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OPERATING ROOM DESKS
Operating room desks are provided to handle the many related functions of traffic operating. The primary services performed at these desks are rate and route information, toll information, local and toll intercepting, local information, service observing and charge quoting. The centralization of these functions within an office facilitates the completion and disposal of both toll and local calls. The size of the city and the volume of the various auxiliary services will determine to a large-degree the extent to which these services may be efficiently combined at a desk. This chapter discusses briefly ticket handling desks, information and intercepting desks and service observing desks.
Toll Tickets
Individual tickets are used to record the details of each toll call handled by an operator for which a charge is made. The processing of these tickets requires the interchange of tickets between switchboard positions and desks in the operating room.
CLR positions (Combined Line Recording) are manned by operators who answer the recording trunks from the local offices. These operators write the ticket and initiate the first attempt to complete a call. On line or circuit busys the CLR operator makes two attempts to complete the call. After two attempts, or if the call is delayed for other reasons, this ticket together with completed and cancelled ones are sent to specialized operators for further processing.
The TX operator makes subsequent attempts to complete delayed calls. Each TX position receives the tickets for calls which originate over predetermined circuit.,. groups so as to distribute the load evenly. The designation strips for each circuit group are marked with the TX position handling the delays so that the CLR operator can readily make the assignment.
Ticket Handling - The handling of toll traffic requires a constant and rapid flow of toll tickets between operators:
a. Delayed calls must reach the designated TX position with a minimum delay.
b. Completed calls must be filed promptly for charge quoting purposes.
c. Cancelled tickets must be filed for future reference.
Larger offices handle the distributing, filing and charge quoting of tickets at specialized desks. The smaller offices perform these functions at convenient locations or switchboard positions in the office. All offices utilize night operators for some of the sorting operations and preparation of tickets for accounting.
Figure 10-1 shows a typical layout of TX and CLR positions and charts the flow of tickets in the operating room. These tickets may be passed from one location to another by pneumatic tube, mechanical means or by messenger.
Where pneumatic tubes are used each operator has access to a tube which carries the tickets to a ticket sorting desk. The sorting desk has a tube to each TX or pair of TX positions.
In smaller offices mechanical carriers on tracks are available and quite often messengers are used who make continuous rounds of the operating room carrying the tickets from one location to another.
Fundamentally the choice of the ticket handling method is one of economics. In the very small offices, tickets may be passed by supervisors. In slightly larger offices the volume of tickets would prohibit ticket handling by supervisors and a track might be required. As the length of the switchboard increases or where several lines are used the track becomes impractical and messengers are required. When the cost of messengers becomes prohibitive pneumatic tubes become more practical and so each office must be considered separately to determine which method of ticket handling will be used.
Ticket Handling Desks
No. 42 Type Desks - The ticket filing and rate quoting desk No. 42 was a 4-position double-sided desk for use in the larger toll offices with No. 1 or No. 3 toll switchboards, and could be furnished for use either with or without a pneumatic ticket distributing system. It had three positions equipped for ticket filing and rate quoting and one position equipped for ticket filing only. This desk is rated "Mfg Disc" replaced by the 43C desk.
No. 43 Type Desks - The No. 43 distributing, ticket filing, and rate quoting desk was a four-position double-sided desk for use in small toll offices with No. 1 or No. 3 toll switchboards when a pneumatic ticket distributing system was used. The two positions on one side of the desk were used for ticket filing and rate quoting; the two on the other side were used for distributing, ticket filing and rate quoting.
The No. 43A, B and C desks differ from each other only in the provisions for pneumatic tube equipment as described below:
No. 43A - no provision for pneumatic tubes.
No. 43B - provision for common return tubes only.
No. 43C - provision for sending and common return tubes.
The No. 43A desk is designed Figure 10-2. No. 43 Distributing, Ticket for ticket filing, charge quoting, and rate Filing and Rate Quoting Desk. and route work, in offices with messenger ticket collection and distribution. It could also be used in offices with pneumatic tube equipment where a separate desk was provided for distributing.
The No. 43B desk was designed to handle ticket filing and charge quoting. Rate and route work was also handled on the No. 43B desk when desired.
The No. 43C desk was designed for distributing, ticket filing, charge quoting, and rate and route work in offices equipped with pneumatic tubes. The pneumatic tube equipment for these desks was supported from a wood framework which was placed over the ticket filing cabinet. Provision was made for one roller receiving valve to serve a maximum of four common return tubes.
