Tip and ring conductor voltage tester

A circuit-energized voltage tester for testing whether or not the voltages on the tip and ring conductors of a telephone line are within their normal ranges, said circuit-energized voltage tester comprising:

• a first probe suitable for attachment to a ring conductor of a telephone line;
• a second probe suitable for attachment to the tip conductor of a telephone line;
• energy storage means, connected to said first and second probes, for storing energy obtained from the power carried by said tip and ring conductors;
• sensing means, connected to said first and second probes, for producing a first two-state indication and a second two-state indication, the states of said first and second two-state indications being related, respectively, to whether or not the voltages on said tip and ring conductors lie within their normal ranges;
• control means, connected to said energy storage means so as to be energized thereby, for providing enabling and tone control signals, said control means including:
• (a) detecting means for detecting the states of said first and second two-state indications produced by said sensing means and for producing an enabling signal if either state indication indicates that the voltage on its related tip and ring conductor is outside of its normal range;
• and, (b) a dual state control means for providing dual state control signals, said dual state control signals applied to said detecting means such that only one of said first and second two-state indications is interrogated at a time;
• and,
• dual tone audio oscillator means connected to said energy storage means so as to be energized thereby and, connected to said control means so as to be enabled by said enabling signal and so as to be conditioned by said dual state control means such said dual tone audio oscillator means is conditioned to produce one of the dual tones produceable by said dual tone audio oscillator means when one of said first and second two-state indications is interrogated and the other of said dual tones when the other of said first and second two-state indications is being interrogated, said tones only being produced if said dual tone audio oscillator means is enabled regardless of how it is conditioned.

In a telecommunication craftsman's hand set including a ground connector and first and second probes, and a microphone and an earphone for communication along the tip and ring conductors of a telecommunication line, the improvement comprising:

• a test circuit suitable for inclusion in said telecommunication craftsman's hand set, said test circuit connected to said ground connector and said first and second probes for sensing the voltage on the tip and ring conductors of a telecommunication line when said pair of probes make electrical contact with a pair of tip and ri conductors, said test circuit including:
• (i) sensing and enabling means for sensing the level of the voltages on said tip and ring conductors applied to said test circuit by said first and second probes and producing enabling signals related thereto;
• and, (ii) audio means connected to said sensing and control means for producing a pair of dual tone audio electrical signals, one of said pair of dual tone audio electrical signals being produced if said enabling signals denote that the tip voltage is outside of its normal range and the other of said pair of dual tone audio electrical signals being produced if said enabling signals denote that the ring voltage is outside of its normal range, and both of said pair of dual tone audio electrical signals being produced if said enabling signals denote that both the tip and ring voltages are outside of their normal ranges, said test circuit being connected to said earphone such that said earphone audibly reproduces the audio electrical signals produced by said audio means.

A voltage tester for simultaneously testing a related pair of tip and ring conductors of a telecommunication system to determine whether or not the voltages on said conductors are within their normal ranges, said voltage tester comprising:

• probe means suitable for making a separate electrical contact with each conductor of said pair of related tip and ring conductors;
• ground means for making a ground connection;
• sensing means connected to said probe means and said ground means for sensing the voltage applied to said probe means by said pair of related tip and ring conductors and providing a pair of information signals whose natures relate to whether or not the voltages on said conductor are within or without their normal ranges;
• interrogation means coupled to said sensing means for interrogating said sensing means so as to determine the nature of said information signals and for producing, in an alternating manner, a pair of enabling signals, one of said pair of enabling signals being produced if one of said information signals denotes that the voltage on the tip conductor is outside of its normal range and the other of said enabling signals being produced if the other of said information signals denotes that the voltage on the ring conductor is outside of its normal range;
• and,
• audio means connected to said interrogation means for alternately producing a pair of different frequency audio electrical signals when enabling signals are produced by said interrogation means, one of said pair of audio electrical signals being related to and produced if said one of said pair of enabling signals is produced and the other of said pair of audio electrical signals being related to and produced if the other of said pair of enabling signals is produced.