Switching arrangement for a multiplex telephone system

Claim 1

IN A SWITCHING ARRANGEMENT, OVER WHICH IS CONDUCTED THE TRAFFIC OF A PLURALITY OF TIME-DIVISION MULTIPLEX TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, EACH HAVING A MULTIPLEX LINE TO WHICH THE SUBSCRIBERS OF THE CORRESPONDING SYSTEM ARE PERIODICALLY CONNECTED IN PULSE-WISE FASHION, IN EACH CASE BY MEANS OF SPEECH SWITCHES, SAID ARRANGEMENT BEING CONSTRUCTED AS A COUPLER WHICH HAS BOTH, FIRST COUPLING POINT CONTACTS FOR CONDUCTING TRAFFIC BETWEEN DIFFERENT SUCH TIMEDIVISION MULTIPLEX TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, WHICH FIRST COUPLING POINT CONTACTS ARE RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A COMBINATION PAIR OF MULTIPLEX LINES OF SAID COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS SECOND COUPLING POINT CONTACTS FOR CONDUCTING TRAFFIC WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL TIMEDIVISION MULTIPLEX TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, WHICH SECOND COUPLING POINT CONTACTS ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH A COMBINATION PAIR OF SUCH A MULTIPLEX LINE, AND A MULTIPLEX LINE OF SPECIAL TIME-DIVISION MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WHICH HAVE SPEECH ENERGY STORERS INSTEAD OF SUBSCRIBERS; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, DISPOSED IN THE COUPLER, ADDITIONAL COUPLING POINT CONTACTS WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH ONE TERMINAL INDIVIDUALLY TO ONE OF THE MULTIPLEX LINES OF THE TIME-DIVISION MULTIPLEX TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND WITH THEIR OTHER TERMINAL IN COMMON TO A SPECIAL MULTIPLEX LINE, AND FURTHER ADDITIONAL COUPLING POINT CONTACTS WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH THEIR ONE TERMINAL IN COMMON TO SUCH A SPECIAL MULTIPLEX LINE AND WITH THEIR OTHER TERMINAL INDIVIDUALLY TO ONE OF THE MULTIPLEX LINES OF ADDITIONAL TIME-DIVISION MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WHICH HAVE TRUNK LINES FOR OUTGOING AND/OR INCOMING TRAFFIC LEADING TO OTHER CENTRAL EXCHANGES OR THE LIKE, OVER WHICH ADDITIONAL COUPLING POINT CONTACTS SAID TRAFFIC CAN BE CONDUCTED BY PULSE-WISE CLOSURE THEREOF TO ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE MULTIPLEX LINES INVOLVED IN CALLS.