US764690A - Apparatus for telephone-switchboards. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

B.'H. SMYTHB. APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE SWITGHBOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED IA]. 33, 1903.

I0 XODEL.

WIT/1 UNITED STATES Patented July 12, '1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN H. SMYTHE, OF FREEPORT. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE-SWITCHBOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,690, dated July 12, 1904:.

Application filed January 23, 1903. Serial No. 140,249. (No model.)

To all w/Lmit it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. SMYTHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Telephone- Switchboards, (Case No. 5,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact deline. In a well-known system of the latter type i the subscriber on making the call deposits a coin tentatively, the coin serving to complete the connection to operate the line-signal. Once deposited the coin is under the control of the central-oflice operator, who canby manipulating one key or another key, as the case may be, direct the coin into the cash-box or cause it to fall outside the caslrbox, so as to be returned to the subscriber, in which systems it sometimes happens that the operator will manipulate the wrong key, so as to return the coin to the subscriber when it should be directed to the cash-box, or vice versa. My monitor-signal is intended to give notice to the supervising operator of any such erroneous or false manipulation, thuskeeping a check upon the operators errors.

I am describing my invention as particularly adapted to systems in which coin-collecting toll-boxes are employed. It will be apparent from the more detailed description which follows that my invention may be applied in modifications of the particularsys tem which is set forth in this specification-'- such, for instance, as in those systems well winding of cut-oft relay f .scriber B responds, current from the centralknown in the art wherein connection-registers are employed in place of coin-collectors.

My invention will be more readily understood. by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which I have shown two subscribers stations, a coin-collecting box at one of the stations, and central-office apparatus, including a cord-circuit, combined with my monitor signaling apparatus, which I have illustrated.

A and B may be considered as ordinary subscriberstelephone sets, a coin-collecting box being shown at station A only. This coincollecting box is provided with a chute a, in which a coin is initially inserted to operate the lever a and close contact at (4 which directs current from battery 7) at the central office through the line-relayl/ to light the line lamp or signal 6 The operator on inserting in answering-jack Z) the answering-plug c directs current through the supervisory lamp 0 and thence through the sleeve of plug 0 and the thimble of switch 5 through the cut-off relay (Z to ground. The subscriber A taking down the telephone causes battery-current to flow through supervisory relay (3 to the ring of plug 0, thence to limb 1 of the telephone-line and back over limb 2 to the tip of plug 0 and thence to the other side of the battery. Supervisory relay (2 is thus operated, shunting out lamp 0. The operator having communicated with subscriber A finds out what subscriber is wanted, which we assume is the one at station E. She thereupon inserts plug f in jackf and throws on the calling-generator; The act of inserting the connecting-plug directs current from the central-oflice battery through the cut-off relayf lighting the supervisory lamp f The path of the cu rrcnt from the central-office battery may be traced, as indicated, by wires 3, I, and 5, through resistance f" and signallamp if to the sleeve of plugfi-thenceto the thimble of switch f, and thence through the When the subvisory relay g to the ring of plug f, limb 6 "of the telephone-line of station E, and back over limb 7 to the spring of jack f in contact with the tip of the plug, and thence to the other pole of the battery. Relay 5 being operated shunts out signal f". The depositkey It and the refund-key h are connected with the generator if, which is of suliicient electromotive force to operate the polarized magnet 1 1/ of the coin-collector, current of a given polarity being sent by deposit-key it to throw the coin-stop in the direction indicated by the arrow to cause the coin to fall to the left of said stop and into the cash-box. The refund-key It on being depressed directs current of the opposite polarity through the polarized magnet it to tilt the coin-stop in the opposite direction to permit the coin to fall into the return-chute 7L4. It will be understood that the general plan of the telephonecircuits, the construction of the coin-collecting box, and the manner of supervising the connection are old in the art.

My invention is embodied more particularly in the switch-relay 2', with the circuits thereof, and the locking-relays is k and the monitor-signals Z Z as combined with the deposit and refund keys and the other parts of the apparatus. The last act of the operator before disconnecting two lines is to press denipulation of keys la la, and will describe now the action of the apparatus in making such signal.

