US1491351A - Automatic telephone switch - Google Patents

Description

April 2z 1924.' 1,491,351 J. L. MCQUARRIE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH Filed DeG- 15. 1920 ffy 2.

Patented Apr. 22, 1924.`

[,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OF. NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH.

Application filled December 15, 1920'. Serial No. 430,896.

To all ywhom t may concern: y

Be it known that I, JAMES L. MCQUARRTE,

' a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, inthe county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Telephone Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention, relates to automatic switches, and more particularly, to automatic switches of the type yused in telephone exchanges.

n The invention is an im rovement upon ap- "plicants U. S. Patent Nb. 1,290,616, issued January 7, 1919.r

. lIt is the ob `ect of this invention to provide a switch of the typedescribed in the above mentioned patent, which will serve a larger number .of trunks or subscribers lines with- .out materially increasing the size of the structure. l

A feature ofthe present invention is the use .of a contact bank of the panel t'pe in connection with a switch of the wellnowny up and around structure. having arcuate rows of contacts on both sides, but situated in different sectors, soA that a rotary sweep of the contact brushes first wipes over the conta-cts on one side of the bank and then over the contacts on the other side. This arrangement doubles the number of lines available at one sweep of the contact brushes i without increasing the width of the banks and only slightly increasing the thickness.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan View of one end of an automatic switch and Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a part of the switch. suflicient to illustrate the invenf tion. f

As in the switch described in U. S. Patent No. 1,290,616, lpreviously referred to, the present invention is shown embodied in a switch structure ycomprising two bank roups, each consisting of a plurality of unitayers 1, between which are situated a number of rotatable and longitudinally movable 'brush rods 2. On each brush rod there is mounted two sets of contact brushes 7 and 8 respectively. The two setsof brushes are connected in multiple and are therefore electrically equivalent to a single set. One brush rod and its brushes are shown in the drawing, but it will be understood that there would ,ordinarily be several brush rods, situated at intervals between the bank groups.

The unit layers 1 of thetwo bank groups may be vertically staggered with respect 'to each other, as illustrated, or, if desired, the unit layers in the two groups may be on the same levels, that is, not staggered. Each lunit layer comprises a plurality of longitudinally `extending multiple conductors 3, each separated from the others by insulating strips 4. The conductors 3 are situated on both sidesof the unit layers, that is, top and bottom, and. those on the top Vare separated from those on the bottom by the insulating strips 5.

At each brush position, each unit layer is provided with two arcuate rows of contacts 6, one row on the top and the other on the bottom, the latter being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. `There is a contact 6, at each brush position, for each conductor 3. The twol arcuate rows are situated in adjoining sectors and each extends through an arc of nearly 90.

To select a unit layer, the brush shaft together with brush sets 7 and 8 are moved 'vertically tothe desired level, the brushes being situated during that moven'ient as shown in Fig. 1.

The brush shaft 2 is then rotated one way or the other, depending upon the unit layer selected and the brush set 7 sweeps over and makes contact with the row of contacts on the upper side of the selected unit layer. It' the desired set of terminals does not happen to be in the upper row, the brush shaft con-- tinues its rotation and the brush set 8 wipes over the lower row of contacts until the desired set is found whereupon the brush shaft stops.

The brushes shown iu dotted lines in Fig. 2 are situated in line with a unit layer on thc far side of the view, which is one vertical step lower than the position occupied by the brushes shown in full lines.

The mechanism for operating the switch may be the same as that described in connection with the aforementioned U. S. Patent No. 1,290,616.

Practical consideration makes it desirable i scribers` lines to be accommodated. the width of the unit layers is reduced by substantially one-halt ot that which would be required it the contact terminals 6 were situated on only one sidel ot the unity layer.

It has been mentioned in a previous paragraph that each unit. layer l comprises a plurality oli longitudinally extending multiple conductors 3 each separated from the other by insulating' strips 4. The necessity `.tor these multiple conductors 3 prevents the contacts (5 from occupying the entire upper tace ot' a unit layer since the characteristics of this switch require that the contacts be set in arcuate rows, and in order to occupy the entire upper tace ot a unit layer the contacts would have to cover an arcuate path ot' 180. It is apparent that such an arrangement oit' contacts would not be practical as the contacts situated in one halt of the 180 span would interfere with the multiple conductors 3 interconnecting an adjacent bank ot contacts and the contacts in the other halt of the span.

F rom the toregoing, the desirability ot placing` the contacts on both sides oitl a unit layer, in 90 spans, is readily discernible.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. In an automatic switch, a terminal bank comprising a pluralityv ot arcuate rows of contacts, all of said rows situated about a common center and each row in a ditl'erent plane and ditferent sector from the others.

2. In an automatic switch, a terminal bank comprising two arcuate rows otl contacts, both of said rows situated about a common center, each row in a ditterent plane and diierent sector from the others.

3. In an auton'latic switch a terminal bank comprising a plurality ot arcuatt` rows of contacts. all ot' said rows situated about a common center, each row in a different plane and dilferent sector troni the others and al plurality ot sets ot contact brushes` one for the contacts in cach plane, said brushes adapted to be rotated simultaneously over said bank contacts, each set ot' brushes engaging the contacts in each respective plane during said rotation.

4. In' an automatic switch, a [lat terminal bank, contacts on both sides of said bank arranged in the same arc, the contacts on one side oi said bank situated in one sector and the contacts on the other side ot said bank situated in another sector and two sets oit rotatable` contact brushes, one of said sets o'l" brushes adapted to engage the contacts on one side ot' said bank and the other set of brushes adapted to engage the contacts on the other side of said bank.

5. In an automatic switch. a fiat terminal bank, contacts on both sides otl said bank arranged in the same arc., t-he contacts on one side of said bank situated in one sector and the contacts on the other side of said bank situated in another sector, and a 'single operating member having two sets of rotatable contact brushes thereon, one of said sets of brushes adapted to engage the contacts on one side of said bank and the other set of brushes adapted to engage the contacts on the other side of said bank.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of December A. D.,

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE.

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