Improvements in Electrical Call and Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Call and Indicating Apparatus.
I, GEORGE RICHARD NUNN, of The Mount, Higher Broughton, Salford, in
the County of Lancaster, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention is designed with the object of providing an electric appliance
whereby orders, messages or instructions of a recurring nature but which vary from
time to time may be transmitted in addition to the ringing of a bell or other signal
for calling attention without the use of such expensive apparatus as telephones,
telegraphs and the like, to be applied in hotels, bars public or other offices and
other places.
It consists essentially of an instrument or apparatus constructed with two or
more sets of electric transmitters or contact makers such as switchers or pushes
and a corresponding receiving and indicating board to indicate or record the
movement of each of any two or more transmitters or contact makers whereby any
predetermined order or message can be conveyed from the transmitter to the
indicator board.
The invention can be carried out in one of several ways.
At present I prefer to construct it with a transmitting board provided with a
series of electric pushes or other contact makers by either one of which one of
several electric circuits can be completed and a multiple or other switch or contact
maker by which the required circuit is brought into connection with the pushes or
other sets of contact makers. The switch preferably works about a centre and is
provided with an index finger or pointer by which it is moved or which indicates
the position of the switch, a suitable knob or handle being provided for moving it.
A dial is provided over which the index finger moves which is inscribed with
different messages or orders and below the dial the switch moves making contact
or connection with a different set of wires for each indication on the dial on top.
When intended for hotel use the dial will be inscribed with the names of the most
frequently required drinks such as tea, coffee, beer, whisky, cigars or the like and
the pushes or other contact makers will indicate the numbers required so that by
setting the pointer over the dial in position say over coffee and completing the
contact through the push or contact inaker marked 3 a signal will be given at the
receiving end that 3 coffees are required.
To receive the message or order an indicator board is constructed with two,
three or more sets of indicators corresponding with the number of orders required
to be transmitted and over each set of these is inscribed the order corresponding
with that on the dial of the transmitter. Each set contains an indicator for each
push or contact maker so that if 3 coffees have been ordered the indicator marked 3
under the head coffee will indicate what is wanted.
Instead of the multiple switch another set of contact makers such as pushes may
be provided at the transmitting place in addition to the above mentioned pushes
each of the additional pushes or contact makers indicating a particular order.
These may be made distinguishable from one another by printing coloring or other
means. The indicator board will then be constructed with two sets of indicators
and a call bell.
The instrument may also be arranged for indicating the message and in addition
the place from where it has been transmitted in which case in addition to the
ordinary indicator I provide a second board or table or set containing indicators
corresponding with the transmitting pushes or contact makers or with the pushes
provided at the several trausmitting places so that after the electrical call bell has

page_text: been rung and the situation of the transmitter indicated on the board, by then
completing the circuit by one of the additional pushes intimation can be given to
the attendant of the requirements of the operator.
The call board may consist of a number of pushes or contact makers in addition
to a bell push each of which may complete or break a circuit or actuate an
electrical appliance by which the movement can be transmitted or indicated at the
indicator board.
The indicator board in addition to the ordinary apparatus for indicating the
place from which the call has been made has a number of additional drop or other
indicators corresponding to the number on the call boards. These may be actuated
or controlled by electro-magnets or other suitable appliances brought into or
thrown out of the circuit as the case may be by depressing the pushes on the
call board.
Each of the additional pushes on the call board is preferably inscribed with some
particular message or intimation that requires to be repeatedly transmitted and
each of the additional indicators on the indication board is marked, or inscribed to
correspond therewith.
It will thus be seen that the apparatus may be applied either for conveying
messages from several places to one central place and indicating there the nature
of the message and its place of origin or of transmitting messages with variations
and indicating each variation, or may be made so as not only to indicate the
variations in the message or order but also the place from which it emanates.
The invention is principally designed for use in hotels and similar places and
may be applied either for ordinary drinks from the bar or smoke room, or for
transmitting orders from the bedrooms without first having to send for a waiter.
It will be obvious that the invention may be applied in many ways for con-
veying messages between two places where such messages require some variation
from time to time.
Dated this 21st day of April 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Call and Indicating Apparatus.
I, NINA NUNN, of Bexhill-on-Sea, in the County of Sussex, Widow and
Executrix of George Richard Nunn, deceased, late of The Mount, Higher
Broughton, Salford in the County of Lancaster, Surgeon, 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 :-
This invention is designed with the object of providing an electric appliance
whereby orders, messages or instructions of a recurring nature but which vary
from time to time may be transmitted in addition to the ringing of a bell or other
signal for calling attention without the use of such expensive apparatus as
telephones, telegraphs and the like, to be applied in hotels, bars, public or other
offices and other places.
It consists essentially of an instrument or apparatus constructed with two or
more sets of electric transmitters or contact makers such as switches or pushes and
a corresponding receiving and indicating board to indicate or record the movement
of each of any two or more transmitters or contact makers whereby any pre-
determined order or message can be conveyed from the transmitter to the indicator
board.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which as an example one method of constructing and arranging the
appliance is shown.
Fig. 1, is a front or plan view of the transmitter.

