US811692A - Party telephone-line. - Google Patents

Description

No. 811,692. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

B. A. BUBLL.

PARTY TELEPHONE LINE. AIfPLIOATIOH mm) MAY 1. 1905.

,ators into the line-circuit, but, if it stored to itsnor'mal con EDWARD A. BUELL, OF

DEKALB, ILLINOIS.

PARTY TELEPHONE-LINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed M y 1, 1906. Serial No. 258,2?6.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. BUELL, a

citizen of Canada, residing at Dekalb, in the county of, Dekalband State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Party Telephone-Lines, of which the following is a full, clear, description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specificatlon.

My invention relates to party tele honeline apparatus, and has for its object t e provision of an improved system and a paratus whereby subscribers at the stations of a partyline are prevented from cuttin inthe ap aratus at unselected stations when any other station or stations on the line have been selectively connected therewith. By means of my invention the party line ap aratus may be very greatly simplified, wh' e all the re sultsflthat are desirable in party-line practice may be accomplished, though I do not wish to be limited in all embodiments of my invention' to apparatus accomplishing all of the results hereinafter tobe set forth. By means of my invention .not onlymay the subscribers at unselected stations be prevented from cutting their telephones and signaling genersired, the a paratus at all stations may be placed in se ectedpositions by the operator, arty-l ne may be used as an ordithe exchange, but whereby also they may signal each other without the aid of the 0 erator.

It is anot er object of my invention to control the association of the telephonic apparatus at each-subscribers station with the telephone-line by means of the magnets of the signal-receiving devices or bells, thereby reducmg the equipment and accomplishing certain advantages that will appear.

In practicing my invention I employ an electroma net, a switch controlling the telephone-circuit at each station, a lever device operating the switch and operated when operated to tion to which it has leasing device operated by another magnet for disengaging said detent from said lever mechanism when the ap ition of use whereby the switch controlling the telephone conconcise, and exactis so deet, preferably the ringing-magby said electromag net, a detentenga ing the lever mechanism old the same in the posi-. contact 18, the switchspr ng been actuated, and a re- 'duetneao t aratus is; to be, re-

l nections is restored to its normal position, in

fvhich the telephone is disassociated from the me. p Y

I will explain'my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing, showin the preferred embodiment thereof, so muc of the exchange and line e uipment being-shown as is necessaryto an un erstandm of my present invention.

e party telephone-line illustrated is a metallic line, though I do not wish to be limitedto a metallic circuit. from an exchange in two limbs 1 2 to a rality of substations on the party-line, the apparatus at station A being illustrated somewhat fully, the apparatus at station B and other stations being generally similar thereto.

Before-describing the exchange equipment that I preferably em 10 the apparatus at station A-will be set 'ort is placed in bridge of the party-line by means of bridging conductors 3 4, &c. At each station there is a switch-hook 5, in this instance electrically disconnected from the line at all times, thoughnot necessarily so in all embodiments of my invention. -When the receiver isin plac -upon its switch-hook, the contacts 6 7 8 aredisconnected; but when the receiver is removed from its hook these contacts are all connected, whereby the local battery-circuit containing the transmitter 9, the battery 10, and the primary 11 is closed, the invention being however, not limited to substation equipment includingsuch local transmitter-circuits. One side of the line isat the same time connected b way of the conductor 4 with one termina through condenser 12, the switches or contacts f 8 7 6, and the secondary winding 13 of the inof the receiver,

duction-coil. The other terminal of the re-' with the other side' of the party-line, when the switch element 14 is connected with the lever 15 upon-the'operation of said lever.

