Machine Switching Telephone System for

Large Metropolitan Areas

By E. B. CRAFT, L. F. MOREHOUSE and H. P. CHARLESWORTH
Synopsis: From the earliest forms of telephone switchboards to the
modern types, the development of the switchboard has been marked by the
increasing use of automatic methods to supplement the manual operation
wherever this would result in better service to the public or more efficient
operation.
In addition to all that has been done in developing and introducing auto-
matic operations with manual switchboards, it has been found desirable and
practicable to go further in the direction of introducing automatic opera-
tion in the telephone plant and a machine switching system has been
developed in which the bulk of the connections are established without the
aid of an operator.
The complexity of a large metropolitan area and the exacting requirements
which a machine switching system must meet are outlined briefly, and the
system which has been developed to meet these requirements is described.
The application of the system to a typical large metropolitan area and the
means provided for permitting its gradual introduction into the existing
plant are discussed.

is the purpose of this paper to outline briefly certain important

IT
developments in connection with machine switching telephone
systems and to discuss the application of the results of these develop-
ments to the problem of providing telephone service in large metro-
politan areas.
The telephone was invented in 1876. Almost immediately there-
after it was recognized that, for it to attain its greatest field of use-
fulness, switchboards and switching centers would have to be estab-
lished for effecting interconnection between subscriber's lines.
Professor Bell's vision of the future was given in a statement to
prospective investors. He said :

"It is conceivable that cables of telephone wires could be laid

underground, or suspended overhead, communicating by branch
wires with private dwellings, country houses, shops, manufac-
tories, etc., etc. —
uniting them through the main cable with a
central office where the wires could be connected as desired,
establishing direct communication between any two places in the
city. Such a plan as this, though impracticable at the present
moment, will, I firmly believe, be the outcome of the introduction
of the telephone to the public. Not only so, but I believe in the
tuture wires will unite the head offices in different cities, and a

Presented at the Midwinter Convention of the A. I. E. E., New York, N. Y..

February 14-17, 1923. Published in the Journal of A. I. E. E. April, 1923.

53
54 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

man in one part of the country may communicate by word of

mouth with another in a distant part.
"Believing, as I do, that such a scheme will be the ultimate
result of the telephone to the public, I will impress upon you all

the advisability of keeping this end in view, that all present

arrangements of the telephone may be eventually realized in this
grand system."

Early Developments
The only apparatus available at that time for this purpose was
that employed in telegraph, messenger, fire and burglar alarm services.
Some of this apparatus, such as wire, insulators, batteries, annuncia-
tors, etc., was found to be useful in the new art; other apparatus had

Fig. 1 — Early Type Switchboard

to be developed. The switchboards of that clay employed this ap-
paratus. They were small in size, and could accommodate only a
limited number of lines.
It soon became evident that the requirements of the telephone
exchange service demanded signaling and switching equipment
different from that employed in any of the other branches of the
electrical industry, and it became necessary to create an entirely
new art, invoking many branches of science, before commercial
telephone service could be given on an adequate scale. The switch-
boards grew from small boards, capable of handling a few lines, as
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM '??

shown in Fig. 1, to the very complex arrangements providing signaling,

switching, and transmission facilities for as many as ten thousand
lines in a single board, of the type shown in Fig. 2.

As the subscribers increased in number it was found that beyond

a certain point it was no longer practicable or economical to have all

of the subscribers' lines brought to one center. It was therefore,

necessary to have several centers, the number depending upon many

factors, the most important of which are the size and telephone needs
of the community.

Fig. 2 — Modern Type Common Battery Switchboard

The consequence of all this is that in large metropolitan areas the

number of centers is large, and the trunking system complex, as each
center must be provided either directly or indirectly with trunks to
every other center.
As an illustration, take the New York Metropolitan area, shown in

Fig. 3, where the telephone plant is of the greatest intricacy because

of the very large number of subscribers served. There are at the
present time 158 central office switchboards, many of them having
56 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

equipment for 10,000 lines. These offices and the associated plant
provide for intercommunication between 1,400,000 telephones, and
approximately two trillion possible connections. It is estimated
that by the year 1940 there will be 300 central office switchboards
within theNew York Metropolitan area, serving some 3,300,000 tele-
—
phones or nearly two and a half times the present number.

NEW J E R S E

Fig. 3 — Map Showing Location of Central Offices in New York Metropolitan Area

Manual Switchboards
The system most commonly employed today for connecting sub-
is the so-called "manual" system; that is, a
scribers' lines together
system in which operators are employed to make the actual connec-
tions between subscribers' lines, although so many of the functions
are performed automatically that, except in name, it is to a large
degree automatic.
It is a long step from the early switchboards to the modern common
battery multiple manual switchboards. The history of the develop-
ment of switchboard equipment and apparatus shows that enormous
progress has been made in this art in a comparatively few years.
As the telephone subscribers have grown in number and as the amount
and complexity of the traffic have increased, it has been only by the
most intensive development that it has been possible to keep ahead of
the demand for telephone service, and that telephone engineers have
been able to get the speed, efficiency and accuracy that are obtained
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 57

today in so-called manual operation. It is worthy of note in this con-

nection that the attainment of these ends was made possible by the
extensive introduction of automatic features.
A very brief description at this point of the type of manual switch-
board more commonly employed will be helpful.
In this switchboard the subscriber's line terminates at the central
office in so-called "jacks." Associated with each line is a lamp,
individual to it, which automatically lights when the subscriber
removes his receiver from the hook. This serves as a signal to the
operator that a connection is desired.
The operator answers this call by inserting one end of a cord in the
jack associated with the calling subscriber's line, operates a listening
key which connects her telephone set to the subscriber's line, and asks
for the number desired. When this is obtained the operator com-
pletes the connection by inserting the other end of the cord in the
jack of the desired subscriber's line, and the subscriber's bell is rung.
Suitable lamp signals are provided so that the operator may know
when the called subscriber answers, when either subscriber desires
further attention, or when either or both of them have finished talking
and have hung up their receivers.
If the subscriber desired is connected to a distant office, the operator
receiving the call would, instead of plugging directly into the subscrib-
er's line, directly connect the subscriber's line to a trunk terminating
in the desired office, where the connection would be completed by a
second operator, known as the "B" operator, as shown in Fig. 4.

