AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYS

TEMS permit the user himself to make all the nece ary connections between his own telephone and that of the person called. By so doing it eliminates the central telephone operator, makes for speedier and more accurate connections and greater secrecy. The detailed mechanism of the system is too complicated to be described here. Briefly, however, the apparatus consists of the usual telephone instrument on which is mounted a dial, the circumference of which is perforated by numbered holes. To make a call the receiver is lifted from the hook, and for each digit of the desired number the finger is inserted in the hole designated by the proper number, the dial rotated to the stop, and freed; when it returns to its original position by a spring. This sends a series of impulses over the telephone line and actually relays in the central station, these in turn energize magnets which actuate a series of switches, thus making the proper connection to the party called. Establishing the connection automatically rings the called telephone, which ringing continues until either the call is answered or is cancelled by the receiver of the calling station being replaced on its hook. When the called wire is busy, the person cane is so advised by an unmistakable um,