either Wholly or in Part for other Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: either Wholly or in Part for other Electrical Purposes.
We, ALFRED COLEMAN, of Woodlands, Stanmore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, telegraph engineer, and FREDERICK BROWN, of
127 Lichfield Street, Walsall in the County of Stafford, electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING AND
SWITCHING. APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONIC PURPOSES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE EITHER WHOLLY OR IN PART FOR OTHER ELECTRICAL PURPOSES, to be
as follows:
This invention relates, chiefly, to signalling and switching apparatus employed
in telephonic communication, and has for its chief object the combination of an
indicator, spring jack, and relay, in a cheap, convenient, and effective form. This
invention is applicable, also, to the purposes of telegraphic communication, and in
part to electrical signalling apparatus generally, such, for instance, as the indicating
apparatus for electric bells.
According to this invention, the indicating apparatus, when employed for
telephonic purposes, is carried by a block of wood or other suitable material, and
such block is constructed with tongues, or equivalent parts, to slide or take into
grooves or equivalent parts in the framing of the switch board-The ordinary
slipper for the jack plug used in switching is carried upon the bottom of this
block, and acts also as one of the tongues aforesaid. The slipper spring is carried
on the upper side of the bottom of the frame, so as to bear within the slipper when
the indicator block is in place, and be forced down into a groove, provided therefor
in the frame, when the jack plug is inserted beneath the slipper.
The block, with the indicator thereon, is readily drawn forwards out of the
frame, and in order to do this the only connection which has to be broken is the
earth connection, and, if an indicator. bell is employed, the connection therewith
also; and these connections may be readily unsoldered, and resoldered on replacing
the same or a different indicator, or can be otherwise disconnected and reconnected.
The slipper spring, bearing up against the slipper on the underside of the block,
assists in holding such block in its position within the frame and prevents it from
being shaken or too easily removed therefrom.

page_text: The facility with which the indicator can be removed from the frame, enables
the contact parts of the spring and slipper to be readily examined and cleaned if
necessary, and the spring to be set, if required, to give extra pressure.
The earth and bell connections with the indicator may be formed with sufficient
slackness or elasticity, by means of spirals or otherwise, so that the block, with
the indicator thereon, can be drawn out of its frame a sufficient distance for
examining the parts without breaking these connections.
The slipper spring, being fixed in the manner described, the bottom of the
groove forms a stop to the downward motion of the spring, and such spring cannot
therefore be forced down so as to be distorted or permanently set, as is possible
XM
with the ordinary method of fixing, '
The relay connection for the bell is formed by two springs facing one another in
an aperture through the block immediately below the indicator flap, and having
their forward ends flush with, or slightly back from, the outer face of the block,
aforesaid, so as to be protected against liability to injury resulting from dusting
the apparatus or from other cause-A rubbing contact is formed between these
springs by means of a knife-edged projection upon the indicator flap, such pro-
jection standing downwards from the flap when the latter is up, and being
consequently carried up into position between the springs, so as to form a
connection between them, as the flap falls-This relay connection is very efficient,
and ensures proper electrical contact for the ringing of the bell.
The relay as described may be employed either for ringing a bell locally, or to
act as a switch.
This invention has been described as employed for telephonic purposes, but it
may be, of course, employed in an analogous manner for telegraphic purposes, if
such should at any time be desired; and the part of it which relates to the
signalling may be employed for electrical signalling generally, such, for instance, as
in the case of electric bells.

page_text: either Wholly or in Part for other Electrical Purposes.
ALFRED COLEMAN of Woodlands Stanmore Road Edgbaston, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Telegraph Engineer, and FREDERICK BROWN of One hundred
and Twenty Seven Lichfield Street, Walsall, in the County of Stafford Electrician
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
SIGNALLING AND SWITCHING APPARATUS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our Invention consists in the addition to the Flap or Shutter of an Electrical
Indicator such as is used for Telephonic Switch-boards and other Electrical
purposes of a projecting piece of metal in such a position that upon the fall of
the flap or shutter this projecting piece of metal shall fall between two metallic
surfaces These metallic surfaces being preferably in the form of springs thereby
making a secure rubbing contact with or between the aforesaid metallic surfaces
This contact closes or switches one or more Electrical circuits either in connection
with the metallic surfaces themselves or in connection with the aforesaid metallic
surfaces and the flap or shutter and indicator through which a current may pass.
The Indicators and metallic surfaces are mounted in wood or other non-
conducting material.
We mount the metallic surfaces or springs within the wood or other material, as
shewn in our drawing and not projecting beyond its surface, in order to protect
them from dust and mechanical damage and find it convenient to mount both the
Indicator and metallic surfaces in one and the same block of wood or other insu-
lating material and provide this block with tenons or other device so that they
may be fitted into frames and be interchangeable one with another.