Answering Jack -

(O) Line Lamp

ailing Subscriber

_Ca_ll_Cireuit_

A BOARD B BOARD

Fig. -1 — Diagram Showing Manual Interoffice Connection

Such communication between the two operators as is necessary to

establish this connection takes place over a special pair of wires known
as a "call circuit."
58 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

The method, ol which the above is a bare outline, is that used in

completing ordinary connections. Different arrangements and differ-
ent operating methods have to be provided for handling short haul
toll calls, long distance calls, calls from coin boxes, and calls of many
other kinds.
In the simplest types of manual systems, the subscriber, in order
to signal the central office, turns a crank thus operating a magneto
generator. This throws a drop in front of an operator at the central
office. In the switchboards developed to meet the needs of the larger
areas, electric lamps are substituted for the drop, and relays auto-
matically controlled by the subscriber bring them into play at the
proper time. Electric lamps which serve as visual signals to the
operator to indicate the status of the connection are also associated
with the cords that the operator uses for connecting subscribers
together. The operation of these lamps is automatic and is under
the control of the switchhook at the subscriber's station.
Many other arrangements of an automatic character have been
developed and are used as occasion requires not merely because—
they are automatic in character but only when it has been established
that they make for better service to the public or for efficiency and
economy of operation, or both. Among these may be mentioned
automatic ringing, automatic listening, and many forms of automatic
signaling. Many of these arrangements are highly ingenious and
contribute greatly to the efficiency and economy of operation. Thus,
the trend of switchboard development has been more and more in
the direction of automatic operation and automatic methods.
In addition to all that has been done in developing and introducing
automatic operation with so-called manual switchboards, it has been
felt lor a long time that in large and complex telephone areas, such for

example as New York City, the time would ultimately come when it
would be desirable to go further in the direction of introducing auto-
matic operation in the telephone system. This whole matter has
been the subject of much thought on the part of engineers of the Bell
System and, as a lesult, there has been developed and recently put
into operation a system in which the work of establishing most of the
local connections is done entirely by machinery.
The introduction of this system will eventually make a considerable
reduction in the telephone company's requirements for operators
which are becoming more difficult to fulfill year by year. Operators
will be required, however, to handle toll and many special classes of
local calls and for this reason, together with the constant growth of
the business and the considerable period of time that will be re-
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 59

quired to introduce the new system completely, we can expect little

or no reduction in the present operating forces for some time to come,

and no operator will find herseli out ot employment on account of the
introduction of the machine switching system.

Machine Switching
It is the purpose of this paper to describe this system sufficiently
in detail to give a general picture of it, but because of the limitation
as to space no attempt will be made to go into the intricacies of cir-
cuits and apparatus, which doubtless would be of interest only to the
telephone engineering specialists.
Among other requirements, the following must receive special
consideration in the design of a machine switching system.
The by the telephone subscriber in getting
functions to be performed
a connection must be simple and easily understood.
It must work efficiently and with accuracy and speed, and, of

course, must be capable of handling the various types of calls that the
subscriber wishes to make.
The system must not require modifications in the existing rate
structure, otherwise than desirable. If the rate structure calls for
message register operation, coin boxes, etc., means must be provided
for automatically operating the register and collecting the' coins on
such and for preventing a charge on calls not answered, calls
calls,

for free lin?s, busy lines, etc.

The system should employ, as nearly as practicable, the conven-
tional numbering scheme.
It should work with the existing telephone network, so that its

introduction does not require wholesale number changes and extensive

rearrangement or the abandonment of existing switchboards or other
plant. Its introduction must, of necessity, be on a gradual basis.
It must be sufficiently flexible in design to care for growth and such

changing traffic conditions as occur from time to time.

In large telephone areas, such as the New York Metropolitan area,
there is a great variety of calls to be handled and many different classes
message rate, flat rate, official,
of service furnished the public, such as
coin box, non-attended pay station, attended pay station, special
services such as information, etc. Not only individual lines but party
lines, and private branch exchanges must be cared for, and provision
must be made for thousands of toll messages which must be recorded,
supervised and timed.
A call originating in a machine switching office in New York City
may have as its destination any one of a great number of points. It
60 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

may be for another subscriber in the same office or for one in another
nearby machine switching or manual office; it may be for one of a
large number of suburban toll points, or it may be to some point in a
distant city.
The machine switching system, which is the subject of this paper,
meets these requirements. After long-continued laboratory experi-

Fig. 5 — Desk Stand Equipped with Dial

ments, supplemented by field trials, power-driven apparatus of the

panel type has been found to be the most suitable, and is now in

successful operation in New York City and in other large cities in the
country.

General Plan of Operation

At the expense of some repetition it seems desirable in order to give
as clear an understanding as possible as to the operation of the system,
to first give a brief outline of how the call is handled and a description
of the more important elements of the equipment, before going into
a detailed description of the operation of the system.
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 61

The subscriber's station equipped with the usual form of tele-

is

phone instrument and, with a calling device known as a

in addition,
"dial," mounted at the base of the desk stand, as shown in Fig. 5.
This dial has ten finger holes, bearing letters and figures, as shown in
Fig. 6.

RNOR AOJUSTINC

GOVERNOh

Fig. 6 —Subscriber's Dial

In making a call the subscriber will, of course, first refer to the
telephone directory. He will find in the directory a listing that is

only slightly different from that to which he is accustomed. Typical

samples of this new form of telephone listing for New York City
are shown in Fig. 7. As will be noted, these conform to the present

