Untitled record

(No Model.)

Sheets—Sheet 1,

A. L. VOGT.

ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM.

No. 513,352.

Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

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WITNESSES:

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INVENTOR

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ATTORNEYS.

THE NATIONAL LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY.

WASHINGTON. D. C.

(No Model.)

Sheets—Sheet 2.

A. L. VOGT.

ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM.

No. 513,352.

Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

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INVENTOR

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ATTORNEYS.

THS NATIONAL LITHOGRAPH»^ i^OMPANY.

WASHINGTON, D. θ/

United States Patent Office.

ALONZO L. VOGT, OF DELAWARE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWIN G. LYBRAND, OF SAME PLACE.

ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,353, dated January 23,1894.

Application, filed March 8,1893. Serial No. 465,062, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Alonzo L. Vogt, of Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, have invented a new and use5 ful Improvement in Call Systems and Devices Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved system and device, for expediting commuuicaio tion between physicians and their patrons, and to insure accuracy in the reception and transmission of written messages and electric calls and signals, at and from a receiving station to the offices of the physicians; also to 15 facilitate the filling and prompt delivery of prescriptions for patients, and to furnish means for the speedy transfer of packages between physicians and their patients.

It is customary for the residents and fre20 quenters of a locality in a city or town, to make inquiries at drug stores to ascertain the whereabouts of physicians who are practitioners in the place, and at times to leave messages or vials for the doctor when next he 25 calls at the pharmacy. This draft on the time and patience of the druggist and bis assistants is usually endured cheerfully, as to neglect or refuse an accommodation of the kind might prove injurious to the interests 30 of the owner of the store. A want of method in the service indicated, frequently results in an unintentional neglect to deliver a message or a package to the party for whom it was intended, which may be injurious to all 35 concerned.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel, simple and effective system and apparatus for the reliable reception and transmission of messages and packages, at and 40 from a drug store as a station, to any desired number of physicians’ offices, and furthermore, to facilitate audible intercommunication between a patron at the station and the doctor at his office, if this is desired in cases 45 of emergency.

To these ends my invention consists in the method and means for the indicated purpose, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompany50 ing drawings forming a part of this specifica tion, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective front view of a peculiarly constructed cabinet forming part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sec- 55 tional view, on the line 2—2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating means for the transmission of electric signals between a main station and a point of delivery for audible signals, said diagram rep- 60 resenting a unit of a series that collectively form.the improved system.

In the drawings, A represents a cabinet of a convenient size for efficient service, preferably constructed of wood, and in any style or 65 character desired. The interior of the cabinet is divided into four compartments by the three horizontal partitions a, which are secured to the side walls and rear wall of the cabinet. Preferably, the spaces between the 70 partitions a and the bottom wall δ of the cabinet are made of an equal height and collectively represent one half of the interior of the cabinet as indicated in Fig. 2. The.spaces intermediate the three horizontal partitions 75 a and the bottom δ of the cabinet, are each divided into a series of pockets by the vertical walls c, that are introduced and secured preferably at even distances apart; said pockets being provided for the reception of the 80 drawers d, which maybe numbered inconsecutive order as indicated in Fig. 1, and also be labeled with the names of physicians who are to receive messages and packages through this improved means. The space above the 85 upper partition a is closed at the front by a removable wall C, which is perforated in rows at proper intervals for the introduction of electrical push button devices of ordinary construction. 90

As represented in Fig. 2, the push button devices that are each designed to afford means to close a normally open electric circuit, each consist of a push piece e in the form of a cylindrical rod loosely inserted through one of 95 the spaced perforations in the wall C, before mentioned. The diameter of the rod e is reduced within the space it penetrates, so as to form an abutment on it to support the contact plate e'. ICO

