IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS FOR DOMESTIC AND OTHER USES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Henry McClure, of 36, Coleman Street, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS
FOR DOMESTIC AND OTHER USES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Henry McClure at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1878.
JOSEPH HENRY MCCLURE, of 36, Coleman Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS FOR DOMESTIC AND OTHER USES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in telephonic apparatus for
domestic and other uses.
In the arrangement of telephonic apparatus for domestic and other use I establish
a number of circuits radiating from a central station or place, and at this station or
place I provide an indicator, a bell, and a battery common to one and all of the
circuits. Thus when the operator at the distant end of a circuit establishes a contact
by means of a suitable key or switch the bell sounds and the indicator denotes the
circuit which has been made use of. Connections are provided by which an attendant
at the other end then couples his telephone into the circuit indicated. He thus puts
himself in communication with the first operator, and receives the communication
which he desires to make, and answers the same if necessary. The operator at the
central station can also, when he may be directed to do so, couple one circuit with
another so that operators at the outer ends of any two of the circuits may commu-
nicate directly the one with the other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Henry McClure in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd.
April 1879.
JOSEPH HENRY MCCLURE, of 36, Coleman Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS FOR DOMESTIC AND OTHER USES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in telephonic apparatus for
domestic and other uses.
In the arrangement of telephonic apparatus for domestic and other uses I establish
a number of circuits radiating from a central station or place, and at this station or
place I provide an indicator, a bell, or other signal instrument, a battery, and a
telephone common to one or all of the circuits. Thus when the operator at the
distant end of circuit establishes a contact by means of a suitable key or switch a
signal is given, and the indicator denotes the circuit which has been made use of.
Connections are provided by which the attendant at the central office end can answer
the signal, or couple his telephone into the circuit indicated. He thus puts himself
in communication with the first operator, and receives the communication which he,
the first operator, desires to make, and answers the same if necessary. The operator
at the central station can also, when he may be directed to do so, couple any one
circuit with any other, so that operators at the outer ends of any two circuits may.
communicate directly the one with the other.
I would point out that previous to. this Invention indicators for household or
other purposes have been made to receive and record signals in the central or
indicator office, but not to allow of signals being sent by means of such indicator
to the distant ends of the circuits.
When arrangements have been made for answering such signal it has been by
some peg or switch connected with a Morse sounder switch instrument or other
apparatus not forming a part of the indicator itself, and necessitating not only the
resetting of the indicator drop by one action, but the switching of the signal instru-
ment into the required circuit by another action.
This Invention provides by one action for the resetting the indicator drop and
the introduction into the required circuit of a telephone and or signal instrument;
or if necessary of a patent push button telephone, my Patent No. 291 of 1878, by
which signals as well as telephonic communications can be transmitted.
In the latter case, instead of the pegs band g in Figure 1, you use only peg b and
a push button telephone, to the battery wire of which is attached the wire leading
to peg g, and thus peg g is altogether dispensed with.
I would also point out that other instruments have been made for the despatch
of signals from a central office on any of the circuits radiating from such central
office, but that previous to this Invention no instrument has been made which
allows not only of the receipt of signals in the central office, but also of the despatch
of signals from the central office, and of the receipt and despatch of -telephonic
messages on any of the circuits, as well as of the interchange of signals and telephonic
messages between any of the different circuits.
This Invention provides for the use of one battery, one bell, Morse sounder,
or other signal instrument, and one telephone, or more than one of each if required,
all or any of which are made available for all the circuits, although it may some-
times be found advisable to use more than one telephone, one as a transmitter and
one as a receiver, or one carbon transmitter and a magneto or other receiver for each
car, or one receiver for both ears.
In the accompanying diagrams I show the working of the circuits as though the
earth were used in each of them, but the indicator can be arranged equally well for
metallic circuits.
The hn found dosisable to the hattown in the contral office

page_text: For communicating signals and or telephonic messages from the central office to
the distant ends of the various circuits.
For communicating signals and or telephonic messages from the distant ends of
the various circuits to the central office.
For communicating signals and or telephonic messages from the distant end of
any circuit to the distant end of any other circuit."
Or for one or more of these purposes.