Argent Co. 1400 Bway GRE eley 5513

Argentina Brazil & Chile Shipping Co
70 Wall. HAN over 0307
Argentine Cenl Consulate, 17 Batry pL.RECtor 6946
Argentine Impt & Expt Cnrp, Prod Ex...BR0ad 1768
Argentine Mercantile Corp, 42 Bway BR0 ad 5066
Argentine Naval Commission, 2 W 67..C0Lmbus 5623
Argentine Quebracho Co, 80 Maiden la J0H n 1652
Argentine Railway Co, 25 Broad BR0 id 1383
Argentine Trading Co, 1164 Bway MAD Sq1871
Argeres Bros. Restrnt, 86 6th av SPR ing
5337
ArgeroA. Grocer, 119 9th a? CHE Isea
6255
Arghis A, Tobacco, 74 Wall HAN over
6311
Argirople Theodore, Jwlr, 406 8th a?..FARragut9772
Argo Packing Corpn, 705 Greenwich. .FAR ragut
. 4505
Argon Dress Co, 24 E 12 STU yvsnt 2011
Argonaut Supply Corp, 50 Union sq.. STU yvsnt 7476
Argonne Steamship Co. 17 Battery pl...RECtor 2493
Argos Ad-Art Co. 1133 Bway FAR ragut 5986
Argosy The (A Pub), 280 Bway W0R th 8800

Fig. 7 —Typical Examples of New Form of Listing Telephcne Numbers

manual listings, except that the first three letters of the office name
are set out prominently. This numbering system will be discussed
later in this paper.
62 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

Having secured the desired telephone number from the directory,

which we will assume is "ACAdemy 1234," the subscriber will first
remove his receiver from the hook and will hear the so-called "dial
tone," which indicates that the apparatus is ready to receive the call.

He will then insert his finger in the hole over the letter A, rotate the
dial until the finger comes in contact with the metal stop shown in

the picture, then release the dial, which will automatically return to
normal. He will repeat this operation tor the letters C and A, and
in turn tor the four numerals, /, 2, J, 4.

This operation of dialing on the part ot the subscriber is exactly

the same, whether the telephone number he manual
desires is in a
or a machine switching office. Similarly, the method employed by
a subscriber who is connected to a manual office in getting a sub-
scriber connected to a machine switching office, is the same as though
the desired subscriber were connected to another manual office.
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 63

removed from the switchhook preparatory to dialing, the line is

selected by a "line tinder" and connected to an idle "sender" by

means of a "sender-selector."
Upon completion of these operations which take but a fraction of
a second, the dial tone is sent to the calling subscriber as previously
mentioned. When the subscriber dials, electrical impulses on a
decimal basis are transmitted to the sender which receives and regis-
ters them, translating them in turn to the proper basis for the control
of the selectors which are not operated on a decimal basis. The
sender automatically causes the particular "district selector" which
is permanently associated with the line finder originally used, to select

a trunk to the ofhee desired.

Assuming that the call is for a subscriber in the same office, Aca-
demy, the trunk chosen will terminate at an "incoming selector"
frame and the sender above referred to will cause the call to be routed
through the incoming selector to a final selector, and thence to the
particular line desired. When the connection is thus completed,
audible signals will be sent back to the calling subscriber to indicate
that the station is being rung or that the line is busy.
It the call had been for a subscriber in another machine switching
office, namely, Pennsylvania, the call would be routed from the district
selector to the office desired, either directly or through an "office
selector" in case the total number of trunks to all offices is too large
to be placed on the district selector multiple. These trunks terminate
on incoming selectors at the Pennsylvania office which select the sub-
scriber's line through final selectors, as described above.
If the call is for a subscriber connected to, say, the Worth Office,

which is a manual office, the call would be routed from a district

selector directly or through an office selector to the "B" board in the
Worth Office, where the number desired appears in front of the oper-
ator at a "call indicator position" in the form of visible numbers on
the keyshelf. The operator is advised of the trunk to which the call
is connected by suitable signals, and the call is completed by plugging

this trunk into the desired subscriber's line.

Calls originating in a manual office and intended for a machine
switching office reach the machine switching office over trunks from
the "A" operators in the manual office. At the machine switching
end these trunks terminate in incoming selectors, which have access
to the final selectors on which the subscriber's lines are located. The
selectors are under the control of a special group of senders, and
operators are provided with suitable keys for setting up in these
senders the number of the desired subscriber. These operators at
04 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

the machine switching office receive the information as to the desired

number from "A" operators in the distant manual office, exactly as
is done in the case of manual operation.

The introduction of machine switching equipment does not require

radical changes in private branch exchanges. The private branch
exchange is provided with dials, and calls to the central office are
dialed by the private branch exchange attendant or by the extension
user in the same way that the ordinary subscriber dials. No change
in the private branch exchange is required for handling incoming
calls. An idle trunk in the private branch exchange group is selected
by the mechanism in the machine switching office, in much the same
way as an individual subscriber's line is selected.

Numbering System
One of the unique advantages of the plan developed for designating
telephone numbers, to which reference has already been made, is

that it does not necessitate the abandonment of the existing manual

listings. no change except that the first three letters of
It requires
the office name more prominently. Simple as this change
are set out
in the form of listing appears, until it was developed by the Bell

System no satisfactory method of designating telephone numbers for

machine switching offices in large cities was known.
Many plans had been proposed, to all of which there were serious
objections. Some of them required changing the whole system of
manual designation, others the use of combinations difficult for the
subscriber to use. In small cities a numbering plan employing
only digits is sometimes practicable, but in such a large area as we
are considering, such a plan would involve seven digits. The sub-
scriber's number would take the form of say 786-3549. Such numbers
would be difficult for operators to use and for the subscribers to carry
in mind and would require that every subscriber's number in the

entire area be changed before the first machine switching office could
be cut into service. With the new system, the subscriber's number
and office in general remains as before. It is necessary to change only
a few conflicting office names in order to make them fit into the system.

Description of the Equipment

A detailed description of each unit employed in this system would
be impracticable, in this connection, but a brief description of the
more important ones will be of interest.
Sender. The use of the sender makes practicable the introduction
of machine switching in large metropolitan areas where, of necessity,
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 65

the service conditions are extremely complex. It is, in effect, the

brains of the system, dealing with the subscriber and controlling the
selection until the destination is reached, as an operator deals with
manual system. The
the subscriber and controls the selection in a
number same information to the sender in a ma-
dialed conveys the
chine switching system as the number spoken by the subscriber does
to an operator in a manual system.
The sender is an arrangement of relays, sequence switches, and

selectors, so worked out as to perform the following more important

functions:
1. a succession of electrical impulses from the subscrib-
It receives
er's dial which are on a decimal basis, stores them and translates
them to a non-decimal basis, corresponding to the particular group of
lines and trunks that is involved in the path of the call.
2. It controls selecting mechanisms which build up the connection

to the called party in such a manner that each mechanism is given

the exact time required to perform its functions without any waste of

time, independently of the rate received from the dial.