513,352

An upright wall 0' is secured within the upper compartment of the cabinet, at a proper distance from the wall 0 and parallel with it, this wall C' being serially perforated, each 5 perforation therein being opposite a perforation in the wall C that is occupied by a push button shank, the reduced portions of the rods e loosely engaging with the perforations in the wall C', as indicatedin Fig. 2. A spiral ro spring is located on the shank of each rod e occupying space thereon between the contact plate e' and wall O', the tension of the spring holding the plate e' against an insulating washer that encircles the rod e, and is se15 cured upon the inner surfaceof the wall Cso as to prevent the plate from becoming improperly electrified. At a short distance each side of the shank of each push button device, a conductor post e² is projected from the in20 ner wall C' toward the contact plate thereof, but not touching it when the rod e is in a normal position. From one of the posts e² of each push button device, a circuit wire h is extended through the wall C' and rear wall 25 g of the cabinet, to a point that will presently be mentioned, and from the lower portion of the contact plate a similar wire h' is extend ed through the walls C' and g, and preferably these wires are protected by any suitable in30 sulating material.

It is designed in the installation of this system for intercommunication, to place an electric signal bell B at the drug store, and a like bell B' at each physician’s office which 35 is to be included in said system, and as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the bell B' has one pole of its electro-magnet connected to one of the circuit wires Λ, h', of a push button device in the cabinet A, the other wire 40 of the open circuit being connected to the remaining pole of the electro-magnet, so that an operator by manipulating a pushbutton on the cabinet A that bears a number Which represents the office of a physician 45 whose name is kept in a proper record, will ring the bell in said office, as a call for the physician to visit the drug store for a written message or a package.

It is one of the objects of the system to pro50 vide a single push button device such as had been described, or any other that may be preferred, for the office of each physician who is to receive calls from the drug store by means of the electrical apparatus, said push buttons 55 having their circuit wires h, h' extended from the push buttons at the doctor’s office to connect with the bell B at the drug store, all the wires thus led being in normally open circuit and connected to a battery E, as indicated by 60 one circuit in Fig. 3.

It will be evident that if a predetermined code of audible signals is used as a means of intercommunication, the manipulation of the push button in any doctor’s office and the 65 proper, push button on the cabinet, will afford a reliable and instantaneous means for indicating to a party at either station wha,t is wanted. As for instance, two distinct soundings of the bell in the physician’s office may indicate that the doctor is wanted immedi- 70 ately by a patient in the neighborhood of the drug store, and a single responsive sounding of the bell at the drug store may represent “Will come.”

The push buttons and drawers are protected 75 from being meddled with, by the provision of two light doors C², C³, which are hinged to swing from opposite side edges of the cabinet A, said doors, that are of an area which will close the front of the cabinet when adjusted 80 to effect this, being furnished with a lock or other convenient and safe means for securing them in a closed condition. On fhe inner surface of the door C² a suitable number of filing hooks h²are secured in rows evenly 85 spaced apart, each hook being preferably numbered and may also be labeled with a doctor’s name for the reception of written messages, letters, or any other memoranda that is to.be delivered or communicated to 90 the physician indicated by the number or label. In a like manner, filing hooks h² are arranged in spaced rows on the door C³ for the retention of reports as to the whereabouts of all of the physicians that use the system, 95 whereby reliable information may be furnished to those applying for it at the drug store.

It is contemplated in carrving into effect this improved systematic method for infer- 100 mation of the public, that a competent messenger be placed in charge of the plant who will attend to the electric call bells, receive and file as well as deliver written messages, and receive and deliver packages to proper . 105 parties, and also make the round of fhe physicians’ offices periodically, to' obtain correct data as to the whereabouts of the entire number of physicians, and register such memoranda in proper order on the filing hooks on no the door C², so as to be enabled to give instant and reliable information to parties who desire the same.

When the cabinet A is not in use, the doors C², C³, being closed, an outer door D that folds 115 upwardly is also closed and locked, which will seal the entire device except the local electric bell B, which is placed at the front on top of the cabinet A, and when actuated by an operator at any physician’s office on the 120 route the attendant will thus be notified that an audible signal message is to be delivered.