US746624A - Switchboard. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED DEG. 8K, 1903.

J, -B. WOUD.

SWITCHBOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.16,19o2.

N0 MODEL.

dwf

PI G- 2'.

UNITED STATES Patented DecemberS, 1G03. PATENT Grieco.

JAMES BUCHANNAN i/VOOD, 'OF GATE CITY, VIRGiNA, ASSIGNQR 0F TWO- y THIRDSTO'JOHN E. SMITH AND GEORGE L. DAGHERTY, OF GATE CITY, i

VIRGINIA.

swiToHeoARo.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,624, dated December 8, 1903.

Application iiled October 16, 1902. Serial No. 127,586. (No model.)

To all whom, t 1v1/ay concern:

Beit known that I, JAMEsBUoHANNAN NVOOD, a citizen of'the United States, resid ing at Gate City, in the county of Scott and 5 State of Virginia, have invented certain new" and useful Improvements in Swiichboards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in telephone-switchboards, and has for itsobject Io the provision of a simple and convenient device for use in small towns and outiying dis-` board mechanism with a diagrammatic rep-- reseutation of bells in circuit. Fig. 2 is a reverse view of Fig. 1,showing the back of f the switchboardand connections. Fig. 3 is a vvertical section of the improved switchboard.

zo Referring to the figures of drawings, the box or casing is designated by the numeral i, said casing'having a ledge 2 on the top back portion thereof. The Wires 3 from the main line of the system of telephones are connected to the switchboard atbindingposts 4 and are each joined to separate pairs of parallel. bars 5 through the screws it and wires Lib therefrom on the under side of the ledge. The bars 5 are of any suitable conducting 3o material and may be of any. size or shape desirable, being shown in this instance as round.

metallic bars and arranged in pairs, as cleariy ser forth in the drawings. Each pair of bars 5 is in reality one piece, having a .returnbend at one end and extending across the box,

near the top thereof.

Located on the upper surface of the bottom of the box or casing are anumbei of metallic buttons or contact-points arranged in pre- 40 determined series. In practical use I may employ as many series as desired; ont for convenience of illustration I show only four series in this'instance. Each contact-button has connection through the thickness of the bottom of the box or casing to a bar or Wire common to each button in that series. Referring tothe upper row or seriesoi:` buttons, (indicated as 6,) it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that this series has a shorter or 5o disjointed series 6', consisting of two buttons only. Wires, as 61 6V, leading from each series, respectiveiv, have a hell connecting them, forming a circuit. Another Wire, 6, lends from the series 6 and has connection to aoeii, frein-'whence the connection isground- 55; cnes shown.- The second and third series' of buttons i designate as 6 and 6b. The connection 4of .these series ci' buttons is plainiy shownin the drawings. The lowerseries krow-of contactpoints or buttons is used only so when necessary to ground 'the system of telephoneswsnch, for instance, during an electricai storm-as will hehereinaiterexplained- For making the renuired contact and conn pieting the connection tnroughout'anydesired 6 e circuit I provide a siidinw contact-niece ti l.

novel construction. Said piece consists o a body portion 7, or" i'iattened material, enhn stantiaiiy es shown, resting upon tive of the psrailei bars 5. The sides o the hody por 7o tion are turned under and neatly it over the saidparallel oars and in frictional contact therewith, but ioose enough io admit o a slidingmotion thereon. Aatinetailic springleat 8 is attached to the under side of the 75 body portion 'I of the contact-piece and by its own resiiiency keeps in contact with one ci g the buttons or contact-points beneath it when moved into Isuch position that the spri n n-leaf comes in contact with the contact point or 8o button bya push or pull on asnitahie handle 9,ii1us compieting connection betweeua pair of bars 5 and a cotton or contact-point in one of the series. 1

in Fig. l two pieces 7* are shown in circuit, 85 thus connecting two telephones at the ends of the respective main lines 3, controlled ny two subscribers. The circuit is completed from the main lines 3 through hars 5, contact-pieces 7K, leaf-springs fand contact points or linttons through to points YYV'ZY. As Wili ce seen from an inspection of the'drawings, one point ZY in Fig. 2 is disconnected from the series 6i", but is connected to botten or contnctpoint 6 at point GK. This connection between YY and o5 6X is 'for grounding the iineswhen two party-V iiues are to he connected threugh'the hoard, and one end oi the iine may be Ain use whiie the other is grounded.

The numeral l1 indicates a nsual ground roo wire.

Should it be desired to ground the entire or board proper,

bindingposts,

-necting the system, because oi' the presence of an electrical stormor for some other reason, all the sliding contact-pieces are moved to a position over the lower series 6c, so that the springleaves 8 of each contact-piece will be in frictional contact with the button or contactpoint directly beneath it, and should a current enter the metallic connection said current will pass to the ground through the medium of ground-wire 10.

From the above description, taken in connection with the drawings, the following-described ope-ration will be obvious: Should a subscriber on a partyline-say 7x to the right in Fig. I desire to call lup another subscriber-say ''x to the' left in Fig. l-the callbell is rung in the usual manner. The operator at the switchboard slides the contactpiece 7 into contact with contact point or button 6d He then moves 7x piece (right, Fig. l) to position over point 7Y, Fig.v2, thus making communication between piece 7and said piece 7"z through points 7y and 6X, Fig. 2.` The operator'then mov'es 'the left contact-piece 7x to position shown in Fig. 1 over` point7y, (to the right in Fig 2,) thus establishing communication between the three points of contactpiece 7 (dotted lines, Fig. l) and the two contact-pieces 7X and completing the circuit between the two subscribers through the con` nections from the party-lines hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A switchboard composed of a casingor board proper, a series of binding-posts mounted in the board, line-wires connected to said a series of contact-bars arranged in the board and connected to the binding-posts, contact-points adjacent to said bars, ground connections and contact-plates, said contact plates having each a pair of sleeves sliding on the bars and having projections for engaging the contact-points.

2. A switchboard composed of the casing a series of contact-points arranged in series in said casing, means for consaid points, ground connections,

in the manner provided with a spring a series ot' parallel contact-bars adjacent to the contact-points, line and bell connections with the contact-bars and a series of sliding contacts consisting each of a crosspiece and a pail` or" sleeves mounted on the bars and adapted to make connection through the contact-points.

3. A switchboard mechanism consisting of: series of parallel bars, each bar made from a single wire to form two parallel strands, series of contact-points located .in predetermined relation thereto, and contact-pieces frictionally movable on said .bars and disposed so as to make contact with diiercnt contact-points in the path of movement of said contact-piece, said contact-pieces each consisting of a handle, a body portion and sleeves fitting and movable on the bars.

4. A switchboard mechanism consistingof a series of parallel bars in pairs, said bars being each made oi a single wire to form a pair of parallel strands, contact-points arranged in series as described, and a sliding contactpiece on each pair ofbars, said contact-piece projection for making contact with any one of the contact-points located in the path oi movement of said movable contact-piece, said contact-pieces cach consisting of a handle, a body portion and sleeves fitting. and movable' on the hars.

5. in a switchboard, a series of cross-bars, movable contact-pieces thereon each having a frictional contact device, and a series of contact-points arranged in predetermined position on the switchboard, a groundingwire connected to said contact-poii1ts,whereby, when said contact-pieces are moved to position to connect with said' contact-points, the entire system will be grounded, said contact-pieces each consisting of a handle, a body portion and sleeves fitting and movable on thebars.

in testimony whereof I aihx in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES BUCHANNAN WOOD.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. MoCoNNnLL, Josu C. Werra.

Images