US667503A - Phonograph attachment for telephone-circuits. - Google Patents

Description

\ No. 667,503. I Patented Feb. 5, |901. 1 A. B. CLARK.

P HONUGRAP ATTACHMENT FUR TELEPHNE CIRCUITS. (Application led July 10, 1900.)

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UNTTTD STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALLAN B. CLARK, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO J. ROY BOONE, OF SAME PLAGE.

PHONOGRAPH ATTACHMENTv FOR TELEPHONE-'CIRCUIT'S.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 667,503, dated February 5, 1901.

Application led July 10, 1900. Serial No. 23,2151. tNo model.)

To all whom it may @H/087%.' of said coils to convey the impulses received Be it known that I, ALLAN B. CLARK, a from the phonograph through the wire 17, citizen of the United States, residing at Nashwith which are connected branch wires 18 55 ville, county of Davidson, State of 'lennes- 1S 182, leading to the drop-signals l5 15' 152 on see, have invented certain new and useful the switchboard and the several subscribers Improvements in Phonograph Attachments wires 16 16' 162. for Telephone-Circuits, of which the follow- For each subscribers wire is provided an ing is a specification. ordinary spring-jack 14 14.-' 142, which nor- 6o My invention relates to means for conveymally connects the subscribers line with the ro ing phonographic messages over telephonephonograph-circuit, as shown on the line 162, circuits; and my object is to provide a phonowhereon the spring-jack 142 is in contact with graph attachmenttoatelephone-circuit which its contact-point, thus completing the circuit will transmit messagessuch as advertising through the induction-coil and phonograph. 65 matter, news matter, &c.-to diiferent sub- Each subscribers line of course is conscribers from a central station without innected with the ground or common return terfering with the conversation between subwire 8 of central station. The operators set scribers or the operation of the line by the* is indicated diagrammatically bythe numeral operators at the central station. 9, the numeral 10 indicating the switch-but- 7o With this object in View my invention conton controlled and operated by the operator zo sists in the means for automatically causwhen a signal is made by a given drop, in-

ing the transmission of phonographic mesdicating a call in the usual way. sages to a subscriber on a telephone-circuit The numerals l2 and 12' indicate switchindependently of any act of the central opplugs, each having a projection 13 13',which 75 erator while the subscriber is waiting to be projection is adapted to be inserted between connected with a given line through a central the contact-springs of the spring-jack in the station and in means for cutting oft' the mannershown in the drawings in order to conphonograph-circuit at the same time that the neet the central with the subscriber who operator at the central station connects the makes a call, the operator using two plugs, 8o subscriber with central or with the line asked as shown in the drawing, in order to connect 3o for by said subscriber. any two given subscribers who desire to con- In the drawing I have shown a diagramverse. matic View illustrating my invention as ap- As shown in the drawing, two subscribers plied at a central station, using for the purat A A' are connected through the wires 16 85 pose of illustration three subscribers lines. 16', spring-jacks 14 14', plugs 12 12', and the Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 inconnecting-wires 11 11'.

dicates a phonograph-record, which is con- It will be observed'that when a plug is intin uously operated in the usual manner, havserted in the switchboard at central the coring thereon the messages to be conveyed over responding spring-jack will be moved, there- 9o the various lines, said messages constituting by breaking the connection between the sub- 4o advertising matter, which it is desired to scriber and the phonograph-circuit. At the communicate in the manner hereinafter desame time such insertion of the plug will conscribed. nect the subscriber on that line with the op- The numeral 2 indicates the granular carerator,whoreceives the message and then calls bon button of the phonograph-transmitter, up the subscriber desired, inserting a plugin which is connected with the usual diaphragm the switchboard at the proper point for concarrying the stylus 3, that travelsin the recnecting the two subscribers who desire to conord-path of the cylinder. I connect this verse. Before the insertion of the plug by phonograph with the ground or common rethe operator it will be observed that the sub- 10o turn wire 8 of the switchboard at the central scribers lines are normally connected with 5o station by the wires 6 and 7 and through the the phonograph-circuit, so that the moment battery 5 and the induction-coil 4t, the said any subscriber takes down his receiver and induction-coil operating in the usual manner places it to his ear he will hear the message or messages transmitted from the phonographrecord,which operates continuously, and will continue to hear such messages until the operator inserts a plugat the switchboard in response to the drop-signal made when the subscriber calls, and the moment central responds the subscriber ceases to hear the phonograph message or messages, thereby prevent-ing any interference whatever with the operation of the telephone system. It will be observed also that at no time is the operator connected with the phonograph-circuit, so that there is no possible interference with the usual operation of the telephone-circuit at central, and, further, that the transmission of the phonographic messages in no wise depends on any act of the operator, nor is he required to perform any special act in addition to the usual manipulation of the switch-plugs connecting the different subscribers who desire to converse. It should also be noted that the phonograph need not be located at central, as it may obviously be placed in the subscribers office for the transmission of messages from such oice to central or to any other subscriber in the same circuit, the essential requirement being that the phonograph shall be normally in circuit with the subscribers lines whenever it is desired to send a message by means of the phonograph over said lines.

By the term phonograph as used in the specification and claims I intend to cover any form of talking or sound-reproducing machine capable of use in the relation shown and described.

I am aware that it is old to connect a phonograph-record with a telephone-circuit at central in order to convey a message to a given subscriber that a given line is busyg but in such devices with which I am familiar the operator is required to insert by one movement what is called the busy-plug in order to connect the phonograph with the subscriber, which remains in position until the operator is informed that the line desired is not busy, whereupon he is required to remove the said plug and then connect the two subscribers together by means of the usual plugs or switches. My invention diiers from this and prior devices of like nature in that the phonograph operates continuously and conveys its messages to the subscribers the moment the receiver is removed and placed to the ear and central is called and continues to deliver such messages until the operator at central responds, whereupon the phonograph is disconnected without any special act on the part of the operator at central beyond the usual operation of connecting central with the subscribers.

Without, therefore, claiming broadly the combination of a phonograph with a telephone-circuit, what I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with a central station of a telephone-circuit and subscribers lines connected thereto, of a phonograph normally in circuit with said subscribers lines, and means controlled by the operator, at central, for connecting with a given subscriber and at the same time disconnecting said phonograph from said subscriber, substantially as described. i

2. The combination with a central station of a telephone-circuit and subscribers lines connected thereto, of a phonograph, normally in circuit with diierent subscribers, springjacks for each subscribers line at the central station, and a plug adapted to be inserted so as to release said spring-jacks, and break the connection between the phonograph and the subscriber while connecting the subscriber with central or with an other su bscriber through central, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the central station of a telephone system, subscribers lines connected thereto and a common return for the same, with a phonograph, an induction-coil in circuit therewith and connected with the common return at the central station, and a Wire connecting the induction-coil with the subscribers lines at each station, a springjack in each subscribers line normally connecting it to the phonograph-circuit, and a plug adapted to be inserted by the operator to move the s prin g-jack so as to break the connection between the subscribers wire and the phonograph, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a central station of.' a telephone-circuit and subscribers lines connected thereto, of a phonograph normally in circuit with said subscribers lines, an operators set disconnected from said phonograph and means controlled by a single movement of the operator at the central station for disconnecting the phonograph from a given subscriber when the latter is connected with a given line, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a central station of a telephone system and subscribers lines connected thereto, of a phonograph normally in circuit with the subscribers lilies and means for connecting any two subscribers with each other and simultaneously disconnecting said phonograph from said subscribers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLAN B. CLARK.

Witnesses:

J. ROY BOONE, CHAs. J. DUNCAN.

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