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`EXHIBIT 1023
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`EXHIBIT 1023
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`(Np ModeL)
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`No. 447,918.'
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`A. B. STROWGER.
`AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
`Patented Mar. 10, 1891.
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`3 Sheets~—Sheet 1.
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`GROUND.
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`G'RouNn'
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`Witnesses:
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`Tm: mall mu cm. mm-umou wwnmm,’ o. c.
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`(No Model.)
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`' A. B. STROWGER.
`AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
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`3 Sheets—Sheet 2.
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`Patented Mar. 10,1891.
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`Carouvhl.
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`Gifigw‘jk No. 447,918.
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`(No Model.)
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`A. B. «STRO‘WGER.
`AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
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`3 Sheets—Sheet 3.
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`No. 447,918.
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`Patented Mar, 10, 189.1.
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`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
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`ALMON B. STROIVGER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
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`AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE.
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`4:
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`SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,918, dated March 10, 1891. '
`Application filedgM‘arch 12, l889. Serial No. 303,027.
`'(No model.)
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`With this brief outline, I will proceed to
`To all whom it may concern:
`Be it known that I, ALMON B. STROWGER, a more fully describe my invention and eluci—
`citizen of the United States, residing at Kan. date its workings by the aid of the accompa-
`sas City, in the county of Jackson and State of nyin g drawings.
`Missouri, have invented certain new and use-
`Figure I represents in a perspective View
`ful Improvements in Automatic Telephone-‘ my invention, showing at a distant sub-sta-
`Exchanges; and I do hereby declare the fol— tion one telephone and its exchange device
`lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- at the central office, also the mainline wires
`tionof theinvention,suchaswillenableothers
`connecting the central office with the sub-
`skilled in the art to which it appertains to station. Fig. II represents four of snclrde-
`make and use the same;
`vices as is represented by Fig. I, showing the
`My invention relates to an improvement in manner in which the cylinders are connected,
`automatic, telephonic, telegraphic, and other also the trend of the electrical current from
`electrical exchanges.
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`one sub-station to another through the cen:
`The object is to provide means whereby a tral office. Fig. III is a plan View of a series
`person at one station may make connection
`of cylinders,
`line-wires, and connectives,
`with any other station in the system, by the showing the normal position of the circuit-
`aid of electrical appliances, without the as-
`closers. Fig. IV is a seetiOnal View showing
`sistance 'of an operator at the central station.
`the magnets, levers, and pawls by which the
`A further object is to provide means of the device is operated. , Fig. V is a detail View of
`above character which shall be reliable and the ratchet—wheels and pawls for operating
`adapted to general use.
`the same. Fig. VI is a sectional view of the
`With these ends in view my invention eon-
`cylinders, showing more clearly the construc.
`sists in certain features of construction and tion of the circuit—closer and feather~and-
`combination of parts, as will be hereinafter groove attachment.
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`described and pointed out in the claims.
`Referring to the drawings by lettér, A rep-
`The same general plan is adopted as in the resents a hollow cylinder constructed of glass,
`systems now in use, in that of having a prin- wood, or any other suitable substance which
`cipal or central station, (central ofl‘ice,) and a
`is a non-conductor of electricity, supported in
`number of sub-stations, the said sub-stations
`any well—known or approved manner. The
`being placed in electrical connection with cylinders are provided with perforations a,
`each other at the central oflice by and through arranged in transverse and vertical rows.
`line~wires, which line-wires, for the sake of
`13 represents the wire connections extend-
`brevity, will be designated “phonic” wires,
`ing from the inside of the cylinder through
`introducing the ancient obsolete form,) but
`the perforations a to the main-line wires N
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`differ in that of having, in addition to the and is attached thereto. Their use is to con—
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`said phonic wires,aseriesof wires(one or‘ducttheelectricity,whenincontactwiththe
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`more) to operate the hereinafter—described circuit—closing needle C C’, to and via the
`mechanisms located at the central office. At
`line-wires N to the desired sub-station. The
`the sub-stations are the appliances which are
`terminals of said connectives within the cyl-
`used to transmit and receive communication,
`inder are shown at b, Fig. VI.
