follows: from one terminal of the telephone set 17 to line 1, spring 4, contact 6, storage battery 7,"magnet 8, lower contact 6, spring 4, wire 2 to the second terminal of the subscribers telephone, and through usual or suitable connections in the telephone apparatus. vention are merely indicated by the switchcontacts 30 and the pivoted telephone sup- Such connections not being of my in- I porting and switch hook. The exchange-signal-lamp circuit from battery 7 is closed by armature-0 moving to contact 10. If there is but one subscriber on the line, the operator knows at once who removed his telephone; but if there are two or more subscribers on the same line the operator has to first ask who is calling.

The escapement mentioned controls the rotation of signal-wheel 31, having grouped contact teeth or parts 32 and adjacent to which is a cooperating circuit opening and closing spring 33, which is connected to switch 34:, thence by wire 35 to the second terminal of the subscribers telephone. This completes the normal fire alarm connection of subscriber No. 1 to the telephone line and exchange.

From switch 30 wire 36 leads around through the subscribers building or through any desired district and back to switch 30, thus forming a complete loop at the end of bellwire 19. A break in the wire of the loop at any one point or at a point in each loop would not interfere with the sending of a signal, which would be transmitted from either side of the break. This is important in order to avoid having the alarm become inoperative by accidental breaking of the thermostatic line at one point or even at several points.

From switch 34, by which the transmitter can be cut out, a second loop 37 extends parallel to the first loop, and at desired points connected between the wires of the two loops are thermostatic circuit-controllers 38, adapted to change the condition of the fire-alarm circuit by connecting the two loops on a predetermined rise in temperature near either of the thermostats.

The thermostats between the described loops may eachconsist of an insulating-plug, with screws 3S and washers 33 by which the loop-wires may be clamped one at each end of the plug. On the plug is a conducting-spring 38 normally shortened by being compressed, so as to be shorter than the distance between the washers. The turns of the spring when thus compressed are held together by a solder 38 or material fusible at a definite temperature, which may be called the danger-point. When the solderfuses, the coils of the spring expand against the washers and connect the two thermostatic circuit-loops. I do not limit myself to the use of this form of thermostat. The circuit thus closed is as follows: battery 7, wire 1, wire 35 to loop-wire 37, through the closed thermostat to loop-wire 36, to magnet 29, arm 25,screw 24:,escapement-arm 23 to 2l,thro ugh ,bell to wire 2, spring t, magnet 8, back to battery. The circuit includes trippiugmiagnet 29, which by attracting its armature, and thus allowing arm to drop outof the path of screw 24, breaks the fire alarm circuit above traced and also releases the automatic transmitting-wheel, which by rotating under influence of a motor, as weight W, makes and breaks the fire-alarm connection, (which now extends from wire to spring 33, to Wheel 31 when a tooth touches the spring, from wheel 31 to 21, to bell 20, to exchange, to battery 7, back to branch 35,) according to the number and arrangement of teeth on the signal-Wheel, thus correspondingly lighting and extinguishing-that is, flashing-the linelamp at the exchange-switchboard, thus giving the operator the subscribers fire-call. At the same time the current and the light are vibrated by the operation of the vibratory bell.

The use of a circuit-cl1angingsignal bell or device common to the telephone-circuit and to the fire-alarm circuit makes it unnecessary to provide a separate piece of apparatus in the fire-alarm circuit to accomplish a similar result-that is, to vibrate the exchange signal-receiver.

By the term vibratory hell or signal is meant one which in operation makes and breaks orotherwise changes the circuit. The operation would be the same had the firealarm circuit been closed at the manual streetbox 39.

On receipt of a fire-alarm the exchange operator should immediatelyinform the fire department of a fire at this subscribers building. He should then inform the subscriber, who might be ignorant of the fire, especially if the alarm had been sent by operation of a thermostat.

The telephone devices at the subscribers station do not have to be modified to allow the combination therewith of the fire-alarm.

The subscribers vibratory alarm bell or device gives the alarm at the subscribers building. It also causes the light of the corresponding lamp at the exchange to vibrate, thus instantlyindicating a call of a different character from that made by taking down the subscribers telephone-receiver. This makes it impossible by manipulating the telephoneswitch to give a false fire-alarm, as the appearance of the light at the exchange would be different.

I do not limit myself to the use of a single manual or street box 39 for manually connecting the loops. Several such boxes may be distributed through the subscribers building on the different floors or otherwise. One switch 40 is a manual test-switch, by manipulation of which at any time it Willappear whether the circuits are in working order. The form of switch used here and in the alarm-box is immaterial; but the one shown has a spring-pressed rod with a block adapted to enter between and connect the separated contacts 41 when the switch is pulled. The switch in box 39 may be of the same construction as switch 40.

As already described, the two groups of three and four teeth each on the transmitterwheel send the fire-alarm. After the last group is a comparatively long space, then a single tooth. This serves to signal the exchange that it is subscriber No. 1 on that line whose fire-alarm is operating. At the apparatus of subscriber No. 2 on the same line there would be two of the subscribers number-teeth, and so on for succeeding subscribers. If the subscribers on a common or party line are designated as A B, &c., then one tooth would indicate subscriber A, two teeth subscriber B, &c. If there is but one subscriber on a line, no such extra teeth are required.

