Improvements in Telephone Registering Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telephone Registering Apparatus.
We, OSKAR LINCKE-GRAF, of 12, Tiefenhöfe, Watchmaker, and JULIUS GMUER-
BENZ, of 10, Baeckerstrasse, Electrician, both in Zuerich, Switzerland, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
This invention relates to improvement in telephone registering apparatus and
has for its object to provide an apparatus in which the employed clockwork is
wound up by operating the ringing handle. The clockwork at the callers end
of the line is however set in motion only, when the party called up takes the
telephone receiver from the hook, that is to say, when conversation has actually
started. On the other hand, the clockwork continues in motion even when one
of the two users should replace the receiver upon the hook, for example, when
he is compelled to leave the apparatus alone, during the conversation, for a
short time in order to look after something, or for other reasons, the clockwork
being stopped only when the conversation terininates, that is to say, when the
signal for cutting off is given. The clockwork at the called up station is not
set in motion at all.
The duration of the conversation indicated by the clock as well as the number
of such conversations may be recorded and totalled by suitable counting and
switch arrangements, in order to serve after a certain lapse of time as particulars
for the charges to be made and at the same time they serve for registering the
duration of the conversation as well as to indicate the same to the user.
The accompanying drawings represent a typical example of an apparatus in
which the invention is carried out for practical use:
Figs. 1 and 2 show the arrangement for the connection between the winding
spindle and the wheel for actuating the signalling inductor-this arrangement
being attached to an apparatus mounted inside the indicator-casing.
Fig. 3 shows the clockwork, the door of the casing being left open.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew the mechanism in various positions at different periods.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate various details in side views.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a is a cog-wheel engaging with another cog-wheel a¹; the
latter being mounted upon the spindle of the ringing up handle or crank, actuates
the induction-coil.
Upon the spindle 6 which turns in bearings attached to a plate of the clock-
work (see Fig. 3) and carries the cog-wheel a, is attached a worm e the thread
of which makes several turns. The worm wheel which engages with the said
worm is connected by means of intermediate wheels ef with the spring case
wheel g of a train of clockwork.
The spring case of the clockwork is of ordinary construction and suitably
arranged in such a manner, that the clock spring is wound up when the wheel g
is turned. When therefore the handle of the signal bell is turned in order to
call up the other end of the line, the clockwork is wound up at the same time,
and the gearing of the worm is chosen so that even if the handle is turned
D
077

page_text: only through an angle of 90° sufficient tension is imparted to the spring to
actuate the clockwork for the longest duration of a conversation.
The wheelf finds its bearing in an arm pivotting round the spindle of
wheel e and slightly pressed by a fine spring i against the spring-case wheel y
of the clockwork. This wheel g is provided with a notch y¹ (Fig. 3) by means
of which the said wheel, when coming to the point where wheel f engages it,
is prevented from turning further, even though the handle be turned several
times, thus preventing the spring of the clockwork from being over wound.
Underneath the clock casing are placed two electro-magnets kk, through
the coils of which the electric current will pass, when the circuit is completed
by the displacement of the telephone receiver from the hook at the far station.
This current is taken from the main conductor and is supplied by the same
battery, which feeds the microphone. The electric circuit is therefore com-
pleted as soon as the speaking-circuit is completed by the receivers at both the
stations being taken down by the users.
Above the poles of the electro-magnets kk (Fig. 3) the armature t is placed
in such a manner that it may give way in an upward direction, this armature
serving for connecting up a relay attached upon the clock-plate.
This relay is composed of a lever m free to turn round mo and provided at
its longer arm with a cam n, which too is free to turn and is kept in the posi-
tion shewn in Fig. 3 by means of an additional arm o resting on lever m and by
a spring q. The relay is further composed of a forked lever r and of the arma-
ture of the electro-magnets kk, which is supported by the lower arm of the
said lever r.
When the user calls, the worm wheel d is turned and the cam n engaging
with one of the pins t¹¹ of this wheel d is compelled to turn the lever m down-
wards. At the same time the upper arm of the forked lever r, being drawn
upward by means of the counterpoise working on the other end of that lever,
engages by means of an attached striker, in the rear of a downwardly extending
nose of lever m, thus stopping the relay, as is shewn in Fig. 3.
A hook m' attached to lever m is thereby caused to make contact with a pen-
dulums of the clockwork (which was wound up by the worm wheel) thus stopping
the clock as well.
As soon as the user of the far station takes the receiver from the hook-
whereby the electric circuit is completed-the current passes through the coils
of the electromagnets kk, and caused the armature t to be attracted. This latter
simultaneously presses down the forked lever r and releases the relay by giving
free the projection or nose of lever m.
This lever m is now pulled upwards by the spring 7 so that it takes the posi-
tion shewn in Fig. 4, the pendulums of the clock being freed from hook m¹.
At the same time the spindle of wheel f is displaced by the influence of lever
arm h to the right, following the inclined plane m² of lever m upon which runs
a bowl of the said spindle; by this displacement the spring-case wheel y is
disengaged from wheel f so that the clockwork can now move freely.
By disengaging the relay, a contact spring of lever m is at the same time
released from the contact piece, this latter being connected with the coils k k
and brought towards the contact piece whereby the electro-magnets kk are
cut off from the electric circuit.
Up to this stage, the apparatus at the ringing up station has performed the
same functions as that of the other end of the line.
Now however, since the caller alone has to pay the expenses, it becomes neces-
sary that the conversation should not be registered in the apparatus of the far
station. The clockwork at this latter termination of the line must therefore
be stopped.
The following arrangement serves for this purpose: a double lever u having
bearings in the plate of the clock, is caused to turn by one of the pins t¹ti
attached to the worm wheel d and engages with its longer arm inside the plate

