Improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Telephones.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Telephones.
We, ALEXANDER EDWIN GILLESPIE, Clerk, and JOHN GILLESPIE, Electrician,
both of No. 53, Larkhall Rise, London, S.W., do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to telephones which can be operated by the insertion
of a coin, and its object is to provide a telephone principally for private users,
so arranged that, by the insertion of one coin, any required number of messages
can be prepaid. This construction of telephone would be specially suitable for
small users, as, instead of paying one fixed rental for the use of an ordinary
telephone, the improved instrument would be employed, and each message, or
set of messages paid for only as required.
The invention consists generally in placing a number of solenoid or electric
magnets, corresponding with the number of messages to be prepaid, in the
circuit of the magneto machine or battery which operates the telephone signal
bell, and, in so arranging a series of sliding armatures and spring or other con-
tacts to each solenoid or electro-magnet, that the insertion of a coin completes
the magneto or battery circuit and allows the exchange to be rung up, each
coil being put into operation in this circuit in a manner hereinafter more par-
ticularly described by the descent of the coin in a vertical slot in front of the
solenoid or electro magnets. The ordinary telephonic circuit in this arrange-
ment is not interfered with, the coin and solenoid or electro-magneto devices
controlling the ringing up of the exchange by the user.
In carrying the invention into effect where a magneto bell telephone is em-
ployed the construction of the improved instrument is as follows: A number of
electro-magnets are arranged one above the other in the instrument and nor-
mally in the circuit of the magneto machine employed to ring the signal bell.
At one end of each electro-magnet is placed a sliding armature having a pivoted
lever attached thereto carrying a contact piece. This contact piece, makes, or
breaks the magneto circuit and, normally, the pivoted lever is in such a position
that the magneto circuit is broken, so that if the handle controlling the magneto
machine were turned no effect would take place. At the opposite end of each
electro-magnet spring or like armature contacts are arranged which normally
keep the circuit of the magneto machine through the solenoid coils in series,
but, when a current is passing through any given electro magnet such circuit
is broken by the movement of the spring armature and the current is short
circuited through that particular solenoid coil and cuts off all the others. It
will thus be seen that in, say, an instrument arranged with three electro magnets
three sliding armatures carrying pivoted contact levers would be arranged at
one side with three spring or like armature contacts arranged at the other side.
Each of the sliding armatures carrying the pivoted contacts are arranged with a
spring or other device which normally keeps the armature away from the electro
magnet and causes the tail end of each pivoted lever to project into a slot down
which the coin operating the instrument slides projecting a sufficient distance
to hold the coin at that position in the slot until the sliding armature is drawn
forward by the electro magnet in a manner hereinafter described. To provide

page_text: for the short circuiting through any given electro magnet the terminal strips on
each side of the pivoted lever are connected respectively to each coil and a single
conducting strip, while a second conducting strip is connected to the spring
armatures at the other end. The terminals from the magneto machine are pre-
ferably connected to either end of these two conducting strips.
The operation of the improved mechanism is as follows:-Consider that an
instrument having three electro magnets is to be operated by a coin, say a
shilling, then, by the insertion of this coin, three messages would be prepaid.
Upon insertion of the coin in the slot it falls down and strikes the tail end of
the top pivoted lever contact and this lever is of, such a weight that it is swung
up, bringing the contacts into connection with the terminal strips and thus
completes the interrupted circuit from the magneto machine. The user now
operates the handle and a magneto current is passed ringing the signal bell at
the exchange and also passing through the top electro magnet the result of this
being that the sliding armature is moved forward against the coil at one side,
thus withdrawing the tail end of the pivoted lever from the slot, while, at the
other end, the spring or other armature keeping the electro magnets in series
is moved forward, short circuiting the magneto current through the top solenoid
as long as the handle is operated. The coin immediately drops down the slot
on to the second lever making contact and completing the interrupted magneto
circuit at that side of the second solenoid coil, but, even though the handle is
still being turned by the user, as the current is short circuited through the top
electro magnet, the second sliding armature does not carry the second pivoted
lever forward, so the coin remains in that position. As soon, however, as the
magneto handle is released by the operator the sliding armature at the top
springs back and the pivoted lever, not having the coin fixed thereon, swings up
again, breaking the top circuit while simultaneously with this, the armature
controlling the contact at the other side springs back, re-making the magneto
circuit at that end. It is evident now that, as the coin is resting on the second
lever carried by the second sliding armature, the circuit is in existence through
the second electro magnet, and if the user were to again operate the magneto
handle he could signal the exchange for another message. The operation with
regard to the third and last electro magnet is precisely similar, and the coin,
after leaving the last pivoted lever, drops into any suitable receptacle.
