Improvements in Telephone Message Counters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
Improvements in Telephone Message Counters.
We, FRIEDRICH WILHELM HEINRICH HEMPEL, MAX GUMPEL, ALFRED
MAERKER, Directors of the Company Gesprächszahler für Telephone of
4 Waterloo Ufer, Berlin, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to mechanisin for counting the messages received
and transmitted by a telephone apparatus, and consists of the details of construction
as herein after particularly described.
And in order to render the present Specification more easily intelligible
reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
denote similar parts throughout the several views: -
Fig. 1 is a part front elevation of a telephone having an induction crank and
provided with the counter device,
Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the induction crank and cam wheel for actuating
the counting mechanism and
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a telephone having a pressure button instead of
a crank by means of which to produce the call.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2:-To the shaft g of the induction crank k is
attached a sleeve having fast thereon the cam wheel w provided with a series of
cam teeth d which may be curved at one or both sides. (In Figure 1 the teeth are
shown curved at one side only, which is sufficient for ordinary purposes.) The cam
wheel w is not fast on the shaft q, but is coupled to the same by means of a slot /
and a pin y projecting through said slot and fast on the shaft q. A counting
mechanism of the ordinary construction is arranged in proximity to the crank k
(in the drawing the said mechanism is shown below the crank, but it is obvious
From
that the same may be arranged in any other position if found convenient).
the casing of the counter mechanism projects a lever a having a bifurcated end
engaged by a horizontally projecting pin of a vertically sliding lever or slide r.
The slide is guided vertically by the strap i and provided with an upwardly
extending cam surface p formed to correspond with the spaces e between the teeth
of the cam wheel two.
The operation of the device is as follows:-
On turning the crank k to produce the call the cam wheel to will depress the
slide which, by means of its pin, sets the counter in motion and remains in its
depressed position. On hanging the receiver on to the hook fof the apparatus
after having used the same, the counter lever a and with it the slider are raised by
means of a suitable lever mechanism as described in the Specification of former
Patent 3134. Thus every message transmitted through the telephone will be
registered by the counter. Owing to the play allowed the cam wheel b by the slot
and pin coupling ly the slide, on rising, will always pass between two teeth of the
cam wheel.
Figure 3 shows a modification of the device by means of which the same may be
employed in connection with a telephone having a pressure button instead of an
induction crank. In this case the button is mounted on a sleeve / adapted to
slide on a pin s and having a cam surface n. Between the sleeve and the pin s
is mounted a spring f' which normally holds the buttou k in its extended position
with regard to the pin s, and the cam surface n out of contact with the sliding

page_text: The pins
lever which, on its depression, actuates the counting mechanism z.
slides in an orifice o of the telephone casing and is kept out of contact with the
conductor c by means of a suitable spring not shown in the drawing.
If the button is depressed to produce the call the spring f¹ will first be
compressed and the cam surface n will depress the slide r¹ and set the counter
mechanism going before the circuit has been closed by means of the conductor c.
After the button has once been compressed no further depression of the slide will
take place as the same remains depressed until the receiver has been hung in its
place when it will be again raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A telephone message counter, consisting of a counter mechanism arranged in
proximity to the calling device a slide coupled to the counting mechanism, means
for depressing said slide to operate the counter mechanism by means of the calling
device and means for raising said slide by hanging the receiver in its place
substantially as described.
2. In a telephone message counter the combination of a counter arranged in
proximity to the calling device a lever to said counter having bifurcated end
a slide to engage said lever, a cam device in connection with the transmitter to
raise said slide when the latter is hung up substantially as described.
3. The combination of a counter mechanism arranged in proximity to the calling
lever, a cam wheel on the calling lever shaft, a slot and pin connection between
said cam wheel and calling lever, a vertically guided slider having upward cam
surface to engage said cam wheel a lever a to said counter mechanism having
bifurcated end, a pin on said slide to engage the bifurcated lever end and means in
connection with the receiver hook to raise said slide when the transmitter is hung
up substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of November 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.