US2251666A - Impulse sender - Google Patents

Description

1941. H. DOHLE 2,251,666

IMPULSE SENDER Filed May 14, 1937 INVENTOR HINRICH DOHLE NEY ATTOR Patented Aug. 5, 1941 IMPULSE SENDER Hinrich Diihle, Berlin-Haselhorst, Germany, assignor to Telephon-Apparat Fabrik E. Zwietnsch and Company, Berlin, Germany Application May 14, 1937, Serial No. 142,573 In Germany June 19, 1936 11 Claims.

The invention concerns an impulse sender having a series of keys common to all the selecting stages for controlling the setting of switches in telephone systems. In the impulse senders known hitherto relay chains or stepping switches were associated with the individual selecting stages and were set in correspondence with the selected digits and according to their setting automatically transmitted selecting impulses.

The invention aims at reducing the switching means required for registering the selecting impulses and for their subsequent transmission. This advantage is realized in that instead of relay chains or stepping switches condensers are used as registering means. According to the invention a condenser is provided for each selecting stage and is charged in accordance with the digit selected and by its discharge determines the number of impulses to be transmitted. The individual condensers are connected in succession to a key set after each selecting operation by a stepping switch. The keys are connected with a source of current over resistances of various magnitudes so that in accordance with the digit which is keyed the condenser connected up over the stepping switch is charged to an extent dependent upon the resistance connected in the charging circuit, the length of charging being correspondingly limited by a timing device.

An embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawing. The impulse sender possesses l setting keys T! to Til. When one of the keys TI to T0 is depressed the contact TT is closed at the same time. Each key is connected to a resistance Wil to Wi The key TI is. connected to a resistance whose other end is disconnected.

A six-digit selection is assumed in the embodiment. Accordingly one condenser CI to C6 is provided for each selecting stage.

A rotary switch D, having a magnet DM and four sets of wipers DI, DII, DIII and DIV, is employed first to connect the condensers in succession to their charging circuits and, after they have been charged, to connect them one after another to a common discharge circuit. This rotary switch may be of the general type disclosed in Patent No. 1,675,311, granted June 26, 1928, to Hans Sengebusch, in which the wipers advance one step upon each deenergization of the rotary magnet. In the present arrangement, a resistance and a condenser are connected in series across the winding of the rotary magnet; the condenser is charged when the energizating circuit of the magnet is closed, and, upon the opening of energizing circuit, discharges through the magnet to maintain same energized for a short interval. The embodiment also includes eight relays: A, B, H, V, W, X, Y and Z. Of these, relays V and W are of the slow acting type, and the rest, except relay B which has also been made slow acting by a resistance shunt across its winding, are of the quick acting type. Each relay operates certain contacts lettered in the drawing to correspond to that relay (for example, relay A has contacts la, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a.).

The mode of operation of the circuit is as follows: Assuming that the first digit of the call number is 3, key T3 is depressed. Contacts T3 and TT are closed, so that relay X draws up.

Earth-econtacts TT-,and 2z-relay X and battery. Relay X upon operating completes the following circuit for charging condenser Cl:

Battery-contact T3--resistance Wz'3contacts 3rand 2y-wiper III of switch-Dcondenser C|contact 2:r-and earth.

At the same time it completes the above charging circuit, relay X also closes a circuit at contact Inc for relay Y, and as soon as relay Y has operated its armature the charging circuit for condenser CI is broken by contact 2y. While relay Y is of the quick acting type as already mentioned, it will be appreciated that a short interval nevertheless is required for sufficient flux to build up in its winding to attract its armature, this interval being the same every time the relay is energized. Hence, the charging circuit for relay Cl is closed for a predetermined short interval dependent upon the operating time of relay Y. Relay Z is operated over contact ly and over contact is brings up relay W. The operation of relay W is for the moment without effect. By the operation of relay Z, however, relay X is disconnected at contact 2.2. After relay X has released the rotary magnet DM which operates wipers DI,-DIV is energized in the following circuit:

