Cyclopedia of Telephony and Telegraphy Volume I Part 20

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 157. Bell for Common-Battery Desk Set.]

The Kellogg Switchboard and Supply Company is one which places all the parts, except the polarized ringer and the a.s.sociated condenser, in the desk stand itself. In Fig. 156 is shown a bottom view of the desk stand with the bottom plate removed. In the upper portion of the circle of the base is shown a small condenser which is placed in the talking circuit in series with the receiver. In the right-hand portion of the circle of the base is shown a small impedance coil, which is placed in series with the transmitter but in shunt relation with the condenser and the receiver.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 158. Bell for Common-Battery Desk Set]

In Figs. 157 and 158 are shown two views of the type of bell box employed by the Kellogg Company in connection with the common-battery desk sets, this box being of pressed-steel construction and having a removable lid, as shown in Fig. 158, by which the working parts of the ringer are made readily accessible, as are also the terminals for the cord leading from the desk stand and for the wires of the line circuit. The condenser that is placed in series with the ringer is also mounted in this same box. By employing two condensers, one in the bell box large enough to transmit ringing currents and the other in the base of the desk stand large enough only to transmit voice currents, a duplication of condensers is involved, but it has the corresponding advantages of requiring only two strands to the flexible cord leading from the bell box to the desk stand proper.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 159. Microtelephone Set]

A form of desk-telephone set that is used largely abroad, but that has found very little use in this country, is shown in Fig. 159. In this the transmitter and the receiver are permanently attached together, the receiver being of the watch-case variety and so positioned relatively to the transmitter that when the receiver is held at the ear, the mouthpiece of the transmitter will be just in front of the lips of the user. In order to maintain the transmitter in a vertical position during use, this necessitates the use of a curved mouthpiece as shown. This transmitter and receiver so combined is commonly called, in this country, the _microtelephone set_, although there seems to be no logical reason for this name. The combined transmitter and receiver, instead of being supported on an ordinary form of hook switch, are supported on a forked bracket as shown, this bracket serving to operate the switch springs which are held in one position when the bracket is subjected to the weight of the microtelephone, and in the alternate position when relieved therefrom. This particular microtelephone set is the product of the L.M. Ericsson Telephone Manufacturing Company, of Buffalo, New York. The circuits of such sets do not differ materially from those of the ordinary desk telephone set.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 160. Kellogg Common-Battery Desk Set]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 161. Dean Common-Battery Set]

Circuits of Common-Battery Telephone Sets. The complete circuits of the Kellogg desk-stand arrangement are shown in Fig. 160, the desk-stand parts being shown at the left and the bell-box parts at the right. As is seen, but two conductors extend from the former to the latter. A simplified theoretical sketch is also shown in the upper right-hand corner of this figure.

The details of the common-battery telephone circuits of the Dean Electric Company are shown in Fig. 161. This involves the use of the balanced Wheatstone bridge. The only other thing about this circuit that needs description, in view of what has previously been said about it, is that the polarized bell is placed in series with a condenser so that the two sides of the circuit may be insulated from each other while the telephone is not in use, and yet permit the pa.s.sage of ringing current through the bell.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 162. Monarch Common-Battery Wall Set]

The use of the so-called direct-current receiver has brought about a great simplification in the common-battery telephone circuits of several of the manufacturing companies. By this use the transmitter and the receiver are placed in series across the line, this path being normally opened by the hook-switch contacts. The polarized bell and condenser are placed in another bridge path across the line, this path not being affected by the hook-switch contacts. All that there is to such a complete common-battery telephone set, therefore, is a receiver, transmitter, hook switch, bell, condenser, and cabinet, or other support.

The extreme simplicity of the circuits of such a set is ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 162, which shows how the Monarch Telephone Manufacturing Company connect up the various parts of their telephone set, using the direct-current receiver already described in connection with Fig. 54.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VENTILATING PLANT FOR LARGE TELEPHONE OFFICE BUILDING]

CHAPTER XV

NON-SELECTIVE PARTY-LINE SYSTEMS

A party line is a line that is for the joint use of several stations.