wThe te ep hone receiver has connections that may be traced as follows: from one ter-i minal of the receiver to the lever 15, the

sprin .or contact 16 normally engaged thereby, t e. conductor 17, theswltch spring, or

or contact 19 normally en agedjb the element 18, the conhe win g of the ringer or bell magnet 21, the conductor 22,110 the condenser 12, the contacts 18 19 normally preventing the telephone from bein operatlvely cut into circuit, these contacts "0 osing a shunt about The line extends plu- This apparatus ceiver is connected by way of the conductor 3 I:

foo

,serves'to 0 the subscriber s telephone outfit when a sta-' tion is unselected and when he removes his telephone-receiver from its hook, the selecting apparatus being. at zero. Incoming signaling current is normally prevented from passing through thebell-magnet 21 when the apparatus is in an unselected condition, for t e path for such incoming current would be interrupted at the normally se arated elements 14-15. When a subscri er initiates a call, he operates his generator 23, which thereupon automatically closes an initial circuit that maybe traced from the spring-contact 24 of the generator by wa of the conductor 22 to the magnet 21, t e conductor 20, the elements 18 19 normally in contact, the'conductor 17, the contact 16 the lever 15,

the conductor 25, to the remaining terminal of the generator 23. i This is alocal circuit that erate the armature 26 of the magnet 21, which thereupon engages the lever to move the same into connection with the contact 14, whereby the current of the generator no longer has a local circuit, but continues in its assage by way of the contact 14 and the con uctor 27 and the conductor 3 to one side of the line, the other side of the line being connected with the terminal 24, whereby generator-current may be impressed upon the line to operate the line signal 28 at the exchange. After having signaled the exchange the subscriber removes his receiver and includes his telephone outfit in bridge of the line by means of a bridge-circuit that may be traced from the conductor 3, the conductor 2 7, the contact 14, the lever "15, the conductor 25, the telephone outfit, and the conductor 4. As it is preferred to hold the armature 26 in a position in which it does not remain in engagement, with the lever 15, I provide a detent 29, that is normally 'sustained by the lever 15 out of interlocking relation therewith, but is brought into mterlocking'relation with said leverwhen the lever is operated to prevent the return of the lever untilsaid detent is removed, as'will be set forth.

I have thus described the way inwhich a subscriber upon the party-line may impress 'signalin -current thereon when he desires to signal t e operator and how the said subscriber has 1115 tele hone outfit cut and maintained in circuit re ationwitlrthe'line, which description will enable a more ready understandmg of the main features of my invention now more fully to appear.

At each station there is provided apolarized magnet 30 the permanent magnet 31 of which polarizes the armature32 and the poles 33 34, desirably forming integral parts of the cores 35 36, mechanically and mag-- netically connected with the permanent magnet. The windings about the cores 35 36 are disposed as in an ordinary'magneto-bell, so

that when the'current is impressed upon the abutment-p winding in one direction the armature is moved in one direction and when the current is impressed upon said winding in an opposite direction the armature is moved in an opposite direction, the two halves of the windmg 30 (one-half about the core 35 and the ot er half about the core 36) being oppositely wound for this purpose.- The armature 32 is mounted upon ashaft'38 and independentlymoving abutment-plates 39 are also mounted to rotate u on the same shaft, springs 40 serving yie dingly to maintain said abutment-plates in t e positions shown, the armature rotatin against one or the other of the lates and'the force of its spring 40 Adjustable stops 41 limit the extent towhich the plates 39 may be moved by the ar mature 32. An arm 42 is mounted upon the armature 32 and carries a pawl 43, that is employed for moving the ratchet-wheel 44 step by-step in a counter-clockwise direction,

a dog 45 preventing premature return of the wheel 44 by the spring 46. carries or operates a contact or brush 47, that constitutes a ringing contact that is brought by the step-by-stepmovement of the wheel 44 into connection with another ringing contact 48. .The contacts 47 48 are spaced varying distances trons, so that each station requires its wheel 44 to'be moved a number of steps differing Each wheel 44 apart at the. different stafrom the number of steps required at each of the stations for selectively effecting the connection thereat ofthe elements 47 48. The current is impressed upon the line at the ex-- chan e for the urpose of thus stepping the whee s 44 to se ecta station or stations, the

.number of pulsations or steps corresponding to the distance between the elements 47 48 of p the called subscriber whose bell is to be operated. f

