US911339A - Party-line indicating-key. - Google Patents

Description

d. E. SMITH.

PARTY LINE INDIGATING KEY. APPLICATION magma-a, 1907.

"91 1,339. Patented Feb.2, 1909.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1907.

Patented Feb.2, 1909.

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CHARLES H. SMITH OF CHICAGO,

runners, nssr'eNo-R TO K'ELLQGG SWITCHBQARD AND snrrtv'nonrnnnj or CHICAGO, IILLINGIS, nectar-centres or .ItLnINoIs.

nARTYmInE mmoATING-KEY.

Specification-of Letters- Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909-.

Application filedAugutt 5, 1907. Serial N 0. 387,020.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it. known that I, CHARLES H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, county of Cook, andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Party-Line Indicating-Keys, of which the following is. a specification.

My invention relates to party line indicating ringing keys for telephone systems and contemplates a key which shall have a distinct and accuratemeans of-indicating to the telephone operator the. last button of the key depressed and released.

In a telephonesystem provided withparty line selective ringing it is very desirable for the operator to have some means, other than her memory, of knowing which of the parties upon the line to which'her calling cord is connected was last signaled, for the reason that it oftenv occurs that aparty does not respond to his first call and the calling subscriber requests, the operator to signal again. If this occurs a great deal of annoyance is obviated by .the-guse of an indicat- 1ng key, whereby the operator will not be required to inquire thedesi-red number a second time from the callingsubscriber.

In the present invention I provide small targets, one associated with each of the buttons of the ringing key, each target preferably having a white line across its face which in normal position stands in alinement with the lines of all the targets, but which after its particular key has been depressed and released assumes a position at right angles to its former position, thus indicating that its associated button was the last depressed. By the mechanical construction of the key I cause this small target or indicating device to return to its normal position when any otherbuttonlofthe key is depressed. V

an isometric drawing of the pivoted catch plate; F1g..-8.1s an isometrlc drawlng ofthe' restoring cams and plate; Fig. -9 is an isometric drawing of the rotating thimble, and

' plun'gers and likewise mounted plan view of the key .2 Q is a front elevation; Fig. 3 .is a :rear eleva thimble and its Fig. 10 is isometric drawing of the guide block showing the rotating pin and the release pin assembled.

The key of my invention in its preferable form is provided with the top plate 1 and spring support 2 rigidly connected together to form a rectangular frame by the pillars 3; and 4. The spring operating plungers 5 are mounted in alined openings through the, upper and lower stripsof the frame, these plungers, carrying the buttons 6 which are preferably made of diflerent colors to be readily distinguished.

Associated with each of the plungers is a set of switch springs 7 secured in the insulating spring support 2 in such manner as to be changed from'normal to actuating position by the depression of the associated plunger 5. Upon this plunger 5 is an enlargement -9 to which the screw 10 secures therubberspring actuating knob 11. vWhen the plunger is depressed this knob is forced between the'long springs of the associated set so as tospread these springs apart, bringing them. in contact with the outside normally free springs of the set.

In order to prevent the plunger 5 and its assembled par-ts from rotating the block 9 is provided with slots along the sides in which the guide plates 12 register, not only preventing the plungers from rotating, but also adding to the stability of the knob support 9. About the lower portion of each of the'actuating plungers is a coil spring 13 which presses upon the lower face of the enlargement 9 and upon the upper surface of the spring support 2 to hold the actuating plungers normally in their tions.

Associated with each of the actuating in the upper and lower portions of the frame are the indicating shafts 15 which carry the targets 16 visible from the face of the key. Near the upper end of the indicating shaft is a thimble 17 provided with the cam surface 18 and-with the notches 19 and 20. The cam surface 18 is engaged by the end of the pin 21 which is carried upon the block 90f the actuating plunger. When the actuating plunger is depressed this pin is adapted to cam surface 9 to rotate the associated indicating shaft substantially a fourth revolution, thus movbear upon the uppermost posiing the target to a position at right angles to its normal position. About the lower end of this indicating shaft is a torsion spring 25 having sufficient strength to normally maintain the indicating shaft in the position shown in Fig. 6.

After the actuating plunger has been depressed and the indicating shaft rotated to indicating position it is necessary to lock the indicating shaft in this rotated position so that it will continue to indicate after the actuating plunger has returned to its normal position. I or this purpose the plate 26 is provided, supported upon the posts 3 and 4- by screws 27 and 28. This plate is normally held in its inner position by the pressure of the spring 29 and has the fingers 30 adapted to register with the notches 19 and 20 of the thimbles 17. Upon the enlargement 9 of each. of the actuating plungers is carried the dove-tailed slide plate 31, this plate carrying the pin 32 which is adapted to register with the slanting surface 33 of the catch plate 26 to rock this plate upon its pivots 27 and 28 when any one of the plungers is depressed. as shown in Fig. 2, the pin 32 is adapted to rock the plate 26 outwardly upon the down stroke of the plunger 5, but is adapted to drop into the slot 34: when the plunger has reached its lower position such that upon the return stroke the pin 32 and the slioe plate 31 are caused to move slightly to the right and thereby the pin passes up through the slot without again moving the catch plate. It will thereby be seen that the finger 30 of the catch plate which normally stands in notch 20 of the thimble 17 will drop into the notch 19 when the plunger is fully depressed and will hold the thimble and its associated indicating shaft in its partly rotated position until an other plunger is depressed, rocking the plate 26 upon its pivots and pulling the finger 30 out of its registry with the notch 19 of the rotated thimble. The cam surfaces 35 formed on the plate 86 and secured to the top plate 1 by screws 87 are adapted to restore the pins 32 and slide 31 to normal position as the plunger returns from its actuating position to its normal position.

