Fig. 339. Face of Magneto Multiple SwitchboardView full size illustration.
Modern Magneto Multiple Board.Coming now to a consideration of modern magneto multiple switchboards, and bearing in mind that such boards are to be found in modern practice only in comparatively small installations and then only under rather peculiar conditions, as already set forth, we will consider the switchboard of the Monarch Telephone Manufacturing Company as typical of good practice in this respect.
Fig. 340. Monarch Magneto Multiple Switchboard CircuitsView full size illustration.
Line Circuit.The line and cord circuits of the Monarch system are shown in Fig. 340. It will be seen that each jack has in all five contacts, numbered from1to5respectively, of which1and4are the springs which register with the tip and ring contacts of the plug and through which the talking circuit is continued, while2and3are series contacts for cutting off the line drop when a plug is inserted,and5is the test contact or thimble adapted to register with the sleeve contact on the plug when the plug is fully inserted. The line circuit through the drop may be traced normally from one side of the line through the drop coil, thence through all of the pairs of springs2and3in the jacks of that line, and thence to spring1of the last jack, this spring always being strapped to the spring2in the last jack, and thence to the other side of the line. All the ring springs1are permanently tapped on to one side of the line, and all of the tip springs4are permanently tapped to the other side of the line. This system may, therefore, properly be called a branch-terminal system. It is seen that as soon as a plug is inserted into any of the jacks, the circuit through the drop will be broken by the opening of the springs2and3in that jack. The drop shown immediately above the answering jack is so associated mechanically with that jack as to be mechanically self-restored when the answering plug is inserted into the answering jack in response to a call. The arrangement in this respect is the same as that shown in Fig. 259, illustrating the Monarch combined drop and jack.
Cord Circuit.The cord circuit needs little explanation. The tip and ring strands are the ones which carry the talking current and across these is bridged the double-wound clearing-out drop, a condenser being included in series in the tip strand between the two drop windings in the manner already explained in connection with Fig. 284. The third or sleeve strand of the cord is continuous from plug to plug, and between it and the ground there is permanently connected a retardation coil.
Test.The test is dependent on the presence or absence of a path to ground from the test thimbles through some retardation coil associated with a cord circuit. Obviously, in the case of an idle line there will be no path to ground from the test thimbles, since normally they are merely connected to each other and are insulated from everything else. When, however, a plug is inserted into a multiple or answering jack, the test thimbles of that line are connected to ground through the retardation coil associated with the third strand of the plug used in making the connection. When the operator applies the tip of the calling plug to a test contact of a multiple jack there will be no path to ground afforded if the line is idle, while if it is busy the potential of the tip of the test plug will cause a currentto flow to ground through the impedance coil associated with the plug used in making the connection. This will be made clearer by tracing the test circuit. With the listening key thrown this may be traced from the live side of the battery through the retardation coil6, which is common to an operator's position, thence through the tip side of the listening key to the tip conductor of the calling cord, and thence to the tip of the calling plug and the thimble of the jack under test. If the line is idle there will be no path to ground from this point and no click will result, but if the line is busy, current will flow from the tip of the test plug to the thimble of the jack tested, thence by the test wire in the multiple to the thimble of the jack at which a connection already exists, and thence to ground through the third strand of the cord used in making that connection and the impedance coil associated therewith. The current which flows in this test circuit changes momentarily the potential of the tip side of the operator's telephone circuit, thus unbalancing her talking circuit and causing a click.
Fig. 341. Magneto Multiple SwitchboardView full size illustration.
If this test system were used in a very large board where themultiple would extend through a great many sections, there would be some liability of a false test due to the static capacity of the test contacts and the test wire running through the multiple. For small boards, however, where the multiple is short, this system has proven reliable. A multiple magneto switchboard employing the form of circuits just described is shown in Fig. 341. This switchboard consists of three sections of two positions each. The combined answering jacks and drops may be seen at the lower part of the face of the switchboard and occupying somewhat over one-half of the jack and drop space. The multiple jacks are above the answering jacks and drops and it may be noted that the same arrangement and number of these jacks is repeated in each section. This switchboard may be extended by adding more sections and increasing the multiple in those already installed to serve 1,600 lines.