Having brought the elements 47 48 at the station to be selected together, the operator impresses ringing-current upon the line,

which finds circuit through the bell-magnet t 21'from the telephone-line by way of the conductor 3, the contacts 47 48 at the selected station, the conductor'20, the winding of bellmagnet 21 and the conductors 22 4. The armature'26 in its first clockwise movement that thus ensues engagesa portion of thelever structure 15 to move said lever into electrical connection with the contact 14, there partially to establish the telephonic circuit of the selectedsubscriber, this telephonic circuit being completed when the called-subscribers receiver is removed from its switch-hook. In

order that the lever 15 may be maintained in this-position during the time the subscriber is to have telephonic connection with the line, the detent 29 drops behind the lever to secure the new relation between the elements 14 15. The armature 26 may continue to operate, notwithstanding the lever mechanism 15, as long as calling-current is impressed upon the line. When the station is idle, and

in order to permit thesubscriber to signal over the 'line, the contacts 15 16'are main tained together by the spring 49.

A spring 50 is preferably employed to maintain the armature 26 out of engagement with the lever device 15, as indicated. When selecting-eurrent is impressed upon the line, the posts 47 at all stations are removed from mechanical engagement with the springs 18, (these posts "never'being electrically connected with said springs,) so that generator-circuits at all substations, except the called-subscribers sta: tion, are open; whereby none but the called subscriber may impress signaling-current upon the line. The called subscriber is thus enabled tov send clearing-out sigi1alingcurrent to the operator. The detent .29 is placed behind the lever 15.0nly at a selected station,

and in order that the selected subscriber may impress clearingout signaling-current upon the line Whether or not the elements 47 48 are in engagement I provide a supplemental contact 51, that is brought into engagementwith the contact 14 at 'the selected stationthrough the agency of the lever 15 when moved by the armature 26, connection vfor which generator 23 is established with the line when said generator is operated at said elements 51 14. As the levers 15 at unselected stations are maintained in their normal positions; the subscribers telephonic con-' nections with the line are maintained open at the unselected stations at the elements 15 14, so that the subscribers at such unselected stations cannot listen in or in any manner interfere with conversation carried on over the line. To eliminate-the possibility of the sub- .scribers hearin because of leakage of the voice-currents, Talso provide at eachstationa supplemental contact 52, with which the spring 18 engages when said spring is mechanically separated from the post 47, whereby all of the telephonic outfit at each unselected subscriber's station is slmrt-circuited. The

,generatorat each unselected station is also short-circuited by this same means. It

should be stated that the generators 23 are incapable of furnishing current of sufficient stren th to operate the magnet 30; nor is the sl na ing-current furnished from the central 0 cc sufficiently stron to operate sald magresistance wlth respect to the magnet 21.

I have thus d escrlbed how subscribers upon a party-line may be selected and how the apparatus at unselected subscribers stations may be d ssoclated from the l ne to prevent the subscribers thereat from interfering with mav be restored to their normal positions.

eleasing-current is im ressed by the op 'erator upon the line, wine 1 current has a i. i

rection opposite to the selecting-current previously impressed upon'the line, the releas ing-current eiiecting the counter-clockwise rotation of the armature 32, whereby the tail of the pawl 43 strikes the pin 53 to remove said pawl from the wheel 44, the lower end of the arm 4-2 at the same time engaging the tail of the dog 45 to disengage said dog from the wheel 44, whereimon the spring 46 will restore the wheel 44 to its initial position wherein the post 47 mechani ally (but not electrically) engages the spring 18 to bring said spring into engagement with the contact I!) and remove the same from engagement with the contact 52. This operation occurs at all stations. At the selected station the lower end of the arm 42 engages an extension of the detent 29 to remove said detent from engagement with the lever 15, permitting the spring 49 to restore said lever to its initial position.

ii" it is desired to have the party-line and the apparatus of the substations therconjso related that the subscribers may communicate with, each other, the operator may place the elements 47 48 at each station successively in electrical connection, whereby the genera-- tors 23, the bell-magnets 2i, and the telephone outfits at the different stations are so related to the line and the telephonic apparatus that the subscribers may signal and comn-Iunicatewith each other without the aid of the operator. In accomplishing this result the'operator first selects station No. l, at

which the distance between the elements -17 10c substation to move the lever 15 and permit- 48 is the least, and then rings the bell of said the detent 29 to fall. behind the same, so as to secure normal connection between the contacts 51 and .14. The operator then places the contacts 47 at the next station in co'n nection and rings the bell at this station to bring the elements 51 and 14 at said latter station into connection, and so on throughout the series of stations or throughout as many of such stations which are to have the capacity ofintercoinmunicating without further engi'igenient are adapted to connect their telephone outfits with the line without further aid of the operator. In this way a part linemay normally connect two or more sub scribcrs who have the capacity of communieating with each other without further aid of the operator, while the rest of the subscribersmay require cm'iperation oi the operator.

