US838749A - Telephone system. - Google Patents

Description

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TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.29,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY LINTON REBER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed March 29,1905. Serial N0. 252,655-

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IENRY LINTON REBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephone Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in those features of telephone-exchanges which are involved in making trunking connections between the various central offices or switchboards of the exchange, my object in general being to provide means for improving` the service by quickening the same and rendering it more certain and satisfactory than heretofore and to reduce the equipment, as well as the number of operators required.

In the exchanges of our larger cities the greatest number of calls is for trunking connections, this in some instances rising as high as seventy-iive per cent., and at the same time such connections are the most difficult to make and the most liable to errors, due to the fact that at least two sets of operators are involved in initiating and completing such connections, with the consequent necessity for communication back and forth between them and the liability for mistakes. It is apparent, therefore, that any improvement which results in the betterment of this class of service in the respects mentioned, particularly those of increasing the speed, is most desirable, and this is true even though only a small fraction of a second per call is gained, since in the aggregate the saving in time is large. It is evident also that an increased speed of establishing such connections results in a less number of operators, since each can do more work and handle a greater number of calls, and a smaller amount of equipment is necessary, since the periods of delay between conversations are reduced.

In the larger exchanges, as is well known, it is common to provide several central offices each in itself having a large multiple switchboard, and these ollices are connected together by trunk-circuits to extend the talking-circuits through from one switchboard to the other. In addition the operators are provided with circuits independent of the trunk-circuits, commonly known as order-wires or order-wire circuits, to enable them to communicate with each other for the purpose of properly establishing the talking connections between the subscribers of the different switchboards. In the ordinary arrangement of such large multiple switchboards the multiple jacks are distributed before the operators in the upper part of the board and the answering-jacks of the subscribers lines are placed upon the lower portion of the board. The trunk-circuits terminate at one ofiice in multiple jacks distributed throughout the switchboard before the operators, these jacks being usually placed between the subscribers answering and multiple jacks, and at the other oflice they terminate in connecting cords and plugs, which are usually placed upon separate sections of the switchboard, known as the incoming-trun section, and upon which sections the subscribers' lines of that office are extended through to multiple jacks arranged similarly to the corresponding jacks in the ordinary multiple sections. These trunk-circuits are designated as outgoing trunks at the first switchboard or oHice, where they are provided with multiple jacks, and as incoming trunks at the other switchboard or oiiice, at which they terminate in connecting-plugs. The first ofiice is often spoken of as the A office, and the second office as the B office, and the corresponding operators are termed A operators and B operators. This arrangement of the apparatus for establishing through communications between widely-separated subscribers and central ofiices is the result of years of experience and has proven the best for satisfactory and quick service. The terms thus applied to the offices, apparatus, and operators are the result of this arrangement of the trunks and the method of handling the trunking connections, since calls are iirst received by the A operators at the A oflice, are then transmitted to the B operators at the B ofiice, and by the latter are completed by connecting the incoming-trunk circuits with the proper telephone-line circuits at said office. Such connections therefore maybe said to be initiated at theA oiiice and completed at theB oflice. In order that these two sets of operators may expeditiously perform their work with as few mistakes and as little confusion as possible, a prescribed code of communication between them is followed, that usually employed in large or busy oflices being as follows: As soon as anA operatorreceives an order from a call- IOO IIO

ing subscriber for a connection with a party whose line appears upon a different switchboard she communicates with the B operator at the said board and informs her of the line wanted. The B operator immediately informs the A operator of the proper trunk to be used for the connection and immediately completes the connection by inserting the plug of the trunk which has been designated into the jack of the called line. The A operator at once establishes the connection between the calling subscribers line and the trunk through the medium of her cord-circuit. These acts thus serve to establish a complete talking-circuit for the subscribers. In this connection I have omitted the steps of testing the condition of the wanted line and calling the subscriber, since these may be carried out in any well-known manner.

For convenience and speed in establishing communications between the two sets of operators each order-wire terminates in the receiver of a B operator having in charge a certain number of incoming trunks. At the A office these order-wires extend before all of the operators, and each is provided with suitableswitches or keys, known as order-keys, to enable her to readily connect her headtelephone with any of the order-wires. Thus when an A operator wishes to communicate with a B operator she depresses an order-key to connect her telephone with the order-wire leading directly to the B operators telephone. These order-keys are usually placed in a row or strip upon the key-shelf of the switchboard at each operators position. The operators are therefore required to listenin upon the order-wires-that is, to connect their head-telephones with the order-wires and listen for a moment to determine whether or not the B operators are engaged. If after thus listening an order-wire islfound to be busy, a second key is depressed, and so on until an idle B operator is found to take charge of and complete the connection at the B board. This results in delay, since the calling subscriber is waiting for the completion of his connection and is frequently the cause of mistakes on account of the A operators failure to listen long enough, and which results in a confusion of orders and the establishment of wrong connections.