3. It makes the central office designations entirely independent of
the arrangement of the trunk groups on the selector frames. This
is a very important matter, inasmuch as it allows the selectors to be
used to full efficiency. It provides the desired flexibility for growth
and permits any desirable rearrangement of the trunks on the selector
frames that the telephone company may find desirable at any time.
4. The sender is capable of distinguishing the class of office at
which the connection terminates. That is, if the call is to terminate
at a mechanical office, the sender will arrange to govern the selection
accordingly. If the call is to terminate at a manual office, the sender
recognizes this and arranges to send out impulses to the call indicator
equipment in the manual office.
5. For the completion of certain calls, traffic conditions require the

introduction of tandem centers as discussed later. The sender

recognizes calls to be routed via tandem centers and arranges to
handle these correctly. The tandem center may be manual or it
may be mechanical, and the control must be determined accordingly.
6. Certain senders are arranged to serve lines supplied with coin
boxes. These senders are arranged to make a test to determine
whether a coin has been deposited and do not allow the connection to
be cut through so that conversation can take place until the coin is
deposited. If the subscriber does not deposit the coin, after a reason-
able time has elapsed the sender connects an operator to the subscriber,
and this operator notifies the subscriber of his omission. After the
66 DELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

coin has been deposited, the sender allows the called subscriber to be
rung and permits the conversation. In case the called subscriber
is busy or does not answer, or if the call is to a free line, the sender
returns the coin to the calling party. If the called party answers,
the sender causes the coin to be collected.
The sender makes a test of the calling line after the subscriber has
completed dialing, to insure the deposit of the coin, and recognizes
whether a coin has actually been deposited or whether some abnormal
condition exists, in which case the call will be routed to an operator
who causes an investigation to be made.
7. In large areas, such as the New York Metropolitan area, there

are distant points, connection to which requires toll charges. In

such cases the subscriber is instructed to dial a special operator who
will ascertain his wishes, complete the call, and make the prope:
charge. Should a subscriber attempt to dial outside of his own local
service area, his call will automatically be routed to an operator.

Fig. 9 — Views of the Selector

Panel Type Selecting Mechanism. An important mechanism of a

machine switching system is the selector and its associated multiple
bank. It is a device by means of which trunks or lines are connected
together as required. It performs the same function as the switch-

board cord and plug which in a manual exchange can be plugged by

the operator into any one of a number of jacks which are the terminals
of trunks or lines.
shows the mechanical elements of the selectors. The mov-
Fig. 9.
able member corresponds to the cord and plug of the manual system
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 67

and the fixed terminals or multiple, to which the movable member

can make connection, corresponds to the jacks of the manual system.
Fig. 10 shows the fixed terminals or multiple to which the selectors
connect. This multiple consists of flat punchings about Z l feet A
long and 1 inch wide overall. Each of these strips has lugs on each
side with which the selectors can make contact. In this particular
panel, three hunderd of these strips are piled one above the other,
separated by insulation, and securely bolted together, forming a panel
about 15 inches high. This panel provides a multiple consisting of
"tip," "ring" and "sleeve" connection for one hundred lines appear-
ing sixty times; that is, thirty on each side. The insulating material
consists of special impregnated paper and is of such a nature that,

J, . . J, . . J, , .1,
yA A
. . , . >! i . i, i. '.
y i"i
y *! y A y Ay Ay l
'
i 1

,
1 A I
f
** I

f
A If A yAiyg

Fig. 10 —Selector Multiple Bank

after the panel is assembled and baked, it becomes inert and is not
adversely affected by any conditions met with in a central office.
It is this panel which has given the name to the system.
The and 13) consists of a metal tube supported
selector (see Figs. 9
in bearings allowing vertical motion and carrying five sets of brushes.
Each one of the five sets of brushes is arranged to make connections
to the tip, ring and sleeve terminals of the panel banks before which
it normally stands, and the tip, ring and sleeve contact members of

all five of thesebrushes are multipled together. They are normally

free from contact with the terminals, but any set may be tripped me-
68 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

chanically, so that that set will contact successively over terminals

as the selector rises.
A friction clutch is provided at the base of each selector, so arranged
that the selector can be raised or lowered by power supplied by a
constantly rotating small motor, common to 60 selectors. A magnet
is also provided for tripping, by means of a rotating rod, any one of

Fig. 11 — Commutator for Controlling Vertical Movement of Selecting A'lechanism

the five sets of brushes into mechanical engagement with the terminals.
In choosing a trunk or line, that one of the five sets of brushes which
has access to the panel in which the desired trunk or line happens
to be, is tripped so that it makes contact with the bank terminals
before it. The selector then moves upward, under the proper control,
 MACHINE SiriTCIIlXG TELEPHONE SYSTEM 69

until the tripped brush engages the desired line or trunk. The
selector is then held in this position l>y a pawl associated with the

clutch. When the connection is to be taken down, the pawl is with-

drawn, and the selector is carried hack by means of the power drive
controlled by the clutch. When its normal posi-
the selector reaches
tion the tripped brush is reset.
Selectors used for different purposes are arranged to move their
brushes upward at different speeds. The speed most commonly
employed moves the brushes over the terminals at the rate of 60

Brush Assemblv

Fig. 12 —Sequence Switch Assembly

trunks per second. At the top of the frame, just above the fifth
bank, are located commutators as shown in Fig. 11, one for each
selector. The multiple wiring of the brushes on the selector leads
to other brushes which move over strips on these commutators, and
thereby completes the connection from the movable selector to the
rest of the circuit, thus avoiding flexible wire connections with their
attendant troubles. This commutator, also, performs the more
important service of controlling the travel of the selector. Brushes
moving over conducting segments separated by insulation produce
70 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

impulses which, when sent back to the sender, indicate to it the exact
mechanism.
position of the selecting
Sequence Switch. Another device of great importance is the
"sequence switch," shown in detail in Fig. 12. It is operated through