It will thus be seen that any number of messages may be prepaid for by
arranging any number of solenoid coils with their sliding and spring or other
armatures, and it is evident that when the user rings up the exchange and has
spoken with a subscriber he does not require to take the remaining messages as
any time may elapse between the use of the machine for one message and the
use for the remaining messages still prepaid. Further, this arrangement does
not interfere with the exchange ringing up the user of the instrument and
putting a subscriber through to him, though he cannot be put through himself
without prepayment by the insertion of a coin as described. It is to be clearly
understood that, for the purposes of ringing off, other electro magnets may be
inserted which do not carry levers projecting into the coin slots, or, again,
separate mechanism may be employed for ringing off and all without departing
from the subject of the present invention. As the essential feature of this instru-
ment consists in providing automatic means of signalling the exchange by electro
magnets and armatures arranged in the circuit of the magneto machine or battery
it is evident that a simple and compact construction could be attached with
little alteration to the ordinary telephone.
Dated this 11th day of November 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham
Agents.

page_text: improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Telephones,
We, ALEXANDER EDWIN GILLESPIE, Clerk, and JOHN GILLESPIE, Electrician,
both of No. 53, Larkhall Rise, London, S.W., 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 relates to telephones which can be operated by the insertion
of a coin, and its object is to provide a telephone principally for private users,
so arranged that, by the insertion of one coin, any required number of messages
can be prepaid. This construction of telephone would be specially suitable for
small users, as, instead of paying one fixed rental for the use of an ordinary
telephone, the improved instrument would be employed and each message or
set of messages paid for only as required.
This invention consists in placing a number of solenoids or electro-
magnets, corresponding with the number of messages to be prepaid, in the
circuit of the magneto machine or battery which operates the telephone signal
bell and in so arranging a series of sliding armatures and spring or other con-
tacts to each solenoid or electro-magnet that the insertion of a coin completes
the magneto or battery circuit and allows the exchange to be rung up, each
coil being put into operation in this circuit in a manner hereinafter more par-
ticularly described by the descent of the coin in a vertical slot in front of the
solenoids or electro-magnets. The ordinary telephonic circuit in this arrange-
ment is not interfered with, the coin and solenoid or electro-magnetic devices
controlling the ringing up of the exchange by the user.
The method of carrying our invention into effect according to one modification
as applied to a magneto-bell telephone is illustrated in the accompanying draw-
ings in which similar letters indicate similar parts:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of an improved instrument showing the mechanism
and its connections.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan showing the coin chute provided on the inside
of the door of the instrument.
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the solenoids or electro-magnets showing
the pivoted contact lever in the position in which the magneto circuit is broken.
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the lever in the position in which the
magneto circuit is made.
Figure 5 is a plan of the same.
Figure 6 is a section through an electro-magnet showing the cores and wind-
ings.
Referring to Figure 1, which represents an instrument arranged so that four
messages may be prepaid, the electro-magnets A, preferably of a horse-shoe shape,
are placed one above the other in a containing case B. The door B¹ of the case,
which may be of wood or other suitable material, carries on the inside two pro-
jecting pieces 12 provided with grooves B³ (Figure 2) which form the coin
chute. This chute communicates at the bottom with a drawer or receptacle B*
into which the coin drops after the full number of prepaid messages has been
sent. When so desired the chute is provided with a glass front B5 so that the
position of the coin may be observed at any time and consequently the number
of calls that have been made ascertained.
