Installation for time multiplexing and transmitting telephone signals or data between a plurality of subscribers

Claim 1

An installation for transmitting telephone signals or data with time division multiplexing, comprising a plurality of subscriber sets arranged in a number of groups, a plurality of pairs of multiplexing gates actuated in synchronism, each pair comprising a transmission gate and a reception gate, both connected to one of the subscriber sets, at least one time division multiplex link, a plurality of pairs of first supplementary gates, respectively inserted between the multiplex link and the pairs of transmission and reception gates connected to the subscriber sets in a single group, means for actuating the first supplementary gates in synchronism with the corresponding transmission and reception gates, and means whereby, in the event of a fault in the transmission gate or reception gate connected to a subscriber set, the first transmission or reception supplementary gate corresponding to the group including said subscriber set is kept closed to transmit no signals for the whole duration of said fault, at least a first and a second analog/digital coder and decoder pair connected to said time division multiplex link so as to serve all the subscriber sets in common, the pairs of transmission and reception gates connected to the subscriber sets in a single group being connected in parallel to at least one first and one second pair of first supplementary gates which are in turn respectively connected to the first and the second coder and decoder pair, and means for actuating said supplementary gates in synchronism with the corresponding transmission and reception gates, whereby the coder and decoder pairs may be used simultaneously or alternatively.