The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-03-18
EACH SUBSCRIBER
HIS OWN ''CENJRAL"
New Device for Telephones Which
Will Abate the Nuisance of Wait
ina for Central

New Device for Telephones Which
Will Abate the Nuisance of Wait
ing for Central.
Unlike the summer girl the typewriter
girl and the Gibson girl. who will always
be with us, the knell of the hello" girl
has sounded. 1t seems that a new in
vention threatens to do away almost en-
tirely with the sweet girl at central,
whose CHEEKY what number, please
has caused thrill to scamper through
the frame of many hardened wretch
whom she has probably kept waiting an
hour for her.
There is now being constructed in a
shop at Forestville, Conn.,, an apparatus
with this object in view. 1t is the de-
sign of an electrician in the employ of
the Providence Electric company of
Providence, r. l. Wealthy New York
and Boston men, it is said, are promoters
of the scheme.
Under the new system there will be
no more "hellos" with central Office
operators, but subscribers will be equip
ped with miniature switch boards and
plugs. The lines will be numbered and
each subscriber may call any one he
pleases without connection with cen
trail" When, however long distance
connection is desired, it will still be
necessary to call central office as at
present.
During the 20 years that telephone
lines have been in operation various ef-
forts have been made to invent some
apparatus that would relieve the public
of the annoyance of long waits to make
connection in the central Office.
About four months ago an American
inventor reached what appears to be a
solution of the problem and the French
government, after trial of it, decided
to give the problem practical application
in city with about 100 subscribers. If
this test proves successful it will be in
troduced in the larger French cities.
The new invention is called the auto
commutator. 1t seems to be practically
the same idea as that of the Providence
electrician. The auto commutator gives
undisturbed direct communication at
once and assures entire secrecy of the
conversation. If the station called up
Is busy the instrument emits a humming
sound. All the subscribers are con-
nected with a central station. There is
a commutator apparatus at this central
station for each subscriber, which is
connected with the live wires of all the
other subscribers.
Every subscriber is supplied with an
instrument consisting of a battery, trans
mitter, receiver call bell and movable
dial with decimal figures. This dial re-
wolves around central pivot and may
be brought opposite any figure desired
A toothed wheel is worked by this dial
and connects with the battery, breaking
the circuit of number equal to the
figure indicated by each movement.
The central office commutator is ac-
tuated by each emission of current thus
produced in the line. An electro magnet
at each emission causes vertical rod to
ascend one notch.
This rod has three horizontal pins
which can be brought in contact with
the extremities Of all the wires, which
are arranged circularly alongside the
others in superimposed rows at the bot
tom of the apparatus. To obtain great
resources in the combinations the two
line wires are used separately.
After the subscriber has marked the
number of the person he wants he
pushes the call bell button and unhooks
the telephone receiver. If there is
humming sound he knows that the line
is already in use. AS it is possible to
bring the pins of the commutator rod
into contact with all the lines, of which
the extremities end at the the bottom of
the apparatus, this will suffice for about
100 subscribers.
Where the number is larger, say sew
eral thousands, groups are formed. The
one actuated first seeks in one group the
Thousand" in another group the hun
dred and units corresponding to the
number called up. This combination is
obtained by means of contact pin
similar to that now made between differ
ent distant offices.
AS much care is necessary in the con-
struction of this apparatus. its cost is
great. but tits asserted that the expense
is warranted by the saving in the wages
of employees. The system. it is said,
works rapidly and satisfactorily.