Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Apparatus for Sig- nalling and Providing Communication between Apartments of Buildings, Cabins of Vessels, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 30th Dec., 1887
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Apparatus for Sig-
nalling and Providing Communication between Apartments of
Buildings, Cabins of Vessels, and the like.
I, DAVID GRAHAM of 140 Douglas Street, in the City of Glasgow, Telegraph
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has mainly for its object to provide in connection with pneumatic
speaking tubes used in buildings and ships or elsewhere the facilities as regards com-
munication between the several apartments or cabins obtainable by the use of electric
telephonic apparatus having a switch board or equivalent "exchange” devices for
connecting together any two of the telephone circuit.
To that end I conduct an ordinary speaking tube from each apartment to a suitably
situated board or place constituting a pneumatic telephonic "switch board" where each
tube terminates in a mouth piece, and in connection with said switch board I provide
a flexible or other tube whose ends are adapted to fit into the mouth pieces and which is
employed to connect any two of the speaking tubes so that communication by speech may
be obtained between the apartments to which the tubes lead. The connection between
the speaking tubes by means of the flexible tubing is made by an attendant whose atten-
tion is directed to the switch board upon any one calling by signalling devices put
into operation by the person making the call from any apartment and desiring to be
put into communication with any other apartment. Under one arrangement of the
signalling devices an indicator drop or "annunciator" is balanced on pivots or other-
wise supported in front of each mouth piece on the switch board, and upon a puff of aii
being directed through the speaking tube by the person calling, the indicator in front
of the mouth piece of that tube is thrown over and drops on a metallic bar, a battery
circuit through said bar being closed by the indicator and an electric bell thereby rung
to call the attendant. The attendant speaking into the mouthpiece asks with which
apartment communication is desired and on receiving an answer attaches the flexible
tube to connect the speaking tubes of "the apartments between which communication is
wanted. The usual "whistle" or other signalling device may be provided in the

page_text: terminal mouth piece of the speaking tube in each apartment so that the attendant
may call up the person wanted before establishing direct communication. The ends
of the flexible tube may be fitted with ground plugs or like means for attaching them
to the mouthpieces, and to provide for calling off upon the termination of conversation
a whistle or other signalling device is provided in the tube and is operated from either
of the apartment in communication by a puff of air directed through the speaking
tube. In lieu of the electric bell arrangement above described signalling devices of
any other kind may be employed to call the attendant to the switch board. The falling
of the indicator drop may for example disengage clockwork to ring a bell or the drops
may be formed with heel pieces which strike against a gong in falling or the ordinary
signalling whistle or plug may be used.
m
Jof Tohruary 1887
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Apparatus for Sig.
nalling and Providing Communication between Apartments of
Buildings, Cabins of Vessels, and the like.
I, DAVID GRAHAM of 140 Douglas Street in the City of Glasgow Telegraph
Engineer 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 has mainly for its object to provide in connection with pneumatic
speaking tubes used in buildings and ships the elsewhere the facilities as regards com-
munication between the several apartments or cabins obtainable by the use of electric
telephonic apparatus having a switch board or equivalent "exchange "devices for
connecting together any two of the telephone circuits.
"
To that end I conduct an ordinary speaking tube from each apartment to a suitably
situated board or place constituting a pneumatic telephone "switch board" such as
represented in perspective at figure 1 of the accompanying drawings and where each
tube terminates in a mouth piece A; and in connection with said switch board I
provide a flexible or other tube B whose ends are adapted to fit into the mouth
pieces A the said tube B being employed as indicated in figure 1 to connect any two
of the speaking tubes so that communication by speech may be obtained between the
apartments to which the tubes lead. The connection between the speaking tubes by
means of the flexible tubing B is made by an attendant whose attention is directed to
the switch board upon any one calling by signalling devices put into operation by the
person making the call from any apartment and desiring to be put into communication
with any other apartment. Under one arrangement of the signalling devices an
indicator drop or annunciator "Cis balanced on pivots c or otherwise supported in
front of each mouth piece on the switch board and upon a puff of air being directed
through the speaking tube by the person calling, the indicator C in front of the
mouth piece A of that tube is thrown over and drops on a metallic bar or as shown
detailed at figure 2 a plate D suspended within the mouthpiece is vibrated so that its.
end makes contact between the terminals of a battery circuit which being closed by
the indicator or by the vibrating plate an electric bell E in the circuit is thereby rung
to call the attendant. The attendant speaking into the mouthpiece from which the
indicator C has fallen asks with which apartment communication is desired and on
receiving an answer attaches the flexible tube B to connect the speaking tubes of the
apartments between which communication is wanted. The usual ** whistle" or other
signalling device may be provided in the terminal mouth piece of the speaking tube
in each apartment so that the attendant may call up the person wanted before estab-
lishing direct communication. The ends of the flexible tube B may be fitted as
indicated with ground plugs b or like means for attaching them to the mouthpieces
and to provide for calling off upon the termination of conversation a whistle b¹ or

page_text: other signalling device is provided in the tube B and is operated from either of the
apartments in communication by a puff of air directed through the speaking tube.
In lieu of the electric bell arrangement above described signalling devices of any
other kind may be employed to call the attendant to the switch board. The falling
of the indicator drop may for example disengage clockwork to ring a bell; or the
drops C may be formed with heel pieces or as shown at figure 3 they may in falling
strike a balanced lever F, a hammer G on which is thereby caused to strike against a
gong; or the ordinary whistle or plug may be used.
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. In a pneumatic speaking tube system the provision of a connecting tube
whereby inter-communication may be established between any two tubes of the
system.
2. A pneumatic "switch board" constructed and furnished substantially as herein-
before described and in part shown under two modifications in the annexed drawings.
SINTO
DOCT
Sony Stat day of OT
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.