is apparent that for the purpose of securing this normnl-relation of subscribers stations with the hue the elements 4.? it; thereat need .phone outfit with the line 156, and an operators I connected.

It is always well for the operator before selecting .a subscriber to send releasing-current over the line to make sure that all of the detents 29 and levers 15 are in their normal pov sitions, for prior to such selection some subscriber may have wantonly operated his generator 23 just enough to move the armature 26, and thereby insure the association of his teleand without oper ating the line-indicator.

Any suitable telephone-exchange equi ment may be employed for carrying out t e operations above described. I have shown a well-known cord-circuit equipment 54, hav ing an answering-pm 55, a connecting-plug icy 57, which key when its wedge is moved to the left serves to associate the operators telephone outfit 58 with line and when moved to the light serves either to connect the source of alternating or other source of. signaling-current 59 or the battery 60 with the line. The battery 60 is employed for the purpose of sending selecting current or releasing-current over the line, the wedge'of the master-key 61 when moved to the left serving so to connect the battery 60 that it will send selecting-current over the line and when moved to the light will reverse the connection of said battery with the line to send releasing-current 'thereover. When the signaling-current is directed over the line,

the master-kc isin its central position.

While the ever 15 is mechanicallyoper ated by the bell, the generator 23 when operated is the agency that causes the bell to actuate said lever, and I do not, therefore,wish to be limited inall embodiments of the invention to the direct control of the lever 15 by the bell mechanism.

While I prefer the precise mechanism 15 and 29 and their associate arts forpreventing operative association etween the telephones and the signaling-generators with the line at unselected stations, I do not Wish to be limited thereto.

While element 15 is adapted to form parts of electrical circuits, herein shown, I do not wish to be limited to this function for this element.

It is obvious that many changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to th *ecise construction, arrangement, and cir ;-s:herein shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 1. A telephone exchange system, includm a party-line extending from a pluralit of subscribers stations to an exchange, each of said subscribers stations having a signal bell or receiver, a signaling-generator, switching apparatus for controlling the association of the signaling-generator and signal-receiver with the line, selective mechanism governing the said switching apparatus and serving,

tion with the line.

2; A telephone-exchange system, includinga party-line extending from a pluralit of S11 scribersstations to an exchange, eac of said subscribers stations having a signal bell or receiver, a signaling-generator, switching apparatus for controllingthe association of t e signaling-generator, signal-receiver and telephone with the line, selective mechanism governing the said switching apparatus and serving, when in an unselected condition, to

effect dissociation between the signal-receiver, the signalingegenerator, the telephone, and the line, and, when in a selected position, to bring about the association of said si alreceiver, signaling-generator and tele one with the line, and apparatus at the exc ange for operating the selective mechanism at the different stations, whereby the s tching ap paratus at the different stations ay be operated to place the signal-receivers, signaling-generators and telephones thereat in connection with the line.

3. Atelephone-exchange system, includin? a party-line extending from a pluralit of su scribers stations to an exchange, eac 1 of said subscribers stations having a signalinggenerator, a signalbell or receiver, switching apparatus for controlling the association of the signaling-generator and telephone with the line, selective mechanism governing the said switching apparatus andrser-vin when in an unselected condition, to effect issociation between the signa'linggenerator the telephone, and the line, and, when in a selected position, to bring about the association of said signaling-generator and tele hone with the line, and apparatus at the exc ange for operating the selective mechanism at the different'stations, whereby the switching apparatus at the different stations may be operated to place the signaling-generators and {zelephones thereat in connection with the 4. A telephone-line, having a plurality of tion including a signal-receiver, asignaling- -generator normally in operative relation therewith, and switching apparatus governing the association of the signal-receiverandtelephone thereat with the line and operated by the signal-receiver.

