US818068A - Registering apparatus for telephone-exchanges. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR.17, 190s.

O. E. WRIGHT.

REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.19, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET lv 222755555,- [HZ/EH20; ,5??? 5252 5270557 iz/FzgZzz PATBNTED APR. 17, 190.6.

G. E. WRIGHT.

REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE- EXCHANGES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.19, 1905.

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CLARENCE E. WRIGHT, OF CLEVELAND; OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DAVII) A. YODER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

?atented Apr l 17, 1 906.

Application filed January 19,1905- Serial No. 241,876-

1'0 ML whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Registering Ap aratus for elephone-Exchanges, of which t e following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in registering apparatus for telcphone-exchan es and the circuits therefor, and has for its object the provision of means whereby both the number of calls and the elapsed time an operator requires for connecting or disconnecting may be positively registered.

Such means are found in the prlor art involving the use of a clock, associated with a numerical indicator; but my invention resides in the provision of certain apparatus herein described and claimed and its association in the most advantageous manner, so that the desired result is directly arrived at, and the invention is made ap licable to telephone-exchanges with but litt e or no alteration in the original installation beyond the addition of the associated apparatus herein set forth.

I will explain my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a side elevation of a combined relay and counting device. Fig. II is a similar view thereof indicating the same when the winding thereof is excited and the contactsprings are closed together. Fig. III is a front view of the counting train or mechanism actuated by said relay. Figs. IV, V, and VIare diagrammatic illustrations indicating the application of my improvement in different ways to telephone-exchanges. Fig. VII is a view of a pendulum circuit-interrupter of my invention adapted for use in the systems shown but not claimed herein. F' VIII is an enlarged view, in side elevation, ta en from the op osite side and illustrating further details of the device of Figs. I and II; and Fi IX is a diagram illustrating a telephone cordcircuit at an operators position with my in vention a plied thereto.

Throughout each of the several figures of the drawings the same character of reference is employed to indicate similar parts.

In the structure shown in Figs. I to III and in Fig. VIII an electromagnet ais employed,- which is adapted when excitedto actuate the .shown in the lower portion of t armature b and its attached lever c. This lever is connected at its end by means of a short actuating-crank d with the counting-- sulatingly mounted upon the frame of the electromagnet and may be employed to control an associated circuit, the insulating-stud h upon the lever-arm serving to actuate the springs into enga ement when the armature is excited, as in II. A small retractorspring e opposes t e movement of the armature. I may say that although illustratlng this device, and preferably employing it in carrying out my lmprovements, the same is not of my invention, and I lay no claim thereto. Throughout the description of the diagrams setting forth my improvements I w1ll indicate such device or any equivalent thereof by the reference character 1' or 1", depending upon whether it be used as a number-indicatlng or timin dev1ce. My invention of course IS ap licab le to multiple switchboards requiring a arge number, of operators; but I consider that brief reference thereto as applied in one of its forms to the cord-circuit at a single operators position will assist materially in an understandin of the invention.

Referring first to the iagram of Fi IX, A will be understood as representing t e apparatus at a subscribers telephone-station terminating electrically at the-exchange 1n the jack 5, with which is connected thelmerelay 5', controlling the circuit through the line-signal lam The connecting-plugs of the opelator s cord-circuit are designated,

respectively, by 6 6', and the supervisory re-- lay 7, associated with the answering-plug 6, controls the circuit at one point through the supervisory lamp 7 p and 1 will be recognized, respectively, as the me and supervisory pilotrelays controlling the circuits throu h the pilot-signal lamps 11 p S 1s a suitab e source of current the system shown. 'My invention of the same type diagrammatically indicated in simpler and more condensed form IV as applied to two operators osltlonslxrs specifically associated with; the 'operators cord -circuit of the diagram. Therein the manual switch 8 is adapted .alternatlvely to serving to operateconnect the registering apparatus 1 r either with the line or the clearing-flout pilot-signal relay. Associated in circuit with the registering device r is a rotated electrical interrupter device '11, which may be driven by electrlc motor or any suitable power connection at constant speed to sup ly a predetermined number of current impu ses for each second of elapsed time when the circuit through the registering mechanism r is closed. Accordingly the device 1" when connected with its timed electrical interrupter 'iconstitutes an electrically-actuated timing mechanism, 'the urpose of which will later be explained. he registering device 1" is merely a counting appliance. From the foregoin it will be understood that the relay p w'l be excited, thereby drawing up its armature and closing the controlled circuit whenever current flows through any line-signal lamp at the o erators position. Sim1larly, the relay p will be excited to close its controlled circuit Whenever the corresponding su ervisory lamp is caused to light, all of Whic will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