The object of my invention is to provide means for enabling the A operators to select the idle B operators without delay and confusion. In carrying out my invention I provide means for indicating to the A operators the idle or busy condition of the order-wires, whereby any A operator is enabled to immediately select an order-wire and communicate with a B operator who is idle and free to at once complete the connection.

In one form of the invention a signal is provided in association with each order-key, so that under some conditions of use a glance is sufficient to enable the A operators to immediately put themselves in communication and the number of trunk-circuits and orderwires, as well as switchboard equipment,

may be reduced, since they are enabled to handle more calls than in former arrangements.

The invention is conventionally illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters are used throughout to indicate the like parts, and in which- Figure l. is a diagram of a telephone-exchange, indicating the apparatus and circuits ordinarily involved in tru'nking connections, and Fig. 2 is a diagram of the order-wire circuits only involved in such an exchange and showing in detail the invention applied thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1, L and L2 indicate two subscribers lines terminating upon the multiple switchboard at the A office, and L3 and L1 indicate multiple sections of telephoneline circuits terminating upon the incomingtrunk section of the B office. T and T2 indicate the trunk-circuits extending between the A and B offices, and O and 02 indicate the order-wire circuits extending between the same offices. The lines L and L2 are each furnished with an answering-jack J and multiple jacks, such as J 2 and J 3, in any number upon the various sections of the multiple switchboard at the A office. In like ICO manner the telephone-lines L3 and LL are each provided with multiple spring-jacks J l and J5 upon the incoming-trunk section of' the switchboard at the B office. The trunks T and T2 at the A office, where they are termed outgoing trunks, are furnished with similar multiple spring-jacks JG, J7, and JS upon the various sections of the switchboard, and at the B office, where they are known as lincoming trunks, they are provided with cords and connectingplugs P upon the incoming-trunk sections. Cordcircuits C are provided in any number at the various sections and operators positions of the multiple switchboard at the A office to enable the operators to establish connections for conversational purposes between the various subscribers lines and between the subscribers lines and the outgoing trunks. At the A office the Aorder-wires O and O2 extend past the various operators positions, each operator being provided with a strip of order-keys 7c k2 to enable her to readily conrio nect her head-receiver 1' with any of the said order-wires, while at the B office said orderwires terminate in the head-receivers r2 of the B operators at the incoming-trunk sections, one terminating in one operators receiver and the other in another. It will be understood that this diagram is intended merely to conventionally illustrate the usual exchange arrangement so far as the same enters into my invention without reference to the details of the various parts or the illustration of the features not directly concerned in the said invention, and, while but three sections and three operators positions of the multiple switchboard are indicated and but two sections and two operators positions at the B oflice are shown, that in practice these may comprise as many sections and positions as desired, and that manymore trunks would be assigned to each incoming operator than is shown in the diagram. The means for signaling in connection with the lines, cord-circuits, and trunk-circuits are entirely omitted, as not entering into the present matter, and for the same reason no attempt has been made to illustrate either a common battery or magneto-exchange, although as a matter of fact the larger eX- changes to-day are nearly all of the commonbattery type.

ln the ordinary operation of the system a call coming in over the line L is received at the first section and the operator inserts the answering-plug p of one of her cord-circuits C into the answering-jack J of the callingline and connects her head-telephone therewith by means of the usual listening-key to receive the order from the calling subscriber. Upon 'finding that a connection is wanted with a line terminating at the B oflice-for instance, with the line L3-the operator depresses one of the order-keys k or k2 to connect her head-telephone with one of the order-wires O or O2 to thus put herself in communication with the corresponding B operator at the said other office. At the same time she informs the latter operator that a certain line is wanted, and the B operator immediately informs the A operator to use a certain trunk, at the same time picking up the connecting-plug of thel trunk designated and, if necessary, testing the condition of the wanted line and, if idle, inserting the plug into the multiple jack of the line L3 on her section of the switchboard. If the A operator has depressed order-key k2, she has connected her telephone with the operator at the first incoming-trunk section at the B office, and the plug P of the trunk T is taken up by the latter operator and inserted in the jack J4 of the wanted line L3. Meanwhile the A operator has inserted the plug p2 of the cord-circuit with which she answered the call of the subscriber into the jack J of the trunk T. The through talking-circuit between the two switchboards and the two subscribers lines is thus established.

