US2640107A - Telephone pay station circuit - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1953 c. E. LoMAx ErAL TELEPHONE PAI STATION CIRCUIT 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed April l5, 1951 ATTORNEY May 26, 1953 c. E.| o'MAx Erm. 2,640,107

I TELEPHONE PAY STATION CIRCUIT Filed April 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 FIG. 2

9` lo 5 n JNVENToRs gunsrjcs .LoMAx 0H GAL G HER BY ATTY.

Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE PAY STATION CIRCUIT Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,778

3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to telephone paystation circuits and more particularly to such circuits including a device for controlling the availability of the coin channel for the acceptance or non-acceptance of deposited coins.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple circuit modification to present existing, as well as new, paystations that will allow a mechanical device to reject a certain denomination coin (a nickel in the present illustration) for initiating a call; whereas once a call has been initiated with a coin of another denomination (a dime or quarter in the present illustration) that previously rejected denomination coin will then be acceptable for toll calls.

Other objects of the invention will appear upon a further perusal of the specication taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l, which illustrates diagrammatically the apparatus and circuits involved in a system employing Ithe invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the upper part of a paystation telephone with the back board removed. Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional View of the nickel channel taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top sectional view of the coin channels in the coin chute and of the controlling mechanism taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Reference may be had to co-pending application of Ray John Gallagher, Serial No. 169,479,

filed June 21, 1950, wherein there is disclosed a mechanical adaptation in the paystation coin chute for rejecting an initially deposited nickel, thereby compelling the calling party to deposit a dime or quarter to effect the connection. Once the call is initiated the nickel coin channel is conditioned for subsequent acceptance of nickels in payment of toll charges. The present invention utilizes this mechanical adaptation and concerns itself with the means for controlling the said conditioning means for the nickel channel. An illustrated portion of the drawings of the above-mentioned application has been shown representing Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings in this application. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen .that the coin chute 9 is shown as mounted within the paystation housing and being normally positioned over the coin hopper l. Fig. 3 shows the nickel channel 4 with the flexible spring 2 in its normal or diverting position, also shown is the coin retaining walls or surfaces 5 and 6. Fig. 4 shows the nickel channels 4 of the coin chute 9 and also the control relay l0 as being mounted on the coin chute. The control relay l0 is shown in the operated position, in which the operated armature l has engaged the spring 2 and moved it out of the normal diverting position in the nickel channel and into the accepting position. It will be seen `that in this position the spring 2 combines with the wall 8 to form a complete retaining wall. A more complete description of this apparatus is covered in the above-mentioned application. In the hereinbefore cited co-pending application a portion of the upper wall of the nickel channel is removed and replaced by a small rectangular thin sheet of nickel silver (controlling spring) projecting diagonally into the channel and anchored at one end to the coin chute. The other end is flexed to an other than normal position by the armature of a control relay. This controlling spring is normally positioned in the nickel coin channel so that a deposited nickel will be diverted to fallout of the channel into the refund chamber in the same manner as would a nonstandard coin. Thus, the party would have to deposit a dime or quarter to actuate the coin trigger contacts for initiating a call. In the present invention this control relay, disclosed in the hereinbefore cited co-pending application, is connected in the paystation circuit in series with the line so that it will operate once the call is initiated and a iinder has found the line. The controlling spring will be flexed or pivoted out of the channel responsive to the operation oi' this control relay; and therefore any subsequent nickels deposited for toll charges will pass through the entire nickel channel to strike the coin signal bell. The control spring forms a retaining wall for the channel in the flexed position.

Referring now to the drawings a detailed description thereof will now be given. Assuming that a party desires to make a local call and removes the receiver and deposits a dime. As hereinbefcre mentioned, with the mechanical adaptation disclosed in the co-pending application, a -deposited dime wil-l. eect the closing of coin trigger contacts 3 I. The coin collect-refund magnet 30 will therefore be connected to the positive line and line relay 35, in the individual line circuit associated with the paystation, will operate, over the following circuit: ground, coin collect-refund magnet 30, coin trigger contacts 3|, positive talking conductor 34, contacts 3l, through line relay 35, to battery. Magnet 30 will not energize in this circuit. Responsive to the operation of line relay 35, finder 38 is initiated to seek out the calling paystation line in well-known manner. When the line is found by finder 38 and repeater 39 is connected thereto,