Earth, contacts inc and 32, magnet DM and battery. After relay X has released relay Y also releases assoon as the key T3 has restored to normal and contact TT is opened. After relay Y has released relay Z also deenergizes. On account of the opening of contact 3.2 the rotary magnet DM releases with the effect that the wipers DI-DIV are advanced by one step. When now one of the keys TI ,to Ti) is depressed for the second time the condenser C2 is charged during the operating period of relay Y to an extent dependent upon the one of the resistances Wil to Will which has been connected up. It

may be assumed that Wii is an infinite resistance, and the remaining resistances are arranged on a scale of descending values, so that the charge on any condenser will depend upon the key depressed. As the keys TI to TE! are depressed, therefore, the condensers Ci to C6 are charged in succession. On the termination of the selection .the wipers DI--DIV stand on contact I. The transmission of the selected impulses in dependence upon the state of charging of the condensers Cl to C6 now commences. Relay A draws up over earth, wiper DI on steps fil2, contacts 211) and lb, relay A, battery and earth, and disconnects the lead passing to the selectors at the contact ta. Relay H operates over winding HI over contact 3a in the following circuit:

Earth, winding I of relay H, contacts lh, 3a, and 412, battery and earth. Over contact la moreover, the slow-to-release relay V is caused to energize. Contact 41) opens the operating circuit of relay H, but before contact to opens contact 3v on closing completes a locking circuit for relay H which now holds up over windings I and II of relay H, resistance Wi, wiper DII on contact I, condenser C'l, contact 2x and battery. The period during which relay H locks up is determined by the state of charge of the condenser Cl. During this period when relay H is operated relays A and B operate together as an automatic interrupter so that a number of selecting impulses are transmitted by contact 4a corresponding to the state of charge of condenser Ci. Contact 2a operates relay B which at contact i b deenergizes relay A. Relay A, however, can draw up again since contact 2h is closed throughout the period during which relay H is operated. As soon as the discharge of condenser Cl is completed relay H releases and relay A can no longer draw up over contact 211. During the transmission of selecting impulses by relay A relay V remains operated. Relay W was also operated over contact I v. After relay V has released the rotary magnet DM operates in the following circuit: Battery, magnet DM, contacts Iw and 211, wiper DI on contact I, earth. Contact Iv disconnects current from relay W so that the operating circuit for magnet DM is broken at contact lw and the wipers DI to DIV are advanced one step after magnet DM has released. The second series of selecting impulses is now transmitted and is dependent upon the state of charge of the condenser C2. The switching operations are repeated until the setting switch has again reached position I. In order to be able to tell at any time whether selecting impulses have been registered in the impulse sender a lamp BL is provided which lights up as long as wiper DIV rests on contacts 2-42. In order to be able to restore the impulse sender to the normal position at any time a releasing key AT is provided. Assuming that the setting switch of the impulse sender has already reached contact 3, then in order to render the three selecting digits already registered inoperative, the key AT is depressed. This has the effect that relay X operates over earth, Wiper DIV, contact IAT, contact 22, relay X and battery, whereby the switching operations are initiated which serve to advance the rotary magnet DM. Relay Y operates over contact I50 and at contact ly brings up relay Z. Relay X is released at contact 22. After the release of relay X the rotary magnet DM receives current over contacts la: and 32. Relays Y and Z are deenergized so that relay X draws up again. Relays X, Y and Z operate together in the manner of an automatic interrupter until wiper DIV has reached its original position. No discharge of the condensers takes place during the setting of wipers DI to DIV since none of the keys TI to T0 is depressed. The condensers Cl, 02 and C3 which in the example assumed are already charged are discharged without efiect when wiper D2 passes over the contacts 1, B, and 9, since relay V is energized over key SAT. Relay H is not caused to operate by the discharge current passing over contact 312.

