US2221883A - Telephone answering system - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1940. ROWE 2,221,883

TELEPHONE ANSWERING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 30, 1937 Gunnmvr SUPPLY Patented Nov. 19, 1940 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,221,883 TELEPHONE ANSWERING SYSTEM Paul Henry Rowe, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August so, 1937, Serial No. 161,616 24 Claims. (01. na-s) This invention relates to automatic devices for answering telephone calls, and is particularly useful in connection with telephones that are unattended part of the time.

A broad object of the invention is to generally increase the efficiency and field of usefulness of automatic telephone answering and messagerecording systems.

This is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 661,741, filed March 20, 1933 on Telephonographs, issued Sept. '7, 1937,

as Patent No. 2,092,024. 7

The single figure of the drawing isa schematic diagram of a complete telephone answering and message-recording system in accordance with my relays, amplifiers and other circuit elements for,

automatically associating the record devices with the telephone line in operative relation, and additional apparatus whereby the absent subscriber may call his own telephone and have a message that has been left for him in his absence relayed to him over the same telephone line.

Referring to the drawing, the speech delivering device is shown as comprising an endless telegraphone wire I extending about a pair of drums 35 2 and 3, respectively, and adapted to be moved from one drum to the other by a small auxiliary drum 4 driven by a motor .i,.the telegraphone wire I being wound about the auxiliary drum 4 or being otherwise in frictional engagement with it. The shaft of the motor 5 also has a worm 6 thereon adapted to rotate a wormwheel I connected to a cam 8 which controls a pair of contacts 9. Positioned adjacent the wire i at one of its points of passage between the drums 2 and 45 3 are three control magnets l0, ii and I2, re-

spectively, these magnets having .the ends of their cores positioned adjacent the'moving wire I. The motor 5 is adapted to shift the wire in 50 such a direction as to move it from right to left successively past the magnets l2, H and ill. The

magnet is a reproducing magnet adapted to have sound currents induced in its winding in response to movement therep'ast'of a portion of 55 the wire I having a magnetic recording thereon.

practice. The telephone line proper is not shown The magnet H is a wiping or erasing magnet adapted to be energized by a. high frequency current for erasing a message recorded on the wire, and thereby preparing it for the recording of a new message. The magnet W is a recording 5 magnet adapted to record a message magnetically on the wire I moving therepast when the magnet is energized with voice current.

The apparatus for recording a message received over the telephone line from a calling 10 party comprises a record medium, shown in the drawing as a telegraphone wire I5, of substantial length which is initially wound'upon a drum l6 and adapted to be unwound therefrom onto a second drum H. The drums i6 and II are 15 adapted to berotated independently by separate motors l8 and I9, respectively. The motor l9 functions to wind the wire' onto drum I! from drum Iii. The direction of movement can be reversed to unwind wire from drum I'l onto drum "I6 by energizing the motor l8. Positioned adjacent the wire l5 are a reproducing magnet 40, a wiper magnet 4i, and a recording magnet 42 similar to magnets i2, H and ill, respectively,

associatedIwith the telegraphone wire I.

The drum l6 has associated therewith an overwind switch 20 comprising a movable contact 2i, a back contact 22 and a front contact 23 for opening and closing certain-circuits in response to winding of all of the wire l5 onto drum i6.

Drum ll likewise has associated therewith an overwind switch 24 having a movable contact 25, a back contact 26 anda front contact 21 which are actuated when the drum l'l fills with the wire l5. a

The system disclosed in the drawing also includes a pair of amplifying tubes 28 and 29 for amplifying the sound currents -received and transmitted, a hybrid coil 30, balancing network 3| and pad 32 for associating the input and out put circuits of the vacuum tubes 29 and 28 with the telephone line for 2-way communication thereover, in accordance with standard telephone in the drawing but is adapted to be connected by the usual plug to a jack 33 having a tip conductor 35. and a ring conductor 34 which are permanently connected to the pad 32 through a condenser 36. The vacuum tubes '28 and 29, as disclosed in the drawing, are of the pentode type, each having a control grid, a screen grid and a suppressor grid in accordance with well- .known practice. Obviously other types of vacuum tubes can be employed. I