Assembly.In connection with the assembly of these magneto multiple switchboards, as installed by the Monarch Company, Fig. 342 shows the details of the cord rack at the back of the board. It shows how the ends of the switchboard cords opposite to the ends that are fastened to the plugs are connected permanently to terminals on the cord rack, at which point the flexible conductors are brought out to terminal clips or binding posts, to which the wires leading from the other portions of the cord circuit are led. In order to relieve the conductors in the cords from strain, the outer braiding of the cord at the rack end is usually extended to form what is called astrain cord, and this attached to an eyelet under the cord rack, so that the weight of the cord and the cord weights will be borne by the braiding rather than by the conductors. This leaves the insulated conductors extending from the ends of the cords free to hang loose without strain and be connected to the terminals as shown. This method of connecting cords, with variations in form and detail, is practically universal in all types of switchboards.
Fig. 342. Cord-Rack ConnectorsView full size illustration.
A detail of the assembly of the drops and jacks in such a switchboardis shown in Fig. 343. The single pair of clearing-out drops is mounted in the lower part of the vertical face of the switchboard just above the space occupied by the plug shelf. Vertical stile strips extend above the clearing-out drop space for supporting the drops and jacks. A single row of 10 answering jacks and the corresponding line drops are shown in place. Above these there would be placed, in the completely assembled board, the other answering jacks and line signals that were to occupy this panel, and above these the strips of multiple jacks. The rearwardly projecting pins from the stile strips are for the support of the multiple jack strips, these pins supporting the strips horizontally by suitable multiple clips at the ends of the jack strips; the jack strips being fastened from the rearby means of nuts engaging the screw threads on these pins. This method of supporting drops and jacks is one that is equally adaptable for use in other forms of boards, such as the simple magneto switchboard.
Fig. 343. Drop and Jack MountingView full size illustration.
Fig. 344. Keyboard WiringView full size illustration.
In Fig. 344 is shown a detail photograph of the key shelf wiring in one of these Monarch magneto switchboards. In this the under side of the keys is shown, the key shelf being raised on its hinge for that purpose. The cable, containing all of the insulated wires leading to these keys, enters the space under the key shelf at the extreme left and from the rear. It then passes to the right of this space where a "knee" is formed, after which the cable is securely strapped to the under side of the key shelf. By this construction sufficient flexibility is provided for in the cable to permit the raising and lowering of the key shelf, the long reach of the cable between the "knee" and the point of entry at the left serving as a torsion member, so that the raising of the shelf will give the cable a slight twist rather than bend it at a sharp angle.
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Western Electric No. 1 Relay Board.The common-battery multiple switchboard differs from the simple or non-multiple common-battery switchboard mainly in the provision of multiple jacks and in the added features which are involved in the provision for a busy test. The principles of signaling and of supplying current to the subscribers for talking are the same as in the non-multiple common-battery board. For purposes of illustrating the practical workings of the common-battery multiple switchboard, we will take the standard form of the Western Electric Company, choosing this only because it is the standard with nearly all the Bell operating companies throughout the United States.
Fig. 345. Line Circuit Western Electric No. 1. BoardView full size illustration.
Line Circuit.We will first consider the line circuit in simplified form, as shown in Fig. 345. At the left in this figure the common-battery circuit is shown at the subscriber's station, and at the right the central-office apparatus is indicated so far as equipment of a single line is concerned. In this simplified diagram no attempt has been made to show the relative positions of the various parts, these having been grouped in this figure in such a way as to give as clear and simple an idea as possible of the circuit arrangements. It is seen at a glance that this is a branch terminal board, the three contacts of each jack being connected by separate taps or legs to three wires running throughout the length of the board, these threewires being individual to the jacks of one line. On this account this line circuit is commonly referred to as a three-wire circuit. By the same considerations it will be seen that the switchboard line circuit of the branch-terminal multiple magneto system, shown in Fig. 338, would be called a four-wire circuit. It will be shown later that other multiple switchboards in wide use have a still further reduction in the number of wires running through the jacks, or through the multiple as it is called, such being referred to as two-wire switchboards.