What is claimed is:

1. In an impulse sending device, means for generating impulses of a predetermined character at a predetermined rate of speed, a condenser, means for charging said condenser to a certain voltage, means for discharging said condenser through a resistance, and means for controlling first said means to generate impulses for an interval dependent upon the period of time required to discharge said condenser through said resistance.

2. In an impulse sending device, a condenser, means for charging said condenser to a variable potential, a relay, means for operating said relay, means for discharging said condenser through said relay to maintain said relay energized for the duration of said discharge, and means controlled by said relay for continuously generating impulses of predetermined character at a predetermined rate of speed for an interval of time dependent upon the interval that said relay is maintained energized by said condenser.

3. In an impulse sending device, a plurality of condensers, means for charging said condensers successively to any of a plurality of voltages, a relay, means for operating said relay once for each condenser in turn and for then discharging that condenser through said relay to control, in correspondence with the voltage to which that condenser Was charged, the length of time which said relay shall remain operated, means operated at a certain speed for generating a train of impulses during each operation of said relay, said relay eiiective to control, in acordance with the length of time it remains operated, the number of impulses in said train, and means for causing successive trains of impulses to be separated by a predetermined interval of time.

4. In an impulse sender for registering a plurality of digits as quantities of charge on a corresponding plurality of condensers and subsequently re-transmitting each of the digits as one or more impulses; means for selectively charging said condensers to any of a plurality of voltages, each voltage corresponding to a digit to be registered, said means comprising a source of electrical energy, a plurality of different resistances and means for selectively connecting any one of said resistances in series with said source and condenser for a predetermined constant time interval.

5. In a register, a condenser, means for charging the condenser to any of a plurality of voltages, each voltage corresponding to a digit to be registered, said means comprising a source of electrical energy, a plurality of different resistances, and means for selectively connecting any one of said resistances in series with said source and condenser for a predetermined constant time interval.

6. In a register, a condenser, means for charging the condenser to any of a plurality of Voltages, each voltage corresponding to a digit to be registered, said means comprising a source of electrical ener y, a plurality of different resistances, means operated to prepare a circuit for charging said condenser through any one of said resistances, and timing means operated responsive to said operation of said last means to complete said charging circuit for a predetermined constant time interval.

7. In a system for registering any digit as a quantity of charge on a condenser, the method of charging the condenser to any of a plurality of different voltages, each voltage corresponding to a digit, which comprises charging said condenser for a predetermined constant time interval at a rate of charge commensurate with the value of the digit to be registered.

8. In an impulse sender, a condenser, means for charging said condenser to any one of a plurality of different potentials, means for thereafter discharging said condenser continuously at a controlled rate, and means for generating impulses at a predetermined rate for an interval of time dependent upon the time required for said condenser to discharge.

9. In an impulse sender, a condenser, a discharge circuit for said condenser, means for charging said condenser to a certain value, means for subsequently connecting said condenser to said discharge circuit and maintaining same connected thereto until substantially discharged, means in said circuit effective during the discharging of said condenser to control the rate of discharge of the condenser, and means for transmitting impulses at a predetermined rate for an interval of time corresponding to the time required for said condenser to discharge.

10. In an impulse sender, a plurality of condensers, means for charging said condensers each to a certain potential, a discharge circuit, means for connecting said condensers successively to said circuit and maintaining each connected thereto until substantially discharged, means in said circuit for controlling the rate of discharge of each condenser when connected to said circuit, and means controlled by each condenser in turn to transmit impulses at a predetermined rate for an interval of time depending upon the time required for that condenser to discharge.

11. In an impulse sender, a plurality of energy storage devices, means for storing in each of said devices a variable quantity of energy, means for subsequently releasing the stored energy from each device continuously at a controlled rate until substantially all of said stored energy has been released from that device, and an impulse generator controlled by each device in turn to transmit impulses at a predetermined rate for a period of time corresponding to the time required for the release of the stored energy from that device.

HINRICH

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