BOXES, COIN COLLECTING (BCC) No's 700 & 705

The Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700 and No. 705 were introduced circa 1959 in the Bristol area.  The reason for the introduction of these new coin boxes was the introduction of STD, which was to rolled out to the whole of the UK.  These new cash boxes were also different to the A&B models they replaced as they were pay on answer types.

They were made by Associated Automation Ltd who called the No. 705 their 1000 type and the No. 700 their 2000 type.  They were both Pay on Answer (POA) type mechanisms and required a coin feed and check relay set in the exchange.  These coin boxes were only used on automatic exchanges.

The No. 700 was used internally at renters premises whilst the No. 705 was mainly used in telephone kiosks and public open areas, such as airports, shopping malls etc.

These were in use until the early 1990's when all the exchanges in the UK were modernised to electronic exchanges (System X or Y) and the coin feed and check relay sets were no longer used.  They were replaced by electronic self contained coinboxes.

The original Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 705 were not that well built and regularly vandalised.  Because of this the body was changed to heavy steel plate which was a good form of armouring, but in some areas people then tried to smash the cast iron at the rear of the kiosk, where the BCC fixing bolts showed through.

The Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700 was also easy to vandalise and the Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700D was designed with a substantial locking mechanism.  It is not known how many No. 700D coinboxes were actually introduced into the field.

These boxes originally accepted 3d & 6d bits and one Shilling coins and they were converted to decimal currency the week the currency changed in February 1971.

Variants
Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700 Mark 1 - Subscribers premises - Drawing 91340.
Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700D - Subscribers premises - Drawing 93305.
Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 705 - Public call office.

Boxes, Coin Collecting No. 700 - Superseded by Boxes Coin Collecting No. 700D.
Includes:-
Container No. 6 - Drawing 91341.
Container No. 6A - Drawing 93306 (700D).
Case No. 113 - Drawing 91342.
Case No. 113A - Drawing 93307 (700D).
Front No. 11 - Drawing 91343.
Front No. 12 - Drawing 91344.
Mechanism No. 20A.

To be requisitioned:-
Box No. 4.
Lock No. 14 - Drawing CD164.
Lock No. 39 - Drawing 90527.
Lock No. 1/42 - Drawing 93166 (700D).
Telephone No. 711.

Boxes, Coin Collecting No.705 - Superseded by Boxes Coin Collecting No. 705D.
Includes:-
Backplate No. 1.
Compartment, Cash No. 1.
Cover No. 50.
Mechanism No. 20A.
 

Component parts of the BCC No. 705
Showing left to right, Cash container, Back plate, Mechanism and Mechanism cover
Picture dated 1958

Component parts of the BCC No. 700
Showing left to right, Cash container, Mechanism cover, Mechanism, Casing and Cash Box cover

TELECOMMUNICATIONS INSTRUCTION
C MARKETING
INSTALLATI0N
3 Internal
G 7001
Issue 1, April 1971

CALL-OFFICES AND SUBSCRIBERS COIN-BOX INSTALLATIONS
Mechanical and electrical operation of Box, Coin Collecting No. 700 & 705 (POA type)

General
The Box, Coin-collecting, No. 700 (shown to the right) is used in conjunction with a 700-type telephone on subscribers' installations.  The circuit is shown in Diagram N 1169 and the coin-collecting box associated with a Telephone No. 706 in Diagram N 2423.  The Box, Coin-collecting, No. 705 (shown below) is a combined telephone and coin box, the integral telephone being of the 700 type.  The circuit is shown in Diagram N 805. The coin mechanism is a Mechanism No. 20.

Those coin boxes have been designed to enable users to obtain trunk calls, in addition to local calls, without operator assistance.  They are for connection to public exchanges which provide subscriber trunk dialling facilities.  In use the wanted subscriber's number is dialled, and it is not until after the called party has answered that coins are inserted.  For this reason the system has been designated 'Pay-on-Answer'.

The coin boxes accept 12-sided threepenny pieces, sixpences and shillings and signal the value of the coin(s) inserted to the exchange.  The coins, if accepted after passing the coin tests, drop straight through to the cash container and are not held in suspense.  There are therefore no 'A' or 'B' buttons but a reject chute is provided to return worn or spurious coins.

Incoming calls
The circuit for the bell is completed via the gravity switch as long as the handset is on its cradle, and the instrument functions as a normal telephone for incoming calls.  The coin slots remain locked throughout an incoming call.

Outgoing calls - sequence of events
The caller lifts the receiver and dials the wanted number.  Until the called subscriber answers the line polarity is such (A-line positive) that relay SU does not operate and the coin slots are locked to prevent premature insertion of coins.  When the called subscriber answers the line polarity reverses, and relay SU operates unlocking the coin slots.  At this stage there is no speech path but the caller receives pay cone (N.U. tone interrupted at 0.125 second on, 0.125 second off) and should then insert a coin.  The insertion of a coin causes coin pulses to be sent to the exchange where they are recorded by the coin and fee checking relay-set, which then opens the speech path, so that conversation can proceed.  Further coins can be inserted at any time and corresponding coin pulses are sent to the exchange as above.  At each termination of paid for time, pay tone is re-applied to line for three seconds (the speech path is still open during this pay tone).  If a com is not inserted within 10 seconds of the commencement of pay tone, a line reversal re-locks the coin slots and two seconds later the call is force released at the exchange and N.U. tone returned to the caller.