the line rela-y in the repeater will connect negative potential to negative talking conductor 33 and ground will be connected to positive talking conductor 34. Typical repeater 39 may be of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,113,080, issued to T. F. Crocker et al., April 5, 1938. Responsive to this application of potential across the talking conductors, control relay l0 operates, over the following circuit: negative potential on negative talking conductor 33, through control relay lil', coin signal transmitter I3 and shunting resistor M, talking transmitter i6, induction coil Winding i8, dial pulsing contacts 22', hook switchcontacts 25, to ground on positivev talking conductor 34. The operation of relay i0 actuates armature I which in turn iiexes controlling spring 2 to the accept position. The paystation is now conditioned for acceptance of nickels as is fully described in the hereinbefore cited co-pend'- ing application. The call may now be extended,

responsive to dialing, inl wellrknown manner through selector 40 and via conductors 5,4', 55 and 55 through connector H. to substationl.

For this previously described local cal-l, the

conditioning of the paystation for acceptance of nickels serves no useful function; however, assuming the party dialed the toll operator over finder 33, repeater 33, selector 40, andv via. conductors 5|, 52 and 53 to the toll operatorsposition 5i?,` this conditioning will be necessary. It is very import-ant that the nickel channel.y be available for toll charges as all denomination coins will invariably be deposited. Thus, it is seen that While the nickel channel is. initially blocked, once a call isini-tiatecl that nickel channel will be useful for depositing the toll charges.

il. slight modification or" thisv circuitl will cause control relay It to be responsive only to the answering of the called party. This. is` effected.

by utilizing X wiring which places rectifier lin parallel with control relay IO; Duningswitching and up until thetiine the.ca-lledpartyanswers negative potential will be placed on lconductor 33. Will shunt. the loop. current around control relay I0, thereby preventing it.

and rectifier ll from operating. However, responsive to answering, battery is reversed over; the linesv in well,- knoivn manner andK the negative.l potential?, will ythereafter be connected tol talking conductor 34.. The current through. the paystation will offA H course, reverse and rectifiery H willv not conduct.`

Substantially all of theloop current will therefore pass through control relay l0 and. causeoperation of same. Thus itA is` seen lthat the con.- ditioning process answering operation.

It might be noted that during dialing, shunt spring contacts 24 shunt out the contr-ol relay,l

may be delayedi untilA the f Cil all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described our invention in d-etail, what we claim and desire to have protected by issuance of Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a telephone paystation, a transmitter, a line, a under-repeater link for seizing said line, a coin channel having retaining surfaces leading to a hopper, a portion of one of said retaining surfaces comprising a iiexibly mounted coin controlling spring, said spring and channel normally positioned so that coins will not lbe retained within said channel at one time, and a control relay in series with said transmitter for flexing said spring to retain coins within said channel at other times, said relay operable responsive to seizure of said line by said finder-repeater link.

2. In a telephone paystation, a line, a. finderrepeater link for seizing said line, means for supplying reverse battery to said line, a transmitter, a coiny channel' having retaining surfaces leadingv to a hopper, a portion of one of said retaining surfaces comprising a flexibly mounted coin controlling spring, said spring and channel normally positioned so that coins will not be retained within said channel at one time. a control relay inseries with said transmitter for ilexing said spring to retain coins within said channel at other times, and a rectifying device connected in parallel with said relay, said rectifying device preventing said relay from operating upon seizure by said iinder-repeater link, said relay thereafter operating responsive to the operation of said reverse batterymeans.

3. In a telephone paystation, a line, a coin channel, a flexible spring associated with' said channel and normally projecting into said channel for diverting a deposited coin therefrom, a control relay associated with said flexible spring,

said control relay included in series withl said linereversed polarity for moving said flexible spring out of said normal diverting position insaid channel and` into a non-diverting position.

CLARENCE E. LOB/IAX. RAY JOHN GALLAGHER.

References. Cited in the file ofl thisv patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,312,680 Stonev Mar. 2, 1943- 2,370,239 -Friend Feb; 27, 1945l 2,375,066 Avery May 1,1945 2,583,783 Lomax et al Jan. 29;. 1952

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