A ticket stacker with an opening at the bottom for removing tickets was connected to the roller valve and was provided to receive the tickets. In addition, the No. 43C desk had a maximum capacity of 8 sender tubes, split in two groups of four each mounted in sending tube compartments on each side of a cutout in a ticket file cabinet used for the ticket stacker and the passing' of tickets. The sending tubes were available to two operators on the front side of the desk.
No. 51 Type Desk - The No. 51 Toll Ticket Distributing Desk was a 4-position double-sided desk for use with the pneumatic ticket distributing system and had a capacity of 20 common return tubes and 80 sending tubes. It was designed to receive, tickets from all points throughout the office and redistribute them to point-to-point positions, delayed through board and ticket filing desks. It was a large cumbersome apparatus with the tickets dropping from the overhead receiving rollers to a glass shelf at approximately eye level' in front of the operators. It is now rated "Mfg Disc".
Information and Intercepting
Desks
No. 2 Type Information and Intercepting Desk - This desk will handle manual and dial information traffic, manual intercepting traffic and toll auxiliary services where it is desired to combine the latter local desk services.
The key shelf has a capacity of 27 type B keys with two keys per base, a total of 54 circuits. Three of the keys are used for the supervisor's circuit, flashing key and out trunk to the A board, leaving a capacity of 51 trunks per position. The desk is designed for the following services:
a. Centralized information traffic from manual and step-by-step offices or for both.
b. Intercept traffic from manual offices if such traffic cannot readily be handled at "All positions.
c. Toll directory rate, route, charge quoting and ticket filing.
The desk is also designed for the use of rotary files for all local information records and in some cases for a portion of the toll rate and route record. Other records required at the desk will ordinarily be in book form. Provision is made for transferring calls to local or toll switchboards during periods of light load. Trunks not transferred are made busy at the originating office.
No. 3 Type Information and Intercepting Desk - This desk features automatic distribution of incoming calls to available operators, sequence answering of incoming calls from local offices and preferential answering of incoming calls from toll. These desks (Figure 10-3) are designed for use in the largest cities where local record is maintained in printed book form. The desks are available in One-Book, Two-Book, Three-Book and Four-Book sizes. The size indicates the number of racks to hold books open in front of operator.
No. 4 Type Information and Intercepting Desk - The No. 4 type Information and Intercepting Desk features automatic distribution of incoming calls to available operators, sequence answering of incoming calls from local offices and preferential answering o incoming calls from toll. The trunk circuits are the same as those of the No. 3 desk. This desk (Figure 10-4) is designed for use where local information records of the rotary file type are to be used. The call distribution feature makes its use desirable over a No. 2 rotary file desk. Where rotary files are to be changed to book records on existing desk, positions may be readily arranged for book records.
No. 6 Type Information and Intercepting Desk - This desk features automatic distribution of incoming calls to available operators, sequence answering of incoming calls from local offices and preferential answering of incoming calls from toll. This desk also uses No. 3 desk trunk circuits. No. 6 type desks (Figure 10-5) were designed for use in cities where local record is maintained in printed book form with not more than one double section binder required for the ultimate. They are all the same type but coded separately to indicate the capacity of the desk framework. The Nos. 6A, 6C, and 6D desks are equipped with one lower book shelf position and are so constructed that an upper shelf cannot be added. The Nos. 6B, 6E and 6F are equipped either with one lower and one upper bookshelf or with one lower bookshelf and a single tier directory rack for supplementary records between the turrets as required.
No. 7 and No. 7A Auxiliary Service Desks - These desks are designed to handle the auxiliary services in relatively small cities. They are provided for manual or dial information, manual or dial intercepting, or toll auxiliary services or any combination of these local and toll services. The toll services include directory, rate, route, charge quoting and ticket sorting. A ticket file, with or without pneumatic tubes, may be provided on a job basis at one desk section if desired. The desks are arranged for book type records only. Both desks come in double-sided four-position sections and both types are the same overall size.
The No. 7 desk has a capacity of 30 key-6nded incoming trunks per position with all trunks permanently multipled to all four positions of the section. The No. 7A desk has a capacity of 50 incoming trunks per position on the same basis. Two or more sections can be lined up as one desk, the trunk multiple being carried from section to section. In addition to the incoming trunks a maximum of 8 outgoing trunks (2 per position) can be provided if required. Trunk transfer equipment for transferring some trunks in each incoming trunk group to a manual, DSA or toll switchboard, for night operation, and for making busy all dial trunks not transferred, may be provided where desired.
No. 17C, No. 17D, 17MC Information and Intercepting Desks - 17C, 17D and 17MC local operating room desks consist of single-position, low type sections having three 8-1/2 inch panels so designed that one or more sections may be placed in a lineup. A cable turning section is located at the originating end of the desk.