The two limbs of the line which extend from the subscriber's circuit, beside being connected by taps to the tip and sleeve contacts of the jack respectively, connect with the two back contacts of a cut-off relay, and when this relay is in its normal or unenergized condition, these two limbs of the line are continued through the windings of the line relay and thence one to the ungrounded or negative side of the common-battery and the other to the grounded side. The subscriber's station circuit being normally open, no current flows through the line, but when the subscriber removes his receiver for the purpose of making a call the line circuit is completed and current flows through the coil of the line relay, thus energizing that relay and causing it to complete the circuit of the line lamp. The cut-off relay plays no part in the operation of the subscriber's calling, but merely leaves the circuit of the line connected through to the calling relay and battery. The coil of the cut-off relay is connected to ground on one side and on the other side to the third wire running through the switchboard multiple and which is tapped off to each of the test rings on the jacks. As will be shown later, when the operator plugs into the jack of a line, such a connection is established that the test ring of that jack will be connected to the live or negative pole of the common battery, which will cause current to flow through the coil of the cut-off relay, which will then operate tocut offboth of the limbs of the line from their normal connection with ground and the battery and the line relay. Hence the namecut-off relay.
The use of the cut-off relay to sever the calling apparatus from the line at all times when the line is switched serves to make possible a very much simpler jack than would otherwise be required, as will be obvious to anyone who tries to design a common-battery multiplesystem without a cut-off relay. The additional complication introduced by the cut-off relay is more than offset by the saving in complexity of the jacks. It is desirable, on account of the great number of jacks necessarily employed in a multiple switchboard, that the jacks be of the simplest possible construction, thus reducing to a minimum their first cost and making them much less likely to get out of order.
Cord Circuit.The cord circuit of the Western Electric standard multiple common-battery switchboard is shown in Fig. 346. This cord circuit involves the use of three strands in the flexible cords of both the calling and the answering plugs. Two of these are the ordinary tip and ring conductors over which speech is transmitted to the connected subscriber's wire. The third, the sleeve strand, carries the supervisory lamps and has associated with it other apparatus for the control of these lamps and of the test circuit.
Fig. 346. Cord Circuit Western Electric No. 1 BoardView full size illustration.
The system of battery feed is the well-known split repeating-coil arrangement already discussed. The tip strand runs straight through to the repeating coil, while the ring strand contains, in each case, the winding of the supervisory relay corresponding to either the calling or the answering plug. In order that the presence in the talking circuit of a magnet winding possessing considerable impedance may not interfere with the talking efficiency, each of these supervisory relay windings is shunted by a non-inductive resistance. In practice the supervisory relay windings have each a resistance of about 20 ohms and the shunt around them each a resistance of about 31 ohms. In the third strand of each cord is placed a 12-volt supervisory lamp, and in series with it a resistance of about 80 ohms. Each supervisory relay is adapted, when energized, to closea 40-ohm shunt about its supervisory lamp. The arrangement and proportion of these resistances is such that when a plug is inserted into the jack of a line the lamp will receive current from a circuit traced from the negative pole of the battery in the center of the cord circuit through the lamp and the 80-ohm series resistance, through the third strand of the cord to the test thimble of the jack, and thence to the positive or grounded pole of the battery through the third conductor in the multiple and the winding of the cut-off relay. This current always flows as long as the plug is inserted, and it is just sufficient to illuminate the lamp when the supervisory relay armature is not attracted. When, however, the supervisory relay armature is attracted, the shunting of the lamp by the 40-ohm resistance cuts down the current to such a degree as to prevent the illumination of the lamp, although some current still flows through it.
The usual ringing and listening key is associated with the calling plug, and in some cases a ring-back key is associated with the answering plug, but this is not standard practice.
Operation.The operation of this cord circuit in conjunction with the line circuit of Fig. 345 may best be understood by reference to Fig. 347. This figure employs a little different arrangement of the line circuit in order more clearly to indicate how the two lines may be connected by a cord; a study of the two line circuits, however, will show that they are identical in actual connections. It is to be remembered that all of the battery symbols shown in this figure represent in reality the same battery, separate symbols being shown for greater simplicity in circuit connections.