It is, therefore, a line that connects a central office with two or more subscribers' stations, or where no central office is involved, a line that connects three or more isolated stations with each other.

The distinguishing feature of a party line, therefore, is that it serves more than two stations, counting the central office, if there is one, as a station.

Strictly speaking, the term _party_ line should be used in contradistinction to the term _private_ line. Companies operating telephone exchanges, however, frequently lease their wires to individuals for private use, with no central-office switchboard connections, and such lines are, by common usage, referred to as "private lines." Such lines may be used to connect two or more isolated stations. A _private_ line, in the parlance of telephone exchange working, may, therefore, be a _party_ line, as inconsistent as this may seem.

A telephone line that is connected with an exchange is an exchange line, and it is a party line if it has more than one station on it. It is an individual line or a single party line if it has but a single station on it. A line which has no central-office connection is called an "isolated line," and it is a party line if it has more than two stations on it.

The problem of mere speech transmission on party lines is comparatively easy, being scarcely more complex than that involved in private or single party lines. This is not true, however, of the problem of signaling the various stations. This is because the line is for the common use of all its patrons or subscribers, as they are termed, and the necessity therefore exists that the person sending a signal, whether operator or subscriber, shall be able in some way to inform a person at the desired station that the call is intended for that station. There are two general ways of accomplishing this purpose.

(_1_) The first and simplest of these ways is to make no provision for ringing any one bell on the line to the exclusion of the others, and thus allow all bells to ring at once whenever any station on the line is wanted. Where this is done, in order to prevent all stations from answering, it is necessary, in some way, to convey to the desired station the information that the call is intended for that station, and to all of the other stations the information that the call is not intended for them. This is done on such lines by what is called "code ringing," the code consisting of various combinations of long and short rings.

(_2_) The other and more complex way is to arrange for selective ringing, so that the person sending the call may ring the bell at the station desired, allowing the bells at all the other stations to remain quiet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 163. Grounded-Circuit Series Line]

These two general cla.s.ses of party-line systems may, therefore, be termed "non-selective" and "selective" systems. Non-selective party lines are largely used both on lines having connection with a central office, and through the central office the privilege of connection with other lines, and on isolated lines having no central-office connection. The greatest field of usefulness of non-selective lines is in rural districts and in connection with exchanges in serving rather spa.r.s.ely settled districts where the cost of individual lines or even lines serving but a few subscribers, is prohibitive.

Non-selective telephone party lines most often employ magneto telephones. The early forms of party lines employed the ordinary series magneto telephone, the bells being of low resistance and comparatively low impedance, while the generators were provided with automatic shunting devices, so that their resistance would normally be removed from the circuit of the line.

Series Systems. The general arrangement of a series party line employing a ground return is shown in Fig. 163. In this three ordinary series instruments are connected together in series, the end stations being grounded, in order to afford a return path for the ringing and voice currents.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 164. Metallic-Circuit Series Line]

In Fig. 164 there is shown a metallic-circuit series line on which five ordinary series telephones are placed in series. In this no ground is employed, the return being through a line wire, thus making the circuit entirely metallic.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 165. Series Party Line]

The limitations of the ordinary series party line may be best understood by reference to Fig. 165, in which the circuits of three series telephones are shown connected with a single line. The receiver of Station A is represented as being on its hook, while the receivers of Stations B and C are removed from their hooks, as when the subscribers at those two stations are carrying on a conversation. The hook switches of Stations B and C being in raised positions, the generators and ringers of those stations are cut out of the circuit, and only the telephone apparatus proper is included, but the hook switch of Station A being depressed by the weight of its receiver, includes the ringer of that station in circuit, and through this ringer, therefore, the voice currents of Stations B and C must pa.s.s.

The generator of Station A is not in the circuit of voice currents, however, because of the automatic shunt with which the generator is provided, as described in Chapter VIII.

