Improvements in Apparatus relating to Telephone Systems.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, "1889-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus relating to Telephone Systems.
I FRED. A. HOLCOMB of Grand Rapids State of Michigan, United States of America
Electrician 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
:-
My invention relates to telephone systems and has for its object to provide devices
whereby a subscriber can be notified that he has been called and by whom, the
device by means of which this information is recorded being controlled by another
subscriber or by an operator at the central office.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine operated by a subscriber,
Fig. 2 is a side view of same with part of frame removed. Fig. 3 is a view of the circuit
shafting mechanism. Fig. 4 is an end view of the device located at the central station,
part of the frame being removed. Fig. 5 is a side view with part of box removed.
Fig. 6 is a view of disc number ten.
Referring to Figs. 1. 2 and 3. A A' indicate two plates held together at their
corners by connecting rods A². A block B of non conducting material is secured to
plate A and serves to support a spring C, said spring having an angular projection a
to enter a recess in the block. A plate c is secured to the block B and makes con-
tact with spring C, this plate c being connected with the ground by a suitable wire.
An angle piece D is pivoted to the outer face of block B. A make and break spring E
is secured to block B, the free end of said spring E being adapted to make contact
with a notched wheel Fon arbor F¹. A bar G having a slot e is attached to the
framework and provided with a knob H. Bar G is provided with a bent arm I to
which a spring 11 is attached, the other end of the spring being fixed to the rod A².
The rod G is also provided with a rod G which extends above the bent end of
an arm f, secured to the arm d of angle piece D. A contact ping projects from angle
piece D and adapted to make contact with spring E. A pin h, projects from arm d of
angle piece D and extends into recess of block B and in rear of projection a of the
spring C.
A disc having notches ii is fixed on shaft F¹ and provided with pins j
in rear of each notch. A lever K is pivoted to a standard K' and provided with a
pinto drop into the notches of disc J. Lever K is also provided with a pin
which serves as a stop for an arm of arbor l. A spur wheel I is also fixed on arbor
and an escapement pallet L' is arranged above this wheel.
A shaft M carries a drum M' for the reception of a spring, part of the periphery of
said drum being provided with teeth to mesh with a pinion 2.
A spur wheel N on
arbor F meshes with pinion N' on arbor N2, and a spur wheel N³ on said arbor meshes
with pinion. Wheel N also meshes with pinion O fixed on arbor O'.
A drum O2 is provided with a groove m. An arbor P is journalled on the frame-
work and furnished with a drum P2 which bears upon a strip of paper passing between
the drums O P². The paper also passes through à guide 0³.
One end of the helix of an electro magnet Q is attached to plate C and the other
end to the line wire. A lever Q having armature Q is pivoted to the framework
by means of trunnions Q³. The inner end of lever Q₁ carries a pin p to register
with groove m of drum 03. An arm S secured to lever Q projects forwardly there-
from and beneath one end of a lever K.
The central office connects the wire of two subscribers and if the called subscriber
fails to answer, the subscriber calling pulls the knob H. The instrument of the sub-
scriber heing called will then be set in motion, and the number of the call of the
calling subscriber will be registered on the paper, passing between the drums 02 P².
The wheel F of each instrument is provided with notches and projections so arranged
that when the spring E engages said wheel, the circuit will be made and broken in

page_text: such a manner that the number of the calling subscriber will be produced upon the
paper strip in the instrument of the called subscriber.
In some cases it is desirable to have the instrument at the different subscribers'
stations under the control and operated by the central office operator. instead of the
subscribers, in which case the instrument shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 will be placed at
the central office and the instruments at the subscribers stations will be deprived of
the block B and parts attached thereto leaving only the recording mechanism.
Referring to Figs. 1, 5 and 6 A represents the box of the instrument placed at the central
office, which has journailed in it, loosely on shaft O, a series of ten metallic discs ("
which are insulated from each other by collars d. The first disc has one projection on
its periphery, the second two, and so on to disc having nine projections, while the
tenth disc has a long projection a to represent 10. A series of spring arms G
are secured to box A and bear on the peripheries of the discs, one for each disc.
Each disc is provided with a pinion E and a rack bar F for each pinion is supported
by a suitable support, a knob J' being on each rack bar. Each bar has an arm F
which terminates in an arm h. A series of perforations is made in a plate H, for
accommodation of rods I. An arm
projects from each rod I and makes contact with
pin i. A spring K is provided to maintain the pins in normal contact. One disc
at a time will turn, others being held by a series of spring arms L. Each disek is
provided with a pin e to engage pins el on shaft C wliereby one disc at a time may be
rotated.
The discs are rotated in one direction by racks F and in the other by springs M.
An escapement N is mounted on shaft Ü to regulate the action of spring M and may
be of any preferred construction.
A wire R connects spring K with the ground and includes a battery. A conducting
cord S is attached to spring G and provided with a plug S¹ to enter a switch board.
The plug S is connected with a subscribers wire whose number we will assume is 35.
The operator rotates the disc with 3 projections by means of its rack bar and then the
disc with 5 projections, by its rack bar. The subscribers instrument will then have
recorded on the strip of paper these figures (35) representing the number of the call
of the subscriber calling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination with a telephone system of a recorder for recording signals at
a distant station, and a device at the senders station, adapted to be operated by the
sender for automatically recording at the distant station the number of the call of the
sender substantially as set forth.
2. In a telephone system the combination with a recording mechanism, of a mako
and break mechanism, a device for throwing the same into electrical circuit and at the
same time setting free the recording mechanism substantially as set forth.
3. In a telephone system, the combination with a device for recording signals, of a
make and break mechanism, means for throwing the same into electrical circuit, and a
spring motor for automatically the make and break mechanism out of circuit after the
signal has been recorded substantially as set forth.
4. In a telephone system the combination with a device for recording signals, of a
make and break mechanism, means for throwing the same into electrical circuit, an
electro magnet in the main circuit, recording mechanism controlled by the electro
magnet, and spring actuating mechanism to operate said devices substantially as
set forth.
5. In a telephone system the combination with a recording instrument, at a sub-
scribers station of a device at the central office for causing any desired number to be
intelligibly recorded in or at the insirument at the subscribers station substantially as
set forth.
6. In a telephone system, the combination with a device for recording intelligibly
signals at a subscribers station af an instrument at the central office for operating said

page_text: recording device to produce any desired number therein and a battery in the circuit
of said instruments.
7. In a telephone system, the combination with a device for intelligibly recording
signals at a subscriber's station of an instrument at the central office provided with a
shaft, a series of discs having projections, mounted on said shaft, make and break
springs with which the projections of the disc engage to make and break the circuit,
and mechanism for operating said discs substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of May 1889
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.