5 A telephone-line, having a plurality of subscribers stations thereon to constitute the same a party-1ine, each subscribers station including a signal-receiver, a signalinggenerator normally in operative relation therewith, and switching apparatus governing the association of the signal-receiver thereat with the, line and operated by the signal-receiver.

6. A telephone-line, having a plurality of subscribers" stations thereon to constitute the same a party-line, selective mechanism at each station, a signal bell or receiver and switching apparatus at each station governing the associatlon of the signal-receiver thereat with the line and governed by the signal-re ceiver, and apparatus at the exchange for operating the selective mechanisms at the different stations.

7. A telephone-line, having a plurality of subscribers stations thereon to constitute the same a party-line, selective mechanism at each station, a signal bell or receiver and switching apparatus at each station governmg the association of the signal-receiver and telephone thereat with the line and governed by the signal-receiver, and a paratus at the exchange for o crating the se ective mechan- 181118 at the diflerent stations.

8-, A subscribers station equipment, in-

cluding a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator normally in operative relation with the signal receiver, and switching mechanism operated by the signal-receiver and serving to control the association of the telephone and, signaling-generator with the line.

9. A subscribers station equipment, including a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator normally in operative relation with the.

signal receiver, and switching mechanism operated by the signal receivcr and serving to control the association of the signal-receiver with the line. i

10. A subscribers station equipment, in eluding a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator normally in operative relation with'the signal receiver, and switching mechanism operated by the signal-receiver and serving to control the associatmn of the telephone,

. signal-receiver and generator with the line.

11. A subscribers station equipment, including a signal-receiver, a s1 nalmg-generator normally in operative re ation with'the signal receiver, and switching mechanism operated, by the signabreeeiver and serving to control the association of the telephone and signal-receiver with the line.

/ ing a party-line extending 12. A subscribers station equipment, in-

eluding a signal-receiver, a signalingenerator normally in operative relation with the signal receiver, and switching mechanism' cluding a signal-receiver, a slgnaling-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the signaling-generator and servmg to control the association of the telephone and signalingenerator with the line.

14. subseriberfs station equipment, 1ncluding a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the signaling-generator and serving 'to control the association of the signal-receiver with the line. i

15. A subscribers station equipment, 1n: eluding a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the signaling-generator and serving to conitrol the association of the telephone with the 16. A subscriber s station equipment, inbluding a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the, signaling-generator and serving to control the association of the telephone, signalreceiver and generator with the line.

17. A subscribers stationequipment, in-

eluding a signal reeeiver, a signalmg-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the signaling-generator and serving to control the association of the telephone and Sigrial-receiver withthe line. I

i 18. A subscribers station equipment, including a signal-receiver, a signaling-generator, and switching mechanism operated by the signaling-generator and servqng to control the association of the signal-receiver and generator with the line. c a

19. Substation apparatus for party telephone-lines including switching mechanism, a detent for holding the switchin mechanism in the osition to which it has een actuated, and e ectromagnetic mechanism include. ing a signal-receiver for the substation, and" serving to operate the said switching mechanism, to permit the detent to engage the same and for releasing thedetent from connection electromagnetic mechanism'for releasing the detent from connection with the switching mechanism, including a signal-receiver,whieh I receiver serves to operate the switching mechanism, to permit the detent to engage the;- same.

21. A telephone-exchange system, includoma plurality of subscribers stations to an exchange, each of said subscribers stations having a signal bell or receiver, a signaling-generator, switching apparatus for controlling the association of the signalinggenerator and signal-receiver with the line, selective mechanism overning the said switching ap aratus an serving, when in an unselecte condition, to effect dissociation between the signaling-generator and. the line, and, when in a selected position, to bring about the association'of said signaling generator with the line, and apparatus at the exchange for operating the selective mechanism at the different stations, whereby the switching apparatus at the different stations may be operated to place the signalinggenerators thereat in connection with the line.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of April, A. D. 1905.

EDWARD A. BUELL.

Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG,

LEON STRon.

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