As is well-known in the telephone art, the hybrid coil 38 in combination with the balancing network 3| makes possible applicationof sound currents from the output tube 28 to thetelephone 5 line, and application of sound currents from the telephone line to the input tube 28, while preventing currents in the output circuit of tube 28 from being applied to the input circuit of tube 28. v 1

l The motors 5, l8 and I8 for driving the telegraphone wires are adapted to be energized from any suitable source of current such as the usual alternating current power supply indicated sche matically at 31. The system also includes various relays and control devices, some of which are adapted to be operated from a source of direct current and for this purpose a battery 38- is provided. To supply high frequency current to energize the wiper magnets II and 4|, low voltage current to energize the cathodes of the tubes 28 and 29, high voltage current to energize the plates and screen grids of tubes 28 and 28, and biasing potential for the grids of tubes 28 and 29, a power supply unit 43 is provided, this unit including a filament current supply unit 44, a plate current and grid biasing voltage supply unit 45 and a high frequency generator 46, all of which are adapted to be energized from the alternating current source 31 over input conductors 41 and 48, respectively.

The operation of the various elements described, together with the functions and mode of operation of the various relays and other circuit elements not yet mentioned in detail, will now be explained by following through the operations of the system.

The system is adapted to be used in connection with a standard telephone line employing what is known as divided ringing. Such lines 40 are commonly employed on party lines. Thus the line is so arranged that by calling either of two distinct numbers the ringing current may be sent out over either the tip or the ring side of the line, returning through ground, depending upon 45 which number is called. This is the same circuit as far as the telephone plant is concerned as the conventional two-party line except that in this instance both sides of the line are employed by the same subscriber. One of the num- 50' hers is published in the directory, and all parties desiring to communicate with the subscriber call on that number. In the drawing, if the published number is called, ringing current is applied to the ring side 34 of the line. The other number is not published in the directory but is merely used to effect remote control of my system from a distant telephone by the subscriber himself in a manner to be described later.

Now let it be assumed that some one calls the subscribers published number, thereby causing ringing current to be applied over the ring side 34 of the line through a condenser 58 and winding of a relay 5| to ground 49 thereby energizing relay 5| and causing the latter to close its nor- 5 mally opened-contacts 52. This completes a circuit from pole-53 of battery 38 through contacts 52, a winding 54 of a solenoid relay 55, thence over a conductor 56 and the back contacts 26 and movable contact 25 of switch 24 associated 70 with thedrum |1 back over a conductor 51 to the other pole 58 of battery 38, thereby energizing the winding 54 causing the latter to attract the solenoid core 58 andmove a switch member 68 mechanically connected thereto to the left.

25- I he-lowerendof tbemember-88-slips*pasthebetween a-primary winding 96 of a transformer left end of a latch member, 4| and is left locked in said position following deenergizing of winding 84., Member 68 is permanently connected to one conductor 82 extending from the source of alternating current 31; therefore movement of the member 68 to the left completes a circuit from conductor 62 over a contact and armsture 84 of a relay 85, a back contact 88 associated with armature 64, and a conductor 81 to motor I! and thence over a conductor to the other side of alternating current source 31, thereby energizing the motor I3 to rotate the drum l1 and move the telegraphone wire II to the left past the magnets associated therewith.

The movement of the member 64 of the solenoid relay 55 to the left also completes a circuit between member 68 and a contact 68 to the input conductor 41 of the powercsupply unit 43, the other input conductor 48 of which is permanently connected to the other side of the source 31, thereby energizing the power supply units 44, 45 and 46 to cause them to supply filament current, plate current and grid biasing voltage to the tubes 28 and 29 and high frequency current for the erasing magnets 4| and I. The output side of the filament current supply unit 44 is permanently connected by a pair of conductors 16 to the filaments of tubes 28 and 28 and the grid biasing voltage output terminal of unit 45 is connected by a conductor 13 permanently to the control grids of tubes 28 and 28 whereas the plate supply output terminal of unit 45 is connected through a conductor 1| to the anodes and screen grids of tubes 28 and 29 through a relay 12. Return connection from the plate current and grid biasing voltage supply unit 45 to the filament circuits of the tubes is effected by a conductor 14 between units 44 and 45.