It is evident that the A operator is unableto tell before depressing one of the order-keys and listening-in whether or not the B operator is busy, and hence may be required to take sufficient time to listen-in to this extent on several of the order-wires before 'finding an unengaged B operator. My invention is designed to obviate the delay this caused by the A operator in selecting an idle B operator and to provide means whereby such delays are largely eliminated and the operators are enabled to immediately select'the idle B operators. One means for accomplishing this is indicated more clearly in Fig. 2, in which the trunk-circuits and subscribers lines are omitted for the sake of clearness. In this ligure it will be seen that the order-wires O and O2 extend from the A oflice at the left to the B oflice at the right. At the latter oilice they terminate in the head-receivers r2 of the operators, while at the former oiiice they pass successively through the various operators positions. The head-telephones r of the A operators are adapted to be connected with the order-wires through the medium of the order-keys 7c 7a2, which when depressed connect their springs 2 and 3, ljoined to the said order-wires, with their contacts 4 and 5, which are connected with the said head-receivers of the operators. Each of these keys has an additional spring 6 connected with ground, the normal contact 7 of which spring is connected upon one side with a suitable signal S, which may be in the form of a small incandescent lamp, the opposite terminal of which signal is connected with a common conductor 8, leading from one of the normally open contacts of a relay R, the other of which contacts is joined to the live pole of a battery B. The alternate or normally open contact 9 of each of said keys is connected through a second common lead l0 with one terminal of the winding of the relay R, the other terminal of which is likewise joined to the live ole of the battery B. Associated with the reys k2 throughout the series of operators7 positions are similar signals S2, which are connected in a manner similar to the keys lc with the leads l l and l2, extending from the relay R2, connected, like the relay R, to the battery B. It will be observed that normally the said signals- S and S2 are connected upon one side to ground by means of the closed contacts 6 and 7 ofthe order-keys k k2, Sac. Vhen the corresponding relayR or R2 is operated, therefore, said lamps receive current from battery B and are lighted. These relays are operated whenever any order-keyl associated with their signaling-circuit is depressed. For instance, depressing any of the keys c serves to disconnect the spring 6 from the contact 7 and to connect it with the con- IOO IIO

tact 9. This has the effect of grounding the conductor l0 and permitting a flow of current from the battery B, through the winding of the relay R and over the conductor 10, and through the grounded spring 6 of the depressed key, which results in the energization of said relay R, thereby lighting all the lamps S associated with the other order-keys k of the same order-wire. These lamps on being lighted indicate to the operators at the other positions that the said order-wire is in use and that the B operatorwith which it is connected is engaged. Tt will be unnecessary, therefore, for them to even listen-in upon said order-wire, and when desiring a connection with the B operators they have only to depress any of the order-keys in connection with which the signals are not shown. The depression of any key k2 likewise operates relay R2 and lights the lamps or operates the signals S2 associated with the other keys 762. These signals S S2 may be placed in the switchboard immediately at the sides of the corresponding keys, in the keys, or in any other desired location and may be lamps, as shown, or annunciators, or any desired type. ln case the invention be applied to a commonbattery exchange the battery B may be one of the main batteries at the A office.

If for any reason a B operator is unable to attend to the calls coming in over her orderwire, a key 7L is provided therein which when operated disconnects the sam e from her headtelephone and connects it with some device arranged to impress thereon a distinctive current or signal, such as the ordinary busy signal device found in most large exchanges or a phonographic device. This when so connected serves to 0ive the A operators a distinctive signal in their receivers whenever they depress an order-key. They are thus notified that the order-wire is not in use at the B ol'lice. Obviously any other signaling means might be employed in place of this busy signal. The signals S S2, &c., might be operated from the B ol'iice also, but the arrangement shown is preferred. It is evident that with this arrangement the selection of the B operator is hastened, since the busy signal is at once given and the A operator does not need to pause for any length of time to determine the condition of the circuit, but, on the contrary, is at once informed of such condition. This key 7L at the B oflice may be made use of in case order-wires from different offices are connected with the same B operator and the Work at times becomes too heavy for theB operators to handle. Then the keys h in the order-wires extending to-some of the ofiices may be operated to prevent so many calls from coming in, thereby enabling the operators to satisfactorily handle the calls from the other ol'lices. Again, it maybe desired during certain times of the day to relieve some of the B operators entirely because a less number can do the work, and in such cases thevkeys h may be depressed. The signals S and S2 and busy-signal keys 7i are likewise indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is thus apparent that the invention results in increasing the speed with which trunking connections may be established, reduces the liability for errors, and decreases the number of operators employed, as well as the number of trunk-circuits, order-wires, and switchboard equipment required. Nhile only one specific means has been. shown and described for accomplishing these results, it is evident that the invention is in no wise so limited, for obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope or principle of the same. Hence l do not wish to be limited to the speciiic form so shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isn

l. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said. trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards and having multiple terminals at the A board, to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and means associated with the order-wire circuits to enable the A operators to instantly pick out the idle B operators.

