Improvements in Appliances for the Intercommunication of *Telephones.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left 16th July 1897-Accepted 16th Oct. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for the Intercommunication of
*Telephones.
JOSEPH DEVONPORT FINNEY ANDREWS Electrical Engineer 45 Fulham Park
Gardens London S.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
'My present invention relates to the 'intercommunication & communication of
telephones.
When I wish to place several 'telephones situated in different places in com-
munication with one another I provide each telephone with as many contacts
arranged in circles or rows as there are telephones to be communicated with & I
number the contacts & I connect the corresponding contacts of every, telephone
together by an independant line.
I provide a contact bar at each instrument which can be brought into com-
munication with any one of the contacts, this contact.bar being for. the, purpose
of connecting the house instrument to any of the other telephones.
I may connect the line belonging to each instrument which .I will..call the
house line to this bar or I may connect it to a contact.
When I connect it to a contact I attach a spring or weight to; this bar which
will tend to keep it in contact with the house line, but I provide a rack or ratchet
wheel on this bar & a, pall to.gear. into the teeth so. that when .I. move, thist bar
into communication with any of the contacts this pall by, gearing.into the teeth
would prevent the spring carrying the bar back to the house.contact.
.
I attach the telephone by-a.cord to an oscillating lever on a spring or sliding
bar & I. provide this lever with a pall arranged to gear. into the pall of the rack
or ratchet wheel, so that when the weight of the telephone. is put onto this..lever
the ratchet wheel will be released of its pall: & the spring will replace the contact
bar on to the house contact.
I sometimes provide the oscillating lever with athook on which to hang this
telephone and I arrange the lever to make the connection with the bell r. on
transmitter.
I sometimes arrange the contacts belonging to the lines. in the form of pushes
on springs which may be depressed and be brought into contact with the house
telephone and battery line, the contact would benheld in position. after being
depressed by a wheel or bar, lever or any suitable.contrivance hereinafter referred
to as the bar, gearing into it such wheel or bar being common to all the contact
springs or pushes & where one push is depressed it would move the bar out of
gear with any other push that may have been previously depressed, but should
two or more pushes be simultaneously depressed, the bar would hold them all.
I arrange that each push can be depressed beyond the position it will be held
in by the bar and thus make connection with the battery so as to transmit a
current to ring the call bell.
During this extra depression the connections of. the line: spring, with the. bar is

page_text: preferably broken. The telephone receiver would be suspended from a spring
sliding bar or lever preferably by a cord and the sliding bar or other contrivance
would be provided with a catch so as it is moved in one direction it gears onto
the bar & causes it to release the contact springs that may be in connection with
it and on continuing its motion it releases this bar which resumes its place by
force of a spring.
When I make the house line independent of the bar I arrange the contact
springs when connected with the bar to hold it out of connection with the house
line.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for the Intercommunication of
Telephones.
JOSEPH DEVONPORT FINNEY ANDREWS, 45 Fulham Park Gardens
Fulham 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:-
My present invention relates to the intercommunication & communication of
telephones.
When I wish to place several telephones situated in different places in com-
munication with one another I provide each telephone with as many contacts
arranged in circles or rows as there are telephones to be communicated with & I
number the contacts & I connect the corresponding contacts of every telephone
together by an independent line.
I provide a contact bar at each instrument which can be brought into com-
munication with any one of the contacts, this contact bar being for the purpose
of connecting the home instrument to any of the other telephones.
I may connect the line belonging to each instrument which I will call the home
line to this bar or I may connect it to a separate contact which can be brought
into connection with the line bar.
When I connect the home line to a contact I attach a spring or weight to the
line bar which will tend to keep it in connection with the home line contact or
I provide a rack or ratchet wheel on the line bar & a pall to gear into the teeth
so that when I move the line bar into connection with any of the contacts the
pall by gearing into the teeth would prevent the spring carrying the bar back
to the home contact, I attach the telephone by a cord to an oscillating lever or a
spring or sliding bar & I provide the lever with a pall arranged to gear into the
pall of the rack or ratchet wheel so that when the weight of the telephone is put
on to this lever the ratchet wheel will be released from its pall & the spring will
replace the line bar on to the home contact.