page_text: Fig. 3, transverse section of same.
Fig. 4, section of switch (enlarged scale).
Fig. 5, front view of indicating board or receiver.
Fig. 6, diagram showing connections between one set of contacts on the trans
mitter and one set of indicators on the receiver.
Fig. 7, diagram showing connections between one pair of contacts of three sets
on the transmitter and the corresponding indicators of three sets on the receiver.
Fig. 8, plan or front view of modified form of transmitter.
Fig. 9, front view of indicating board or receiver therefor.
The invention may be constructed in one or two of several ways but at present
it is preferred to construct it as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawings.
A transmitting board or transmitter A. is provided with a series of pushes B or
other contact makers by either one of which one of several electric circuits can
be completed, and a multiple or other switch C or contact maker by which the
required circuit is brought into connection with the pushes or other sets of contact
makers. The ends of the wires or circuits are brought to the surface of the board
in a series of strips a each pair of which when brought together or connected by
the switch C complete a different circuit, on each of the circuits being one of the
pushes B.
The switch C is preferably constructed with a number of contact points c corre-
sponding in number with the strips a. The contact points c are connected together
in pairs by the wires or springs so that as the switch C is placed over one set
of the strips the circuit through each pair is complete. The switch C moves about
a centre and is provided with an index finger or pointer D which indicates the
position of the switch, and by which it is moved, or a suitable knob or handle d is
provided for moving it. A dial E is provided over which the index finger D
moves which is inscribed with different messages or orders and below the dial the
switch C moves making contact or connection with a different set of wires for each
indication on the dial.
When intended for hotel use the dial may be inscribed as shown with the names
of the most frequently required orders such as coffee, beer, stout, whisky, cigars
or the like and the pushes B or other contact makers will be inscribed with
numbers to indicate the number of drinks required, so that by setting the
pointer D over the dial in position say over coffee and completing the circuit
through the push or contact maker B marked 3 a signal will be given at the
receiving end that cups of coffee are required.
To receive the message or order an indicator board F of ordinary construction
is provided at the receiving end. The receiver F is constructed with two three or
more sets of indicators corresponding with the orders required to be transmitted
and over each set of these is inscribed the order corresponding with that on the
dial of the transmitter. Each set contains an indicator for each push or contact
maker B so that if 3 cups of coffee have been ordered the indicator marked 3
under the head coffee will indicate what is wanted.
Referring to Figs. 8 and 9 instead of the multiple switch C another set of contact
makers or pushes B¹ may be provided at the transmitting place in addition to the
above mentioned pushes B, each of the additional pushes of contact makers
indicating a particular order. These may be made distinguishable from one another
by printing colouring or other means. The indicator board will then be constructed
with two sets of indicators "f" and a call bell, one set of indicators f¹ being
connected with the pushes B which represent the order and the other set f¹ with
the pushes B which represent the number, each being connected with the indicator
by a separate circuit.
Where two or more transmitters are used in one room or one establishment
instead of employing separate indicators or receivers for each an additional push
or contact maker may be provided on each with a corresponding indicator on the
receiving board to indicate the locality from which the order is transmitted.

page_text: It is to be understood that any order or message may be inscribed on the
transmitter and on the receiver instead of those indicated on the drawings.
It will thus be seen that the apparatus may be applied either for transmitting
messages with variations and indicating each variation or of conveying messages
from several places to one central place and indicating there the nature of the
message and its place of origin.
The invention is principally designed for use in hotels and similar places and
may be applied either for ordinary drinks from the bar or smoke room, or for
transmitting orders from the bedrooms without first having to send for a waiter.
It will be obvious that the invention may be modified so as to be applied in
many ways for conveying messages between two places where such messages
require some variation from time to time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electrical call or indicating apparatus the combination with one two
or more pushes or contact makers B of a multiple switch such as C by which any
one of several circuits can be completed and an indicating board F with corre-
sponding shutters substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.
2. In an electrical call or indicating apparatus the combination of a series of
pushes or contact makers B, a second set of pushes or contact makers B¹ and an
indicator board F' with two sets of indicators flf" one set connected with each
set of pushes substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated with
reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
Dated this 20th day of Tony 1002
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.