We will assume the subscriber at StationAcalls for the subscriber at StationB. The operation of the line relay and the consequent lighting of the line lamp, and also the operation of the pilot relay will be obvious from what has been stated. The response of the operator by inserting the answering plug into the answering jack, and the throwing of her listening key so as to bridge her talking circuit across the cord in order to place herself in communication with the subscriber, is also obvious. The insertion of the answering plug into the answering jack completed the circuit through the third strand of the cord and the winding of the cut-off relay of the calling line, and this accomplishes three desirable results. The circuit so completed may be traced from the negative or ungrounded side ofthe battery to the center portion of the cord circuit, thence through the supervisory lamp1, resistance2, to the third conductor on the plug, test thimble on the jack, thence through the winding of the cut-off relay to ground, which forms the other terminal of the battery. The results accomplished by the closing of this circuit are: first, the energizing of the cut-off relay to cut off the signaling portion of the line; second, the flowing of current through the lamp that is almost sufficient to illuminate it, but not quite so because of the closure of the shunt about it, for the reason that will be described; third, the raising of the potential of all the contact thimbles on the jacks from zero to a potential different from that of the ground and equal in amount to the fall of potential through the winding of the cut-off relay. A condition is thus established at the test rings such that some other operator at some other section in testing the line will find it busy and will not connect with it.
Fig. 347. Western Electric No. 1 BoardView full size illustration.
The reason why the lamp1, connected with the answering plug, was not lighted was that the supervisory relay3, associated with theanswering plug, became energized when the operator plugged in, due to the flow of current from the battery through the calling subscriber's talking apparatus, this flow of current being permitted by the removal of the calling subscriber's receiver from its hook. The energizing of this relay magnet by causing the attraction of its armature, closed the shunt about the lamp1, which shunt contains the 40-ohm resistance4, and thus prevents the lamp from receiving enough current to illuminate it. Obviously, as soon as the calling subscriber replaces his receiver on its hook, the supervisory relay3will be de-energized, the shunt around the lamp will be broken, and the lamp will be illuminated to indicate to the operator the fact that the subscriber with whose line her calling plug is connected has replaced his receiver on its hook.
Testing—Called Line Idle.Having now shown how the operator connects with the calling subscriber's line and how that line automatically becomes guarded as soon as it is connected with, so that no other operator will connect with it, we will discuss how the operator tests the called line and subsequently connects with that line, if it is found proper to do so. If, on making the test with one of the multiple jacks of the line leading to StationB, that line is idle and free to be connected with, its test rings will all be at zero potential because of the fact that they are connected with ground through the cut-off relay winding with no source of current connected with them. The tip of the calling plug will also be at zero potential in making this test, because it is connected to ground through the tip side of the calling-plug circuit and one winding of the cord-circuit repeating coil. As a result no flow of current will occur, the operator will receive no click, and she will know that she is free to connect with the line. As soon as she does so, by inserting the plug, the third strand of the cord will be connected with the test thimble of the calling line and the resulting flow of current will bring about three results, two of which are the same, and one of which is slightly different from those described as resulting from the insertion of the answering plug into the jack of the calling line. First, the cut-off relay will be operated and cut off the line signaling apparatus from the called line; second, a flow of current will result through the calling supervisory lamp5, which in this case will be sufficient to illuminate that lamp for the reason that the called subscriber has not yet responded,the calling supervisory relay6has, therefore, not yet been energized, and the lamp has not, therefore, been shunted by its associated resistance7; third, the test thimbles of the called line will be raised to a potential above that of the earth, and thus the line will be guarded against connection at another section of the switchboard. As soon as the called subscriber responds to the ringing current sent out by the operator, current will flow over the cord circuit and over his line through his transmitter. This will cause the calling supervisory relay to be energized and the calling lamp to be extinguished. Both lamps1and5remain extinguished as long as the connected subscribers are in conversation, but as soon as either one of them hangs up his receiver the corresponding lamp will be lighted, due to the de-energization of the supervisory relay and the breaking of the shunt around the lamp. The lighting of both lamps associated with a cord circuit is a signal to the operator for disconnection.
Testing—Called Line Busy.If we now assume that the called line was already busy, by virtue of being connected with at another section, the test rings of that line would accordingly all be raised to a potential above that of the earth. As a result, when the operator applied the tip of her calling plug to a test thimble on that line, current would flow from this test thimble through the tip of the calling plug and tip strand of the cord and through one winding of the cord-circuit repeating coil to ground. This would cause a slight raising of potential of the entire tip side of the cord circuit and a consequent momentary flow of current through the secondary of the operator's circuit bridged across the cord circuit at that time.