The filaments of tubes 28 and 26 .require a few seconds to heat up and during the heating period the plate current flowing through relay 12 gradually increases. This slowly energizes the relay causing it first to close its contacts 15 to complete a direct current path", through contacts 15 and the normally closed contacts 16 in shunt to the condenser 36. Thereafter as the plate current reaches full normal value the relay is further energized to open contact 16 and break the direct current path in shunt to condenser 36. The net result is that condenser 36 is shortcircuited for a very short interval of time, thereby closing a direct current path of relatively low resistance between the ring and tip sides of the telephone line through the pad 32, the hybrid coil 38 and the balancing network 3| to trip the usual relay in the telephone plant and interrupt the ringing current and leave the line in condition for conversation. It will be understood that voice currents pass readily through the condenser 36 and into the hybrid coil 30 and the balancing network 3|.

The movement of the solenoid relay element 68 to the left also carried an insulating element 11 mechanically attached thereto to the left to close a contact 18 on a contact 19 and complete a circuit from the pole 53 of battery 38 over a conductor 88, contact 18, contact 19, a conductor 8| through the winding of a relay 82 back over a conductor 83 through a pair of contacts 84 on a ratchet switch 85 to conductor 51, which is permanently connected to pole 58 of battery 38, thereby energizing relay 82 and causing its armature 81 to open its back contact 88 and close on its front contact 89 and complete a circuit 2,821,888 and the reproducing magnet I2 associated with the telegraphone wire I. The secondary winding, 92 of transformer 8| is connected through a potentiometer 03 to the control grid circuit of vacuum tube 28. The plate circuit of output tube. 28 is permanently connected in transmitting relation with the telephone line through the hybrid coil 30..

The movement oi the bar 11 of the solenoid relay 55 to the left is sumcient to move contact 19 a substantial distance to the left and contact 19 is mechanically connected by an insulating member 94 to an auxiliary contact 05. As has previously been described, relay 82 was energized in response to closure of contacts 18 and 19. At the same time a relay 91 having its winding connected in shunt to winding of relay 82 was energized. 'Energization of relay 91'closed a pair of contacts 98 thereon. The closure of contacts 95, 95 and the contacts 98 completed an energizing circuit for the motor 5 on the answering telegraphone. This circuit may be traced over conductor 58 from one side of the A. C. source 31 through the motor 5, thence over a conductor 09, the contacts 98 of relay 51, a conductor I00, the contacts 95 and 95 and the contact 53 and member 60 of the solenoid relay 55 and back over conductor 62 to the other side of source 31.

The foregoing operations all take place within a very few seconds following the institution of the telephone call, at the end of which time the telegraphone motors 5 and I9 have accelerated to operating speed and the telegraphone wire I passing the reproducing coil I2 cooperates therewith to transmit through the transformer SI, vacuum tube 28 and the hybrid coil 30 to the telephone line conductors a message which has been previously recordedon the telegraphone wire I, which message will be heard by the calling party at the other end of the telephone line. This message may be worded as follows: You are connected with subscriber A. There is no one here at the moment. However, the recording device to which you are listening will take down your message. Please be sure to leave your name and address. Go ahead, please." The calling party may now speak his message which comes in over the telephone line and is applied over conductors I03 leading from the hybrid coil 30 through a filter I04, a transformer I05 and a potentiometer I06 to the control grid circuit of vacuum tube 29. These voice currents are amplified by tube 29 and applied from the plate circuit of the tube through a transformer I01, conductors I08 and I09 and closed contacts H0 and lid of the relay 91 (previously actuated as described) to the recording coil 42 associated with the moving telegraphone wire I5. The message is thereafter recorded on the wire I5. The operation of relay 91, also moves an armature II2 thereon out of engagement with a back contact II3 into engagement with a front contact I I I thereby completing a circuit from the high frequency generator 45 over conductors H5, H6, armature H2 and front contacts IN to the .erasing coil 4|, thereby automatically erasing any previous message that might be on the wire I5 prior to the recording thereon of a message by the recording coil 42.

The circuit will-remain in the condition last described until the telegraphone wire I has about completed a cycle, at which time the cam 8, actuated from the motor 5 through the worm 5 and wormwheel 1, closes the contacts 9 thereby completing a circuit for energizing a trip magnet II1 associated with the solenoid relay 55 which magnetwhen energized depresses the latch 5| to release the solenoid-relay 55 and permit it to as;- sume normal position. The energizing circuit for magnet II1 may be traced fromepole 53 of battery 38 over conductor 80, contacts 18 and 10 of the solenoid relay, conductor 8|, magnet II1, conductor II8, contacts 0 and conductor 51 back to pole 58 of battery 38.

