also for the Purpose of a Tele- phone Switch Board and for other Analogous Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: KCJE!
Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Aug., 1888
of Sets or
of
Apparatus formed
such
Combination,
such
Invention being Applicable also for the Purpose of a Tele-
phone Switch Board and for other Analogous Electrical
Purposes.
We, ALFRED COLEMAN, of Dulas, Stanmore Road, Edgbaston, in the County
of Warwick, telegraph engineer, and HUBERT FEILDEN JACKSON, of Ashurst,
Sydenham, Surrey, gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention, as it relates to a test board for telephone wires, has for its object to
provide a compact and convenient apparatus which will answer the double purpose of
allowing a telephone line wire to be cut off from the switch board, for testing, and of
a lightning arrester, and to carry and arrange any number of such apparatus in such
a manner that they occupy a position, relatively to one another, corresponding to the
positions of the wires on the switch board so that the cable connecting the switch board
with the test board may be conveniently arranged, also that the line wire may be
changed from one number to another without inconvenience.
According to this invention, each apparatus aforesaid consists of a novel combination
of spring-jack and lightning arrester. The slipper of the spring-jack is carried upon
a shelf of wood or other insulating material which is itself fitted into a vertical frame
from which it may be readily withdrawn when desired. The slipper is turned down
at the front against the front edge of the shelf, but extends a short distance only
across such edge, and such turned down part is, preferably, of the width of the slipper.
A conductor formed, preferably, as a flat strip is fixed along the front of the shelf in
position to be out of contact with the turned down part of the slipper. A small plate
of suitable conducting material, and, preferably, of the width of the slipper, is fixed
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page_text: against the front of the conductor which is along the front of the shelf, and in position
vertically below the turned down part of the slipper, by means of a pin or screw
passing through a vertical slot in such plate so that the plate can be readily and
accurately adjusted as to its distance from the lower edge of the turned down part of
the slipper. The lower edge of the turned down part of the slipper and the upper
edge of the plate form between them a lightning arrester, and are serrated, or
otherwise formed with a number of points, as is common in apparatus for such
purpose.
Any number of the above described apparatus, formed each of a combined spring-
jack and lightning arrester, may be carried on one shelf, provided with a common
lightning conductor along the edge thereof for such apparatus. These apparatus may
be conveniently carried on the shelf so as to correspond in their order with the
corresponding spring-jacks of the same wires in the switch board; and any number of
shelves carrying such apparatus may be applied within one frame, such shelves corre-
sponding in their relative positions with the lines or series of spring-jacks in the
switch board, and so arranged that a line may be conveniently changed or crossed
from one number to another. Any number of frames, also, may be employed, corre-
sponding to main divisions of the switch board, and such frames may be formed as
sub-divisions of a large frame. The lightning conductors carried along the front edges
of the shelves are connected with vertical conductors, at the sides of the frame, which
are, of course, connected to earth.
The above described invention, in combination with suitable indicators, may be
employed as a combined switch board, test board, and lightning arrester, forming a
very compact, and convenient arrangement for the purpose. In this case, of course,
the ordinary spring-jacks for the switch-board are dispensed with.
The invention may be applied, also, to a test board for other electric conductors,
besides telephone wires.

page_text: A Novel Combination of Spring-jack and Lightning Arrester for
Use in or with a Test Board for Telephone Wires, and Means
of Carrying and a Method of Arranging any Required Number
of Sets or Apparatus formed of such Combination, such
Invention being Applicable also for the Purpose of a Tele-
phone Switch Board and for other Analogous Electrical
Purposes.
•
We, ALFRED COLEMAN, of Dûlas, Stanmore Road, Edgbaston in the County of
Warwick, telegraph engineer, and HUBERT FEILDEN JACKSON, of Ashurst, Sydenham,
Surrey, gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say)
:-
This invention, as it relates to a test board for telephone wires, has for its object to
provide a compact and convenient apparatus which will answer the double purpose of
allowing a telephone line wire to be cut off from the switch board, for testing, and of
a lightning arrester, and to carry and arrange any number of such apparatus in such
a manner that they occupy a position, relatively to one another, corresponding to the
positions of the wires on the switch board so that the cable connecting the switch
board with the test board may be conveniently arranged, the method of carrying and
arranging the apparatus readily permitting of a line wire being changed from one
number to another without inconvenience; and the invention comprises means
whereby the wires are conveniently arranged in their passage to and from the series
of apparatus.
In order that the invention may be readily understood we will proceed to describe
it with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a full size view
of two of the apparatus hereinafter described as for employment with a test board,
shewing such apparatus to be carried one on each of two tiers of shelves. Figure
is a front elevation, shewn full size, of a short length of two tiers of shelves each
carrying sets of apparatus corresponding to those illustrated by figure 1. Figure 3 is
a front elevation, to a reduced scale, of a test board, in two divisions vertically,
constructed according to this invention; and figure 4 is a vertical section taken
on line of figure 3. Figure 5 is a sectional plan taken on line y y of figure 3;
but shows a test board of two divisions in width. In this view is shewn, on the left
hand side, a convenient arrangement by which the wires are led in to the spring-jacks,
and on the right-hand side an arrangement by which the wires are led out therefrom
to the switch board. Figure 6 shews in plan an overhead arrangement of openings
through which the groups of leading-in wires are brought down from a boxing at the
top. This view shews provision to be made for the leading-in wires for a test board
formed in two divisions vertically as in figure 3 and in two divisions horizontally as