Operator's Circuit Details.The details of the operator's talking circuit shown in Fig. 347 deserve some attention. The battery supply to the operator's transmitter is through an impedance coil9. The condenser12is bridged around the transmitter and the two primary windings10and11, which windings are in parallel so as to afford a local circuit for the passage of fluctuating currents set up by the transmitter. The two primary windings10and11are on separate induction coils, the secondary windings13and14being, therefore, on separate cores. The winding15, in circuit with the secondary winding14and the receiver, is a non-inductive winding and is supposed to have a resistance about equal to the effective resistance to fluctuating currents of a subscriber's line of average length. Owingto the respective directions of the primary and secondary windings10and11,13and14, the result is that the outgoing currents set up by the operator's transmitter are largely neutralized in the operator's receiver. Incoming currents from either of the connected subscribers, however, pass, in the main, through the secondary coil13and the operator's receiver, rather than through the shunt path formed by the secondary14, and the non-inductive resistance15. This is known as an "anti-side tone" arrangement, and its object is to prevent the operator from receiving her own voice transmission so loudly as to make her ear insensitive to the feebler voice currents coming in from the subscribers.
Order-Wire Circuits.The two keys16and17, shown in connection with the operator's talking circuit in Fig. 347, play no part in the regular operation of connecting two local lines, as described above. They are order-wire keys, and the circuits with which they connect lead to the telephone sets of other operators at distant central offices, and by pressing either one of these keys the operator is enabled to place herself in communication over these so-called order-wire circuits with such other operators. The function and mode of operation of these order-wire circuits will be described in the next chapter, wherein inter-office connections will be discussed.
Wiring of Line Circuit.The line circuits shown in Figs. 345 and 347 are, as stated, simplified to facilitate understanding, although the connections shown are those which actually exist. The more complete wiring of a single line circuit is shown in Fig. 348. The line wires are shown entering at the left. They pass immediately, upon entering the central office, through the main distributing frame, the functions and construction of which will be considered in detail in a subsequent chapter. The dotted portions of the circuit shown in connection with this main distributing frame indicate the path from the terminals on one side of the frame to those on the other through so-called jumper wires. The two limbs of the line then pass to terminals1and2on one side of the so-called intermediate distributing frame. Here the circuit of each limb of the line divides, passing, on the one hand, to the tip and sleeve springs of all the multiple jacks belonging to that line; and, on the other hand, through the jumper wires indicated by dotted lines on the intermediate distributing frame, and thence to the tip and ring contacts of the answeringjack. A consideration of this connection will show that the actual electrical connections so far as already described are exactly those of Figs. 345 and 347, although those figures omitted the main and intermediate distributing frames. Only two limbs of the line are involved in the main frame. In the intermediate frame the test wire running through the multiple is also involved. This test wire, it will be seen, leads from the test thimbles of all the multiple jacks to the terminal3on the intermediate frame, thence through the jumper wire to the terminal6of this frame, and to the test thimble of the answering jack. Here again the electrical connections are exactly those represented in Figs. 345 and 347, although those figures do not show the intermediate frame.
The two terminals4and5of the intermediate frame, besides being connected to the tip and sleeve springs of the answering jack, are connected to the contacts of the cut-off relay, and thence through the coils of the line relay to ground on one side and to battery on the other. Thus the line relay and battery are normally included in the circuit of the line. The contact6on the intermediate distributing frame, besides being connected to the test thimble of all the jacks, is connected through the coil of the cut-off relay to ground, thus establishing a path by which current is supplied to the cut-off relay when connection is made to the line at any jack. There is another contact7on the intermediate distributing frame which merely forms a terminal for joining one side of the line lamp to the back contact of the line relay.
Functions of Distributing Frames.Since the line circuit thus far described in connection with Fig. 348 is exactly the same as that of Fig. 345 in its electrical connections, it becomes obvious that the main and intermediate distributing frames play no part in the operation of the circuit any more than a binding post of a telephone plays a part in its operation. These frames carry terminals for facilitating the connection of the various wires in the line circuit and, as will be shown later, for facilitating certain changes in the line connection.
Fig. 348. Line Circuit No. 1 BoardView full size illustration.