Fig. 13 — Selector Frame Completely Equipped

an electromagnetic clutch from the same motor that drives the
selectors.
The sequence switch may be described as a circuit controller or
device whose function is to establish in a definite sequence such circuit
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 71

conditions as are required in the operation of the system. It is made

up of circular disks called cams mounted rigidly on a shaft. The
plates of the cams are cut so that brushes come in contact with the
plates only when the circuit is to be closed. The sequence switch
can be stopped at any one of eighteen different positions as required,
by the simple opening of the electromagnetic clutch.
There are many of these sequence switches used in this system,
and the arrangement of cutting the cams varies, depending upon the
particular circuit combination* which it is desired to establish.
Selector Frames. Fig. 13 shows thirty selectors with all of the
associated mechanism mounted upon one side of a frame ready for
operation in an exchange. Both sides of the frame are alike. Five
panels of 100 lines each are mounted in this frame, one above the other
giving a total capacity of 500 trunks or lines. Thirty selectors, each
capable of making connection with any one of the 500 trunks or lines,
are placed adjacent to each other on each side of these panels; the
entire frame thereby having a capacity of sixty selectors, each of
which has access to 500 trunks or lines.
Immediately to the right of the selectors are the sequence switches
and, under protective covers, such relays as are used in connection
with the selectors upon the frame shown.
Selecting apparatus of this general type, but differing in details of
design, is used during the different stages of the call as line finders,
district selectors, incoming selectors and final selectors, reference to
which has been made before. Fig. 14 shows a section of a machine
switching office with some of the typical frames.
The use of apparatus of the substantial construction just described
is made possible only through the use of the sender which receives

impulses from the subscriber at the rate they are dialed and receives
impulses from the selecting mechanism at the rate it is traveling.
This obviates the necessity for restrictions in the design of either
the dialing circuit or the selecting circuit, such as would be necessary
if they were tied together.

Power Supply Arrangements. Since most of the operations normally

required in handling a call in a machine switching office are carried
out mechanically, it is evident that a considerably larger amount of
power is required than with the manual system. Selectors and
sequence switches are propelled mechanically by rotating shafts
driven continuously by small motors mounted on each frame.
The use of small motors on each frame gives a flexible and reliable
source of power particularly since the motors now being used are of
the special "duplex" type developed for the purpose. They consist
72 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

of two motor elements in one frame, one element being normally

driven from the commercial power service and the other being driven
by the telephone reserve storage battery to which it is automatically

Fig. 14 —Group of Typical Selector Frames

connected by a relay inside the motor when the regular power fails.
A power failure, therefore, causes no interruption to the drive. The
selectors are arranged so that not more than half in any one group are
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 73

driven by the same motor which insures continuous service in case

of motor failure.
The main power requirement is for direct current at about 24 and
48 volts which is furnished from motor generator sets (Fig. 15) of
special construction to reduce noise, converting the commercial
alternating or direct power current into current which is regulated
as to voltage and is free from variations which would cause noise in
the telephone circuits.

Fig. 15 — Power Machine and Control Equipment for Two 10,000-Line Units

Storage batteries (Fig. 16) floating across the current supply bus-
bars insure regulation. In addition to stabilizing the voltage and
reducing noise interference from the machines and between tele-
phone circuits, the batteries perform the important function of keep-
ing the exchange in operation during interruptions to the commercial
power service. Small motor generators furnish current for ringing
subscribers' bells and drive commutators supplying various tones and
signals. Batteries or machines supply current for operating coin
74 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

boxes and pulse machines provide impulses for the operation of cer-
tain of the machine switching apparatus.
Whenever practicable, two or more commercial power services from
independent generating stations are secured, either of which will keep
the office supplied. Where independent generating systems are not
available a reserve gas engine supply (Fig. 17) is installed to take
the place of the incoming power service, such engine also being
equipped for emergency operation on gasoline.

Fig. 16— Battery Room for Two 10,000-Line Units

All of the essential power machines and batteries are provided

in duplicate and are arranged to come into action automatically
wherever this is necessary to insure continuity of service in the event
of loss of power or trouble with any of the power equipment. Alarms
are provided to detect variations in battery voltage, blowing of fuses,
stopping of machines or any failure of service on all power busses
which feed energy to the telephone or signaling circuits. The power
plant is thus designed to give an uninterrupted energy supply at all

times even when the usual sources of power may have been tempor-
arily discontinued.
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 75

Detailed Plan of Operation

The following will give in some detail the plan of operation for
handling typical calls between various types of offices in a large
metropolitan area such as New York
r
City.
Calls Originating in Machine Switching Offices. Fig. 18 shows
schematically the path of a call originating in a machine switching
office. The pair of wires of a subscriber's line is attached to one of
the sets of fixed terminals in a panel bank appearing before a group of
selectors of the type which has been described. By putting fewer

Fig. 17 — 165 H. P. Gas Engine Generating Set for Emergency Use

lines in these panels and increasing the number of selector brushes,

we attain the speed necessary at this stage of the connection. These
selectors are called "line finders," since their function is to find calling
lines. The terminals correspond to the answering jacks and the
selectors to the "A" operators' answering cords of the manual
system.
76 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

When the subscriber removes his receiver, he closes the circuit of

his line, causing a relay at the central office in series with his line, to
operate. This^relay causes an idle line finder, having access to his
line, to trip the proper brush and then move upward to his line. At
the same time a sender selector attached to that line finder is choosing,

LINE FINDER OFFICE

FRAME FRAME
 MACHINE SW ITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 11

The first step in completing the connection is to choose an idle

trunk in the proper direction. To the nearby offices there are groups
of direct trunks, whereas the more distant offices are reached through
tandem centers described later.

