Fig. 400. Desk Stand for Two-Wire System
[View full size illustration.]

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CHAPTER XXX
THE LORIMER AUTOMATIC SYSTEM

The Lorimer automatic telephone system has not been commercially used in this country but is in commercial operation in a few places in Canada. It is interesting from several points of view. It was invented, built, and installed by the Lorimer Brothers—Hoyt, George William, and Egbert—of Brantford, Ontario. These young men without previous telephonic training and, according to their statements, without ever having seen the inside of a telephone office, conceived and developed this system and put it in practical operation. With the struggles and efforts of these young men in accomplishing this feat we have some familiarity, and it impresses us as one of the most remarkable inventive achievements that has come to our attention, regardless of whatever the merits or demerits of the system may be.

The Lorimer system is interesting also from the fact that, in most cases, it represents the mechanical rather than the electrical way of doing things. The switches are power driven and electrically controlled rather than electrically driven and electrically controlled, as in the system of the Automatic Electric Company.

The subscriber's station apparatus consists of the usual receiver, speech transmitter, call bell, and hook switch, and in addition a signal transmitter arranged to be manipulated by the subscriber so as to control the operation of the central-office apparatus in connecting with any desired line in the system.

The central-office apparatus is designed throughout upon the principle of switching by means of power-driven switches which are under the control of the signal transmitters of the calling subscriber's station. The switches employed in making a connection are all so arranged with respect to constantly rotating shafts that the movable member of such switches may be connected to the shafts by means of electromagnets controlled directly or indirectly by relays, which, in turn, are brought under the control of the signal transmitters.