My system is also intended to include a burglar-alarm so arranged that when said burglar-alarm is energized the resultant signal received at the central station will be different from either the fire-alarm or telephone signals and readily recognized as a burglar-alarm signal. To effect this result, I provide a conveniently-arranged burglaralarm circuit 42, having usual normally open circuit-closers 43, and suitably connect said burglar-alarm circuit in the systemas, for example, to the thermostat-circuit at 44. The burglar-circuit includes a relay-magnet 45, the core of which is a permanent magnet of sufficient strength to hold armature 46 when attracted thereto,but not of sufficientstrength to attract such armature. The operation of magnet45 through conductors 47 and 48 shortcircuits the vibratory alarm-bell 20, as Will be evident. From the description of the burglaralarm circuit it will be seen that contact of the circuit-closers 43 energizes said circuit attracting armature 46 to magnet 45, shortcircuiting the vibratory alarm-bell 20, and energizes the fire-alarm circuit and sending to the central station the signal corresponding to the teeth on wheel 31; but as the vibratory alarm-bell is short-circuited the burglaralarm signal will lack the intermittent flashes of the fire-alarm signal due to such vibratory alarm-bell. It will be noted that immedi-. ately magnet 29 inv the fire-alarm circuit is deenergized by tripping device 25 the burglar-alarm circuit is also without energy, and hence the signal, which has been electrically started, is operated byv the weightirrespective of the energy in the initial circuit and cannot be interfered with by simultaneous operation of the burglar-alarm circuitper se, it being understood that the permanent magnet 45 will hold armature 46 to shunt bell 2O irrespective of the energy in the burglar-alarm circuit.

From the above-described system it will be noted. that the central station receives a signal from the telephone-circuit, the fire-alarm circuit, and the burglar-alarm circuit, and that each of these signals is readily distinguishable one from the other, and that it is impossible from the manipulation of one circuit to send the signal of either of the other circuits. Therefore I regard as within the scope of my invention all such means for accomplishin g this purpose as would permit the obvious advantages and results outlined above.

The short circuit extendsfrom point 19 at one side of the bell to the armature of magnet 45, the front contact to the wire on the other side of the bell.

I claim- 1. The combination of a normally open telephone-circuit, a subscribers call-bell therefor, an automatic fire-alarm transmitter, in the telephone-circuit, and a signal-receiving lamp at the central station adapted to receive the signals from the telephone or fire-alarm circuits, said telephone call-bell being energized in the operation of the fire-alarm circuit to vary the fire-signal at the central exchange from the telephone-signal.

2. The combination of a normally open metallic telephone-circuit disconnected from the ground, a source of electric current at a central exchange for said. circuit, a'vibratory circuit-changing subscribers bell therefor, an automatic fire-alarm transmitter connected with the metallic non-grounded telephonecircuit and depending on said exchange source of current, and a signal-receiving lamp at'such exchange, said telephone callbell being energized in the operation of the fire-alarm circuit to vary the fire-signal at the central exchange from the telephonesignal.

3. The combination of a telephone-circuit, a vibratory alarm therefor, an automatic firealarm transmitter in the telephone-circuit, a burglar-alarm circuit, a signal-lamp at a central exchange, and means to energize said lamp to show varying signals under the respective influence of the telephone-circuit, the fire-alarm circuit, and the burglar-alarm circuit.

4. The combination of a telephone-circuit, a vibratory call-bell therefor, an automatic fire-alarm transmitter for the telephone-circuit, said call-bell being in the fire-alarm circuit, a burglar-alarm circuit, a signal-lamp at a central exchange adapted to be differently energized under the influence of the fire-alarm, telephoneor' burglar-alarm cir-' cuits, and means operated by the burglaralarm circuit for shunting the call-bell.

5. The combination of a telephone-circuit, a vibratory call-bell therefor, an automatic fire-alarm transmitter for the telephone-circuit, said call-bell being in the fire-alarm circuit, a burglar-alarm circuit, a signal-lamp at a central exchange adapted to be diiferently energized under influence of the firealarm, telephone or burglar-alarm circuits, and a magnet in the burglar-alarm circuit for shunting the vibratory call-bell.

6. The combination with a signal-lampat a central exchange, of an open telephone-circuit designed to steadily light said lamp when operated, a fire-alarm transmitter in the telephone-circuit designed to energize said lamp in a series of predetermined signals, means in said circuit to vibrate each of the firealarm signals at the signal-lamp, and a burglar-alarm in circuit and designed to energize the lamp with the fire-alarm signals, and a magnet in the burglar-alarm circuit for short- I specification in the presence of two subscrib circuiting the vibratory signaling means in ing witnesses.

the fire-alarm circuit, whereby the signallampis energized by the telephone, fire-alarm VILLIAM LIVINGSTON DENIO' 5 and burglar-alarm circuits in varying and Witnesses:

readily-distinguished signals. H. E. BALL,

In testimony whereof I have signed this A. S. CAMPBELL.

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