The line finder leads to the movable element of a panel selector

known This district selector has capacity
as a "district selector."
for 450 working outgoing trunks, the other 50 trunks being used for
control purposes. In a small city 450 trunks would be sufficient to

Fig. 19 —Sender Selector

reach all points, but in the case of the New York offices 450 outgoing
trunks are not sufficient. Accordingly, only a few of the trunk groups
outgoing from these offices leave directly from the district selectors.
To obtain access to the remaining trunks there are, on every district
selector frame, groups of trunks leading to so-called "office selectors."
These office selectors are of the panel type and each has a capacity
for 450 outgoing trunks.
The path of a call through a district and office selector will now be
traced. The district selector starts upward under the control of the
78 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

sender. As the district selector moves upward, it produces pulses by

means of the brushes which slideover the commutator at the top of
the selector. These pulses are transmitted back to the sender, and are
there counted. When the sender has counted the number of pulses
which indicates to it that the district selector has proceeded to the
proper position, the sender opens the fundamental ciicuit to the
selector and causes it to stop. This method of controlling the move-
ment termed the reverse control method.
of the selector is

The first selection made chooses

the set of brushes to be tripped
into engagement with the terminals. Assume, as shown in Fig. 18,
the desired trunk appears on the second panel from the bottom.
Therefore, the district selector is allowed to make two pulses and
is then stopped by the sender. The brush-tripping device is thus set

in position to trip the second brush, and the selector is started again

by a signal from the sender, which operation completes the process

of tripping the brush.
The now continues upward, making a pulse for every group
selector
of trunks which it passes over, until, having reached the desired group,
as indicated by the number of pulses counted by the sender, it is again
stopped by the sender at the beginning of this group. The selector
is now started again, and this time under its own control, hunts for

an idle trunk in the group. Busy trunks are grounded on the third
or signaling terminals, whereas idle trunks are open. A testing relay,
associated with the selector, keeps the selector moving upward until
a trunk with an open third wire is found, whereupon the selector stops,
makes connection with this trunk, and renders it busy to other selectors
by grounding the signaling strip.
This trunk, as indicated in Fig. 18, leads to an office selector. The
same process is repeated by the office selector, under control of the
sender, to trip first the proper brush, then choose the proper group,
and finally to choose an idle trunk in the group. The connection
is now extended to an outgoing trunk. The sender still remains
attached to the connection, since it must still control the further
setting up of the connection.
The sizes of the working trunk groups on district and office selectors
can vary from 5 to 90, depending upon the traffic to be handled.
Calls Between Machine Switching Offices. If the call is for a sub-

scriber in a machine switching office it is completed as shown in

Fig. 20. This figure shows a diagram of the apparatus used to con-
nect an incoming full mechanical trunk to a subscriber's line, whether
this line is in the originating machine switching office or in another
which must be reached over interoffice trunks.
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 79

The incoming trunk to the machine switching office terminates

on an "incoming selector," which is of the type already described.
The machine switching office has a capacity for 10,000 numbers, but
the incoming selector has capacity of only 500 trunks, so that the
same arrangement is employed as on the district selectors; that is,
the incoming selector chooses one of a number of other selectors,
called "final selectors," which have access to the subscribers' lines.
Since each group of final selectors has access to 500 subscribers, 20

TO DISTRICT FR.
OR OFFICE FR. IN
CALLED
DISTANT OFFICE SUBSCRIBER

Fig. 20 — Diagram of Incoming and Final Frames

groups of finals will be necessary to care for the full 10,000 numbers.
On the incoming selector frames, therefore, appear 20 groups of trunks,
each group leading to a different frame of final selectors.
The method of selection is the same as described for the district
and office selectors; that is, first the incoming selector, under control
of the sender in the originating office, trips the proper brush, chooses
the proper group, and finally chooses an idle trunk leading to a final
selector. The final selector then goes through the process of brush,
group, and subscriber's terminal selection. The terminal selection
is under the control of the sender which counts line by line in the
group of ten, until the desired one is reached. If the called line is
idle, it is rung, and the calling subscriber is advised of that fact by

hearing the audible ringing signal. If the called line is busy it is not

connected, but an intermittent buzz, recognized as the busy signal, is

sent back to the calling subscriber. If the called number is that of a
P. B. X. having several trunks, the final selector automatically hunts
for an idle one. If the final selector, after testing all the P. B. X.
trunks finds them all busy, it sends back the busy signal.
80 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

As soonas the called line is reached, the sender is dropped from the
circuit to be available for another connection. It is not held during
the period of ringing, during the time that the busy signal is being
given, if the line is busy, or during any part of the period of con-
versation.
be noted that the method of selection is not on a decimal
It will
basis. The
first selection is to choose one of five brushes on the in-

coming selector as already explained that is, we choose that partucular

;

fifth of the terminals in which the called line happens to be, and since
1-5 of 10,000 is 2000, we choose the 2000 group desired. The next
selection is by groups of 500, which is again non-decimal. This
" translation," as it is called, of the number from the decimal notation,

as dialed by the subscriber, into the notation as needed by the selectors,

is taken care of very simply in the senders.

Calls from Machine Switching to Manual Offices. Calls from ma-

chine switching to manual offices are handled at the manual office on
call indicator "B" positions. Fig. 21 shows a diagram of the equip-
ment used to connect such a call to a subscriber in the manual office.

TRUNK.
POSITION-

CALLED SUBSCRIBER

TO OFFICE
FRAME_
M.S. I

OFFICE
TRUNIN
RELAYS

Fig. 21 — Diagram of Connection from Machine Switching to Manual

The call progresses through the district and office selector in the
same manner as described for the machine switching call, but the
trunk which it takes up leads to a call indicator "B" position in the
manual office selected. The operator is notified that a call has reached
her position by the lighting of a lamp associated with the cord and
plug in which the incoming trunk terminates. Upon perceiving this
signal,she presses a display key associated with that trunk, and
thereupon the called subscriber's number is displayed on a bank
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 81

of numbered lamps located on this operator's keyboard. The oper-

ator picks up the plug, tests the called line and, if it is found idle,
plugs in; or, if it is found busy, she plugs into a special jack which is
arranged to send the intermittent busy tone back to the calling
subscriber.
The called subscriber's number is displayed in the following manner.
Associated with the operator's position, and with her call indicator, is
a group of relays. When the display key is depressed, this group of
relays is attached to the trunk. The sender which has meanwhile
been waiting on the connection, is thereby given a signal, and sends the
number called by means of code pulses which are received by the
group of relays. These relays, in turn, Might the set of lamps on the
call indicator corresponding to the digits of the called number, as

shown in Figs. 22 and 23. The code pulses employed for sending

Fig. 22 — Incoming Trunk Position in a Manual Office Arranged for Call Indicator
Operation

this called number are positive and negative, strong and weak, and
are translated by the sender from the decimal dial pulses to this type
of pulse to reduce the time required and to simplify the receiving
apparatus.
82 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