Remembering that the dotted lines in Fig. 348 indicate jumper wires of the main and intermediate distributing frames, and that these are in the nature of temporary or readily changeable connections, and that the full lines, whether heavy or light, are permanentconnections not readily changeable, it will be seen that the wires leading through the multiple jacks of a certain line are permanently associated with each other, and with certain terminals on the main distributing frame and certain other terminals on the intermediate distributing frame. It will also be seen that the line lamp and the answering jack, together with the cut-off relay and line relay, are permanently associated with each other and with another group of terminals4,5,6, and7on the intermediate distributing frame. It will also be apparent that by changing the jumper wires on the mainframe, any outside line may be connected with any different set of line switchboard equipment, and also that by making changes in the jumper wires on the intermediate frame, any given answering jack and line lamp with its associated line cut-off relay may be associated with any set of multiple jacks.
Pilot Signals.In a portion of the circuit leading from the battery that is common to a group of line lamps is the winding of the pilot relay, which is common to this group of line lamps. This controls, as already described, the circuit of the pilot lamp common to the same group of line lamps. In addition, a night-bell circuit is sometimes provided, this usually being in the form of an ordinary polarized ringer, the circuit of which is controlled by a night-bell relay common to the entire office. Normally, this relay is shunted out of the circuit of the common portion of the lead to the pilot relay contacts by the key8, but when the key8is opened all current that is fed to the pilot lamps passes through the night-bell relay, and thus, whenever any pilot lamp is lighted, the night-bell relay will attract its armature and thus close the circuit of the calling generator through the night bell.
A study of this figure will make clear to the student how the portions of the circuit that are individual to the line are associated with such things as the battery, that are common to the entire office, and such as the pilot relay and lamp, that are common to a group of lines terminating in one position.
Modified Relay Windings.In some cases, the line relay instead of being double wound, as shown, is made with a single winding, this winding being normally included between the ring side of the cut-off relay and the battery, the tip side of the cut-off relay being run direct to ground. The present practice of the Western Electric Company is towards the double-wound relay, however, and that is considered standard in all of their large No. 1 multiple boards, except where the customer, owing to special reasons, demands a single wound relay on the ring side of the line. The prime reason for the two-winding line relay is the lessened click in the calling-subscriber's receiver which occurs when the operator answers. All line relays prior to 1902 were single-wound, but after that they were made double and used some turns of resistance wire to limit the normal calling current.
Relay Mounting.In the standard No. 1 relay board of the Western Electric Company and, in fact, in nearly all common-battery multiple boards that are manufactured by other companies, the line and cut-off relays are mounted on separate racks outside the switchboard room and adjacent to the main and intermediate distributing frames, the wiring being extended from the relays to the jacks and lamps on the switchboard proper by means of suitable cables. The Western Electric Company has recently instituted a departure from this practice in the case of some of their smaller No. 1 switchboard installations. Where it is thought that the ultimate capacity required by the board will not be above 3,000 lines, the relay rack is dispensed with and all of the line and cut-off relays, as well as the supervisory relays, are mounted in the rear of the switchboard frame. For this purpose the line and cut-off relays are specially made with the view to securing the utmost compactness. In still other cases, in switchboards of relatively small ultimate capacity, they use this small line and cut-off relay mounted on a separate relay rack, in which case the board is the standard No. 1 board except for the type of relays. In all of these modifications of the No. 1 board adapted for the use of the smaller and cheaper relays, the line relay has but a single winding, the small size of the relay winding not lending itself readily to double winding with the added necessary coil terminals.
Capacity Range.The No. 1 Western Electric board is made in standard sizes up to an ultimate capacity of 9,600 lines. For all capacities above 4,900 lines, a3/8-inch jack, vertical and horizontal face dimensions, is employed. For this capacity the smaller types of cut-off and line relays are not employed. Up to ultimate capacities of 4,900 lines,1/2-inch jacks are employed, and either the small or the large relays mounted on a separate rack are available. Up to 3,000 lines ultimate capacity, the1/2-inch jack is employed, and either the small or the large cut-off and line relays are available, but in case the small type is used the purchaser has the option of mounting them on a separate relay rack, as in ordinary practice, or mounting them in the switchboard cabinet and dispensing with the relay rack.
