Patent GB-463958-A (GB)
Title: An improved call meter for telephone systems
IPC: H04M15/30
Filed: 1935-10-07
Abstract: 463,958. Substation equipment. SODECO SOC. DES COMPTEURS DE GENEVE. Oct. 7, 1935, No. 27676. Convention date, Oct. 13, 1934. [Class 40 (iv)] [Also in Group XIX] In a registering meter for telephone call charges actuated by the same current impulses as the meter of the subscriber's checking apparatus 'at the exchange, a trip counter registers the individual call charges and simultaneously stresses a spring, and a releasing device actuated manually or automatically causes the spring to zeroize the trip counter, during which operation the corresponding value is added to a total counter through an interposed differential gear. The automatic operation of the releasing device may be effected at the initiation of a subsequent call or when the trip counter reaches its capacity. The periodic current impulses from the exchange operate an electromagnet 1 which through a pawl 3 advances a shaft 6, rigid with which is an arm carrying the planet 7 of a differential gear 7, 8, 9. The sun wheel 8 loose on shaft 6 is connected through gearing 11, 12 to the total counter comprising drums 15, 16 interconnected by transfer pinions 20, and is normally locked by a spring-biassed lever 17 engaging a detent wheel 14 rigid with the wheel 12. The rotation of shaft 6 corresponding to a call charge is therefore transmitted through planet 7, sun wheel 9 and gearing 10, 21 to actuate the trip counter 22, 25, and, through gearing 23, rotates a wheel 26 to stress a spring 29. When the counter 22, 25 reaches its capacity a pin 27 on the wheel 26 rocks the lever 32 until it snaps into the hook 33 on a spring-biassed lever 28. The lever 32 through shaft 31 rocks lever 17 to release the detent wheel 14 whereupon the spring 29 rotates the trip counter back to zero and the reading thereon is transmitted through the differential gear and added to the total counter 15, 16. As the trip counter 22, 25 reaches zero, the pin 27 rocks the lever 28 into engagement with a stop 30 and releases the lever 32 when the lever 17 again locks the detent wheel 14. A button 19 is provided for manual operations of the lever 17. Preferably, the button is separate from the lever 17 and adapted to be locked against fraudulent operation while permitting automatic operation of lever 17. In the case of a table telephone set, Fig. 3, lifting of the receiver rocks a lever 40 through a pin 41 ; a spring 39 on lever 40 engaged in a notch in a lever 38, 32<11>, rocks the latter about pivot 31<11> to release the detent wheel, the lever 32<11> locking in the hook 33<11> of lever 28". When lever 32<11> abuts against a stop 37, continued upward movement of pin 41 causes the spring 39 to disengage from the notch in lever 38 so that when the trip counter has returned to zero the lever 28<11> is rocked as in Fig. 1, to release lever 32<11>, whereupon the spring 18<11 >rocks lever 32<11> to lock the detent wheel 14<11>. In this way the trip counter registers the charge on individual calls and is zeroized to transmit its reading to the total counter when the next call is made. A corresponding mechanism for zeroizing the trip counter &c. as the receiver is lifted, is also described in the case of a wall set. In a further embodiment, e.g. for use in a cafÚ where it is desired normally to lock the telephone and release it only at each call by distant control, a lever 19<1>, Fig. 2, is provided (shown in the release position) which, at the end of a conversation, after the charge registered by the trip counter has been presented to the user, is raised, whereby a pin 36 closes contacts 35 to short-circuit the impulse contacts of the dial selector of the telephone to prevent further use thereof, while a pin 43 rocks a lever 17<1> to release the detent wheel 14<1> to zeroize the trip counter. If additional charges are due to the owner of the telephone, which are to be shown on the trip counter but not to be registered by the total counter, the window of the units drum 15, Fig. 1, of the trip counter may be moved so that the starting point amounts to the required charge.