A slight consideration of the series system as shown in this figure, indicates that the voice currents of any two stations that are in use, must pa.s.s (as indicated by the heavy lines) through the ringers of all the stations that are not in use; and when a great number of stations are placed upon a single line, as has been frequently the case, the impedance offered by these ringers becomes a serious barrier to the pa.s.sage of the voice currents. This defect in the series party line is fundamental, as it is obvious that the ringers must be left in the circuit of the stations which are not in use, in order that those stations may always be in such condition as to be able to receive a call.

This defect may in some measure be reduced by making the ringers of low impedance. This is the general practice with series telephones, the ringers ordinarily having short cores and a comparatively small number of turns, the resistance being as a rule about 80 ohms.

Bridging Systems. Very much better than the series plan of party-line connections, is the arrangement by which the instruments are placed in bridges across the line, such lines being commonly known as bridged or bridging lines. This was first strongly advocated and put into wide practical use by J.J. Carty, now the Chief Engineer of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

A simple ill.u.s.tration of a bridging telephone line is shown in Fig.

166, where the three telephones shown are each connected in a bridge path from the line wire to ground, a type known as a "grounded bridging line." Its use is very common in rural districts.

A better arrangement is shown in Fig. 167, which represents a metallic-circuit bridging line, three telephone instruments being shown in parallel or bridge paths across the two line wires.

The actual circuit arrangements of a bridging party line are better shown in Fig. 168. There are three stations and it will be seen that at each station there are three possible bridges, or bridge paths, across the two limbs of the line. The first of these bridges is controlled by the hook switch and is normally open. When the hook is raised, however, this path is closed through the receiver and secondary of the induction coil, the primary circuit being also closed so as to include the battery and transmitter. This const.i.tutes an ordinary local-battery talking set.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 166. Grounded Bridging Line]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 167. Metallic Bridging Line]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 168. Metallic Bridging Line]

A second bridge at each station is led through the ringer or call-bell, and this, in most bridging telephones, is permanently closed, the continuity of this path between the two limbs of the line not being affected either by the hook switch or by the automatic switch in connection with the generator.

A third bridge path at each station is led through the generator.

This, as indicated, is normally open, but the automatic cut-in switch of the generator serves, when the generator is operated, to close its path across the line, so that it may send its currents to the line and ring the bells of all the stations.

When any generator is operated, its current divides and pa.s.ses over the line wires and through all of the ringers in multiple. It is seen, therefore, that the requirements for a bridging generator are that it shall be capable of generating a large current, sufficient when divided up amongst all the bells to ring each of them; and that it shall be capable of producing a sufficient voltage to send the required current not only to the near-by stations, but to the stations at the distant end of the line.

It might seem at first that the bridging system avoided one difficulty only to encounter another. It clearly avoids the difficulty of the series system in that the voice currents, in order to reach distant stations, do not have to pa.s.s through all of the bells of the idle stations in series. There is, however, presented at each station a leakage path through the bell bridged across the line, through which it would appear the voice currents might leak uselessly from one side of the line to the other and not pa.s.s on in sufficient volume to the distant station. This difficulty is, however, more apparent than real.

It is found that, by making the ringers of high impedance, the leakage of voice currents through them from one side of the line to the other is practically negligible.

It is obvious that in a heavily loaded bridged line, the bell at the home station, that is at the station from which the call is being sent, will take slightly more than its share of the current, and it is also obvious that the ringing of the home bell performs no useful function.

The plan is frequently adopted, therefore, of having the operation of the generator serve to cut its own bell out of the circuit. The arrangement by which this is done is clearly shown in Fig. 169. The circuit of the bell is normally complete across the line, while the circuit of the generator is normally open. When, however, the generator crank is turned these conditions are reversed, the bell circuit being broken and the generator circuit closed, so as to allow its current all to pa.s.s the line. This feature of having the local bell remain silent upon the operation of its own generator is also of advantage because other parties at the same station are not disturbed by the ringing of the bell when a call is being made by that station.