US810491A - Telephone toll apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 810,491. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

G. A. LONG. TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

G. A. LONG. TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. LONG, OF HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAY TELEPHONE PAY STATION COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONN ECTICUT.

TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed January 9, 1904. Serial No. 188,344.

, To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LONG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county. of. Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain -new and useful Improvements in Telephone Toll Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to toll-collecting devices for telephones, and is particularly adapted for use in connection with what is known as the automatic system, th at is, a sys'-. tem in which the subscriber selectshis own callby the manipulation of certainmechanism without the-use of a central operator.

The drawings show the devices in connection with such aZtelephone apparatus, although obviously its 'uses are not confined thereto.

The objects of the invention are to provide a very simple and effective mechanism using a. coin or other check or toll which by the action of the coin and manipulation by the operator will secure the desired call.

A further object is to provide a device'of the class specified which while not interfering with the switch-hook lever and its ordinary uses will prevent use of the. instrument until the proper' token or coin is deposited.

'A Still further object of the invention is to provide a sectional contact-plungeronesection of which may beoperated without moving the other until a proper coin or token connectsthe two.

Figure l is a view in front elevation of a set of telephone instruments with a toll-collecting device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a View of the toll-box, partially in section, taken I from the rear.

Fig. 3 is across-section view through the toll-box on the lines of the callbutton and plunger as denoted by X X, Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, on enlarged scale, of the call-button and appurtenent parts. 7 Fig.5 isa detail view of the coinejecting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail view, on enlarged scale, showing the rrangement of the transmitter-hook lever, clhng *contacts, and coin-ejecting connections.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 denotes thaface-board of a set of telephone instruments of the automatic type, 2 the call-bells, 3 the transmitter, and 4 the callselectingdial. The numeral 5 denotes the receiver'-hook, and 6 the receiver. These parts being all well known in the art a detailed description is deemed unnecessary.

Ordinarily in the use-of'such an instrument the Su bscriber first removes the receiver from the hook, placing his instrument in connection with a central station where all lines converge, by inserting a finger in the various openings 7 of the call-dial and rotating said dial until the proper number has been designated. By bringing the finger each time to a position of rest against the finger-clip 8 connectidn is made with any desired line. The subscriber is enabled by listening to tell whether or not the line is clear. If clear, he

pushes a button, which rings the call bells at the other instrument. .Roughly, this is the operation of the automatic system which requires no central. g in- ;adopting a pay-station deviceto this system of telephony I provide an apparatus wherein the push-button by which the callbells at the second instrument are rung is operative only through the medium of the coin the'instrument. 4

The toll-collecting device herein shown and described, which illustrates one embodiment of my invention, consists of a casing 9, secured to the front board of the said telephone instrument and provided at or pear its top with an opening 10, which connects with a coin-channel 12.

A supporting member 23 is cored out, as at 24, to form a recess, and'centrally-arranged with reference to this recess is a contact-plunger .25, having an enlarged head 26. This plunger is normally pressed outward to the position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring 27, arranged in a recess 28 and abutting at one end against a collar 29,'secured or formed on the contact-plunger. All of the several parts are arranged within the casing 9 and secured thereto, although the support 23 and the plun ger project rearwardly through the face-board of the telephone instrument, with the end 30 of the plunger 25 adjacent to a contact makor token demanded in payment for the use of ing and breaking device 31.

Arranged in the same axial line with the plunger 25 is a plunger 32, terminating adjacent to the head 26 of the plunger' 25 in a cupshaped member 33. A spring 34 normally holds this plunger at the outer limit of its play, and abutton 35 is provided for manipulating the plunger. It is to be noted that a depression of the button 35 under ordinary circumstances will simply carry the cupshaped member 33 over the head 26 without acts as a guide down which the-coin may run and fall into the coin-box 15.

It will be clearly seen that if the button 35 is pressed while a coin is resting on the coinstop 14 this coin will transmit the motion of the plunger 32 to the plunger 25, pushing it backward against the force of the spring 27 until the end 30 operates the contacts 31, it being understood that the head 33 is'made of substantially the same diameter as the size of the coin or token. to be used in payment for box 15.

the use of the instrument. This coin-stop 14, as stated above,. is mounted on a shaft 16, which extends through the front board of the telephone instrument and has on its inner end a lever 17 This lever, through a rod 18 and bell-crank lever 19, is connected with an adjustable push-rod 20, the upper section 21 of which terminates in a head 22 underlying the path of movement of the receiver-hook lever 5. Thus the connections between the coinstop 14 and the receiverhook lever are such that the movements of, the latter control the positions of the former.

. A spring 40 tends to keep the plunger at the upper limit of its play. In the normal position of the parts when the receiver is on the .hook the coin-stop14 is rocked, so that its tailpiece 36 opens the bottom of the coin-channel12, allowing the coin to drop into the coin- When the receiver is removed from the hook, the spring rocks the coin-stop 14 back to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 in a position to catch a deposited coin, which will connect the plungers 25 and 32, so that when the push-button is pressed the contacts 31 will be closed to sound the call-bell at the other instrument.