The restoration of the solenoid relay 55 to normal position opens the power supplycontact .58 thereby causing both telegraphone motors 5 and I9 to stop. However, the telegraphone mechanism has sufficient inertia to continue in motion after the power supply to the motors is cut of! long enough to carry the cam 8- past the I original condition except for the fact that a certain portion of the telegraphone wire I5 which may bear a message left by a. calling party will be wound upon the drum I1. In response to succeeding calls the circuit will be actuated in exactly the same manner already described, to record succeeding messages on successive portions of the telegraphone wire I5. The number of messages which the machine will take down is determined by the length of the telegraphone wire I5. If a sufiicient length of wire I5 is initially wound upon the drum It to run, say, twenty times as long as the time required to complete a cycle of movement of the answering telegraphone wvire I,

then it will be obvious that the machine can record twenty successive messages before the telegraphone wire I5 is completely filled.

If the subscriber now returns home,'he may reproduce the messages recorded on the wire I5 in any conventional manner. However, one of the novel features of this invention is that the subscriber need not return home in order to hear the messages which are recorded on the telegraphone wire I5. Instead he can have these messages reproduced for him over the telephone line by a procedure next to be described.

Assume that the subscriber is at a distant telephone and calls his own unpublished telephone number. This causes ringing current to besent the arm I30 to engage a pair of contacts I3I and close those contacts. The relay is so adjusted that the first impulse of ringing current through the relay I26 lifts the armature I21 and the arm I30 sufllciently to close the contacts I3I but does not close the armature I21 on contact I29. However, the closure of contacts I3! performs no function under the condition described.

Continued application of. ringing current to relay I 25 lifts the armature I21 higher and higher, the dash pot I20 being so arranged that it will allow the armature I21 to drop back between ringing impulses a fraction of the distance it was lifted by the previous ringing impulse; .After several such impulsesthe armature I21 will be carried high enough to disengage the arm, I38

due to the counterclockwise rotation of the latter. thereby permitting restoration of the arm I38 to normal position, and opening contacts; I3I. The gradual upward movement of the armature I21 finally closes the armature on contact I 29 thereby applying current from battery 38 to winding I38 of solenoid relay 55, the circuit extending from pole 58 of battery 38 through armature I21, contact I29, winding I36, a conductor I31, back co tact 22 and movable contact 2| of switch 20 associated with telegraphone drum I6 and thence back over conductor 51 to pole 58 of battery 88. The energization of winding 36 of solenoid relay 55 moves the member 60 to the right to complete a circuit from the alternating current source 31, conductor 62, the member 68 and a contact I38 to the power supply unit 43, energizing the latter. At the same time contact of member 68 on a contact I40 completes an energizing circuit over a conductor 4| through motor I8 to conductor 68 and the other side of the source 31, thereby starting motor I8 to wind the telegraphone wire I5 backwards off of the drum I1 and onto drum I6.

The actuation of the member 68 on solenoid relay 55 to the right (in which position it is retained by the latch 6|) also causes a detent I4I on the right end of bar 11 to engage and rotate a ratchet wheel I42 carrying a cam I43 which actuates the contacts 84 thereon. The ratchet wheel I42 has six teeth and is attached to a cam I43 having three points or lobes which actuate the contacts 84 so that a movement of the ratchet wheel I42 through a sixth of a revolution opens the contacts 84 if they were previously closed and closes the contacts 84 if they were previously opened. These contacts 84 are normally closed and remain so as long as calls come in over the ring side of the line only to actuate the solenoid relay 55 from normal position into left position and back to normal position because with the ratchet wheel I42 in the position shown in the drawing, the movement of the pawl I on bar 11 to the left is not sufiicient to engage the next tooth.

However, when the subscriber now calls in over the tip side of the line to reverse the direction of the telegraphone wire I5 by energizing motor I8 in the manner described, the pawl I M moves far enough to the right to engage a tooth on the ratchet wheel I42 and shift the latter far enough to open contacts 84. This opens the energizing circuits for relays 82 and 91 so that those relays cannot operate despite the closure of contacts 18 and I31 on the solenoid relay 55. Since the relay 91 is not operated, the front contact -I I4 of that relay is opened and the erasing magnet 4| associated with telegraphone wire I 5 is not energized. Therefore the messages on the wire are not erased as the wire is rewound on the drum I 6. When all the wire is rewound onto drum I6 the switch 28 is actuated to open contact 2| of contact 22 and close it on contact 23, thereby completing a circuit from battery 38 over conductor 51, contacts 2I and 23 of switch 28, through conductor H8 and latch magnet II1 to release the latch 6I, thereby restoring the relay 55 to normal position and stopping the motor I8.