Western Electric No. 10 Board.The No. 1 common-battery multiple switchboard, regardless of its size and type of arrangementof line and cut-off relays, involves two relays for each line, the line relay energized by the taking of the receiver off its hook, and the cut-off relay energized by the act of the operator on plugging in and serving to remove the line relay from the circuit whenever and as long as a plug is inserted into any jack of the line. This seems to involve a considerable expense in relays, but this, as has been stated, is warranted by the greater simplicity in jacks which the use of the cut-off relay makes possible. In addition to this expense of investment in the line and cut-off relays, the amount of current required to hold up the cut-off relays during conversations foots up to a considerable item of expense, particularly as the system of supervisory signals is one in which the supervisory lamp takes current not only while burning, but its circuit takes even more current when the lamp is extinguished during the time of a connection. For all of these reasons, and some other minor ones, it was deemed expedient by the engineers of the Western Electric Company to design a common-battery multiple switchboard for small and medium-sized exchanges in which certain sacrifices might be made to the end of accomplishing certain savings. The result has been a type of switchboard, designated the No. 10, which may be found in a number of Bell exchanges, it being considered particularly adaptable to installations of from 500 to 3,000 lines. Although this board has been subject to a good deal of adverse criticism, and although it seems probable that even for the cheaper boards the No. 1 type with some of the modifications just described will eventually supersede this No. 10 board, yet the present extent of use of the No. 10 board and the instructive features which its type displays warrant its discussion here.
Circuits.The circuits of this switchboard are shown in Fig. 349, this indicating two-line circuits and a connecting cord circuit, together with the auxiliary apparatus employed in connection with the operator's telephone circuit, the pilot and night alarm circuits. The most noticeable feature is that cut-off jacks are employed, the circuit of the line normally extending through the sets of jack springs in the multiple, and answering jacks to the line relay and battery on one side of the line, and to ground on the other side. Obviously, the additional complexity of the jack saves the use of a cut-off relay and the relay equipment of each line consists, therefore, of but a single line relay, which controls the lamp in an obvious manner.
Fig. 349. Western Electric No. 10 BoardView full size illustration.
The cord circuit is of the three-conductor type, the two talking strands extending to the usual split repeating-coil arrangement, and battery current for talking purposes being fed through these windings as in the standard No. 1 board. The supervisory relay is included in the ring strand of the cord circuit and is shunted by a non-inductive resistance, so that its impedance will not interfere with the talking currents. The armature of the supervisory relay closes the lamp contact on its back stroke, so that the lamp is always held extinguished when the relay is energized. The supervisory lamp is included in a connection between the back contact of the supervisory relay and ground, this connection including the central-office battery. As a result, the illumination of the supervisory lamp is impossible until a plug has been inserted into a jack, in which case, assuming the supervisory relay to be de-energized, the lamp circuit is completedthrough the wire connecting all of the test thimbles and the resistance permanently bridged to ground from that wire.
Test.For purposes of the test it is evident that the test rings of an idle line are always at ground potential, due to their connection to ground through the resistance coil. It is also evident that the tip of an unused calling plug will always be at ground potential and, therefore, that the testing of an idle line will result in no click in the operator's receiver. When a line is switched, however, the potential of all the test rings will be raised due to their being connected with the live pole of the battery through the third strand of the cord. When the operator in testing touches the test contact of the jack of a busy line, a current will, therefore, flow from this test contact to the tip strand of the cord and thence to ground through one of the repeating coil windings. The potential of the tip side of the cord will, therefore, be momentarily altered, and this will result in a click in the operator's receiver bridged across the cord circuit at the time. The details of the operator's cord circuit and of the pilot lamp and night alarm circuits will be clear from the diagram.
Operation.A brief summary of the operation of this system is as follows:
The subscriber removes his receiver from its hook, thus drawing up the armature of the line relay and lighting his line lamp. The operator answers. The line lamp is extinguished by the falling back of the line-relay armature, due to the breaking of the relay circuit at the jack contacts. The subscriber then receives current for his transmitter through the cord-circuit battery connections. The supervisory relay connected with the answering cord is not lighted, because, although the lamp-circuit connection is completed at the jack, the supervisory relay is operated to hold the lamp circuit open. Conversation ensues between the operator and the subscriber, after which the operator tests the line called for with the tip of the calling plug of the pair used in answering. If the called line is not busy, no click will ensue, because both the tested ring and the calling plug are at the same potential. Finding no click, the operator will insert the plug and ring by means of the ringing key. When the operator plugs in, the supervisory lamp, associated with the calling plug, becomes lighted because the circuit is completed at the jack and the supervisory relay remains de-energized, since theline circuit is open at the subscriber's station. When the called subscriber responds, the calling supervisory lamp goes out because of the energization of the supervisory relay. Both lamps remain out during the conversation, but when either subscriber hangs up, the corresponding supervisory lamp will be lighted because of the falling back of the supervisory relay armature.