.
'
But as there are many ways of making the necessary connections for these com-
munications, and as the arrangement in the indicator has to be special in each case
and is dependent upon the kind of signal instrument, the telephone transmitter and
receiver that may be used at each end of the circuit I have thought it necessary to.
describe only one way in detail.
The operator at the central office can couple any two circuits so that the operators,
at the distant ends can communicate with each other, and if desired they can re-
establish their connection with the central office without the assistance of the operator
at such central office.
Or the operator at the central office can couple any pair of circuits, any number.
of pairs of circuits; or he can connect two or more of the circuits together, so that
the operators at the distant ends of such circuits can communicate the one with the,
other as coupled at the central office.
Figure 1 shows one form of indicator fitted up ready for use.
}
Figure 2 shows the working of a peg and the principle on which a drop of the.
indicator, the signal instrument, and the battery, or one or other or all of these can.
be cut out of the circuit, and by means of which the telephone can be introduced
into the circuit.
Figure 3 shows a distant station wire connected with an electro-magnet, which
actuates the indicator drop, and it also shows the connection between the indicator
drop, the signal instrument, and the earth.
"
Figure 4 shows one arrangement by which any circuit can be coupled to any
other, so that the operators at the distant ends can communicate with each other,
and if they desire can re-establish their connection with the central office without
the intervention of the operator at the central office.
Figure 5 shows how by means of two pegs any pair of circuits can be connected,
and it follows that by using different pairs of pegs any number of pairs of circuits
can be connected. An intermediate signal instrument or one or more telephones
can be used between each pair of pegs, according as it is required to receive signals
or telephonic messages in the central station from the distant ends of the circuits
that are coupled.
In Figure 1 a is the aperture in which the drop falls to show the circuit on which
the signal has been sent.
C is the hole in which the peg B is thrust to reset the drop, to cut out the indi-
cator coil, bell, and battery, and to establish telephonic communication; d is the
telephone; is a peg attached to one pole of a battery, the other pole of which is
connected with the earth.
Or it may be found desirable to connect any signal instrument between such peg g,
the earth, and the battery, so as to send and receive other signals than the telephonic
ones arranged for by peg b.
Should peg g, shown in Figure 1, be inserted in the hole instead of peg b, a battery
current will be sent to the distant station, and any signal instrument may be worked
according to the arrangements made at the two ends of the circuit.
In Figure 2, b, the peg, is shown in position cutting the coil (4) out of the circuit,
resetting the drop 7 (shown in Figure 3) by means of the lever 3, and establishing
telephonic communication between the spring 1 attached to the line wire and d the
telephone at the central station.
In Figure 3, No. 1 is the spring connected with the line; No. 2 is the upright
pin, against which the spring No. 1 rests, and which is connected through 4 with

page_text: the coil of the electro-magnet 4, the other end of which coil goes through the bell
or signal instrument to the earth.
When a battery current is received along the line from a distant station the
electro-magnet 4 attracts the armature 5, and releases the slot 6, and so allows drop 7
to be drawn over by the weight 8.
In Figure 4 the line wire is attached to the arm A, which in its normal position
makes contact with B, which is connected with the spring No. 1, as in Figure
No. 3.
When the pin O is turned so that the arm N makes contact with and is held in
position by the catch M on the armature D the arm A. is disconnected from the
contact B; a telephonic current would now pass through A, N, M, D, E, F, G, and
H, and on to the circuit which had been similarly connected to H by turning the
corresponding pin O.
A battery current being sent from either station would cause the electro-magnet F
to attract the armature D, and so release the arm N and allow A to make contact
at B, when the operator at the distant end of the circuit would again be in com-
munication with the central office.
Figure 5 represents an arrangement by which the operator at the central station
can connect any pair of circuits, or if he has a number of sets of double pegs he can
connect any number of pairs of circuits.
•
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I
claim, the combined arrangement of signal and telephonic apparatus with the central
station, whereby distant operators at the ends of the circuits can mutually converse,
communicate, or receive signals with the central office, or mutually receive, converse,
and communicate signals with each other in the manner and by the apparatus sub-
stantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Henry McClure, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.