Incoming Calls from Manual to Machine Switching Offices. Calls

from manual offices are handled at the machine switching office on
the cordless "B" positions. Fig. 24 shows a diagram of the equip-

Fig. 23 — Call Indicator at an Incoming Trunk Position in a Manual Office

ment used manual office destined

to connect a call originating in a
machine switching office. Such a call is answered
for a subscriber in a
by the "A" operator in the manual office in the usual manner. She
takes up the call circuit by depressing her call circuit key to the

foarHrqTtMw Final Frame

ABOARD Sender I i
Sender I I "rui*

Fig. 24 — Diagram of a Connection from a Manual to a Machine Switching Office

machine switching office desired, passes the called subscriber's num-
ber, and receives a trunk assignment in exactly the same manner
as if the call were going to another manual office. The cordless "B"
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM R3

operator, upon assigning a trunk, presses the assignment key of that

crunk, which temporarily attaehes her keyboard to a sender and
simultaneously to the incoming trunk which she has assigned. As
shown in Fig. 24, the incoming trunk terminates on an incoming
selector which has access to final selectors on which the called num-
ber appears, in the same manner as described before.
The operator now sets up on her numbered keys the number de-
sired, and this information is transmitted immediately to the sender.
These keys, which lock mechanically, are released after a fraction of
a second by a magnet controlled by the sender and aie ready for the

Fig. "B" Positions in Machine Switching Office

next call. The "B" operator's sender now controls the incoming
and final selectors in the same manner as the subscribers' senders,
causing the incoming selector to choose an idle trunk to a final selector
having access to the desired group of 500 numbers. The final selector
reaches its destination in the manner previously described and, as
soon as the line is found, the sender is released.
Fig. 25 shows a line of cordless positions. The section at the
left is the cable turning section, having nothing to do with the oper-
ation of the board.
S4 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

Manual Positions Required in Machine Switching Offices. While

regular calls between two subscribers will be completed in this system
without the aid of operators, certain classes of calls, such as toll calls
to suburban points and calls for discontinued or changed numbers,
etc., will require the assistance of an operator. Special manual posi-
tions are therefore provided in the machine switching office for this
service. These positions also care for cases where the subscriber
may need the assistance of an operator for other reasons than the
above, and are in addition to the cordless "B" positions previously
described.
The operators are called "Special Service Operators." The sub-
scriber signalsthem by dialing "Zero," which on the dial is also
marked with the word "Operator." The connection then progresses
in the same general manner, through the district and office selectors,
as for any originating call. An idle trunk appearing on the office
selector leading to an answering jack before the special service oper-
ator chosen and the sender released. Should a subscriber in any
is

local service area dial a subscriber in another area, the sender will
automatically route the call to a special service operator.
The special service operator in large areas has before her a number
of cord circuitshaving one end terminating in a cord and plug. She
also has upon a keyboard a set of keys similar to those described for
the cordless "B" position, except that there are additional strips of
keys upon which she can write up an office code. The operator
answers the subscriber by inserting one of the plugs in the answering
jack and, having ascertained the desires of the subscriber, directs
the connection to the proper destination by setting up on her keys the
proper numerical code. Senders are furnished for these positions
so that, as soon as the information from the keyboard has been regis-
tered on the sender, the keys are released and are ready for another call.
The other end of the special service operators' cord circuit termi-
nates in a district selector which, either directly or through other
selectors, has access not only to trunks which the subscriber himself
might call, but also to trunks leading to more distant offices which he
cannot dial directly because they are toll points.
Tandem Operation. There are about 158 central offices in the area
shown on the map, Fig. 3. While it is an essential requirement that
any subscriber connected to any of these offices be able to reach any
subscriber connected to any other office, it is obvious that to furnish
trunks from each office direct to every other office would require
a great number of long trunks in small groups carrying a very light
load most of the time.
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 85

In order to eliminate the inefficiency that such an arrangement

would entail, it has been the practise in manual operation to handle
the traffic from one part of the area to another part of the area over
main trunk routes. The collecting and distributing points on these
trunk routes are known as "tandem centers," and the plan of oper-
ation is known as "tandem operation."

Fig. 26 — Typical Tandem Trunking Plan

Fig. 26 shows an arrangement of offices in a typical tandem trunk-
ing plan. Offices marked M are local offices, either manual or ma-
chine switching. The office marked T is a tandem office. If a call
is by a subscriber in office M-l for a subscriber in offices
originated
M-4, M-5, or M-6, to which no direct trunks are provided, the call is
routed at office M-l to trunks terminating at tandem office T. At
this point they are connected to trunks leading to the proper office,

where the connection is completed to the desired subscriber in the

usual manner. Likewise, calls from offices M-2 and M-3 are com-
pleted over the same groups of trunks from the tandem office T to
offices M-4, M-5, or M-6.
The plan described above is typical of that followed in the New
York Metropolitan area for many years, the completion of the call
being controlled at the tandem office by operators.
The machine switching system is not only adapted to fit into the
existing tandem plan, either when used in the local central office or
at the tandem office, but also makes available possibilities for con-
siderably extending the field of usefulness of the tandem system, due
to certainadvantages in handling calls at tandem points by the use
of machinery.
The use of a sender at the machine switching office which is cap-
any way desired permits locating the selectors
able of routing a call in
which have access to the interoffice trunks at any convenient point
either at the originating office or at some distant point. In other
86 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

words, the tandem T shown on Fig. 26 may consist of a group of

office
office selectors such as have been described previously. In this case
the trunks from offices M-l, M-2 and M-3 would lead from district
selectors in these offices to the office selectors at office T which would
select, under control of the sender in the originating office, an idle
trunk to office M-4, M-5, or M-6, as desired. At the terminating
office the call would be completed through incoming and finals if it is

a machine switching office, or call indicator "B" positions if it is a

manual office, exactly as described previously.
If the number of points to be reached through the tandem office is

greater than the capacity of a group of office selectors, a group of

district selectors may be provided at the tandem office which have
access to groups of office selectors located at the same office or at

some distant point, as described above.

