Patent GB-722761-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to storage devices for transmitting series of electricalimpulses
IPC: H04Q1/34
Filed: 1952-09-08
Abstract: 722,761. Automatic exchange systems. SIEMENS & HALSKE AKT.-GES. Sept. 8, 1952 [Sept. 6, 1951; Sept. 6, 1951; Jan. 26, 1952; Jan. 26, 1952], No. 22563/52. Class 40 (4). [Also in Group XXIV] Apparatus for regenerating or transmitting impulse trains comprises a rotatable disc having radially-extending contact segments, each corresponding to a single impulse, which are normally positioned on one side of a fixed ring, registration of impulse trains preparatory to transmission being effected by rotating the disc and deflecting in turn through a slot to the other side of the ring only those segments which correspond to the start and finish and the interdigital pauses of the impulse trains. Two embodiments relate to impulse regenerators, while a third relates to a register-sender which is controlled by potential markings set up by a key-sender. Register-senders. As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, a disc 1 having radially-extending contact segments 3 is rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft 2 and is secured to toothed wheels 9 and 13. Positioning of the segments on one side or the other of a flat insulating ring 5 is effected at a slot 10 under the control of a magnet M and a pin 29. The same slot is also used to restore the segments in turn to a neutral position preparatory to repositioning on the normal or the storage sides of the ring as the disc rotates. When magnet M is de-energized, the pin 29 moves a contact segment to the storage side of the ring, Fig. 6, where it remains when the disc rotates. This pin is carried by a rotatable wiper arm 26 which moves over contacts I-X, each contact representing a digit. The apparatus is set by operating keys such as T1 in a key sender in turn to connect charged-condenser marking potentials to the contacts. The first key depression, in association with off-normal springs 30, causes a drive magnet D to receive impulses over a relay set (not shown) and step the disc at the toothed wheel 9. Since magnet M is not yet energized, the first contact segment 3<11> at the slot remains on the storage side and the wiper arm 26 is rotated with the disc by engagement of pin 29 with the edge of the segment immediately following. Displacement of the pin permits all the contact segments which pass slot 10 to move to the normal side of the ring, Fig. 8. When wiper arm 26 reaches the marked contact, the associated condenser discharges through the relay set so that drive magnet D is disabled and stops the disc. Magnet M becomes energized and its elongated armature 4 lifts pin 29 clear of the contact segments. Wiper arm 26 is immediately returned to its normal position by a spring 27 and pin 29 displaces a further contact segment through the slot 10 to complete the digit registration on the storage side. The two spaced segments on the storage side register the digit received, the number of contact segments between them in the normal position determining the impulses to be subsequently transmitted. Further keyed digits are registered in like manner, the arm 26 moving to a marked contact and then returning to normal for each operation of the keysender until registration is completed, while the disc progressively moves in one direction only. On the storage side of the disc, Figs. 6 and 7, a pivoted wiper 11 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 2 and during registration is locked to toothed wheel 13 by a special escapement pawl 25 so that it rotates in contact with the initially deflected contact segment 3<11>. The pawl 25 is normally urged away from the toothed wheel 13 by a spring 18 against the armature 16 of a de-energized relay A, and during rotation tensions a helical returnspring 19. To commence impulse transmission, an impulsing current which also constitutes the outgoing impulses is applied to relay A which sets up a corresponding axial oscillation of the escapement pawl. The pawl has two offset teeth 25a, 25b, Fig. 9, which limit its axial movements and permit the pawl and wiper 11 to rotate back to the normal position in half-tooth step-by-step movements concomitant with each operation and release of relay A. The step-bystep return movement of the pawl continues until the wiper engages the next contact segment in the storage position. At this juncture a circuit over the wiper and contact segment terminates impulse transmission for a predetermined period. When impulsing recommences the second impulse train is transmitted in the same way. When all the stored impulse trains have been dispatched, the pawl and the wiper 11 reach the normal position and impulsing is terminated by changeover of off-normal contacts 15 which are controlled by a slotted disc 22. A modified pawl assembly may alternatively be used, Fig. 11, in which the toothed wheel 13c has crosswise inclined teeth which effect the return motion of the pawl 25c. A return spring is therefore not required. A spiral spring 18b controls the axial movement of the pawl produced by armature 16. Impulse regenerators. A stepping magnet D, Figs. 2 and 3, responds to incoming impulses and a magnet M operates for the duration of each impulse train. The storage segments 3 are normally located on one side of a conductive ring 5 insulated from the frame 6 and are deflected through a slot 5<1> to the storage side only when magnet M is de-energized. Apart from the use of a separate slot 511 for restoring deflected segments to the normal position, and the direct stepping of the disc by incoming impulses, signal storage is effected in the same manner as that previously described. On the storage side of the disc, Fig. 1, a wiper 11 which is normally in contact with the initially deflected contact segment is mounted on a rotatable carriage 12 which also supports a double pawl 14. During registration of the impulses, the pawl is locked to a toothed wheel 13a so that the wiper rotates with the disc and tensions a return spring 19. Impulse transmission is commenced by the response of magnet A to impulses which also constitute the outgoing signal. This magnet effects axial movement of a funnel-shaped armature extension 16, Fig. 2, which moves a lever 17 against the tension of a control spring 18 to enable the double pawl to effect a rocking movement concomitant with the impulse energization of the relay. The pawl and the toothed wheel together permit the wiper 11 and carriage 12 to be returned by spring 19 to the normal position with a step-by-step movement. Each time wiper 11 engages a storage segment, the impulse transmission is briefly terminated over a circuit comprising an arm 21 and a slip-ring 22 in the manner previously described. The transmission of the stored impulses is terminated by off-normal springs 15 when the wiper 11 engages the contact segment depressed at slot 5<1>. In a modification, Fig. 5, the disc segments 3 normally move to the centre of the slot 5<1> and are then deflected by tapered slot sides into the normal position unless depressed by armature 4 of magnet M over to the storage side. An alternative embodiment comprises a magnet 55, Fig. 12, which has guides 65, 66, Fig. 15, attached to the armature 54 for determining the side. of the insulating ring on which the individual contact segments are to be disposed. The storage arrangement for incoming impulses is otherwise identical to that described in respect of Figs. 1 to 3. On the storage side, a wiper 51 is initially positioned with the disc and later controls the transmission of impulses according to the action of a special escapement in the pawl similar to that described in the register-sender.