Automatic telephone systems

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM, A PLURALITY OF TWO-WIRE TELEPHONE LINES, A PLURALITY OF OUTLETS AND A PLURALITY OF LINE CIRCUITS OF AN AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, A PLURALITY OF CONTROL CIRCUITS WHICH ARE CONNECTED ON ONE SIDE TO SAID OUTLETS AND TO SAID LINE CIRCUITS AND WHICH ARE EACH CONNECTED ON THE OTHER SIDE TO ONE END OF A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID TELEPHONE LINES, A PLURALITY OF SWITCHING MEANS EACH CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID TELEPHONE LINES AND A PLURALITY OF LOCAL TWO-WIRE LINES WHICH ARE EACH ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID OUTLETS AND WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO SAID SWITCHING MEANS; EACH SAID SWITCHING MEANS HAVING A NORMAL CONDITION IN WHICH IT PROVIDES CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ITS TELEPHONE LINE AND ALL SAID LOCAL LINES WHEREBY A CALLING CONDITION THEN OCCURRING ON ANY LOCAL LINE IS APPLIED TO ITS TELEPHONE LINE AND A PLURALITY OF OFF-NORMAL CONDITIONS IN EACH OF WHICH IT PROVIDES A CONNECTION BETWEEN A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID LOCAL LINES AND ITS TELEPHONE LINE, EACH SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT COMPRISING FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF OFF-NORMAL CONDITIONS IN EACH OF WHICH IT SELECTS A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID OUTLETS AND A NORMAL CONDITION, IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND TO THE ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE LINE AND WHICH IS FOR OPERATING SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRIC IMPULSES TO THAT TELEPHONE LINE SO THAT SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND THE FIRST NAMED SWITCHING MEANS THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF THAT TELEPHONE LINE OPERATE IN SYNCHRONISM TO SELECT ASSOCIATED ONES OF SAID LOCAL LINES AND SAID OUTLETS, CALLING MEANS WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE LINE, TO SAID IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS AND TO SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND WHICH IS FOR INITIATING OPERATION OF SAID FURTHER IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS UPON THE APPLICATION OF A CALLING CONDITION TO THAT TELEPHONE LINE WHEN SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS IS IN ITS NORMAL CONDITION, CONNECTING MEANS WHICH IS CONNECTED BOTH BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE LINE AND SAID LINE CIRCUITS AND TO SAID IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS AND WHICH, WHEN OPERATED, BOTH PROVIDES A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT TELEPHONE LINE AND ONE OF SAID LINE CIRCUITS AND INHIBITS OPERATION OF SAID IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS, FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING IN CIRCUIT SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS, SAID CONNECTING MEANS AND SAID CALLING MEANS SO THAT THE OPERATION OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS IS EFFECTED UPON THE RESPONSE OF SAID CALLING MEANS TO A CALLING CONDITION AT ANY OFF-NORMAL CONDITION OF SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND THE RELEASE OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS IS EFFECTED UPON THE TERMINATION OF THAT CALLING CONDITION AND SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING IN CIRCUIT SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS, SAID CONNECTING MEANS AND SAID IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS SO THAT, UPON THE RELEASE OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS, OPERATION OF SAID IMPULSE GENERATING MEANS IS EFFECTED UNTIL SAID FURTHER SWITCHING MEANS AND THE ASSOCIATED FIRST NAMED SWITCHING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF THE ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE LINE BOTH ATTAIN THEIR NORMAL CONDITION, AND THERE BEING THIRD CIRCUIT MEANS WHICH CONNECTS IN CIRCUIT ALL SAID CALLING MEANS SO THAT ONLY ONE OF THOSE CALLING MEANS CAN RESPOND TO A CALLING CONDITION.