I sometimes provide the oscillating lever with a hook on which to hang the
telephone & I arrange the lever to make the connection with the bell or
transmitter.
I sometimes arrange the contacts belonging to the lines in the form of pushes
or springs which may be depressed & be brought into contact with the home
telephone & battery line, the contact would be held in position after being
depressed by a wheel or bar, lever or any suitable contrivance hereinafter referred
to as the bar, gearing into it such bar being common to all the contacts springs
or pushes & when one push is depressed it would move the bar out of gear with
any other push that may have been previously depressed but should 2 or more

page_text: pushes be simultaneously depressed the bar would hold them all. I arrange that
each push can be depressed beyond the position it will be held in by the bar &
thus make connection with the battery so as to transmit a current to ring the
call bell, during this extra depression the connection of the line spring with the
bar is preferably broken.
The telephone receiver would be suspended from a spring sliding bar or lever
preferably by a cord & the sliding bar or other contrivance would be provided
with a catch so as it is moved in one direction it gears on to the bar & causes it
to release the contact springs that may be in connection with it & on continuing
its motion it releases the bar which resumes its place by force of a spring.
When I make the home line independent of the bar I arrange the contact
springs when connected with the bar to hold it out of connection with the home
line.
In Figs. 1. & 2. I represent the most general form of my invention. Fig. 1. is
a view looking from the back, the back board being removed, L. L. are line
springs a few of which only are shown arranged in a row, in connection with lines
leading to other telephones. When it is desired to enter into communication
with one of the lines the spring in connection with the line preferred would be
depressed by means of the button B until the end of the spring catches onto the
edge of the rocking lever D by which connection is made with the secondary
circuit of the induction coil and with the receiver, through the spiral spring E
and flat springs F & G.
The line spring L has attached to its end a piece of insulating material C seen
in Fig. 2 so that the button B is insulated from the spring & the insulation is so
formed that when the line spring is depressed beyond the rocking frame D. it
impinges on the rocking frame & insulates it from the line spring, when the
pressure is removed from the button the end of the line spring catches on the
edge of the mocking frame & effects electrical connection with it & holds it out
of connection with the home line H at I as shown in Fig. 1.
When the button B is depressed sufficiently far the line spring is brought into
connection with a fixed bar J to which the battery is connected & a current would
be transmitted through the line and the instrument connected with it at the
farther end & ring the bell assuming the instrument to be at rest, when at rest
the receiver would be hung on the hook K and the weight of it would draw the
hook down against the force of the spring I which would be depressed by means
of the insulated stud N. into connection with the spring M & thus close the bell
circuit.
When the receiver is removed from the hook K the spring F would rise and
leave the connection with spring M & compress spring G with which it makes
contact & closes the secondary circuit V of the induction coil & also of the
receiver T ready for hearing.
The spring G being depressed likewise depresses the spring 0; from which it
is insulated by suitable material & brings it into connection with the battery by
touching contact P the circuit being thus closed through the microphone A &
primary circuit U of the induction coil.
In order to effect the automatic replacement of the various connections and
especially the line connection when conversation has been completed I provide a
catch R on the vertical extension of the hook K which in the case of a downward
movement (such as would be effected by adding the weight of the receiver to the
hook) would catch onto a projecting arm S of the rocking frame & carry it down
sufficiently to cause the rocking frame to liberate any line spring that may be
connected with it. In case the operator should forget to hang the receiver onto
the hook, I provide that the flexible wires connecting the receiver to the circuit
are attached to the hook in any suitable manner & should the receiver be left
hanging by its wires, its weight would pull down the hook & effect the replace-
ment of connections as described.
