Patent GB-191308615-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Prepayment Automatic Telephones.
IPC: H04M17/02
Filed: 1913-04-12
Granted: 1914-02-19
Abstract: 8615. Breguet, L., and Breguet et Cie., FrÞres. April 12. Hiring telephones.-A coin-freed telephone system serves (1) to enable communication to be established with the central station after the insertion of a calling fee; (2) to secure for the caller telephonic communication with a subscriber for a predetermined period after the payment of a charge depending on the communication wanted; (3) to permit a conversation to be extended by the successive payments of supplementary charges; (4) under certain circumstances to allow the caller to recover the fee paid for conversation, but only with the consent of the operator at the central station; (5) to enable a person in the neighbourhood of the coin-freed telephone to be called up from the central station and to carry on a conversation for a predetermined period without charge, and then to extend the period by the payment of supplementary charges. To communicate with the exchange, the caller inserts a coin m in the shoot 8 and then depresses an arm 1 against the action of a spring 99, the consequent movement of a lever 18 establishing, through contacts 97, 98 the main circuit (indicated in black lines) between the lines A, B; the parts are retained in this position by the engagement of a pawl 27 with the lowest tooth of a rack 26 carried by the arm 1, and by the engagement of the lever 18 with a catch 22 carried by the armature 23 of an electromagnet 24. The caller next inserts the charge d determined by the operator, thereby tilting a contact lever 37 into the position shown in dotted lines and closing contacts 41, 42 and 43, 44, the circuit being broken four times as the contacts 39 pass the contact 40, indicating that a correct coin has been inserted. The operator then sends a current through line A, electro-magnet 72, bell 95, condenser 96 and earth T, thereby energizing the magnet 72, which frees the timing-Clockwork by withdrawing a detent 68 from engagement with a projection 67 on a disk 65, the parts being retained in this position by a lever 73 connected by a link 74 to the lever 18. At the end of a predetermined period (say one minute), a counterweighted lever 10 descending under the weight of the coin n raises the rod 14 and separates contacts 15, 16. If the caller has been unable to obtain the desired connexion, the closing of the contacts 15, 17 completes the circuit through the electro-magnets 24, 63, and the electro-magnet 24 is energized and attracts its armature 23, whereupon the parts are returned to the normal position and the circuit interrupted at 97, :98. If, however, the connexion can be obtained and the caller has inserted the necessary fee, the closing of the contacts 43, 44 short-circuits the electro-magnets 24, 63. Disks 65, 75, 76 rotate under the action of the timing-clockwork, and, at the expiration of a minute, a projection 70 on the disk 65 separates contacts 77, 78, thereby switching in an electro-magnet 49 and effecting the discharge of the coin d as described below; thereupon the lever 37 returns to the normal position and the contacts 41, 42 and 43, 44 separate. At the end of the predetermined period (say three minutes) a projection 80 on the disk 75 separates contacts 85, 87 and closes contacts 85, 86 whereupon the magnet 24 is energized, the circuit broken, and the parts returned to the normal position. To extend the period of conversation, the caller inserts a second charge just prior to the expiration of the predetermined period, thereby closing the contacts 41, 42 and short-circuiting the magnets 24, 63; as, however, the contacts 81, 82 are closed no signals are transmitted to the central station. To call up a person from the central station, the operator sends an alternating current through the bell 95, thereby energizing the magnet 72 and freeing the timing-clockwork, the circuit between the lines A, B being established almost immediately by the closing of the contacts 83, 84. Coin action, weight and multiple-coin.-The calling fee m tilts a detent 6 from engagement with the arm 1. From the shoot 8 the coin m falls into the pan of a counterweighted lever 10, which descends slowly, being controlled by a fly 13, the coin finally passing to the money-box through an aperture 100 in a plate 101. As shown, the apparatus is adapted to receive charges of four different values, say a, b, c, d, which must be inserted respectively through slots 31, 32, 33, 34 in a plate 30, whence they pass into shoots 31<1>, 32<1>, 33<1>, 34<1>, leading to the coin-pans of corresponding levers 37 (only one of which is shown) bearing varying numbers of contacts 39 so as to produce corresponding signals at the exchange. The caller depresses the arm 1 until the slot 34 coincides with the slot 34<1> and inserts the charge d which tilts the contact lever 37 into the position shown in dotted lines, for the purposes described above. Subsequently, the lever 37 is moved laterally by the armature 48 of the electro-magnet 49 permitting the coin d to escape through an aperture 47, Fig. 3. Returning coin.-If for any reason the charge d is to be returned, the caller presses in a stud 51 as far as a stop 62, thereby separating contacts 57, 58 and 59, 60, and closing contacts 57, 56 and 60, 61, and the operator earths the line B, whereupon the electro-magnets 24, 63 are energized, the stop 62 is withdrawn, and the caller, by again pressing the stud, turns the spindle 53 and the arm 54 permitting the coin to pass through a slot 46 in the plate 45 to the exterior of the apparatus.