In Figs. IV to VI, I have indicated merely in a diagrammatic manner the application of my invention in somewhat varying forms to two operators positions of a tele hone-ex-.

change. Referring either to Fig. V or Fig. IX, S will, as before, be understood as a suit ablesource of current or battery. 4 At p and pI have indicated the usual pilot-relays for operating, respectively, the pilot-signals at each operators pc sition when aline-si nal' is actuated in the well-known manner an when the clearing-out signalis sent in. sis a switch which is adapted to connect the registering apparatus 7 1" either with the line or the clearing-out pilot-signal relay. :At 2', is indicated an interrupter rotated by electric motor or other suitable means ata constant rate of speed, say, so that four current impulses per second will be sent over any asso ciate'dcircuit when thesarne is closed. In the said diagram I have also employed an intermediate relay 9', which is adapted to close circuit through the timing mechanism 1" whenever the counting mechanism is actuated. In ad dition, upon the right-hand'side I have shown an extra tim ng mechanism 1", connected in conductor m, which is adapted to becclcsed' directly by the actuation of the counter-cperating mechanism r, its contact m correcndin'g to oneof the coacting springs f g of t e device of Figs. I and II. I have thus inbe simplified somewhat by causing the counter-operating mechanism to. serve as well in the capacity oi an intermediate relay.

In the embodiment of Fi Veach of the relays p p are t e switches s, which enables the counting and timing devices to be connected directly in circuit without the intermediate rep is provided with ouble contacts, as

. time for makin sired, the switc es s will be manually thrown lay. This form is not so well adapted for ex isting telephone-exchanges, since the installation must be changed to provide this additional feature.

In the diagram of Fig. VI separate brushes I i are provided upon the interrupter, which lead to the different operator s positions, this I being a ccnstruction adapted principally for small exchanges.

From the foregoing description of ,appara tus the operation will now be quite readily understood. Assuming that the switches s are manually moved into engagement with their left-hand contacts, the apparatus will then be in condition to indicate the number of calls and the time elapsing before the respective operators make the required connec tions. A call being initiated at the position shown on the right, Fig. IV, relay p will'be energized, causing its contacts to close and clcsing circuit thrcugh conductor 1, the relay-contacts, switch 8, conductor 2, the inter- .mediate relay j, counting mechanism 7", and

to the other pole of the battery; also, from conductor 2, through the closed contacts of relay 1', through .the timing mechanism 9, conductor 3, the intermittently-closed interrupter i, and or nductor 4 to the other pole of the battery. This causes the counting mechanism to register one call upon its countingtrain, while the timing mechanism is actuated by the intermittent current at the rate of four movements per second until the circuit is opened at the contact of the pilot-signal relay llby the operator inserting the plug for ma ing the connection in accordance with the well-known manner.

position corresponding to the right-hand side In the operator s' of the diagram (shown in Fig. IV and in Fig.

IX). I have indicatedthc manner in which the timing mechanism rray be operated directly through the clr sure of a circuit by the counter-operating mechanism. Thus circuit would also be closed through the engaging contacts so of the counter-operating mechanism, the connected timing mechanism r, conductors m the interrupter i, and conductor 4 to the oppc site pole of the battery. Either mode 10f operating the. timing mechanism may be employed, and in this case the two timing devices dia rammatically shown would give identical in ications. Where-both devices r'r are used, one may be placed upon the chief operator s desk and one upon the monitor's, for example. It will be understood, of course, that the relay-contacts f g are not required in the device of Fig". I when it is employed as a timing mechanism or when an intermediate relay is also provided no the other'hand, the elapsed to engage their right-hand contacts, where I is function for the circuit-closing springs then I i rived atin the same mg the controlling-switch s, to the-right in-, "55 I upon the connected system of registering a paratus and 'relayswill be placed under t 0 control of the clearin -out pilot-relayslp. In the diagram of Fig. the switch .9", aving v two make-and-break contacts, as have the two pilot-relays, it is perfectly obvious that the counting and the timing mechanism may be placed directl in circuit'with the respective contacts and are individually ,controlled and actuated over their so ar te'circuits to effect the same resultsreac ed in the system of circuits just described. In the system set forth in Fig. VI such results are likewise attained by employing separate brushes i uponthe re tated interrupter i, and thereby actuating the respective. timing devices r u on the closure cf their individual circuits. e purpose of this associated apparatus need onl e briefly alluded to. Each operators position will be charged upon her .anism '1', or rather the-registeri'ng-train thereof with the number of telephone-calls which are. made at her positionu'pon the switchboard Inasmuch as the timing mechanism "r registers successively each quarter-second or any desired definite time interval elapsin until she makes the called-for connection an as the total elapsed time is computed upon the counting-traim the efficiency of the opfrom these two erator is readily ascertained iresults. Similarly, the. prom'ptness' with which she makes her disconnections is armanner merely by throwstead of to the left. 1 v,