The No. 17C local operating room desk was designed for
handling intercepting service in multi-office areas on a centralized basis of Nos. 1, IC,
10 and 11 switchboards. It is arranged with a 6 panel multiple and has a capacity of 360
incoming trunks and tie lines. (Figure 10-6).
The Nos.
The No. 17D local operating room desk was designed for handling information and intercepting service from the Nos. 1, IC, 1D and 11 type switchboards in single office areas or as a local desk in a multi-office area where it was not economical to centralize. It was also designed for handling information service from No. 1 and No. 3 toll switchboards. With a 6 panel multiple, it has a capacity of 170 incoming trunks and tie lines.
The No. 17MC information desk was designed for the local handling of requests for information from toll operators and subscribers in step-by-step areas. It has a capacity of 60 incoming trunks, 20 outgoing trunks and 10 two-way tie lines.
No. 19 Type Information and Intercepting Desks - The No. 19 desk is designed for additions to 17MC and 17D desks. It is similar in appearance and was developed because of the economies of providing one desk in place of several. In general, it provides all of the features of the other desks with minor modifications. The outstanding exception is the "loop back" feature of the intercepting trunks. The No. 17 desks accomplish this feature by key operation while the No. 19 type circuits function by removing the answering cord from the regular answering jack and plugging it into a loop back jack which is connected to the telephone circuit of the operator originating the call.
No. 23 Auxiliary Operating Room Desk - It is expected that the No. 23 Auxiliary Operating Room desk ultimately will replace most of the present local and toll auxiliary operating room desks with the exception of those using rotary files and the No. 7A desk for small cities requiring only a few positions at the lowest practicable cost. It is adaptable for information service, for centralized intercepting service, for centralized toll rate and route quoting, for toll ticket filing, ticket distributing and charge quoting, or for any combination of the above services.
The A, B, C and D type desks employ a call distributing circuit. Capacity is limited to 140 incoming call distributing trunks and 40 position terminations. Of these latter, it is assumed that 4 will be used for lines to service assistants so that the effective size of a unit is 36 positions. Incoming trunks may be assigned in any convenient order on the frames; however, all trunks that are to receive the same degree of priority are assigned to the same, or coordinate, trunk preference circuits. The trunks may have as many as four preferences which are served in the order of their rank. Calls are received by each of the four trunk preference circuits almost independently of each other but distribution of these calls to available positions is controlled by the group preference circuit. Trunks are grouped into preferences and are served in the following order:
a. Rate and Route.
b. Toll Information.
c. Intercept.
d. Local Information.
As long as a call is waiting to be served in a low numbered preference, no call in a higher numbered preference will be connected.
No. 23A Section (Figure 10-7) - This consists of a two-position one bookshelf per position section with most of the incoming trunks reaching a position through a call distributing circuit. Adjacent sections are separated by plastic baffle plates.
No. 23B Section (Figure 10-8) - This section consists of an A section with a transverse unit mounted between alternate sections so that each position has sloping shelves of equal size in front of, and on one side of the space occupied by the operator. It is expected this section will always be used for call distributing terminations of information trunks and not in a line-up with a D section.
No. 23C Section (Figure 10-9) - This consists of an A section with a transverse unit mounted on each side. It is expected this section will always be used for call distributing terminations of information trunks and not in a line-up with a D section.
No. 23D Section (Figure 10-10) - This sections consists of a flat top section with a ticket filing cabinet mounted longitudinally in the center of the space. Provision is made, by a cutout in the center of the file, for mounting a pneumatic tube roller valve with a ticket stacker to receive tickets, similar to the No. 43C desk, and the space at the bottom of this cutout is available for terminating a maximum of 14 sending tubes at desk level. The lamp and key equipments and the circuits are the same as the A section. The desk will generally be used in a line-up with positions of the A type.
No. 23E Section (Figure 10-10) - This section is identical with the D section except that it does not provide for call distributing; provision being made in the panel for a maximum of 28 incoming key-ended trunks and for trunk-per-position operation, if desired. The necessary keys and lamps to give outward service, signal the service assistant, hold, and flash are provided, but no provision is made for transferring any incoming calls to the service assistant.
No. 23F Section (Figure 10-7) - This is identical with the A section except that it does not provide for call distributing; provision being made in the key panel for a maximum of 26 incoming key-ended trunks and for trunk-per-position operation, if desired. The necessary keys and lamps to give outward service, signal the service assistant, hold, and flash are provided, but no provision is made for transferring an incoming call to the service assistant.
