US590603A - walker - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.' J. L. 8: G. B. WALKER. ELEGTRIG FIRE ALARMSYSTEM.

No. 590,603. Patented Sept. 28, 1897.

WITNESSES (1%, @M/Jl (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

J. L. & G. B. WALKER. ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

No. 590,603. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

a; 7 v J 7 f3 5 WITNESS m: Noam: PmRS co PHD'QLITHKL WASHINGTON, n. c.

NITED STATES- P TENT Enron.

JOHN LAURENCE WALKER AND GEORGE BROSENHAM 'IVALKER, OF

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

ELECTRIC FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM. A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,603, dated September 28, 1897.

Application filed January 12 1897. Serial No; 615,988. (No model.) I

KER and GEORGE BROSENHAM WALKER, citi I zens of the United States, residing at Pensacola, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Fire-Alarm Systems, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to telephones for use on any closed electric circuit either separate from or in combination with an electric firealarm or telegraph signal system or any telegraph or telephone system or systems using a. continuous electric current or a closed electric circuit; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved portable or stationary telephone and suitable appliances whereby a person having accessto any wire over which a continuous electric current passes and provided with suitable appliances may send in a call, signal, or alarm or communicate with a person at the central or main station or with any person provided with like appliances at a point or anynumber of points along said line or circuit or lines or "circuits connected therewith.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a firealarm station, showing also the main circuit connected therewith and showing also our improvement; Fig. 2, a View of arplug which forms a part of the apparatus of the main station; Fig. 3, a plan view of a'spring-contact device which also forms a part of the appa- 'atus at the main station 5 Fig. 4, a front view thereof; Fig. 5, a sectional view of the telephone which we employ, showingthe parts disconnected; and Fig. 6a transverse section of a signal-box, any desired number of which may be employed along the line of the main fire-alarm system.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts of our improvement are designated by the same letters of reference throughout the several views, and

in the practice of our invention we provide a telephone and telephone signal apparatus which is adapted to be used in connection with the' main'battery and circuit of any electric fire alarm system'for both signaling and talking purposes.

The transmitter used in our telephone is of the granular carbon form and the receiver of the watchcase pattern and of the single-pole type, which when used in connection with any firealarm system will not interfere with i the registering of the indicator ifan alarm should be turned in from any point while the apparatus which we employ along the main circuit is in use.

InFig. 1 we have shown at A any suitable battery for operating an electric fire-alarm system, also the usual indicator a, these parts being similar to those used in all electric firealarm systems; and we have also shownin said figure a number of poles a on one of which is one of our signal-boxes D, and the battery, the indicator A, and the box D, any desired number of which may be employed throughout the circuit of the alarm system, are placed in electrical connection by a main wire or conductor 01 and a return wire or conductor 6?, by which a complete circuit is formed.

Arranged adjacent to the indicator a Within the station are two contact-springs F, which are secured to the walls of the station by a- The telephone B is shown in sectional de-- tail in Fig. 5 and consists of a tubular casing b, with which the transmitter b is connected at one end, and the opposite endof which is open and adapted to receive the receiver 12 The receiverb while being detachable from the casing b of the transmitter is connected with said transmitter by the usual wires or conductors b, and. said casing 1) being provided with a diaphragm or partition-plate 11 through which pass screws or bolts b", with which the wires or conductors Zr connect, and corresponding wires or conductors b connect with the screws or bolts 1)" and with the separate parts of the transmitter in the usual manner, and connected with one of the wires or conductors I) are two wires 11 which pass through the side of the casing Z) and are connected with a circuit making and breaking plug 0.

The boxes D, any desired number of which may be employed, are also provided with contact-springs F, similar to those hereinbefore described, which are also connected with a plate f and which are also brought together at the middle, as shown at f, and separated at their outer ends, as shown at J, and the main wire or conductor cl is connected with said contact-sprin gs bybranches d this connection being made in the same manner as the similar connection at the station. One of the telephones B is also employed in each of the boxes D and is adapted to be suspended from the side thereof, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and the telephone B in the box or boxes D is provided with a circuit making and breaking plug K.

The telephone B in the boxes D and the telephone B at the main station are of the same construction, but the plug K, which is connected with the telephone in the box D, differs in construction from the plug C, which is connected with the telephone at the main station.

The plug C is designed to make or close the circuit through the telephone without breakin g the main circuit, whereby the adjacent indicator will not be affected, while the plug K is designed to break the circuit before closing it, so that the indicator at the station will be operated when the box-telephone is used.

The plug K is provided with a handle 7d, through which the wires 11 pass, and the plug K consists of a central core having a wedge-shaped head of non-conducting material, while the body portion of the plug is provided with metal-end side plates 70, with which the wires Z1 connect, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and the plug 0, which is adapted to close the circuit through the telephone without breaking the circuit to the indicator, is composed of a handle 0 to which the plug proper is secured, saidplug consisting of a central portion 0*, which is wedge-shaped in form at its outer end and which is provided with metal side strips or plates 0 and passing through the handle and connecting with said side strips or plates (1' are two wires G which connect with the telephone or with the receiver and the transmitter thereof, as hereinbefore described with reference to the plug K. It will be understood that by in serting the plug K between the springs F in the box D the circuit will be completed through the telephone and through the main circuit of the signal system, and when this plug is first inserted the circuit, of which the springs F in the box Dform a part, will be broken by the separation of said springs and the alarm connected with the indicator to will be operated, this operation being accom plished by the wedge-shaped head 70 of the plug K; but when said head passes between the central portions of said spring in the box D the circuit will be again completed and any desired communication may be held between the policeman or the party at the box D and those in charge of the main station.

In order for the person in charge of the main station to communicate with the policeman at the box D, the plug 0 must be inserted between the springs at the station, and it will also be understood that when the plugs O and K are connected, as described, with the springs F at the box D and at the station the telephones B at the box and at the station may be used in the usual manner without interfering with the main circuit or the signal system.

\Vith the improved telephone and other appliances herein described it will be apparent that a person or persons provided therewith and having access to the main wires or conductors of an electric-signal system, firealarm system, telephone or telegraphic system may send in a call, signal, or alarm, or communicate with a person at the central or main station or with any person provided with a like telephone and appliances at any point or points throughout the system, and it will thus be seen that we accomplish the object of our invention by means of an apparatus which is simple in construction and operation and which is also comparatively inexpensive, and it will be understood that any desired number of the poles a and of the boxes D may be employed, said boxes D be ing located wherever desired throughout the circuit of the signal system.

Having fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a continuous-circuit system the combination of the main station and sub or signal stations, of an alarm at the main station located in the continuous circuit, a telephone at the main station having means for bringing it into the continuous circuit without a break therein, a telephone located at the substation normally out of the continuous circuit and means for bringing it into the con tinuous circuit and at the same time signaling lot at the main station, consisting of a pair of spring-arms in contact with each other and located in the continuous circuit, and a plug connected with the telephone formed with a wedge-shaped non-conduetin g head which is adapted to part the springs to break the cirpresence of the subscribing Witnesses, this cuit and thereby signal at the main station, 21st day of December, 1896. and With a metal contactpoint for, again V T closing the circuit and bringing the telephone into the continuous circuit, substantially as 1 l shown and described. Witnesses:

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as 7 'JOHN EAGAN, our invention We have signed our names, in V DENNIS EAGAN Jr.

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