`In this last—
`as telephones and keys. At the central office named figure the circuit-closing arm is rep—
`are arranged in methodical order as many resented in parts, in which C is the circuit-
`switch—cylinders, with their attendant mech-
`closing sleeve and is firmly attached to the
`anisms, as there are sub-stations. The above-
`lower end of the sleeve—rod D.
`\Vithin this
`mentioned phonic wires trend within the cen-
`circuit—closing sleeve is closely fitted the cir.
`tral office in close proximity to each cylinder. Chit-closing needle C', held in such a man-
`From each phonic wire and attached thereto nor as to be in perfect electrical contact with
`wire terminals, connectives, or “legs ” extend the wire-terminal b by the spring 0. The rod
`to the inside of each cylinder, there being as D, (see Fig. V1,) is located along the axle-
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`many connectives attached to each phonic line of the cylinder and is free to rotateand
`wire as there are sub-stations. ,
`move longitudinally. The lower end of the
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`447,918
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`rod D is sleeved, into which is inserted the ' end of the cylinders upwardly, and by places
`upper portion of ' the ratchet~rod D’. This
`in each row——as, for example, 1 2 3 at &c.—
`sleeve construction between the rods I) and
`to the right or left of a given vertical row, so
`D’ allows the ratchet-rod D’ to have a longi-
`that, supposing there were one hundred per-
`forations in each of the rows, No. 310 would
`tudinal motion only,
`thereby keeping the
`be in the third row from the bottom,
`ten
`ratchet-teeth (l continuously toward its at—
`tendant pawl.
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`spaces to the right or left of the vertical in-
`itial line.
`The ratchet—rod I)’ is provided outside of
`Each connective wire B and phonic line—
`the cylinderA and conveniently below it with
`a series of ratchet-teeth d, by means of which
`wire N, Figs. II and III, with which the con-
`nections are attached, is also numbered to cor.
`the rods D and D’ are. moved longitudinally.
`respond with the number of the perforations
`The wheels E and E’, through the hub of
`which the rod D extends with a feather-and-
`a, through which the terminals extend.
`groove connection R, (see Fiv. V1,) so as to
`The person wishing to place his transmitter
`cause the rotation of the rod D and at the
`and earphone in connection with those of an-
`same time admit of its longitudinal sliding
`other, he will do so by successively pressing
`movement therein, are provided on their pe-
`or depressing the keys, which cause the cir-
`ripheries with a series of ratchet-teeth e and
`cuit-closer C C’ to move. For example,
`it'
`e’, by which the rod D is rotated, and with it
`telephone 288 wishes to place himselt‘ in con~
`the circuit-closer C and C’.
`nect‘ion with telephone 315 he will do so by
`G II I represent- levers having paw-ls g h. i
`pressing the key marked G" three times,
`pivoted in their ends in position to engage
`then the key marked 11’ once, and then the
`key marked 1’ five times.
`IIis circuit-closer
`the ratchet-teeth, with Which they are respect-
`C C’ is then in contact with wire-terminal
`iver in contact. Each lever has a vibra-
`tory movement and is oscillated by the alter-
`No. 315.
`In Fig. II sub-station No. 288 is
`nate energizing and de-energizing of their re-
`represented as being in connection with sub-
`station No. 315. This is known by the posi-
`spective magnets, thereby imparting motion
`to its adjacent ratchet—teeth and consequently
`tions of the circuit-closer C of cylinder'No.
`288, the course of the electrical current being
`’ the circuit-closing needle 0’.
`At each pulsa-
`tion of the push~button at the sub-station
`indicated by arrows. Had its circuitecloser
`0 been turned to the next wire indicated in
`made at the will of
`the operator causes,
`the drawings, 288 would be in connection with
`through the channels thus described, the cir-
`cuit~elosing needle 0’ to move from row to
`11. The person at telephone 315 will take
`row and from wire to wire in the row. \Vhen
`down his earphone. The two are then able
`to converse with each other. When conver-
`only three levers are used, the dog T (see Figs.
`sation is ended, the person calling up hangs
`Iand II) would be necessary.
`Its use is ob-
`vxous.
`up his earphone, depresses key marked P’,
`which causes the magnets K’ to be energized,
`attracting the armatures, thereby withdraw-
`ing the several pawls from their engagement
`with the ratchet-teeth and allow the circuit-
`closer C C’ to fall and return to its initial
`point.
`If a person has called up the wrong number,
`he will push the_ key marked P’ and start
`over again.