Each electro-magnet A is provided with a sliding armature C which is carried
by two rods C, C (Figures 3 to 5) guided in the lugs C attached to the ends
of the bobbins. Springs C3 are provided which normally hold the armature away
from the electro-magnet. A bridge piece D fixed to the rods C¹ carries a pivoted

page_text: .
lever E provided on one end with a balance weight E' which normally holds the
lever in an inclined position, with its other end projecting across the coin chute
into the space between the projecting pieces 132 (as shown in Figure 2). The
lever carries a contact piece E2 which is adapted to make connection between two
contact plates F, G which are connected in the magneto circuit. The balance
weight is so adjusted that the weight of the coin is sufficient to swing the
lever into a position nearly horizontal and thus to make the contact. Instead of the
balance weight E¹ a spring may be provided to hold the lever in its inclined
position. The contact plates F and G are attached to the insulating platform H
carried on the top of the electro-magnet A. At each end of the platform is also
provided a bracket I carrying a roller I adapted to engage with the inclined.
bottom of the lever E for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The bobbins
of each electro-magnet are provided with two windings J, J¹, (Figure 6) con-
centric with each other round steel cores K, K, the winding J, hereinafter called
the magnetising winding, being called in the opposite direction to and con-
taining a larger number of turns than the winding J, hereinafter called the
demagnetising winding. The magnetising winding J is connected in series
with the contact plates I and G in the magneto circuit and the demagnetising
winding is connected in circuit with the bell by which the subscriber is called
up by the exchange. The arrangement of connections for four electro-magnets
will be clearly seen by reference to Figure 1 in which L and M are the terminal
connections for inserting the instrument into the magneto circuit. The ter-
minal L is metallically connected to a continuous insulated metal strip L' which
extends to the bottom of the case and the terminal M is connected to a similar
strip M¹.
The strip L' at the top electro-magnet is connected to the contact
plate F while the contact strip G (shown in Figure 2) is connected to one end
of the magnetising coils J while the other end is connected to a contact button N
attached to the back of the case from which a connection is made to the terminal
strip M. The two ends J2 of the demagnetising winding J¹ are connected to
the metallic strips 02, 0³, to which are connected the terminal screws 0 0¹, by
means of which they are inserted into the bell circuit above mentioned. The
electro-magnets are so arranged that normally they are all connected in parallel
in the magneto circuit through spring contacts M2, M3, M4, attached to the
strip M and similar contacts P1, P2, P3, attached to the insulated strips P, P³, P,
the springs P1, P2, 13, being connected respectively to the contact buttons N¹, N³,
N3, which connect through the magnetising coils J of the respective electro-
magnets and contact plates F, G, with the metallic strip L. Normally the
space between the spring contacts attached to the strip M and the respective
insulated pieces 14, 15, 16, is bridged by the armature C of each electro-magnet
which is held in contact by the springs C3, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The operation of the mechanism is as follows:-A coin of value for prepay-
ment of four messages, inserted through a slit in the top of the casing B, falls
down the chute formed by the grooved pieces B until it strikes the end of the
first pivoted lever which projects across the chute. It thus causes the lever to
tilt into a position nearly horizontal (as shown in Figure 4) and thus to connect
the pieces F and G through the contact piece E2 and complete the magneto
circuit through the magnetising coil of the first electro-magnet. The subscriber
can then call up the exchange by turning the handle of his magneto machine.