Fig. 27 — Tandem Trunking Plan Showing Distant Office Selector

Fig. 27 shows schematically a tandem plan using the above method.

Tandem office T is provided with district selectors on which terminate
trunks from local M-l, M-2 and M-3. These selectors have
office

access to office selectors in the same office through which offices M-4
and M-5 are reached, and to office selectors located in the distant
tandem office T-l through which office M-6 and M-7 are reached.
To handle calls at a machine switching tandem office originating
from manual offices, operators are required at the tandem office.
These operators handle calls in much the same manner as cordless
"B" operators in a machine switching office, as already described.
The operator receives the desired office name and number from the
originating operator over a call circuit and sets it up on her keyboard,
which is similar to the cordless " B " board, except that it has office keys
in addition to numerical keys. The number is receivedby a sender
which then controls the operation of the selecting mechanism in the
 MACHINE SWITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 87

tandem office and other offices through which the call may pass, to
the desired local office and subscriber's line.

Many different combinations of the above are possible and arc

employed when desired.

Maintenance

As have become apparent from the description already given

will
there is, the machine switching telephone central office, a large
in

amount of apparatus which, in order to insure service of good quality,

must be maintained in proper working condition. Consequently,
the subject of maintenance has been very carefully kept in mind
throughout the design of the system. For instance, all new pieces
of apparatus used in this system have been subjected to the most
rigid tests to insure that they will have a satisfactory life and that
their margins of adjustment will be adequate.
When maintaining machine switching equipment, the main reli-
ance is placed on preventive measures, so that incipient faults will
be detected and corrected before they have got to the point of inter-
fering with service. Ingenious automatic testing arrangements have
been designed to aid in this preventive maintenance work. They
subject the various circuits in the exchange to routine tests, and are
arranged so that they will automatically test all of the circuits, one
by one, under conditions more severe than they will ever be called
upon to meet in service. In case some feature of any circuit has
deteriorated from its normal standard of adjustment which includes —
a wide margin —
so that it will not meet this severe testing condition,
the testing apparatus automatically stops and by supervisory lamps
indicates the location of the trouble. An audible alarm is also sounded
which notifies the maintenance man responsible that something
requiring his attention has been found. The circuit in trouble may
still be capable of giving service, but is below the standard set and

may soon give service trouble if not corrected.

As applied automatic routine test
to the sender, for example, the
equipment picks up each sender in turn and puts it through its regular
process of operation, under conditions more severe than are en-
countered in practise. If the sender under test meets the operating
conditions without failure, the sender is dropped and the test equip-
ment moves to the next sender. If any trouble develops an alarm
is given, which summons the maintenance man who is able to de-

termine by the condition of the apparatus the location of potential

trouble.
88 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL

The operation of the testing equipment may be varied by suitable

keys, so that all the features of each sender may be tested once, or
so that any one feature of the sender may be tested as many times
as desired.
All the equipment in the office occurs in groups, and arrangements
are made for readily taking out of service for readjustment any piece
of apparatus which may have been found to have potential trouble
the other members of the group continuing to handle the calls.

Application

In the preceding pages there has been briefly described a switching

system which meets the exacting and complex requirements of tele-
phone service in the largest cities and in which, so far as is practicable,
the various switching operations are performed automatically. Only
such operators are required in connection with this system as are
necessary for handling special classes of service and certain operations
in connection with the interchange of calls between manual and
machine switching central offices during the transition period.
Variations in the arrangements which have been described have
been developed and are available for use whenever the conditions
warrant. An illustration of this is the so-called key indicator, which
permits the handling of calls from manual to machine switching
offices without the aid of the cordless "B" operators. This is effected
by providing the operators in the manual offices with special keys
and equipment for controlling directly the selection of the subscrib-
er's line in the machine switching office.
This machine switching system marks a very important advance
in a development which began shortly after the telephone was in-
vented, and which has been most vigorously prosecuted by the en-
gineers of the Bell System from then to the present time. Through-
out this entire development period the tendency has been to introduce
automatic methods and apparatus whenever they gave a better result
to the public, or whenever they were attended by an economy of any
kind.
How this system works has been briefly explained. What arrange-
ments are provided for handling regular machine switching calls,
calls to and from existing manual offices, private branch exchanges,
etc., has been described. How the introduction of this system into
a telephone network is affected will now be discussed briefly.
Obviously, the problem of introducing machine switching equip-
ment into such an extensive and complex structure as is the telephone
 MACHINE Sir ITCHING TELEPHONE SYSTEM 89

plant of a big city, is a large one. It is impracticable to introduce it

all at once. Its introduction must be effected gradually and this is

accomplished by using it for growth and such replacements as are
necessary, later extending its use as conditions warrant.
The fundamental engineering studies which have to be made and
which must precede the manufacture and installation of the equip-
ment for a machine switching office are, in all important respects,
the same as those which must precede the manufacture and installa-
tion of the equipment in a new manual office. They involve a careful
study of the telephone needs of the area, with a view to determining
ultimately the quantities of the different kinds of arrangements neces-
sary to give the service. This requires a study of the commercial
requirements at the time when the equipment should be cut over and
for several years thereafter. Data must be collected as to the prob-
able rates of calling, the average duration of the calls and the amount
of trunking to and from other offices.
With these data available, the size and arrangement of the trunk
groups on the selector frames, the number, grouping and type of
selectors and senders required, and the size of the power plant can be
determined. From this the cabling arrangement can be worked out,
and suitable floor plans prepared.
Manufacturing specifications can then be prepared in accordance
with which the equipment of the office is manufactured and installed.
Before the equipment is cut into service, the various arrangements are
thoroughly tested individually, and when in proper condition the
whole is checked up by making complete operation tests.
If time and space permitted, it would be of interest to discuss the

methods of actually cutting the equipment into service, and the

comprehensive program which is worked out for the training of the
employees who are to handle the equipment and advising the public
which is to use it. All these matters are of the utmost importance,
and must be carried out systematically in order that there may be
no reactions on the general service at the time of the cut-over.