US1232496A - Call-distributing system. - Google Patents

Description

H. P. CLAUSEN.

CALL DISTRIBUTING SYSTEIVL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4.1915.

Patented July 10, 191?.

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Henry I? C/awsen. by ,4 v flffy.

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HENRY P. CLAUSEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed October 4, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. CLAUsnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Call- Distributing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to a call distributing system, and more particularly to a system in which certain subscribers lines, which may be termed heavy users, are so arranged that calls to such lines are automatically extended to an operators position where no unanswered calls are present at the time.

According to one feature of this invention, there are provided means, such as a slowacting relay, for applying a busy test potential to the multiple test terminals of the seized trunk while the answering plug is inserted into the outlet of the seized trunk, for the purpose of insuring the holding of this trunk if, by mistake, the operator pulls out fgr a short period of time the answering Another feature of this invention calls for the provision of a signal associated with the subscribers lines, said signal being operated only upon the permanent disconnection of the battery potential from the stationary test contacts of the distributing switch due to some disturbances in the operation of the switch or in the trunk.

The drawings disclose a system embodying the advantages above recited.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a subscribers line which, in the present case, may be a party line. The distributing switch 6 herein shown is of a character similar to that disclosed in my Patent 1,131,911 of March 16, 1915. The brushes, which are advanced step by step, electrically unite the contacts on which they rest with the adjacent conducting segments. It is thought the operation of this switch will be readily understood from the following description of the invention.

When a subscriber on line 1 removes his receiver from its hook, a circuit is completed from grounded battery 2, through the lefthand winding of a line relay 3, the outer armature and back contact of a cut-off relay Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 53,933.

4, the left side of the line, the substation apparatus of the calling subscriber, the right side of the line, back contact and inner armature of relay 4, and the right-hand winding of relay 3 to ground. Relay 3 by attracting its armatures closes a circuit from ground through an interrupter 5 common to a plurality of distributing switches 6, the front contact and outer armature of relay 3, the winding of a stepping magnet 7 the upper winding of a switching relay 8, inner armature and front contact of relay 3, and the winding of a relay 9 to grounded battery.

Assuming that the distributing trunk outlet, upon which the switch brushes now rest, is busy, a shunt is completed, as will appear later, from grounded battery 10 through armature 1'1 and front contact of a trunk cut-off relay 12, an impedance 13, multiple test contacts 14: of the trunk, brush 15, conducting segment 16 of switch 6, normal contact 17 and the upper winding of relay 8, the inner armature and front contact of relay 3, and the winding of relay 9 to grounded battery. Due to the closure of this circuit, relay 8 cannot become energized as long as brush 15 travels over terminals 14: of busy trunks. Relay 9 does not become energized due to the above traced shunt; however, should the test wiper stop between two contacts of switch 6, or other trouble occur, resulting in the disconnection of battery potential from terminal 14, relay 9, under the control of interrupter 5, causes the flashing of a trouble signal 23.

Neither will magnet 7 operate upon the closure of the first traced circuit, another circuit of lower resistance being closed from ground through interrupter 5, the front contact and outer armature of relay 3, the wind ing of magnet 7, 17, 16, 14:, 13 and 11 to grounded battery 10 for operating the stepping magnet.

Under the control of interrupter 5, magnet 7 is intermittently energized and deenergized, and operates a pawl 20 attached to its armature, which pawl controls, by means of a ratchet wheel 21, the stepping of the brushes of the switch 6 upon each release of the armature of magnet 1 the switch being maintained in its advanced position by means of a locking pawl 22.

Had the switch brushes rested on the contacts of an idle trunk entering an operators position at which an unanswered call existed, the result would have been the same as busy potential would have been supplied through an armature of relay 24, as will presently appear.

The stepping operation is repeated until the test brush 15 engages a contact of an idle trunk terminating at an idle operators position upon which no battery potential is present. Upon engaging an idle trunk, the shunt is removed from the upper winding of relay 8, and this relay, by attracting its lower armature, interrupts its energizing circuit but will not fall off as it is slow to release, and also because momentary holding circuit now extends from grounded battery through the winding of relay 9, inner armature and front contact of relay 3, the upper winding, contacts 17 and 30 and the lower winding of relay 8, and the winding of relay 4 to ground. Relay 8 at its upper contacts now extends the calling subscribers line to the switch brushes. When the switch brushes stop on the contacts of an idle trunk, a circuit is closed from ground through the lower winding of a relay 31, the lower armature and back contact of relay 12, the back contact and armature ofrelay 24, impedance 13, terminal 14, test brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 17, the upper winding of relay 8, inner armature and back contact of relay 3, and the winding of relay 9 to grounded battery. This circuit is closed prior to the opening of contact 17, whereby relay 31 becomes energized and closes a looking circuit for itself from grounded battery through its upper winding, the back contact and armature of relay 24, impedance 13, terminal 14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and the lower winding of relay 8, and the winding of relay 4 to ground. Relay 4 becomes energized and disconnects relay 3 which in turn opens the circuit of stepping magnet 7 whereupon the switch will be arrested. Relay 4 could not become energized prior to the closure of this circuit due to the fact that both windings of relay 8 have been included in its circuit.

