Patent GB-967252-A (GB)
Title: Automatic telephone systems
Inventor: DELANOY DONALD BRIAN
IPC: H04Q3/52
Filed: 1960-05-25
Abstract: 967,252. Automatic exchange systems. PYE Ltd. May 24, 1961 [May 25, 1960], No. 18470/60. Heading H4K. Telephone subscribers are connected to links via cold cathode tubes having two trigger electrodes. The first electrodes are primed in sequence by a link allotter so that when a calling subscriber goes off-hook he is connected to the next allotted link via the tube whose trigger electrode is next primed. The other trigger electrode is used to strike the tube when a link is to be connected thereby to a called subscriber. Link allotter, Fig. 7.-This is started by a pulse over lead 17 which fires tube V26 which fires tube V25 of a cyclic counter V23, V24, V25 whose valves all strike in sequence, the rise in cathode potential marking each terminal 19 in turn to render links 1 ... 3 available sequentially for allotment. Each link has a control circuit, Fig. 9, and if the link is free; tube V27 is conducting, so that conduction of a tube such as V23 enables a priming potential to be applied to tubes such as V1, Fig. 2, over terminal 3. Each link has a tube V1 for each subscriber speech connections being established via the link by firing the two tubes V1 associated with the two subscribers. Connection of calling subscriber to link.- Closure of a calling subscriber's loop lowers the potential of the cathodes of tubes V1, V2, V3 associated with the subscriber and that tube, say V1, which is primed fires, the consequent rise in cathode potential disabling the tubes V2 V3. A sensing circuit, Fig. 3, is provided for each link, all terminals 21 for a link being connected thereto. The anode current passing through resistance R6 causes point P and consequently terminal 15 to drop a prescribed amount, so bringing the base of transistor T5 below " gate 1 " potential, so that T5 conducts, thereby cutting off T6 which extinguishes the normally conducting tubes V27, V29. Registration of dialled digits.-When the subscriber dials each dial break reduces the anode current of V1, Fig. 2, to raise the potential of point P, Fig. 3, so that T5 cuts off T6 conducts and fires V28 which thus repeats the dial pulses to terminal 4. The tens digit is registered in the register shown in Fig. 4. Units registers are provided for each value of the tens digit. Thus in a 20-line exchange (numbered 21 ... 30) two units registers such as shown in Fig. 5 are provided. The first tens impulse fires V6, the second V7 and the third V8. If " 1 " is dialled or a spurious pulse is received, V6 only fires, but after a short delay a self-extinguishing tube V5 fires to extinguish V6 so that registration is not effective. Time constant circuits associated with V7 or V8 prime the first tube V11 of the appropriate units counter over terminals 12, 14 or 22, 24 after a prescribed delay. If a first digit of four or more is dialled, V9 is fired, followed by V10. When the second digit is sent it is registered on the appropriate digits register and the striking of the first tube of this register also strikes V10 of the tens register. V10 prevents any of the other tubes of the tens register being restruck and extinguishes any that may be struck. Completion of connection.-When the units register is set, then if the called subscriber is not busy, the output from terminal 31 fires the corresponding tube V1. The rise in cathode potential backs off rectifier MR1 to allow a striking potential modulated according to the ringing pattern to be applied from lead 11 to the trigger of V4 whose anode is supplied with ringing current which thus passes to the subscriber. The striking of V1 also further lowers the potential of point P, Fig. 3, as shown in Fig. 10 to a value below the " gate 2 " potential to cause T8 in the link control circuit, Fig. 9, to conduct, whereupon V32 fires to extinguish V10, Fig. 4, over lead 5. V32 also extinguishes the units register tube. When the called subscriber answers, MR2, Fig. 2, conducts to feed negative voltage to the trigger of V4 to cut off the ringing current. The potential of the point P, Fig. 3, falls further at this time but without effect. Release.-When one of the subscribers hangs up, point P rises in potential to pulse terminal 6, to cut-off the normally conducting transistor T7 in the link control circuit Fig. 9. Tube V33, primed by T8, and pulsed by T7 fires momentarily to cause V30, V31 to fire momentarily, the latter producing a clear down pulse for all the link tubes including those in the line units. However, the subscriber who is still off-hook will then seize another link. When that subscriber hangs up the potential of point P rises above the " gate 1 " potential, T5 cuts off, T6 conducts to restrike V27, V29 and V30, the latter initiating release of the link as previously described. Called subscriber busy.-In this case as the tube V1 connecting the called subscriber to the link is not struck, the point P never goes below the " gate 2 " potential and as a result V10, Fig. 4, is not extinguished. Point 16, Figs. 4 and 3, therefore assumes a low potential and MR13 conducts and engaged tone from source 29 is thus fed via terminal 21 to the calling subscriber. V10 also primes V33 so that when the subscriber hangs up a pulse from T7 strikes V33 followed by V30, V31, V32 to effect cleardown in the usual way. All links busy.-As long as any link is available so that at least one tube V27 is conducting, positive potential is fed via terminal 1 to the look-out circuit, Fig. 8, in which transistor T2 is thereby cut off. When all links are engaged, however, T2 conducts and holds the potential of the point 2 and hence via Fig. 6 the point 30 near earth so that the cathode lead for any calling subscriber cannot go negative except to a small extent so that any attempt to seize a link is frustrated. This is sufficient however, to cause rectifiers MR7, MR8 to conduct to pass busy tone to the caller from transformer TR3, Fig. 6. The latter is fed by a transistor oscillator T1 switched on and off by a flip-flop V21, V22. Power supplies.-The " gate 1 " and " gate 2 " potentials are obtained from a potentiometer incorporating Zener diodes. Specifications 967,253, 967,254, 967,255 and 967,256 are referred to.