page_text: an angular lever v, turning the same downward and thus producing tension in
a spiral spring (not shewn in the drawings) between the plate and this lever.
By turning the said lever v, a train of wheels with fan wheel is wound up.
This train is of ordinary construction consisting of a spiral spring pulling the
lever to the right, of a check cone which is interposed between this lever and
wheel w, in addition to the gearing www³ and the fan wheel a. This latter
is kept in position by the double lever y which is slightly and elastically pressed
upon the lever of the telephone receiver.
is pressed
A double lever z which is controlled by the lower arm of lever
against the pendulum of the clock (Fig. 6), when this lever vis turned to the
left, thus stopping the movement of the pendulum. Another crooked double
lever is arranged in such a manner that one of its arms stands close over the
fan-wheel and its other arm can be controlled by lever m.
The working of this arrangement takes place as follows:-By turning the
ringing-up handle, the worm wheel d is caused to rotate and by this motion the
lever u is slightly turned to the right in a downward direction, whereby the
forked lever turns slightly to the left. By this means the lever (Eig. 6) is
turned in such a manner that the pendulums is arrested by the hook like ex-
tremity of lever z.
By the act of taking down the telephone receiver, the caller caused the lower
end of lever y¹ to be turned out of reach of the fan wheel, thus causing the
train of wheels to work.
By means of this train, the lever is moved to the right and in a few seconds
it will release the lever so that the pendulum of the clock is freed from the
hook like extremity of lever z.
Meanwhile the user of the far station by the act of taking down his telephone,
receiver completes the electric circuit and the current passes through the electro-
magnets thus as already described, disengaging the relay, whereby the pendulum
of the clockwork at the calling-up station is released.
The electric circuit being at once completed when the second user takes down
his receiver, and the relay being then disengaged, the left extremity of lever m
presses at once upon the lever y forcing it from the position shewn in Fig. 8
into that of Fig. 7-whereby the hook like upper end of the said lever y is caused
to come within reach of the fan-wheel stopping this latter at once.
The annular lever which is already brought into the position represented in
Fig. 5, when the last signal was given, cannot therefore be displaced and the
pendulum of the clock remains stopped by the hooked end of lever z.
The clockwork at the calling-up station is therefore set in motion by starting
the conversation or by completing the electric circuit, whilst on the other hand
the clockwork at the far station remains at rest and the conversation will not be
registered there.
It is worthy of mention, that both the cam n and the outer end of lever u are
removed out of reach of the pins of the worm wheel, when the relay and
the train of wheels are wound up, as is shewn in Fig. 3. The cam n returns into
reach of the said pins only when the relay is again disengaged, and the stud n¹
attached to cam, engaging underneath the end of the outer arm of lever u
during the rotation of the worm wheel, causes the said arm to return within
reach of the said pins t¹ t¹. Both the devices named (lever u and cam n) are
brought back again into the position shewn in Fig. 3 by means of a spring; in
this position, the stopping of the said devices by the pins this entirely pre-
vented.
The winding up of the relay as well as that of the entire apparatus is generally
effected at the time of ringing off for the next conversation, because the high
gearing between the inductor wheel and the worm wheel enables the latter to
be turned sufficiently for this purpose, when the former is only slightly turned
by its handle.
Even though the conversation is interrupted and one or both receivers are

page_text: ing up on their hooks, the clockwork continues to run until the act of ringing
which operation again checks the relay and stops the clockwork-train-
dicates that the conversation is at an end."
".
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
ention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is:-
1.!
.
1. A telephone registering apparatus, characterized by the following features
a).. A spindle which is caused to rotate by means of the turning of the ring-
ing-up handle connected by suitable intermediate gearing (worm, worm
wheel and intermediate wheels) with a spring case of a clock-work, sub-
stantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
b). A relay which can be wound up by means of the ringing up handle or
the said spindle which, when wound up, stops the clock-work, and is
disengaged by the closing of the conversation, substantially as set forth
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
c). A gearing device conjointly working with the relay in such a manner,
that by disengaging the latter, the former is stopped, this gearing device
being wound up by turning the ringing up handle set in motion through
taking down the receiver from the hook, and stopping the clock-work
which remains in the wound-up position-as set forth and all for the
purpose of stopping the clock-work at the far station and to make that
of the near station start again after the gearing device which acts between
the time of ringing up and completing the circuit has finished its run,
thus preventing this clock from being stopped.
4
2. In a telephone registering apparatus according to the First Claim, the
plication of a notch at the circumference of the spring-case wheel, substan-
ally as shewn and for the purpose of preventing the spring from being over-
ound.