The subscriber has now completed one operation, namely, the rewinding of the record wire I5 onto drum I6. He thereupon hangs up and then calls his published number, thereby applying ringing current to the ring side 34 of the line, energizing relay 5I to actuate the solenoid relay 55 into left position, thereby starting the motor I9 accuses over the circuit previously traced to wind the telegraphone wire Ilfrom the drum I6 onto drum I1. However, since the contacts 84 on the ratchet switch 85 are still open, relays 82 and 81 do not operate and since relay 81 does not operate, the energizing circuit for the motor 5 is not completed and the telegraphone wire I remains stationary. Furthermoresince the relay 82 is not energized, the reproducing magnet 40, associated with telegraphone wire I5, is connected through the back contact 88 and the armature 81 of relay 82 to the primary winding of transformer III which feeds into the output tube 28 connected with the line. Therefore as the telegraphone wire I5 runs past the reproducing magnet 48 the messages recorded thereon are relayed over the telephone line to the listening subscriber.

When the end of the series of messages is reached, the subscriber hangs up and again calls his unpublished number, thereby ringing back on the tip side 35 of the line to energize the magnet I28 in the manner previously described to again energize the motor I8 and rewind the telegraphone wire I5 back onto the drum I6. The movement of the ratchet pawl I4I to the right again actuates the ratchet wheel I42 and cam I43 to again close contacts 84, thereby energizing relays 82 and 81, and the closure of armature II2 on front contact II4 of relay 91 applies high frequency current to the erasing magnet 4I so that all the messages on the wire I5 are erased as the wire is rewound on drum I6. When the wire is all rewound onto drum I6, switch 28 is actuated to close contacts 2| and 23 thereon to energize the latch magnet I I1 and restore the solenoid relay 55 to; normal position.

This carries the system through a complete cycle of operations and leaves it ready to take down incoming messages in the manner previously described. v

The system, as'described so far, provides for the answering of telephone calls and the recording of messages left by calling parties. It also provides means whereby the subscriber can call his own station from a distant point, have the recorded messages repeated to him, and then erase all the recorded messages, leaving the apparatus in condition to receive a new set of messages.

In accordance with my invention, I further provide for the' changing of the message on the telegraphone wire I by the subscriber from a distant point. Let it be assumed that the usual message stating that there is no one present to answer the telephone and requesting that the calling parties dictate their messages, is recorded on the telegraphone wire I. Assume then that the subscriber is suddenly required to leave the city and will be unable to take care of any business which the calling parties may desire to transact with ,him until his return. Assume further that the'subscriber is unable to return to his home or oflice where the recording apparatus is located in order to record this information on the telegraphone wire I. He can, however, change the message in my system from a remote point by the following procedure:

He uses the nearest available telephone and listens to the messages on the telegraphone wire I5 in the manner previously described by first calling his unpublished number to rewind wire I5 onto drum I8, and then calling his published number to wind wire I5 onto drum I 8 while reproducing the messages thereon. When the end of the series of messages is reached, he hangs up and again calls his unpublished number, thereby again applying ringing current to the tip side of his line to energize relay I26 long enough to close contacts I3I, but he hangs up his receiver to stop the ringing current before the relay I28 has time to close its armature I21 on contact I29. Relay I28 therefore releases after momentarily closing contacts I3I.

Now, as can be seen from the drawing, the contacts I32 are open when the solenoid relay 55 is actuated into left position, by virtue of the fact that the movable contact of the'pair of contacts I32 is connected to the insulating bar 94. By virtue of the fact that contacts I32 were open at the time contacts I3I were closed (in response to the short application of ringing current over the tipside of the line) current, instead of being supplied directly from pole 58 of battery 38, over conductor 51 and contacts I32 to contacts "I and thence through magnet II! to the other pole of the battery,- was supplied from conductor 51 through the winding of relay B5 to contacts I3I thereby operating relay 65 as well as magnet in. When operated, relay 65 is locked up by a latch I45. The operation of relay 65 broke contact of armature 64 with back contact 66 (stopping motor I9) and closed the armature on a front contact I41. The energization of magnet ii! of course released solenoid relay 55.