q In Fig. VII, I have illustrated an accurate and simple circuit mterrupter which may be adopted for use in many cases, the same being positioned at 2', in the diagrams when thus employed; This device may be used inlieu of the rotated interrupters i, if 'desired. in

7 beats to the second,

, mounting .small plants." In said figure I have shown the pendulum-bob 7c1of a clock making two we-will.say. A metal frame Z is carried upon the refar'of. said bob, the contact screws -l.: Pivotally. "mounted within said frame is a ,loosely-' er of saidscrews l" at each beat of the-pendulum. Conductor n, which will be connected with one pole of the bat tery, is ledto" the insulated contacts 0 of this tonguejwhile @conductor '12, for com leting the circuit gisgrounded upon frame The swinging of the pendulum accordin ly causes the circuit to be opened and closed ourtimes per second and serves to transmit the necessary electrical impulses for actuating any connected apparatus,- as the timing mechanism r of my improved registering system. The-foregoing device, however, is not adapted for use in tele hone systems of any considerable size an is not specifically claimed herein, being shown merely as an additional counting mech-.

ton as m, 1 adapted to contact, with one OI-thfljQfi'l osition preferably-is availed of for -my invention may be put into practice, I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent, the following;

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a controllingQircuit-closing device, of a source of current, an electricallyactuated counter, another el'ectrically-actu ated counter, and means for supplying interrupted current thereto and adapted to be connected with the latter, substantially as set forth. I

2. In registering apparatus for telephoneexchanges, the combination with a controlling-circuit closer at the exchange, of an electrically operated counting mechanism, an electrica ly-operated timing mechanism and means for simultaneouly connecting'current with each upon the actuation of-the controlling-circuit closer,wherebyithe signaled call or disconnection andthe elapsed time in re sponding thereto are both registered, substantially as set fort-l1 3. In exchanges, the combination witha p' ot-sigof; signals at the oper may readily be registering apparatus for tele hone-- nal relay at the exchange, of'an eiectricallyactuated -counter, intermediate circuit-closing means, a timing mechanism adapted to be connected circuit with the latter and witha source ofinterrupted current upon the actuation of. the relay, whereby both ap-- 'pliances are operated upon the actuation of the relay,substantially as set forth.

4. In registering apparatus for telephoneexchan es, the combination with'the pilotrelays or the line-signals and for the clearing-out signals at an operators position, of a switch controlling the circuit'to either of said relays, an electrically-operated counting and timing mechanism adapted to be connected in circuit therewith, whereby the elapsed I timeeither for making connection or disconnection may be automatically indicated, substantially as'set forth 5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a source of current, of

n i'eans tor interrupting the same at definite time intervals, a controlling-relay at the operator osition of a telephone-exchange, an electrical -actuated -counting mechanism, another eF'ctrically-actuated counting mech anism, and intermediate contacts closed together upon the actu tion, of the countin p mechanism connected in circuit to supply the v interrupted current to the last mentioned 7 In registering apparatus for operators positions at telephone switchboards, the combination with an-automatically-actuated circuit opening and closing device, of a source of electric current controlled thereby, and associated to be connected in circuit therewith in separate branches, an electrically-actuated counter in one branch, and a g timed interrupter device and another electrically-actuated counter in the other branch,

substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cleveland this 29th day of November, 1904. a CLARENCE E. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

A. L. LAWRENCE, D. ,A. YODER.

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