Relay 31 closes a circuit from ground through its upper armature and front contact, answering lamp 32, and on one side through the winding of a magnet 33 to grounded battery, and on the other side through vthe winding of a relay 34 to grounded battery. Under the control of magnet 33, a well-known metering device 34 is operated for registering that a call has been extended to this operators position. Relay 34 closes a circuit from ground through its armature and the winding of relay 24 to grounded battery. Relay 24, upon energization, supplies busy potential through its several armatures to the test contacts of all the trunks entering the operators position, including the trunk just seized. Re-

lay 24 opens the locking circuit of relay 31. This relay, however, remains energized by current flowing from grounded battery through the upper Winding and lower contact of relay 31, lower contact of relay 12 and lower armature of relay 31 to ground.

e will now assume that the operator, upon the glowing of lamp 32, inserts plug 36 in the outlet jack 37. Supervisory relay 38 becomes energized from grounded battery 39 through ring contacts of the plug and jack, brush 40, conducting segment 41, the innermost upper contact of relay 8, left side of subscribers line, substation apparatus, right side of subscribers line, outermost con tact of relay 8, conducting segment 42,brush 43, tip contacts of ack and plug, and back to battery. Relay 38 completes a circuit from battery 44 through its contact, sleeve contacts of the plug and jack, and the winding of the trunk cut-off relay 12 to ground. Relay 12 operates and connects test potential to the test contact of the trunk through its armature 11 and front contact, thus completing another path to battery for holdingthe relays 8 and 4 energized. Relay 12 is slow to release, and therefore, should the operator, by mistake, pull out the plug 36 for a short period, the trunk would be held by relay 12. Relay 12 at its lower contact opens the locking circuit of relay 31, which is deenergized, causing in turn the denergization of magnet 33, relay 34 and the extinguishing of lamp 32. Upon the deenergization of relay 34, relay 24 also becomes cleenergized.

Should the operator desire to hold this trunk, she would depress a key 51 for maintaining relay 12 energized for any desired period of time. The purpose of this key is to permit an operator to ring back upon a calling subscribers line; the key being actu ated while the operator is changing from an answering to a calling plug.

The operator now closes her listening key 52 and obtains from the calling subscriber the number of the subscriber wanted. Assuming that the calling and wanted subscribers are both on the same line, the operator, not knowing this fact, will touch the tip of the calling plug 53 to the sleeve of the jack 54 of the calling line( The calling line being busy, a circuit is closed from grounded battery 10, through the armature 11 and front contact of relay 12, impedance coil 13, terminal 14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and lower winding of relay 8, conductor 55 and the sleeve of jack 54, tip of plug'53, listening key contact 56, and the Winding of relay 57 to ground.

Relay 57 becomes energized, completing a circuit from ground through the secondary winding 58 of the busy tone apparatus 59, armature and back contact of relay 60, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 57, listening key contact 61, sleeve contacts of plug 36 and jack 37, condenser 62, the front contact and armature 63 of relay 12, the trunk test contact 14, brush 15, conducting segment 16, contact 30 and lower winding of relay 8, the sleeve of jack 54c, listening key contact 56, conductor 64, through the operators set to conductor 65, listening key contact 66, supervisory relay 67 to ground through battery 39. The impedance coil 13 is provided to prevent the shortcircuiting of the operators set in the busy tone circuit through battery 10.

The operatornow hearing a distinctive tone produced by the apparatus 59, is informed that the called and calling parties are both on the same line and removes thereupon the plugs 36 and 53 from jacks 37 and 5 1 respectively, and signals the called subscriber in the usual manner. Upon the actuation of the listening key 52 and the subsequent energization of relay 57, a circuit is closed from ground through the left-hand armature and front contact of relay 57 and the winding of the barring relay 24 t0 grounded battery. Relay 24: remains energized as long as the operators listening key is actuated, preventing thereby, in the above described manner, the extension of a calling line to this operators position while the operator is engaged in answering a call.

If, for any reason, it is desired to make an operators position temporarily busy, the key 7 0 is operated, energizing relay 2A which places busy potential permanently upon the test contacts of all the trunks of the operators position.

Although a plurality of batteries are represented on the drawings, this may be and in practice would be one and the same source of current.

The line relays of calling lines which are not supposed to be distributed by means of switch 6 to an idle operators position, control a pilot relay 75. This relay by attracting its left-hand armature actuates the line signal 7 6 in front of the operator, and by attracting its right-hand armature closes an energizing circuit for the barring relay 24, preventing thereby the extension of a calling line to this operators position until this call has been answered, whereupon the cut-ofi relay individual to that line disconnects the line relay, causing the denergiza; tion of relay 75.

It is obvious that other systems embodying the salient features of this invention, but

differing widely in detail from that herein shown, may be designed. Applicant therefore desires it understood that this invention is to be limited merely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of lines, operators positions, trunks terminating in jacks at each of said positions, a distributing switch for extending a calling line to one of said trunks, means for preventing the extension of a line toa busy trunk, and a slow acting relay, operative upon the actuation of the jack in which said trunk terminates, for controlling the hold ing of this trunk.

2. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of lines, operators positions, trunks terminating at each of said positions, a distributing switch for extending a calling line to one of said trunks, stationary and movable contacts for said switch, a relay associated with each of said lines, an operating circuit for said relay closed upon the initiation of a call on one of said lines, and a shunt including the winding of said relay closed while the movable contacts of said switch travel over stationary contacts to which battery potential is applied.

3. In a telephone exchange system, a plurality of groups of lines, operators positions, trunks terminating at each of said positions, a call distributing switch for extending the calling lines of one of said groups to a trunk leading to an idle operators position, means for extending a calling line of another one of said groups to a predetermined operators position, a signal associated with each line, means for operat ing the signals associated with the second mentioned group of lines upon the initiation of calls thereon, and means for preventing the actuation of the signals associated with the first mentioned group of lines upon the initiation of a call.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this 29th day of September A. D.,

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

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