The subscriber next calls his publishednum her, thereby applying ringing current to the ring side 34 of the line, actuating the solenoid relay 55 to the left in the manner previously described, and applying power from-the A. CL source 31 over conductor 62 through the solenoid relay member 50, contact 53, armature 84 and front contact Id? of relay $5, and conductor I48 to motor 5, and thence back over conductor 68 to the other side of source 31, thereby setting the telegraphone wire I in motion. However the through the back contact I50 and armature H of relay 9! so that any message repeated over the telephone line by the subscriber from a distant point will be transmitted through tube 29 and transformer i ii! to the recording magnet III. At the same time the erasing coil II is connected to the sourceof high frequency current 46 through the back contact I I 3 and armature N2 of relay it? so that any prior message on the wire I will be erased by the magnet II prior to the recording thereon of a new message by the recording magnet It.

.The subscriber now dictates the information he wishes recorded on the answering telegraphone wire I in place of the -message previously recorded.

When the wire I has completed its cycle of movement and-the contacts 9 are closed by the cam 8 to actuate the latch magnet IIIand stop the mechanism in the manner previously described, the subscriber hangs up and then calls.

his unpublished number again,- thereby applying ringing current to the tip side of the line long enough to energize motor I8 and rewind the telegraphone wire I onto the drum IS in the manner previously described.

The movement of the bar 'I! of the solenoid relay 55 to the right in response to ringing current received over the tip side of the line. closes contact "1 on a contact I38, applying current from pole 58 of battery 38 over conductor-.80, j contacts I8, I31 and Ill oi. solenoid relay 55 5- over a conductor iflythrough a magnet I48 and backto the other pole 58 of battery, thereby, energizing the magnet I, which pulls the latch I45 and releases the armature 64 of relay 6!.

Motor I8 continues to'run until contacts 23 and 2| of the overwind switch 29 are closed to trip the magnet II'i, releasing the solenoid relay 55 and restoring the system to normal condition ready to assume normal operation with'the new answering record on the telegraphone wire I.

The contacts and 26 of the winding switch 24 associated with drum II- open in response to filling of the drum 21' with the wire I5 to open the circuit to winding 54 of the solenoid relay 5! and prevent any possibility of starting the motor it when all of the wire I5 is wound on drum II. The contacts 23 and 2i of switch 20 function in a similar manner to prevent operation of the motor it when all the wire is wound 'cndrumIB.

Although my invention has been explained by describing in detail a specific circuit for practicing the invention, it is to be understood that many changes and refinements can be made in the particular circuit details shown without de- 80 parting from the invention, and the latter is to be limited only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. In an automatic telephone answering and 85 message recording system, means for delivering a predetermined message over-a telephone line to a calling party, means for recording a mes-= sage received over the telephone line from a calling party, and means for connecting said 4i! message deliveringmeans in transmitting relation to said telephone line and simultaneously connecting said message recording means in receiving relation with said telephone line, including means for preventing local intercommunication between said message transmitting and message receiving means.

2. In an automatic telephone answering and message recording system for use in combination with a telephone line equipped with automatic ringing apparatus which is adapted to be tripped in response to closure of a direct current path across said line: message recording apparatus, a vacuum tube amplifier, power supply means for energizing said amplifier, means in-' cluding said amplifier for operatively connecting said recording apparatus to said line, means responsive to ringing current on said telephone line for energizing said power supply means, and means responsive to current flow from said power so supply means through said amplifier for closing a direct current path across said line when said amplifier is partly energized and for opening said direct current path when said amplifier is deenergized and is fully energized, whereby the ring ing apparatus on the telephone line is tripped and thereafter the telephone line restored to normal condition in response to ringing current on the line.

3. In an automatic telephone answering and message recording system, a device for deliveringa word message, a message recording device, and means for energizing said message deliveringv and message recording devices and operatively connecting them to the telephone line in response 15 to ringing current on said line, said last mentioned means comprising an A. C. relay operable in response to ringing currents on said line and a self-locking relay adapted to operate and lock up in response to operation of said A. C. relay, with means for releasing said self-locking relay after a predetermined lapse of time.

4. In a call answering and message recording system for use in connection with a metallic telephone line equipped for divided ringing, means for recording and reproducing a message, and means selectively responsive to ringing current applied successively to the two sides of said line in predetermined diii'erent sequences for selectively conditioning said recording and reproducing means either to record a message transmitted over said line or to transmit a recorded message over said line.