If the called line is busy, a click will be heard, for the reason described, and the operator will so inform the calling subscriber. It goes without saying, that in any multiple-switchboard system a plug may be found in the actual multiple jack that is reached for, in which case, although no test will be made, the busy condition will be reported back to the calling subscriber.
Economy.It has been the belief of the Western Electric engineers that a real economy is accomplished in this type of board by the saving in relay equipment. It is, of course, apparent at a glance that with a switchboard long enough and of sections enough, the cost of extra jack springs and their platinum contacts must become great enough to offset the saving accomplished by omitting the cut-off relay. This makes it apparent that if there is any economy in this type of multiple switchboard, it must be found in the very small boards where there are but few jacks per line and where the extra cost of the cut-off jack is not enough to offset the extra cost of an added relay. It is the growing belief, however, among engineers, that the multiple switchboard must be very small indeed in order that the added complexity of the cut-off jacks and wiring may be able to save anything over the two-relay type of line; and it is believed that where economy is necessary in small boards, it may be best effected by employing cheaper and more compact forms of relays and mounting them, if necessary, directly in the switchboard cabinet.
Note.These two standard types of common-battery multiple switchboards of the Western Electric Company represent the development through long years of careful work on the part of the Western Electric and Bell engineers, credit being particularly due to Scribner, McBerty, and McQuarrie of the Western Electric Company, and Hayes of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Note.These two standard types of common-battery multiple switchboards of the Western Electric Company represent the development through long years of careful work on the part of the Western Electric and Bell engineers, credit being particularly due to Scribner, McBerty, and McQuarrie of the Western Electric Company, and Hayes of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Kellogg Two-Wire Multiple Board.The simplicity in the jacks permitted by the use of the cut-off relay in the Western Electric common-battery multiple switchboard for larger exchanges was carried a step further by Dunbar and Miller in the development ofthe so-called two-wire common-battery multiple switchboard, which for many years has been the standard of the Kellogg Switchboard and Supply Company. The particular condition which led to the development of the two-wire system was the demand at that time on the Kellogg Company for certain very large multiple switchboards, involving as many as 18,000 lines in the multiple. Obviously, this necessitated a small jack, and obviously a jack having only two contacts, a tip spring and a sleeve, could be made more easily and with greater durability of this very small size than a jack requiring three or more contacts. Other reasons that were considered were, of course, cheapness in cost of construction and extreme simplicity, which, other things being equal, lends itself to low cost of maintenance.
Line Circuit.Like the standard Western Electric board for large offices, the Kellogg two-wire board employs two relays for each line, the line relay under the control of the subscriber and in turn controlling the lamp, and a cut-off relay under the control of the operator and in turn controlling the connection of the line relay with the line. The line circuit as originally developed and as widely used by the Kellogg Company is shown in Fig. 350. The extreme simplicity of the jacks is apparent, as is also the fact that but two wires lead through the multiple. Another distinguishing feature is, that all of the multiple and answering jacks are normally cut off from the line at the cut-off relay, but when the cut-off relay operates it serves, in addition to cutting off the line relay, to attach the two limbs of the line to the two wires leading through the multiple and answering jacks. The control of the line relay by the subscriber's switch hook is clear from the figure. The control of the cut-off relay is secured by attaching one terminal of the cut-off relay winding permanently to that wire leading through the multiple which connects with the sleeve contacts of the jack, the other terminal of the cut-off relay being grounded. The way in which this relay is operated will be understood when it is stated that the sleeve contacts of both the answering and calling plugs always carry full battery potential and, therefore, whenever any plug is inserted into any jack, current flows from the sleeve of the jack through the sleeve contact of the jack to ground, through the winding of the cut-off relay, which relay becomes energized and performs the functions just stated. It is seen that thewire running through the multiple to which the sleeve jack contacts are attached, is thus made to serve the double purpose of answering as one side of the talking circuit, and also of performing the functions carried out by the separate or third wire in the three-wire system. It will be shown also that, in addition, this wire is made to lend itself to the purposes of the busy test without any of these functions interfering with each other in any way.