Assume that the plugs 0 and f are inserted in answering-jack Z and in multiple jackf to connect the two telephone-lines together for conversation and that the clearing-out signals 0 and f have been displayed. It is then the duty of the operator to press on key 7b, which being done tilts the coin-stop or partition at station A in the direction indicated by the arrow to guide the coin into the cash-box. If this is done, the signal Z will not be lighted, for the reason that the Wire 8 will be open at the contact of relay t that is to say, the supervisory relay g has acted to close the circuit through relay 2'. A feature of the circuit is the provision of the relay-armature m and its contact in association with the conductor 13, resistance f, signal-lampf and switch-contacts of relay 9, arranged as shown, so that when relay '5 is excited by current directed through the contact of relay 5 current through relay Zwill be maintained independent of relay g through said armature m and its contact,

while at the same time lamp f 3 will be brought under the control of relay 'r that isito say, when relay 2' has acted to shift connection of battery-wire 4 from wire 8 to wire 9 the condition will continue independent of the condition of relay 9. We will now assume that by chance the operator pushed key it when she should have pushed key It. It is apparent that in such case the battery-current will be closed from Wire 4 to wire 9 and thence through the lower part of key it to wire 10 and thence through relay Z0 and lamp Z. Relay is being once closed will remain closed, since batterycurrent will be directed by wire 11 through the contact of said relay Zr and thence through the lamp Z. This lamp being displayed will be notice to the supervising operator of the false connection. On the other hand, assume that the operator fails .to .get subscriber B: First, that the line is found busy when the tip of plug 7" is touched to the thimble of the jack f and the plug f will not be inserted, and therefore supervisory magnet Q will not be excited. Second, suppose subscriber at station B.

fails to respond after plug f is inserted in switch f. In this case the telephone-switch at station B remaining in its lower or normal position there will be no closing of the circuit between limbs 6 7, and in this case supervisory magnet Q will not be excited. 1n either case it is the duty of the operator to manipulate key it and so send current through magnet if in a direction to tilt the coin-stop or partition in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow. This will cause the coin to pass outside the cash-box to be returned to the subscriber at station A. If key it is manipulated, there will be no lighting of the lamp Z7, because wire 9 will be found open at the contact of relay If, however, by mistake key 71 should be manipulated, the signal Z would be disclosed that is, the circuit would be formed through wire 8 to the lower contact of key it to wire 12 and thence through relay Zn. The relay k beingclosed current will be directed by wire 11 through the contact of said relay and the coil thereof through the lamp Z to ground.

The keys it It might be arranged to be manipulated for other purposes than the specific purpose of tilting the coin-stop without departing from my invention-that is to say, the polarized electromagnetp may be utilized forany useful work in association with keys similar to keys /t h. It is evident that if the key it, with the wires 9 10, the relay is, and the lamp Z, were omitted the relay Z and the remaining connections would be effective to'display lamp Z in case key It should be manipulated at a time when plug f was not in serted in the jack or-on any occasion when the subscriber B had failed to respond by taking down his telephone.

eral form of a spring-jack, is adapted to re- The key a, in the gen-.

ceive the plug to be inserted by the supervising operator to open the circuit of thelamps. and thus eff-ace the signal.

The relays Z: Z: I have found desirable as a feature of my invention. The signaling system, however, would be operative without said relays provided the supervising operator should at all times watch the signals Z Z, &c., so as to observe them at the moment any key was falsely pressed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 7 1. The combination with an electromagnetically-actuated toll device, and a switch for applying current to actuate said device, of a monitor-signal, a circuit for said signal completed in contacts of said switch when the same is operated to actuate the toll device,-

and a blocking device adapted to prevent the display of said signal.

' 2. The combination with a calling and a called telephone-line, of an electrically-actuated toll device associated with the callingline,connection-switches and connecting-cords for establishing connection between said lines, a source of current, and a key associated with the connecting cords for connecting said source of current to the toll device to actuate the same, a monitor-signal, a circuit for said signal controlled in contacts of said key, a telephone-switch at the substation of the called line, a relay in the circuit of the connectingcords controlled by said telephone-switch, and means controlled by said relay for preventing the display of the aforesaid monitor-signal.