5. A system as described in claim 4 with means for signaling to a calling party when said recording and reproducing means is conditioned to record a message transmitted over said line.

6. In a telephone answering and message recording system for use in connection with a metallic telephone line equipped for divided ringing, means for recording a message, means for reproducing said message, means responsive to ringing current on one side of said line for conmeeting said recording means to said line whereby it records a message transmitted over said line, and means responsive to ringing current applied successively to said one side, then said other side and again to said one side, for connecting said reproducing means to said line for transmitting said recorded message over said line.

'7. In a telephone answering and message recording system for use in connection with a metallic telephone line equipped for divided ringing, a recording and reproducing device having driv- 40 ing means, rewind means, recording means, and

reproducing means; means responsive to ringing current on one side of said line for energizing said driving means, and means for stopping said driving means after a time interval; means re- 45 sponsive to application of ringing current to said other side of said line for energizing said rewinding means to rewind said device, and means for stopping said rewind means; means responsive to initial application of ringing current to said one 5 side oi said line and thereafter responsive to the sequential application of said ringing current to said other side and then to said one side an even number of times, for operatively connecting said recording means to said line to receive and record 53 a message on said device; and means responsive to initial application of ringing current to said one side of said line followed by sequential application of ringing current to said other side and then to said one side an odd number of times for operatively connecting said reproducing means to said line to deliver a message recorded on said device to said line; whereby said device is conditioned for recording from the line in response to ringing current on one side 01 said line, is rewound 5 in response to subsequent application of ringing 70 side of the line.

current to the said other side of the line, and is conditioned for transmitting the message recorded thereon to the line in response to subsequent application of ringing current to said one 8. A system as described in claim 7 in which said means responsive to' application of ringing current to said other side of said line for energizing said rewind means to rewind said device includes means for deenergizing said driving means prior to enemization of said rewind means.

9. A system as described in claim 7 in which said device is provided with normally deenergized message erasing means operatively associated with the recording and reproducing device ahead of said recording means and back of said reproducing means and in which said meansi'or operatively connecting said recording means to said line includes means for simultaneously energizing said erasing-means whereby the telegraphone wire is erased prior to recordation thereon.

10. A system as described in claim! in which said device is provided with normally deenergized erasing means and means for energizing said erasing means in response to initial application of ringing current to said one side of said line followed by sequential application oi ringing current to said other side, to said one side, and again to said other side, whereby a message on said devided ringing; a recording and reproducing device having driving means, recording means, reproducing means, and erasing means associated therewith; means for energizing said driving means and operatively connecting said reproducing means to said line in response to application of ringing current to one side of said line, means for energizing said driving means and said erasing means and operatively connecting said recording means to said line in response to suecessive application oi ringing current to the two sides of said line in a predetermined sequence, and means for restoring said system to normal condition in response to application of ringing current to the two sides of said line in still another predetermined sequence.

12. In a telephone answering system for use a with a metallic telephone line equipped for divided ringing; a recording and reproducing device having driving means, recording means, reproducing means, and erasing means positioned ahead of said recording means and back of said reproducing means; means responsive to successive application of ringing current to one side of said line for energizing said driving means and operatively connecting said reproducing means to I said line following each application; means re-v side for a short interval, then to said one side and then again to said other side for a long interval for restoring said system to initial condition; whereby said device delivers a message recorded thereon to said line in response to ringing cur-' rent on one side of said line, whereby said device may be remotely controlled over said line to erase its original message and record a new message transmitted over said line in response to the successive application of ringing current to the 'two sides of said line in a predetermined sequence, and whereby said device may thereafter be restored to condition for delivering the newly recorded message to said line in response to ringing current on said one side of said line, by the application or ringing current to the said other side of said line for a prolonged interval after said new message has been recorded.

13 .In a call answering and message recording system for use in connection with a metallic telephone line equipped for divided ringing; a call answering device having driving means, recording means, reproducing means and erasing means associated therewith; a message registering device having driving means, rewind, means, recording means, reproducing means and erasing means associated therewith; means selectively responsive to ringing current applied to the two sides of said line in predetermined difierent sequences for selectively (1) energizing said driving means on said call answering device and said message registering device, conditioning said re producing means on said call answering device to reproduce a message thereon to said line and conditioning said recording means on said message registering device to record a message transmitted over said line, .(2) energizing said rewind means associated with said message registering device to rewind the latter, (3) energizing said driving means associatedwith said message registering device and conditioning the reproducing means associated therewith to transmit a message recorded thereon to said line, (4) energizing said driving means on said call answering device and conditioning the erasing means and recording means associated therewith to erase an existent message thereon and record a: new message transmitted over said line, or (5) energizing said rewind means on said message recording device and conditioning the erasingmeans' associated therewith to erase a message thereon.