`The size of the cylinder A will depend
`solely upon the number of wires required in
`the system and the distance apart which it
`may be found most expedient to place them;
`and it is also evident that various slight
`changes might be resorted to in the mechan-
`ical construction of the several parts which I
`have described without materially departing
`from the spirit and scope of my invention,
`and hence I do not wish to belimited strictly
`thereto.
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`Having thus fully described my invention,
`what I claim as new, and desire to secure by
`Letters Patent, is—
`1. In a system of telephone, telegraph, or
`other electrical exchange, the combination,
`with a series of wires leading to different sta-
`tions in the system and having their ends in—
`sulated and held in curved rows, of a contact
`needle supported at the axis of the rows,
`mechanism for moving the needle from row
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`The magnets K K K arelocated in suitable
`positions that when energized by the manipu-
`lation of certain keys at the sub-station, oper-
`ate their‘respective levers. A set of magnets
`K’ K’ K’ K’ are also located in suitable posi-
`tions, that when energized their respective
`levers P serve to release the pawls from their
`engagement with the ratchet-teeth and allow
`the circuitoclosing needle C C’ to assume the
`initial position by the aid of gravity and the
`spring S. At each sub-station there is a set
`of keys marked, respectively, G’, 11’, I', and
`1”. Each key is connected by wire with its
`respective lettered magnet at the centraloffice,
`and when pressed an electrical circuit is es-
`tablished, it being understood that both ends
`of the wire are grounded or connected with
`a return-tap, it also being understood that a
`battery is used to generate the electricity
`and may be located at the sub—station be-
`tween the keys and the ground. The line-
`wire N extends from the telephone to and
`within the central office, there connected by
`the circuit-closing connective wire “7 to the
`circuit-closing needle C, and also by connect-
`ive B to the inside of each cylinder.
`Each perforation a of the cylinder A is
`numbered with respect to an initial or start-
`ing point on the cylinder—for example, in
`roWs numbered 1 2 3 4, &c.—from the lower
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`447,918
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`to row, mechanism for moving the needle
`along the row, magnets for actuatingl said
`mechanisms, and wires leading from a sub—
`station for conducting electricity to energize
`the said magnets, substantially as set forth.
`2. In a system of electrical exchange, the
`combination, with an insulating-cylinder, a
`system of wires having their ends extending
`to the inside of the cylinder, and a rotary and
`longitudinally~movable rod located at the axis
`of the cylinder, of a contact-needle attached
`to the rod, levers for moving the rod longi-
`tudinally, levers for rotating the rod, mag-
`nets for actuating the levers, and means for
`_, energizing the magnets at pleasure, substan-
`tially as set forth.
`3. In a system of electrical exchange, the
`combination, with an insulating curved sur-
`face, a system of wires having their ends ex-
`tending to and through said surface to the
`concave surface thereof, and a rotary and
`longitudinally—movable rod located at the axis
`of curvature, of a contact-needle fastened to
`the rod, levers for moving the rod longitudi;
`nally, levers for rotating the rod, magnets for.
`vibrating the lever, and means for energizing
`the magnets at pleasure, substantially as set
`forth.
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`t. In a system of electrical exchange, the
`combination, with an insulatiug-cylindcr, a
`system of wires having their ends extending
`to the inside of the cylinder, and a rotary and
`longitudinally-movable rod located at the axis
`of the cylinder, of a sleeved arm fastened to
`the rod, a contact-needle, levers for mov—
`ing the rod longitudinally, levers for rotating
`the rod, magnets for actuating the levers,
`means for pressing the needle outwardly, and
`means for energizing the magnet at pleasure,
`substantially as set forth.
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`5. In combination, the set of wires having
`their ends secured in a cylinder, the cylinder,
`the red at the axis of the cylinder, the pieces
`fastened to the rod, the levers provided with
`pawls pivoted thereto for actuating the red,
`the magnets for actuating the levers, the
`magnets for actuating the pawls, the keys at
`the sub-station, and the wires connecting the
`keys with the actuating-magnets, substan—
`tially as set forth.
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`In testimony whereof I affix my signature in
`presence of two witnesses.
`ALMON B. STROWGER.
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`Witnesses:
`BESSIE E. YOUNG,
`P. C. PHILLIPS.
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