3. The polarized magnet 78 adapted to control a toll device, in combination with the source of current 71 and the keys it and k, the supervisory relay g and the relay v1 controlled thereby, with the circuit connections 8 and 9, and the signals Z l, whereby false manipulation of either of the keys it and la is indi cated, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with the polarized magnet of a toll device, of a telephone-line connecting the same with a central station, of the cord-circuit, the keys l2 and it, the signals Z Z connected therewith, and the supervisory relay g and relay '5 for controlling the circuit of said keys and signals, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an electrically-actuated toll device adapted to be alternatively operated by currents difi'ering in character, of two keys for directing currents of different character through said toll device, a monitor signal for each key, a circuit for each signal including switch-contacts of its associated key, and switch mechanism adapted to alternatively change said signal-circuits to place one or the other of said signals under the control of its associated key, whereby the display of a signal is made dependent upon the condition of the switch mechanism.

6. The combination with a calling and a called telephone-line, of an electrically-actuated toll device associated with the callingline,

connection-switches and connecting-eords for establishing connection between said lines, a source of current, a key for connecting sa1d source of current to the toll device to actuate the same, a monitor-signal, a circuit for the signal controlled in contacts of said key, andan electrically-actuated switch associated with the called line cooperating with said key in the control of the signal.

7. The combination with a calling and a called telephone-line, and means for making connection therebetween, of an electromagnetically-actuated toll device associated with the calling-line. a switch for applying current to actuate said device, a monitor-signal, mechanism for actuating said signal made effective in operating said switch, and blocking mechpositive or negative polarized current through said toll device to operate the same, a signal device for each key, an energizing-circuit for each signal device adapted to be completed in switch-contacts of its associated key, electrically-actuated switch mechanism associated with the second telephone-line for alternatively changing said signal-circuits to place one or the other of said signals under the con.- trol of its associated key, and a switch at the substation of said last-mentioned telephoneline controlling said switch mechanism, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a calling and a called telephone-line, of connection-switches and connecting-cords for making connection therebetween,a polarized toll device associated with the calling-line, said toll device being adapted to be alternatively actuated by currents of opposite polarity, asource of current,

two keys associated with the connecting-cords for alternatively connecting the poles of said source of current with the calling-line to actuate said toll device,t wo momtorsignals,one for each key, an actuating-circuit for each signal controlled in contacts of its associated key, a relay in each circuit and a locking-circuit for the same completed in contacts of the relay, a switch at the substation of the calling-line controlling the flow of current therein, a relay in the cord-circuit responsive to said switch, and switch-contacts of said last-mentioned relay controlling the actuating-circuits of the aforesaid monitor-signals and adapted to alternatively place one or the other of said signals under the control of its associated key, dependent upon the position of the switch at the called substation, whereby the actuation of the Wrong key causes the display of a monitorsignal.

10. The combination With a calling and a called telephone-line, and a cord-circuit for making connection therebetween, of an electromagnetically-actuated toll device associated With the calling-line, a key for applying current to actuate said device, a monitor-signal, a circuit for the signal partially controlled by said key, a supervisory signal f and resistance f? associated With the cord-circuit and having theircircuit completed When connection is made With the called line, a normally discontinuous shunt of said signal and resistance, a relay e' included in said shunt, a supervisory relay g having switch-contacts also included in said shunt, switch-contacts of relay 7; cooperating in the control of the circuit of said monitor-signal, a conductor 13 extending from a point intermediate said resistance f" and said signal f to a point intermediate of the Winding of relay 2' and the switch-contacts of relay 9, and switch-contacts m of relay@' adapted to complete said conductor 13 when said relay is energized; whereby said relay is locked in shunt of resistance f*, the circuit of the monitor-signal is placed under the sole control of said key, and the supervisory sigiial placed under the immediate control of re In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2d day of December, A. D. 1902. EDWIN H. SMYTHE.

Witnesses:

GERTRUDE EYsTER, JULIA K. MUNROE.

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