Service Observing Desks
No. 2 Service Observing Desk - The No. 2 Service Observing Desk was arranged for use in local manual multi-office areas for observing service on subscribers' lines or auxiliary trunk circuits on a centralized basis. It consisted of a 2 position section with a capacity of thirty multi-line service observing circuits or 15 multi-line and 60 single line circuits per position.
No. 3 Service Observing Board - The No. 3 Service Observing Board consists of a high type toll section equipped with a multiple of toll lines, switching trunks and miscellaneous circuits arranged for observing service in a No. 1 or No. 3 toll office. The service observing cord equipment provided for this board is used for observing toll service in connection with multiples of recording trunks, outgoing switching trunks, toll lines and interposition trunks It is also used for monitoring on call circuits and operators' telephone sets. The equipment provides a means whereby a connection may be established between the service observing board and a toll or subscriber's line.
No. 4 Service Observing Board - The No. 4 Service Observing Board was designed for use in manual and dial areas for observing service on central office one-way and two-way lines terminating in telephone company business offices, and for listening-in on conversations between clerks and customers at the business office counters. It was a single position board on a slightly modified 551-B PBX framework and had an ultimate capacity of 80 service observing line s.
No. 5 Service Observing Board - The No. 5 Service Observing Board was intended primarily for the observation of service in small combined local manual and toll offices. It was a slightly modified No. 551B PBX framework with a capacity of 30 jack mountings. It was used for observing toll service in connection with multiples of recording trunks, outgoing switching trunks, toll lines and interposition trunks. It was also used for monitoring on call circuits and operators' telephone sets and could be used to connect to local observing circuits for observing local service.
No. 7 and No. 9 Service Observing Desks - The No. 7 and No. 9 Service Observing Desks provide observing equipment in any exchange area for either manual, dial, toll or auxiliary observing purposes, or any combination thereof. The advantage of the No. 7 type desk is that it permits the centralization on one desk of all the types of observing required for a city.
The No. 7 desk is for use in areas where multi-line circuits are employed, where more than one position of observing desk is expected to be required in the ultimate; or where the face equipment capacity of the No. 9 desk is inadequate. Both single and multi-line circuits may be centralized at this desk. This desk ordinarily makes use of a single position, 3 panel section although if additional capacity should be required, a higher 3 position 9 panel framework may be provided.
The No. 9 desk makes no provision for multi-line circuits except of the dial non-centralized type and should be used only where one desk position is expected to be adequate for all service observing requirements for the life of the desk. This desk employs the 55IB-320 line PBX framework.
No. 12 Service Observing Desk - The No. 1Z Service Observing Desk has been designed to function with the No. I and No. 3 types toll switchboards and the Nos. 13 - 14 and 15 types DSA boards. It is to be used in those areas where local service is predominantly dial and where the toll board has a large volume of dial intertoll traffic. The No. 12 desk is Intended to supersede the Nos. 7 and 9 service observing desks for all new installations.
The No. 12 Observing Desk (Figure 10 -11) is a 7 panel 2 position section. Two of these sections, four positions, make a standard service observing unit. Several units may be installed in a line in a service observing bureau. However no provision is made for overlapping the observing in the different units.
Five classes of observation may be handled on a call distribution basis - incoming intertoll, cord, speed of answer, CAMA (operator identified), and local dial. In addition two key-ended circuits formerly used with the No. 7 and 9 desks can be used on the No. 12 desk. These are a 26 line, key-ended and a single line key-ended circuit used for PBX, manual and miscellaneous observing.
The incoming intertoll observing circuit can be used on incoming intertoll trunks or the incoming end of two way intertoll trunks to step-by-step offices, No. 5 crossbar, No. 4 type toll crossbar or crossbar tandem offices. The intertoll trunks may be arranged for dial pulsing or MF pulsing.
The cord observing circuits are connected to the front and rear cord of inward, outward or through positions. A toll call can be observed to completion with certainty. The signals encountered and the number pulsed or dialed by the operator are displayed on the desk.
The speed of answer circuit has been developed for observing the speed with which an operator answers a line lamp signal. It may be used on trunks such as recording completing, information, intercepting and incoming or two way trunks terminating on switchboards. It can also be used on operating room desks.
The CAMA observing circuit was developed for observing on the PGI incoming trunks to crossbar tandem offices arranged for automatic message accounting. This circuit observes the operator's keying of the calling number and causes a service observing AMA record to be made.
The local dial observing circuit formerly used with the No. 7 desk can be reused with the No. 12 desk. It is used for observing local originating traffic in dial offices.
