US1393946A - Telephone-exchange system - Google Patents

Description

H. P. CLAUSEN. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM. 'APPUCATION FILED MAR-2|, 1917- L n 9 0 5 8 n a M. Z MP P KL H y H $2 w R b I|| N NW c E QM J. L q M ll. N & J Jo W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE-EXCHAN GE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,293.

To all whom z't may concern:

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

This invention relates to telephone exchange systems, and more particularly to signaling in such systems.

It is the object of this invention to provide an arrangement for operatinga signal in a distinctive manner when the called subscriber answers.

In systems in which connection is established through the agency of an operator, and more especially in private branch exchange systems, it will frequentl occur that the operator will inform the cal ing subscriber that he may replace his receiver and that she will call him when the called party answers.

. If the operator is provided only with supervisory signals of the usual character, the result will be that after connection to the wanted line has been established and ring ing has been started, she may attend to another connection. The called subscribers supervisory lamp will be lighted at this time, and upon the called subscribers answer, his supervisory lamp will be extinguished. Should the operator fail to notice the extinguishing of this lamp, it is quite likely that she will not at once notice such answer, since the supervisory lamp is now in its normal condition, that is, extinguished.

It is then, more specifically, the object of this invention to cause a signal to be operated in a distinctive manner to attract the op erators attention when the called subscriber answers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby a calling subscriber may be signaled distinctively when the called party answers. By means of this arrangement, in case the calling subscriber does not wish to await .the reply of the called subscriber, he may put down his receiver and need pay no further attention to the call until advised by the operation of the signal that his call has been successfully established.

A feature of the invention is an arrangement in which a special signal is operated, in a system in which an operator establishes connection over a train of automatic switches, a current reversal being utilized to operate a polarized relay controlling such distinctive signal.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means to utilize such current reversal to operate a signal at a calling subscribers station if the receiver at said station is removed from the receiver hook.

Other features will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which there is diagrammatically shown only so much of a semi-automatic system as is deemed necessary to an understanding of the invention.-

It is believed that the invention will best be understood by tracing a connection from a calling substation A to a substation B at some other exchange.

When the subscriber at substation A removes his receiver, a circuit for line relay LR is completed. The operation of this relay closes a circuit for line lamp 1. The operator upon observing the lighted lamp inserts the answering plug P in the jack J of the calling line, and operates the talking keys TK, which connect the operators head set HS to the calling line. The insertion of the plug P into the jack J also completes a circuit for cut-off relay G0, which opens the circuit of line relay LR, causing lamp 1 to be extinguished in the well-known manner.

The operator, upon ascertaining the wanted number, operates the connecting keys CK to separate them from their inner contacts, opens talking keys TK, and closes the keys 10 and 11, which closes a circuit for a first selector (not shown) to move the brushes 3, 4 and 5 into engagement with an idle connector.

WVhen connection is made to an idle connector a circuit is completed for relays 15 and 16 from grounded battery, relay 15, conductor 17, contact 18, conductor 19, terminal 7, brush 3, conductor 20, key 10, conductor 43, sender S, conductor 46, key 11, conductor 47, brush 4, terminal 6, conductor 24, contact 25, conductor 26, relay 16, to ground. Relay 16, by attracting its armature closes a circuit for slow release magnet 48 from grounded battery, release magnet 48, conductor 49, armature and front contact of relay 16 to ground. This magnet 48 is made slow to release its armature so that it remains energized during the transmission of the impulses and until the calling line circuit is opened for a rela tively long period of time, as is well-known in the art.

The operator now operates the sender S in the usual manner to transmit impulses corresponding to the wanted number, causing the brushes '12, 13 and 14 of the connector to engage the terminals of the wanted subscriber The connector circuit may be. similar to that shown in patent to B. D. Willis, 1,156,450, issued October 12, 1915, and only such portions have been shown as are deemed necessary for an understanding of this invention. \Vhen the brushes 12, 13 and 14 engage the terminals of the subscribers line B, the line is tested and, if found idle, ringing current is applied.

