Grounded-and Metallic-Circuit Lines

When grounded circuits were the rule rather than the exception, many of the switchboards were particularly adapted for their use and could not be used with metallic-circuit lines. These grounded-circuit switchboards provided but a single contact in the jack and a single contact on the plug, the cords having but a single strand reaching from one plug to the other. The ringing keys and listening keys were likewise single-contact keys rather than double. The clearing-out drop and the operator's talking circuit and the ringing generator were connected between the single strand of the cord and the ground as was required. The grounded-circuit switchboard has practically pa ed out of existence, and while a few of them may be in use, they are not manufactured at present. The reason for this is that while many grounded circuits are still in use, there are very few places where there are not some metallic-circuit lines, and while the grounded-circuit switchboard will not serve for metallic-circuit lines, the metallic-circuit switchboard will serve equally well for either metallic-circuit or grounded lines, and will interconnect them with equal facility. This fact will be made clear by a consideration of Figs. 276, 277, and 278. IMG:384091999325875926_fig276_t.gif.png:Illustration_ Fig. 276. Connection Between Metallic Lines Fig. 276. Connection Between Metallic Lines View full size illustration. IMG:384091999325875926_fig277_t.gif.png:Illustration_ Fig. 277. Connection Between Grounded Lines Fig. 277. Connection Between Grounded Lines View full size illustration. Connection between Two Similar Lines. In Fig. 276 a common magneto cord circuit is shown connecting two metallic-circuit lines; in Fig. 277 the same cord circuit is shown connecting two grounded lines. In this case the line wire 1 of the left-hand line is, when the plugs are inserted, continued to the tip of the answering plug, thence through the tip strand of the cord circuit to the tip of the calling plug, then to the tip spring of the right-hand jack and out to the single conductor of that line. The entire sleeve portion of the cord circuit becomes grounded as soon as the plugs are inserted in the jacks of such a line. Hence, we see that the sleeve contacts of the plug and the sleeve conductor of the cord are connected to ground through the permanent ground connection of the sleeve conductors of the jack as soon as the plug is inserted into the jack. Thus, when the cord circuit of a metallic-circuit switchboard is used to connect two grounded circuits together, the tip strand of the cord is the connecting link between the two conductors, while the sleeve strand of the cord merely serves to ground one side of the clearing-out drop and one side each of the operator's telephone set and the ringing generator when their respective keys are operated. Connection between Di imilar Lines. Fig. 278 shows how the same cord circuit and the same arrangement of line equipment may be used for connecting a grounded line to a metallic-circuit line. The metallic circuit line is shown on the left and the grounded line on the right. When the two plugs are inserted into the respective jacks of this figure, the right-hand conductor of the metallic circuit shown on the left will be continued through the tip strand of the cord circuit to the line conductor of the grounded line shown on the right. The left-hand conductor of the metallic-circuit line will be connected to ground because it will be continued through the sleeve strand of the cord circuit to the sleeve contact of the calling plug and thence to the sleeve contact of the jack of the grounded line, which sleeve contact is shown to be grounded. The talking circuit between the two connected lines in this case may be traced as follows: From the subscriber's station at the left through the right-hand limb of the metallic-circuit line, through the tip contact and tip conductor of the cord circuit, to the single limb of the grounded-circuit line, thence to the sub-station of that line and through the talking apparatus there to ground. The return path from the right-hand station is by way of ground to the ground connection at the central office, thence to the sleeve contact of the grounded line jack, through the sleeve conductor of the cord circuit, to the sleeve contact of the metallic-circuit line jack, and thence by the left-hand limb of the metallic-circuit line to the subscriber's station. IMG:384091999325875926_fig278_t.gif.png:Illustration_ Fig. 278. Connection Between Di imilar Lines Fig. 278. Connection Between Di imilar Lines View full size illustration. A better way of connecting a metallic-circuit line to a grounded line is by the use of a special cord circuit involving a repeating coil, such a connection being shown in Fig. 279. The cord circuit in this case differs in no respect from those already shown except that a repeating coil is a ociated with it in such a way as to conductively divide the answering side from the calling side. Obviously, whatever currents come over the line connected with the answering plug will pa through the windings 1 and 2 of this coil and will induce corresponding currents in the windings 3 and 4 , which latter currents will pa out over the circuit of the line connected with the calling plug. When a grounded circuit is connected to a metallic circuit in this manner, no ground is thrown onto the metallic circuit. The balance of the metallic circuit is, therefore, maintained. To ground one side of a metallic circuit frequently so unbalances it as to cause it to become noisy, that is, to have currents flowing in it, by induction or from other causes, other than the currents which are supposed to be there for the purpose of conveying speech. IMG:384091999325875926_fig279_t.gif.png:Illustration_ Fig. 279. Connection of Di imilar Lines through Repeating Coil Fig. 279. Connection of Di imilar Lines through Repeating Coil View full size illustration. Convertible Cord Circuits. The consideration of Fig. 279 brings us to the subject of so-called convertible cord circuits. Some switchboards, serving a mixture of metallic and grounded lines, are provided with cord circuits which may be converted at will by the operator from the ordinary type shown in Fig. 276 to the type shown in Fig. 279. The advantage of this will be obvious from the following consideration. When a call originates on any line, either grounded or metallic, the operator does not know which kind of a line is to be called for. She, therefore, plugs into this line with any one of her answering plugs and completes the connection in the usual way. If the call is for the same kind of a circuit as that over which the call originated, she places the converting key in such a position as will connect the conductors of the cord circuit straight through; while if the connection is for a different kind of a line than that on which the call originated she throws the converting key into such a position as to include the repeating coil. A study of Fig. 280 will show that when the converting key, which is commonly referred to as the repeating-coil key, is in one position, the cord conductors will be cut straight through, the repeating coil being left open in both its windings; and when it is thrown to its other position, the connection between the answering and calling sides of the cord circuit will be severed and the repeating coil inserted so as to bring about the same effects and circuit arrangements as are shown in Fig. 279. IMG:384091999325875926_fig280_t.gif.png:Illustration_ Fig. 280. Convertible Cord Circuit Fig. 280. Convertible Cord Circuit View full size illustration.