Coin value signalling
The coin pulses are signalled by increasing the line loop resistance by 5000 ohms.  The coin pulses are sent at approximately 4 pulse/sec. with a signalling resistance/loop resistance timing ratio of 1:1.6. Each coin pulse train terminates with a line disconnection of 60 ms and if this final disconnection is absent the pulse train is not accepted by the exchange equipment, i.e. the call is regarded as a fraudulent operation.  The energy for generating the coin signals is obtained by the insertion of' the coin.  When the coin is pressed into its slot it operates a pivoted lever, the movement of which raises a bank of cams.  When the coin is fully inserted the cam-bank falls under gravity but at a speed regulated by a dial-type governor.  As the cams fall various spring-sets are operated to produce the coin pulses, but the pulses are not sent to line unless the coin has successfully passed through the coin tester and tripped the mask operating lever.  The number of pulses sent depends upon the coin used, a 3d., 6d. or 1s. coin sending one, two or four pulses respectively.  Generation of the correct number of coin pulses for the particular coin inserted is effected by moving a pivoted coin-pulse spring-set to be opposite the appropriate cam on the cam-bank. 

With reference to Diagrams N 805 and N 2423, the spring-sets produce coin pulses as follows:-

1. CPON3 makes and prepares a circuit for CP.

2. The mask contact opens, leaving the telephone loop held via CP and CPON3.

3. CPON1 makes and short-circuits the receiver.

4. CP opens and introduces 5000 ohms into the loop, this being the first coin pulse.

5. CPON2 makes and prevents operation of the gravity switch interfering with coin pulses.

6. CP closes and completes the first coin pulse. If the coin inserted is 3d., CP operates once only, if 6d. CP operates twice and if 1s.  CP operates four times.

7. CPON3 opens and gives a line disconnection ('coin train complete' signal).

8. The mask contact closes and re-establishes the loop.

9. CPON2 opens, CPON1 opens and the circuit is restored to normal.

Coin slot locking
The slot locking is controlled (a) electromagnetically by the exchange equipment, relay SU being used for this, and (b) mechanically within the coin-operated mechanism itself.  The coin slots are normally locked but are unlocked when the distant subscriber answers and, in general remain unlocked for the duration of the call.

The full sequence is:-

1. The slots are locked when there is no line current (handset on its cradle, circuit faulty, etc.) or when the line polarity is normal.

2. Relay SU unlocks the slots when the called subscriber answers and the line polarity reverses.

3. The slots are relocked, momentarily, during the signalling of a coin (a period of approximately two seconds) to prevent the premature insertion of a second coin.  They are also interlocked to prevent the simultaneous insertion of two or more coins, or the last-moment substitution of one coin by another (for example by withdrawing a 1s. and inserting a 3d. coin, in a fraudulent attempt to obtain ls. worth of time for 3d.).

4. Finally, relay SU relocks the slots two seconds before forced release at the end of pay tone to prevent coins being inserted too late during the 12-second pay period to be recorded at the exchange.

Circuit details
(a) 'Emergency service' facility
If the Mechanism No. 20 is removed and taken away, e.g. to a coin-box maintenance centre, the telephone circuit can be retained for emergency service by coupling a 4-point jack to a 4-point plug (connector SJ, see Note 3 Diagrams N 805 and N 2423).  A label that the telephone is available for emergency calls only is then fitted over the coin plate aperture.  The 4-point jack (Jack No. 77D) and the label (Label No. 360) used for this purpose are housed in the mechanism compartment of each coin box.

(b) CPON3 contact
This contact is made as soon as the Cam-bank starts to move downwards after a coin has been inserted.  It must make before the mask contact opens.  If it fails to do so, the telephone line is open-circuited and the call is released.  A failure here may occur due to incorrect adjustment of the CPON3 spring-set assembly so that it fails to latch, or incorrect positioning relative to the cam-bank so that the operating mechanism is not prepared on the upward movement of the cam-bank.

(c) The telephone regulator
This is part of the 700 type telephone and is used to reduce the sensitivity of the telephone on short lines.  If a regulator fails, and a spare is not to hand, the telephone circuit can be temporarily restored (but without regulation) by withdrawing and reversing the regulator end-for-end in its jack.  In the reversed position the contacts on the regulator bridge jack points B, D and C.

(d) Rectifier MR2
This is a selenium double-diode having the purpose of minimising the clicks in the receiver during the progress of a call, especially those arising from the line current reversals used to control slot locking.

(e) SU relay
This is a 3000-type relay used to perform mechanical work only; bias spring-sets are provided to control the armature, but the springs have no electrical contacts.  The relay is 'polarised' by the use of a rectifier, so that with the initial conditions (A-line positive), the series element does not conduct and therefore relay SU does not operate.  When the line polarity is reversed, e.g. called subscriber answer the series element does conduct and relay SU operates.  The shunt element is provided to maintain the line current when the series element is not conducting.

(f ) The mechanism test jack
An 8-way jack, T.J., is provided, at which access to the isolated contacts of the pulser unit can be obtained for maintenance purposes. The strappings required for normal working are provided by a plug which is normally inserted in the jack. The jack enables faulting to be carried out and is used for the setting up of the mechanism in coin-box maintenance centres, in conjunction with a Tester SA 9129.

(g) Earthing of coin-box casing
The earth connected to the appropriate coin-box terminal is extended to the mechanism framework and the metal casing or cover.  This is done to ensure that if low insulation conditions arise, shocks will not be experienced by users.  In addition, contacts to the frame or casing will show up as definite earth faults instead of giving rise to low insulation or noise faults which may be difficult to trace.

Taken from EI Telephones, Call Offices D1010

Typical customers premises installation arrangement with Telephone No. 711
 

Last revised: January 22, 2024