The operator then opens keys 10 and 11,

which disconnects her head set from the wanted line, and presses the holding keys HK, which connect relay 14 in series with relays 15 and 16 over the following circuit: grounded battery, relay 15, conductor 17, contact 18, conductor 19, terminal 7, brush 3, conductor 20, upper holding key HK, conductor 21, polarized relay 14, conductor 22, lower holding key HK, conductor 23, brush 4, terminal 6, conductor24, contact 25, conductor 26, relay 16, to ground. Relay 14 does not become energized, as the current flow through its winding is in the opposite direction to that required for its energization.

When the subscriber at substation B answers by taking his receiver off the hook, relay 27 becomes energized from grounded battery, upper winding of relay 27, conductor 28, connector brush 13, terminal 29, subscriber Bs substation apparatus, terminal 30, connector brush 14, conductor 31, lower winding of relay 27, to ground. Relay 27 thereupon attracts its armatures, which breaks the circuit through contacts 18 and 25, respectively, and closes the following circuit: grounded battery, relay 15, conductor 32, lower armature and front contact of relay 27, conductor 24, terminal 6, brush 4, conductors 47 and 23, lower holding key HK, conductor 22, relay 14, conductor 21, upper holding key HK, conductor 20, brush 3, terminal 7, conductor 19, upper armature and front contact of relay 27, conductor 26, relay 16, to ground. This current flow is in a direction to cause the energization of relay 14, which closes a circuit for lamp 33, from grounded battery, lamp 33, conductor 34, contact 35, conductor 36, armature and front contact of relay 14, conductor 37, interrupter 38 to ground. The lamp 33 thereby produces a flashing signal in front of the operator.

The operator upon seeing the flashing signal then knows that the called party has answered and so completes the connection between the calling and the wanted subscriber by operating the connection keys CK so as to engage their outer contacts. If subscriber A has replaced his receiver upon the hook the operator will operate ringing keys Rli to ring the subscriber A to recall him to his telephone. If, however, the calling party has merelyput down his receiver while waiting for the called party to answer, he receives a signal notifying hint that -the called party has answered. This signal is controlled by a polarized relay 40 connected in series with the line circuit and which is energized as soon as the operator presses keys CK to complete the connection between the calling and called subscribers. 2 Relay 40 attracts its armature 41 which engages the bell 42, or operates any other well-known signal, to give the desired information;

After completing the connection the operator releases the holding keys HK to separate them from their contacts, which opens the circuit ofrrelay 14 which in turn opens the circuit of lamp 3 3.

What is claimed is: V

1. In a telephone exchange system, the combination with telephone lines, substations therefor, an operators connecting circuit for interconnecting said lines, a circuit at the calling substation including contacts closed in the alternate position of the receiver hook thereat, a signaling device in said circuit, means for preparing an actuating circuit for said device controlled by the called subscriber, and manual means in the operators connecting circuit for completing said actuating circuit.

2. In a V telephone exchange system, the combination with telephone lines, substations therefor, automatic switches, a sender for setting said switches to interconnect said lines, a circuit at the calling substation including contacts closed in the alternate position of the receiver hook thereat, a signaling device included in said circuit, means for preparing an actuating circuit for said device controlled by the called subscriber, and means actuated after the talking connection is established-for closing said actuating circuit.

3. In a telephone exchange system, the combination with telephone lines, substations therefor, an operators connecting circuit for interconnecting said lines, a circuit at the calling substation including contacts closed in the alternate position-of the receiver hook thereat, a signaling device in said circuit, a supervisory lamp in said connecting circuit, means for flashing said lamp when the called party responds, and a key insaid connecting circuit thereupon actuated by the operator for operating said substation signal.

4. In a telephone exchange system, a private branch exchange, a manual board thereat, telephone lines terminating therein, substations including calling sets included in said lines, connecting circuits including automatic switches associated with said board, a. sender at said board for controlling said switches to interconnect said lines, a signaling device at the calling substation connected to the talking set thereat, a supervisory lamp in said connecting circuit, means for flashing said lamp when the called party re- 10 spends, and a key in said connecting circuit In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 15 my name this 20th day of March, A. l). 1917.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

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