While my invention is here shown and described with reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be so limited, it being very possible to utilize the indicating feature of this key with many other forms of mechanical construction without in any way departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable frame, of a plurality of vertically reciprocating switch actuating plungers mounted therein, auxiliary targets also mounted in said frame and having a rotary movement controlled by the movement of the plungers for indicating the last plunger depressed, substantially as described.

2. In an operators indicating key, the

combination with a unitary structure, of a "plurality of switch actuating plungers, and auxiliary rotating means for indicating the last plunger depressed forming parts of said structure, substantially as described.

3. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality of switch actuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, one mechanically associated with each of said actuating means, the mechanism of said mechanical association being adapted to rotate the indicators to denote the last actuating means depressed and rcleased, substantially as described.

4;. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable frame, of a plu rality of switch actuating means mounted therein, a plurality of auxiliary targets, one associated with each of said actuating m vans, each target having a normal and an indi-- cating angular position, each of said targets being adapted to be moved to its angular position by the operation of its associated actuating means and returned to its normal position by the oaeration of any othcactuating means, su stantially as described.

5. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality of actuating means, of a plurality of indicating means, each located in a position closely associated with its corresponding actuating means, said indicating means having a normal symmetrical appearance, a frame forming a unitary support for said actuating and imlicating means and means to rotate any of said indicating means out of symmetry with the others by the operation of its associated actuating means, and means to return said indicating means to its symmetrical position by the operation of any other actuating means, substantially as described.

6. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable supporting frame, of a plurality of vertically reci nroeating switch actuating plungers mounted in the frame, a plurality of indicating shafts i also mounted in the frame, one associated with each actuating plunger, cooperating means upon each plunger and its associated indicating shaft for rotating the indicating shaft upon the depression of the operating shaft, and means to maintain the indicating shaft in its rotated position until another actuating shaft is operated, substantially as described.

7. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable frame, of a plurality of switch actuating plungers mounted i the frame, a plurality of indicating means, one associated with each of the actuating plungers also mounted in the frame, means to hold the actuating plunger normally in its uppermost position, means to hold the indicating means normally in its non-indicating position, cooperating means upon the actuating plunger and the indicating device associated therewith for. rotating the inclicating device upon the downward stroke of the actuating plunger, a catch plate for maintaining the indicating device in its rotated positlon after the actuating plunger has been released, and means for moving the catch plate to release the retained indicating device wheneveranother actuating plunger is depressed, substantially as described;

In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable supporting frame, of actuating and indicating shafts mounted in the frame, the actuating shafts having a reciprocatin motion for changing the circuit of the device, the indicating shafts having a rotary motion for indicating purposes, a cam upon the indicating shaft, a

projection upon the actuating shaft engaging said cam to rotate the same when the actuating shaft is depressed, a catch plate for maintaining the rotating shaft in its rotated position, and means to move said catch plate to release the rotated shaft whenever another operating shaft is depressed, substantially as described.

9. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality of actuating means, of a'plurality of rotatable indicating means, one associated with each of the actuating means and adapted to be placed in indicating position upon the actuation of the associated actuating means, a catch for maintaining the indicating device in its indicating position after the actuating means has been depressed and released, means to move the catch upon the depression of any other actuating means, whereby the rotated indicating means is released, and means to permit the actuating means to return to its normal position without moving the catch, whereby its own indicating means will not be released upon the return stroke of the actuating means, substantially as described.

10. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitable frame, of a pivoted catch plate mounted in the frame, a plurality of vertically reciprocating switch actuating plungers, a plurality of indicating devices the last actuated of which is adapted to e held in indicating position by the catch plate, a projection carried on each of the reciprocating plungers for moving the catch plate upon the downward stroke of the plunger to release the indicating device then retained, said projection having a lateral movement upon the'return stroke of the plunger, whereby the catch plate is not engaged and is not moved to release its own indicating device, substantially as described.

11. In an indicating key, the combination with a plurality of switch actuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, one associated with each actuating means, and

mechanical means associated with the actuating means adapted to rotate the indicators to denote the last actuating means depressed, substantially as described.

' 12. In an indicating key, the combination with a plurality of switch actuating means, of a plurality of auxiliary indicators, one associated with each actuating means, and mechanical means associated with the actuating means adapted to rotate the indicators to denote the last actuating means depressed and released, substantially as described.

13. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality of sets of switch springs having normal and actuating positions, of operating means therefor having normal and actuating positions, each of said means being adapted when in its actuated position to place its associated set of switch springs in its actuated position, a plurality of auxinary indicating means, one associated with each of said operating means, said indicating means being adapted to be rotated to an indicating position when its associated operating means is actuated and being adapted to be returned to its normal position when any other operating means is actuated, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

CLIFFORD C. BRADBURY, EDITH F. GRIER.

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