2. In a telephoneexchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said sudtehboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits multipled at the A board also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and indicating means associated with the orderfwire circuits to enable the A operators to instantly select the idle B operatorsY 3. In a telephone exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections -to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the me` dium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said ordercircuits extending before a plurality of A operators, and means associated with the orden IOO TIO

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combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits each having a plurality of A terminals also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and means associated with the order-wire circuits whereby the A operators are enabled to select the idle B operators without the necessity of listening in. 5. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire cir-l cuits having a plurality of A terminals also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and busy-signaling means associated with said order-wires to inform the A operators of the idle or busy con'- dition of said wires.

6. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending betweensaid switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits passing before a plurality of A operators also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and means associated with the order-wire circuits to indicate to the A operators the idle or busy condition of said order-wires.

7. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits passing through a plurality of A operators7 positions and also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, and means associated with said orderwires to indicate their idle or busy condition.

S. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire cir-l cuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said orderwires passing before the various operators at the A board and connected each with an operators telephone at the B board, order-keys before the operators at the A board to enable them to connect their telephones with any of the order-wires, and busy signals for said order-wires whereby whenever one is in use the fact is indicated at the various positions, substantially as described.

9. In a telephone exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said orderwires passing before the various operators at the A board and connected each with an operators telephone at the B board, order-keys before the operators at the A board to enable them to connect their telephones with any of the order-Wires, and busy signals for the said order-wires whereby whenever an order-key is operated at one position, the corresponding signals are given at the other positions, substantially as described.

10. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of saidswitchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said orderwires passing before the various operators at the A board and connected each with an operators telephone at the B board, order-keys before the operators at the A board to enable' IOO IIO

them to connect their telephones with any of connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said order wires passing before the various operators at the A board and connected each with an op erators telephone at the B board, order-keys before the operators at the A board to enable them to connect their telephones with any of the order-wires, and means associated with the order-wire circuits whereby whenever an order-wire is in use or not in condition for use a busy-signaling indication is given at the A switchboard.

12. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between said switchboards, operators devices at each switchboard to enable conversational connections to be established between the lines of said switchboards through the medium of said trunk-circuits, order-wire circuits also extending between the said switchboards to provide means for communication between the A and B operators, said orderwires passing before the various operators at the A board and connected each with an operators telephone at the B board, orderkeys before the operators at the A board to enable them to connect their telephones with any of the order-wires, and means whereby when an order-wire is thrown out of use at the B office a distinctive signal is made possible to the operators at the A oflice.

13. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with an A switchboard and a B switchboard, of trunk-circuits extending between these boards, operators devices at the boards to connect the lines thereof with said trunk-circuits, order-wires between the boards to permit communication between the operators, and means at the B board to place said order-wires in condition. to distinctively test busy, substantially as described.

14. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with branch exchanges, of a multiple switchboard at one of the branch exchanges, trunk-circuits extending from said switchboard to the other branch exchange, said trunk-circuits extending through a plurality of operators positions at said multiple board, connecting means at each branch exchange to connect said trunks with the subscribers lines, order-wire circuits extending between the branch exchanges and passing through the operators positions at said multiple board, means to enable the operators at the multiple board to connect their telephones with any of said order-circuits, and means whereby when one of the operators at the multiple board has connected her telephone with one of the orderwire circuits, said circuit indicates busy at the other operators positions at such board.

15. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with branch exchanges, of a multiple switchboard at one of the branch exchanges, trunk-circuits extending from said switchboard to the other branch exchanges, said trunk circuits extending through a plurality of operators positions at said multiple board, connecting means at each branch exchange to connect said trunks with the subscribers lines, order-wire circuits extending between the branch exchanges and passing through the operators positions at said multiple board, operators listening-keys at each operators position at the multiple board to enable the operators to connect their telephones with any of said order-circuits, signals associated with said order-keys, and means whereby when one of the order-keys is depressed at the operators position to connect her telephone with an order-circuit, the signals associated with the order-keys for that same order-circuit at the other operators positions are operated to ine dicate that the said order-circuit is busy.

16. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination with branch exchanges, of a multiple switchboard at one of the branch exchanges, trunk-circuits extending from said switchboard to the other branch exchanges said trunk-circuits extending through a plurality of operators positions at said multiple board, connecting means at each branch exchange to connect said trunks with the subscribers lines, order-wire circuits extending between the branch exchanges and passing through the operators positions at said multiple board, a signaling-circuit associated with each order-wire circuit in the multiple board, operators listening-keys at the multiple board to enable the operators to connect their telephone with said orderwire circuits, a signal for each order-key con nected with the corresponding signaling-circuit, and means whereby the depression of any listening-key operates the signals associated with the other order-keys of the same order-circuit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two wite HGSSQS.

H. LINTON REBER. Vitnesses JAMES HARRIsoN, JOHN M. STUART.

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