page_text: in figure 5. Figure 7 is a corresponding section to figure 5, but shews an alternative
arrangement for leading in the wires to the spring-jacks. The apparatus shewn in
detail in section and in front elevation by figures 1 and 2, respectively, consist of a
novel combination of spring-jacks and lightning arresters. The slippers a are carried
upon shelves A, of wood or other insulating material, which are fitted at each end into
a vertical frame from which they may be readily withdrawn when desired. Each
slipper is turned down at the front against the front edge of the shelf, as shewn at a¹,
but extends a short distance only across such edge, and such turned-down part is,
preferably, of the width of the slipper, as shewn. A conductor b formed, preferably,
as a flat strip is fixed along the front of each shelf in position to be out of contact
with the turned-down parts of the slippers. It is, preferably, let in flush with the
front edge of the shelf, as shewn in figure 1. Small plates c c etc. of suitable con-
ducting material, and, preferably, each of the width of a slipper, as shewn, are fixed
against the fronts of the conductors 6, and in position to be each vertically below a
turned-down part a' of a slipper, by means of a pin or screw d passing through a
vertical slot e in the plate so that each plate can be readily and accurately adjusted as
to its distance from the lower edge of the turned-down part a¹ of its corresponding
slipper. The lower edge of the turned-down part a' of each slipper and the upper
edge of each plate e form between them, in combination with the spring-jack and con-
ductor (connected to earth as hereinafter described) a lightning arrester, and are
serrated, as shewn, or are otherwise formed each with a number of points, as is
common in apparatus for such purpose.
Any number of the above-described apparatus, formed each of a combined spring-
jack and lightning arrester, may be carried on one shelf A, the conductor b along the
edge thereof being common to all of the apparatus carried thereby. These apparatus
may be conveniently carried on the shelf so as to correspond in their order with the
corresponding spring-jacks of the same wires in the switch board, and, as shewn by
figures 3 and 4, any number of shelves carrying such apparatus may be applied within
one frame, the shelves corresponding in their relative positions with corresponding
ranks or series of spring-jacks in the switch board. Any number of frames, also, may
be employed in the test board corresponding to main divisions of the switch board,
and such frames may be formed as sub-divisions of a large frame. In figure 3 the
whole series of apparatus is carried by two sub-divisions of one main frame, the sub-
divisions being divided horizontally at ff, as shewn. In figure 5 the apparatus are
shewn to be carried in frames divided vertically. The conductors 6 carried along the
front edges of the shelves are connected with vertical conductors b₁ at the sides of the
frame or frames, and the vertical conductors are, of course, connected to earth. The
vertical conductors are held against the ends of the conductors b by means of
screws c¹; and the shelves A are fitted at their ends into grooves in the sides of the
frame, as shewn by broken lines at d¹ d¹ figure 2. The vertical conductors are omitted
in the lower division of the test board shewn by figure 3, and the ends of the shelves
are clearly shewn fitting within the grooves in the frame. The vertical conductors 6'
may be utilized, as shewn by figure 2 and in the upper division of the board by
figure 3, in retaining the shelves, and in such case must be removed prior to the
removal of a shelf.
In the method of leading in the wires illustrated in elevation by figure 4, and in
plan in the left hand half of figure 5, it will be seen that each group of wires g is
carried down through a ring g, and the separate wires are branched out from thence
to groups of the spring-jacks carried upon the shelves A. In the special arrangement
shewn each group 9 connects with four spring-jacks on each of four tiers of
shelves, that is with a group of sixteen spring-jacks in all, those on each upper tier of
the group being vertically over those of the tier below. Each group g is brought
down through an opening g' (see figures 4 and 6) formed in the floor h of an overhead
boxing, or the groups of wires may be brought upwards, if desired, or in other manner.
The wires are led out in cables i, see figures 1 and 4 and the right hand of figure 5, and
each cable i passes along the back of a shelf A and has its separate wires connected
up in order with the slippers a.

page_text: In the modification of leading in the wires shewn on the left hand side of figure 7
groups of wires m or cables are carried down boxings B B on each side of a division
of the board. The groups or cables as they reach successively the level of a shelf are
carried horizontally at right angles, or approximately so, to the plane of the board as
shewn, and the individual or separate wires n n etc. are brought through holes in the
side of the boxing and are connected up in succession with the springs of the spring-
jacks. It is preferred to connect the wires of each group or cable with only half the
springs carried upon a shelf, in which case two groups or cables are required, one on
each side as shewn, for connecting with all the springs on one shelf; but of
course one group or cable only may be used for the whole of the springs on one shelf,
if desired.
The above described apparatus consisting of spring-jacks and lightning arresters, in
combination with suitable indicators, may be employed, as will be readily understood,
as a combined switch board, test board, and lightning arrester, forming a very compact
and convenient arrangement for the purpose.
In this case, of course, the spring-jacks
described as employed for the test board will answer the purpose of spring-jacks for
the switch board, but it is preferred in such case to use slippers with turned up side
edges to facilitate the insertion of the plugs, as is usual in spring-jacks employed with
switch boards.
The invention may be applied also to a test board for other electrical conductors
besides telephone wires, as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim
is :-
1. The combination of spring-jack and lightning arrester for use in or with a test
board or a switch board for telephone wires, or for other analogous electrical purpose,
substantially as described.
2. The combination of spring-jack with turned-down part a¹, conductor b connected
with earth, and plate d, constructed and arranged substantially as described for the
purpose or purposes set forth.
3. In a test board for telephone wires and analogous electrical purposes, the means
of carrying and method of arranging any required number of sets or apparatus formed
by the above described combination of spring-jack and lightning arrester, substantially
as described.
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