A current then passes through the magnetising coils which thus attract the
top armature C and cause the bridge D to move into the position shown in
dotted lines in Figure 4. The lever E is simultaneously tilted by the rollers I¹
engaging with its inclined surfaces so as to allow the coin to fall on the next
pivoted lever. Simultaneously with the dropping of the coin as described it
will be noticed that the armature C breaks contact with the springs P1 and M2
thus cutting out of circuit all the electro-magnets excent the ton one. Since
the
of the electro-magnets are of hard steel ther become
netised permanently and the top armature remains attracted and the
cores
mag-

page_text: subscriber can call up the exchange again and again until he gets his con-
nection: When the subscriber is put through to the other subscriber the ex-
change warns him and a current is made to pass through both bells and con-
sequently through the demagnetising coil of the first electro-magnet thus revers-
ing the poles of the electro-magnet and allowing the armature to fly back and
break the magneto contact, the lever E coming back to the position shown in
Figure 3. It will be noted that the coin now, rests upon the end of the second
lever and that contact is made with the magneto or battery through the second
electro-magnet. When the subscriber has spoken he rings off thus causing the
second armature to be attracted and drop the coin on to the third. lever. This
second armature, however, remains attracted until demagnetisation is effected
by the exchange. There will be no occasion for this until the subscriber desires.
to speak a second time and the demagnetisation will take place when the warn-
ing is given that the subscriber has been put through as before.. The same
operations are now repeated until the fourth connection has been effected after
which the coin drops from the lowest lever into a suitable receptacle or drawer B*,
and further messages can be sent by the insertion of another coin.
In the use of apparatus according to the system above described it is necessary
that metallic circuits be employed, and in this case the "earths" on one of the
wires which are essential on all circuits as a guard against lightning are utilised
as the return for the current which energises the demagnetising coils..
It will thus be seen that any number of messages may be prepaid by arranging
a sufficient number of electro-magnets with armature and pivoted lever con-
tacts and it is evident that when the user rings up the exchange he does not
require to take the remaining messages at once as any time may elapse
between the use of the instrument for one message and its use for the remaining
messages still prepaid. Further, the arrangement does not interfere with
the exchange ringing up the user of the instrument and putting a subscriber
through to him though he cannot be put through himself without prepayment
by insertion of a coin as described. It is to be clearly understood that for
the purposes of ringing off, we may employ other electro-magnets without pivoted
levers or separate mechanism, all without departing from the subject of the
present invention. The essential feature of the instrument consists in pro-
viding automatic means for signalling the exchange by electro-magnets and
armatures arranged in the circuit of a magneto machine or battery and the
simple and compact construction of apparatus above described can be readily.
attached to an ordinary telephone circuit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Prepayment apparatus for use on telephone circuits by means of which a
number of messages corresponding to the value of the coin may be sent, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In prepayment apparatus for use on telephone circuits, coin-operated
mechanism comprising in combination with pivoted contact levers, a number
of electro-magnets connected in the magneto or battery circuit, said electro-
magnets being provided with armatures, each armature forming part of the
connecting circuit and operating to disconnect the remaining electro-magnets
when its electro-magnet is excited, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
3. Coin operated mechanism for use on telephone circuits comprising a pivoted
lever adapted to complete the magneto or battery circuit by means of a coin
which rests upon it and an electro-magnet provided with an armature whose
motion causes the lever to drop the coin, substantially as herein before described.
4. In coin-operated mechanism for use on telephone circuits forming the cores
of the electro-magnets of steel or other permanently magnetic metal carrying a

page_text: magnetising and a demagnetising winding substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described.
5. Coin-operated mechanism for use on telephone circuits comprising an electro-
magnet such as A provided with a sliding armature such as C and supporting a
pivoted lever such as E, said lever carrying a piece such as Es adapted to make
the magneto or battery circuit through the electro-magnet by its contact with
pieces such as F and G, substantially as described, with reference to Figures 1
to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In coin operated mechanism for use on telephone circuits as claimed in
Claim 5 forming the pivoted lever with inclined surfaces engaging with pro-
jections such as I, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
7. The construction and arrangement of a coin operated apparatus for use on
telephone circuits, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of droust 1900
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham and 25 Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.