The operation of the device is as follows, 7

assuming the parts to be in normal position when the receiver is on the hook, the coin-sto p being rocked up, so that its tailpiece is depressed, formingan opening through which I shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

a coin may fall into the money-box 15: The receiver is first removed from the hook, releasing the plunger 20 andpermitting the spring.

and it is determined whether or not the line is clear. If clear, a coin is dropped into the slot 10, falling through the channel 12 and coming to rest on the coin-stop-14 between the plunger ends 26 38. The button 35 is pressed, moving the plunger 32 inward, and through the medium of a coin forces the plunger 25 back until its end 30 closes the contacts 31, ringing the bells at the other instrument. After the use of the instrument is finished the receiver is hung on its hook, depressing it, which in turn depresses the plunger 20, which rocks the coin-stop 14 up, the tailpiece 36 being depressed, permitting the coin to drop out into the coin-box 15. g

In order to avoid any possible clogging of the instrument by the accidental deposit of two coins, I provide a recess 38 in the extension 39, in which the cup-shaped member 33 normally rests. If-two coins are dropped into the channel, the first is positioned on the coin- 'stop 14, connecting the two plungers when 32 is pressed in, the outer walls of the member 33 following up the coin cutting off the channel,

and so preventing the second coin from falling into a position to clog the operation of the parts.

By locating a signal device, such as the bell 41, so that it willbe sounded by a falling coin or, if desired, by providing an additional slot 11 and channel 13 with a gong 42, I am enabled to use this local toll device for long-distance service. Under these conditions a central operator makes the desired connection and is apprised of the payment for the service by too the sounding of the signal as the coins are dropped.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a set of telephone instruments including a receiver and a re-'1o5 comprising a coin-channel, a coin-stop pivotall y supported at its lower end forming a coinpocket, independentplungers arranged at'each side of said coin-pocket adapted to be con- 11o nected'through a coin deposited on the coinstop to ring the bells at the called station, and operative connections between said coin-stop and said receiver-hook lever for rocking said coin-stop, substantially as described. I

2. In'a toll-collecting device for use with automatic telephones the combination with the telephone instrument including the switch? hook lever, of a casing having a coin-slot and a coin-channel communicating therewith, independent plungers arranged in axial alinement and located at the bottom of said coinchannel, a coin-stop closing the lower end of said coin-channel and located between and in operative relation to the opposing ends of the said plungers whereby a coin deposited on the said coin-stop will form aconnection between the said plungers, and operative connections between said coin-stop and said switch-hook lever, substantially as described.

In a toll-collecting device for use with automatic telephone systems, the combination- With the instrument including a switch-hook lever, of a casing having a coin-slot, and a channel'registering with said coin-slot, independent plungers in axial alinement'with their opposing ends located at each side of the chan- 2 nel, a pivotally-mounted coin-stop forming a bottomfor the, channel and arranged in operative relation to the plunger ends whereby a coin. dropping through the channel is posi-' tioned on the coin-stop'between the plunger ends, and means operated by the switch-hooklever for moving said coin-stop, substantially as described. A

4. A toll-collecting device for use with automatic telephone systems comprising a casing having a coin-slot and coin-channel, independent plungers in axial alinement with their a pivotally-supported coin-stop forming a. coinpocket at the bottom of said channel, a

opposing ends located at each side of the coinslot, and a pivotally-mounted coin-stop adapted in one position to close the bottom of said ,coin-channel and position a coin between the opposing ends of said plungers and in its other position to open the bottom of said coin-channel and discharge thecoin,and actuating mechplunger having one end in operative relation with said contacts and its other end arranged at one side of said coin-stop,'a second plunger 'in'axial alinement with said'first plunger and having one end arranged on the opposite side bf said coin-stop, its outer end being provided nel.

with a button, the parts being so arranged that a coin supported on said coin-stop forms a connection between said plungers whereby a pressure on the said button will move both of said plungers lengthwise to close said contacts,

and operative connections between said coinstop and said switch-hook lever to rock said com-stop 6. The combination with an automatic telephone instrument including the receiver, the receiverhook lever, and the normally open contacts for the call-circuit, of a toll-collecting device comprising a coin-channel, a coinstop forming a bottom for the channel, the

to discharge the coin from the chanplungers in axial alinement with their opposing ends arranged at either side of said coinstop, the opposite end of one of said'plungers being in operative relation to said contacts, operative connections betweensaid coin-stop and the receiver-hook lever, and a spring to move" said mechanism when the receiver-hook lever is raised, substantially as described.

telephone instrument including a switch-hook lever, of a casing having a coin-slot and a coinchann'el communicating therewith and havlng a delivery-orifice, a coin-stop adapted to close said delivery-orifice and form a bottom for said '1. In a toll-collecting device for usewith automatic telephones the combination with theslot, plungers having their opposing ends arranged in operative position at each side of said coin-jstop whereby said plungers are connected for lateral movement, and means for 'moving said coin-stop to open said deliveryorifice and e ect a coin.

r GEORGE A. LONG.

Witnesses:

VVM. H. BARKER, I LENA EJBERKOVITGH.

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