An Improved Telephone Call Counter.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Telephone Call Counter.
I, FRIEDRICH MAX RICHTER, of No. 2, Adolf Strasse, Chemnitz, Kingdom of
Saxony, Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The present invention relates to telephone-call-counters and its object is to
enable the exchange-station to register and control the number of calls asked for
and effected by the subscriber within a certain time (for instance monthly). The
effected calls are indicated by a dial, whereas the calls, not having resulted in
a telephonic conversation, are excluded from such registration by means of an
arresting device.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved call counter
Fig. 2 is a plan and
Fig. 3 a side elevation of same.
Fig. 4 represents the two plugs in connection with the electromagnet.
For the purpose of the invention the following arrangements are provided.
On the base-plate the walls b and 6 of the casing are mounted. Between these
walls the wheels c, c¹ & c², each provided with ten teeth, are mounted to rotate
with their shafts.
On the outer rim of each of the wheels c & c¹ rearwardly projecting pins d and d
(Fig. 2) are arranged. Both these pins engage at each revolution of the
wheels & the teeth of the wheels c¹ & c², turning the latter one tooth in the
direction of the arrow. Fig. 1. On the front ends of the wheel shafts, the dials e,
to 9.
e&e are mounted and provided with the numbers
As soon as the wheel and with it the disc e has been turned one hundred
times, &e are turned ten times and c² & e² one revolution. Therefore the
disc e shews the units, e¹ the tenths and e2 with the hundredths.
In order to prevent the wheels from being inadvertently turned, the flat
springs f, f, f slide in grooved recesses, arranged at the front part of the same
(Figs. 1 & 2).
C
To the right, above the wheel the double arm cam lever or pallet g is arranged
on a horizontal axis z, extended rearwardly, said pallet serving when oscillated
or rocked to turn the wheel c in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1.
Behind the pallet g on its axis there is arranged the two-armed lever h. Some-
what to the right of the middle of the base plate a strong flat lever-spring i is
horizontally pivoted in a special support. On the front wall 62 the plug sleeve k
is arranged. The back-end of the flat lever spring lies in the plane of movement
of a plug inserted in the plug-sleeve. The front end of the lever i is fixed to the
under arm of the lever by means of the oval ring 7. The upper arm of the
lever his pressed to the left (Fig. 1) by means of the upwardly-directed spiral
spring m (Figs. 1, 2 & 3).
The rear-end of the housing is closed by the vertical wall. On the outer
lower part of the wall the ground connection n is fixed, and at the inner upper

page_text: part is mounted the angle o. Furthermore at about the centre of the wall &
vertically mounted thereon is a rectangular flat-spring 2 the upper horizontal
arm of the said spring extending forwardly and carrying two downwardly pro-
jecting stops p¹ & p².
The stop rests upon the angle o; the stop 2 is somewhat tapered at its
front end and rounded and lies in the plane of movement controlled by the plug-
sleeve k. Apart from the lug 2₁ the horizontal lever has no contact with any
other parts of the device.
•
At the left hand rear corner of the base plate is mounted the vertically disposed
electromagnetic coil g, the ends of which are connected to the angle o and the
ground connection respectively, Above the electromagnet and extending hori-
zontally forwards, the armaturer is mounted said armature extending to the front
wall and serving to retain the annunciator flap s in a vertical position (Fig. 1 & 2).
At the right hand side of the electromagnet, opposite the flat lever spring i, a
guide or rest t for the plug u is provided, which prevents the same from being
pressed to the left (Fig. 1 & 2). In the front-wall 2, behind which the dials e,
& are arranged, there are three openings through which one number of each
dial is visible.
In connection with the present telephone switch two plugs u & u (Fig. 4),
connected with each other by a cord, are employed. The plug u for ascertaining
the calling subscriber and operating the counter, consists of a metal body with
insulated extension on the outer part of the head; the plug is furthermore provided
with an insulated neck and handle. The shorter plug u for the connection with
the subscriber called, consists of a metal body with insulated neck and a handle
without insulated extension. Both plugs and are connected by means of a
cord, in which the coils of the particular electromagnets w are inserted.
The electromagnet w with the armature and the annunciator flap serves to
indicate the conclusion of the conversation by making current between the sub-
scribers by means of the connections of the plug which energize the electromagnet
and attract the armature whereupon the flap falls.
to the
As soon as the subscriber, connected with the telephonic switch, calls, the
electric current passes along the wire a to the flat-spring p, through the angle o,
the coils of the electromagnet q and the ground contact n and wire
ground. By the attraction of the armature the annunciation flap s is caused to
fall. To ascertain the calling party the plug is placed into the plug sleevek,
thus first raising the flat spring p and lifting the same off the angle o, so that
the lug 2 of the flat spring rests on the metal part of the plug u. The insulated
part at the head of the plug presses the back part of the flat-lever spring i to the
right thus forcing the front end of the flat lever spring and, by means of the
ring 1, the under arm of the lever h, rotating with its axis, to the left.
The upper arm of the lever his moved to the right against the action of the
spiral spring m. Together with the axis of the lever h, the double lever g will be
rocked; its narrow tooth g engaging the wheel c and turning it half a tooth.
When the plug u is inserted into the switching device of the subscriber called,
the electric current passes from the flat spring p over the metal plugs u & u¹
to the second subscriber.
After the removal of the plug u the flat spring ? and owing to the pressure
of the spiral spring m on the upper arm of the lever all parts of the lever
mechanism return to their initial positions. By this movement the broader
tooth g² of the double lever g is pressed against the tooth of the wheel c, previously
turned one half of its stroke and completes the full movement of the same.
This operation is repeated at each insertion and removal of the plug u.
The number of insertions of the plug by the subscriber will be indicated
by the three dials through the openings in the front wall and the calls may be
registered up to 1000 when the counting begins again.
To the front end of the shaft, extending through the front wall b² is keyed
a disc z¹ with a recess 22. The recess of the disc is turned vertically downwards

page_text: by inserting the plug u, so that, in case, no connection has been effected, the disc
may be retained in this position by means of a small bolt 23, which may be pushed
up into the said notch so that when the plug is again pulled out, the counter
mechanism will not be returned to its initial position to register a new call.
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. Telephone call counter for telephone exchange-stations according to which,
on inserting a connecting plug (u) into a plug-sleeve (k) of the telephone switch,
double levers (i, h) and pallet (9) are moved to operate a narrow tooth (g') of
the pallet (9) mounted on a shaft (2) to engage a pallet wheel (c), thereby turning
the same half a tooth, whereas on removing the plug (u) the said double levers
and pallet (g) are returned to their initial positions, the broad tooth (92) of the
lever (g) simultaneously completing the movement of and arresting the pallet
wheel (c) until the plug (u) is again inserted.
2. Telephone call counter having an arresting device for the shaft (z) for
preventing the registration of calls not effected, according to which a disc (2)
mounted on a shaft (2) and provided with a recess (22) is retained in its position
as produced by the insertion of the plug (u), by means of a small bolt (23) so
that on removing the plug the whole lever mechanism of the counter will not
return to its initial position, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of October 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.