14. In a telephone answering and message recording system for use on a telephone line.

equipped for divided ringing; a call answering device; a message recording device having driving means, recording means, reproducing means and erasing means, and rewind means; relay means having a neutral, a first and a second position of operation; means for operating said relay a from its neutral into its first position in response to ringing current on one side of said line and F from neutral into its second position in response to ringing current on the other side of the line;

a control element operable between two positions and means for operating said element into one,

position in response to alternate movements of said relay from its first position into its second position and for operating said element intoits other position in response to intervening movements of said relay from itsfirst position into its second position; circuit means for energizing said driving means in response .to operation of said relay into its first position;. circuit means for energizing said answering device and operatively connecting said recording means to said line in response to operation of said relay into its first position and operation of said control element into its one position; and means for tripgize said driving means and said answering device; whereby with said relay in neutral position and said control element in its one'position said answering device is energized to signal a calling party over said line and said message recording "telegraphone is conditioned to receive and record a message from the calling party over said line in response to the application of ringing current to said one side of said line.

15. A system as described in claim 14 in which said tripping means comprises a time switch for deenergizing said driving means and said answering device after they have run for a predetermined time.

16. A system as described in claim 14 in which ping said relay into neutral position to deenersaid answering device comprises a telegraphone having an endless record wire and in which said tripping means is actuated by. said answering telegraphone when itcompletes a cycle of operation.

ing means in response to operation of said relay when said-control element is in its one position.

18. A system as described in claim 14 with means for energizing said rewind means in response to'operation of said relay into its second position. Y

19. A system as described in claim 14 with means for energizing said erasing means in response to operation of said relay when said control element is in its one position and in which said means for tripping said relay is actuated in response to complete rewinding of said recording device.

20. A system as described in claim 14 with means for operatively connecting said reproducing means to said line when said control means means for energizing said-recording. device erasis in its other position and said relay is, operated. I

relay having slow-make contacts for completing the energizing circuit. to operate said first mentioned relay into its second position only in response to prolonged application oivringing current to said other side of the line, and having fast-make contacts adapted to energize said tripping means in response to a short application of ing in response to prolonged application of ringing current prior to closure of said slow-make contacts.

22. A system as described in claim 14 in which said means'for operating said first mentioned relay into its second position is a slow operating relay having slow-make contacts for completing the energizing circuit to operate said first mentioned relay into itssecond position only in response to prolonged application of ringing current to said other side of the line, and having fast-make contacts adapted to energize said tripping'means in response to a short application of ringing current, said fast-make contacts reopening in response to prolonged application of ringing current prior to closure of said slow-make contacts; in which said answering device comprises an endless recording medium having driving means, reproducing means, recording means, and erasing means; in which said circuit means for energizing said'answering device in response to operation of said first mentioned relay into its first position and operation of said control element into its one position, including means for energizing said answering device driving means and operatively connecting the answering device for opening said energizing circuit for said recording device, driving means and completing the energizing circuit for said answering device driving means independent of said control eleassociated with said answering device to said line in response to movement of said control elementv into its said other position,.and means for restoras ringing current, said fast-make contacts reopening said transfer switch to normal position in response to movement of said first mentioned relay into its second position.

23. In a telephone answering and message recording system, a message storing device having recording means and reproducing means, and means selectively responsive to telephone ringing current impulses received in predetermined sequences over a plurality oi. ringing channels for selectively conditioning said recording means and reproducing means either to record a received telephone message or to reproduce a message previously recorded.

24. In a call answering and message recording system for use in connection with a telephone line, a message transmitting device having recording means and reproducing means, a message receiving device having recording means and reproducing means, means selectively responsive to ringing current impulses transmitted over said telephone line in predetermined different sequences for selectively conditioning said message receiving device either to record a message received over said line or to transmit a recorded message over said line, and means selectively responsive to ringing current impulses applied successively over said line in predetermined different sequences for selectively conditioning said message transmitting device, either to record a message received over said line or to transmit a recorded message over said line.

PAUL HENRY ROWE.

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