If one or more of the lines are left in connection with the rocking frame tug

page_text: depression of another 'button would 'free them as it will be seen from Fig. 2 that
the formation of the insulator attached to the line spring's would depress the
rocking frame beyond the ends of the springs 'when any line spring is-Pressed so
as to make contact with 'the battery-Bar.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of my invention in which I arrange the 'line
bar D to make connection with the lines 'by a 'contact, spring L'úttached to it
sliding over fixed contacts C. the 'movement being effectel Iya suitably arranged
handle U. When the 'desired line has been reached the Pall V would engage in
the teeth on the line bar and 'prevent its falling out of connection. When 'con-
versation has been completed, the receiver would be hung on to the hook -K
attached to the bar T which in consequence of this added weiglit would be drawn
"down' and in so doing the Pall W would engage with 'the Pall V and cause it to
disengage from the teeth of the line bar which would then resume its lowest position
and connection would be made onto the home 'line Contact H. By means of an
insulated pin N on 'the line bar D the 'spring 0 would be depressed onto the
spring A and connection made with the bell ready for a' call. The 'battery would
be connected to earth & contact 'F. When it is desired 'to make 'a' call the 'line
bar D would be moved into connection with the line desired. The spring S would
'then be pressed onto the Battery contact G by the knob 'I which is attached to
spring J which would also be depressed & break connection at Q between the
bar D & the spring O, the springs J & S being insulated from one another current
will only pass from the battery to the line. After ringing the connection will be
established between the receiver R' & secondary of the induction coil 'S'to-earth
& line and between the microphone 'and primary of the induction coil MP. and
earth & the battery all ready for conversation.
t
The telephone flexible connection T is preferably attached to the bar 'T.
Instead of the line bar being arranged to move' in 'a straight line over' the line
contact I sometimes arrange it to work radially over the contacts as in Fig. 4.
The telephone receiver R would be suspended by its cord-T from a pulley-Pon
the axis of the line bar D and when the receiver is allowed to hang it would by
its weight cause the line bar D to return from any position it may have been
moved into back into contact with the home line contact H as in the case' of
Fig. 3 & the insulated pin N. on the line bar would operate the bell&battery
& induction coil connections as in the case of Fig. 3 Fig. 5. illustrates a
modified arrangement in which I employ a spring S to bring back the line' lar
to the home contact H when speaking over another line is finished. The line
bar D would be held in connection with any of the lines it may have been moved
to by the pall P.-engaging in the teeth of a ratchet wheel W fixed to the axis
of this line bar. When the weight of the receiver is put on to the sliding bar B.
it moves downwards & the pall L engages with the pall P & releases it from the
ratchet wheel W. which prevents the line bar D to return into connection with
the home contact H. The connections with the bell battery & induction coil
would be operated by an insulated stud on the rod B as in the cases already
described.
The annexed drawings and above descriptions' fully describe the principles of
my invention, it will however be obvious that the construction of the various parts
can be considerably modified in form & arrangement and the springs can be
substituted by levers' weighted or actuated by springs and the rocking frame can
be substituted by a wheel with projections or holes for each line spring" which
would be arranged around the circumference of the wheel, or the rocking frame
may be substituted by a rod having projections or liöles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be. performed, I declare that what
'I claim is;
1st. The method of effecting communication between several telephones by
providing a rocking frame, wheel, or bar in each 'instrument' arranged 'that it can

page_text: be connected to one or all of the lines by pressing a button or spring substantially
as described & shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 & 2.
2nd. The provision whereby by pressing any one or more of the line springs
and others that may have been previously pressed would be released substantially
as described & shown in the drawings attached hereto, Figs. 1 & 2.
3rd. The method of releasing the line connections by a catch on the telephone
hook operated by the weight of the telephone when hung up.
4th. Securing that the weight of the telephone shall be applied to reinstating
the connections in a telephone switch box by attaching the cord carrying or
connecting the telephone to the switching hook or bar, so that when the telephone
is released its weight will operate the connections substantially as described
and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
5th. Effecting connection with the battery circuit and any of the lines so as
to operate the call bell of the telephone to be communicated with by pressing the
line spring or connections thereto beyond the rocking frame or bar for speaking
and onto a connection to the battery & at the same time effecting the insulation
of the line connections from the rocking frame or bar for speaking substantially
as described & shown in Figs. 1. & 2.
6th. The construction of self replacement telephone switching apparatus
described & illustrated with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.