Automatic Electric Company
Encyclopedia
Automatic Electric Company (AE) was a telephone equipment supplier for independent telephone companies, comparable to the Bell System
's Western Electric
. It was located in Northlake, Illinois
, with research and development labs in Melrose Park
and Elmhurst
, Illinois. AE acquired a manufacturing facility in Genoa, Illinois
, from Leich Electric
, and, in 1978, opened a research and development branch in Phoenix, Arizona
. In the mid-1960s, a manufacturing plant was built in Huntsville, Alabama
. Public coin operated telephones and the "Styleline" line of consumer telephones were manufactured there. A smaller rental telephone refurbishment operation was also moved to the Huntsville plant in the 1970s. The plant was closed in the mid-1980s as domestic labor and production costs rose sharply against overseas competitors.
A predecessor to the company was founded in 1891 by Almon Strowger, who was inspired by the idea of manufacturing automatic telephone exchange
s that would not require operators. His company, the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company, held patent
s for equipment and leased them exclusively to Automatic Electric, which he helped form.
Among other equipment, Automatic Electric manufactured automatic stepping switch
es (specifically, "Strowger switch
es") which enabled Strowger's vision. These switches allowed customers to connect their own calls without operator assistance. Because AT&T
s Bell System used Western Electric equipment exclusively, automatic switches proliferated in independent exchange companies in the 1920s, well before the Bell System developed their own Panel switch
technology. The most notable independent was General Telephone
Corporation, which later became General Telephone and Electronics (GT&E). GT&E acquired Automatic Electric through a merger with Theodore Gary & Company
in 1955, and it continued operating into the 1980s. Lenkurt, a manufacturer of carrier equipment, was purchased by GT&E in 1959, and held separately from Automatic Electric until 1983, when GTE merged Automatic Electric and Lenkurt into GTE Network Systems, which was quickly renamed GTE Communication Systems when AT&T announced the renaming of Western Electric as AT&T Network Systems.
In 1989, the assets of the company were placed into a joint venture between AT&T and GTE called AG Communication Systems (the A and G respectively standing for the partners' names). This company ceased separate existence in 2004, and became fully incorporated into Lucent, now Alcatel-Lucent
. Alcatel-Lucent also owns many of the assets of the Western Electric Company, Automatic Electric's former rival and Bell System counterpart.
Automatic Electric's rotary dial
makes a single clicking sound as it is released but is otherwise fairly silent, while Western Electric's rotary dial
has a distinctive whirring sound as the dial returns to the normal position. Many AE telephones use a distinctive dual-gong ringer, the low and high tones of which are a musical minor fifth
apart, rather than the typical natural third interval of most Western Electric ringers.
Bell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
's Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
. It was located in Northlake, Illinois
Northlake, Illinois
Northlake is a city in suburban Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,878 at the 2000 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People".-Geography:...
, with research and development labs in Melrose Park
Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland...
and Elmhurst
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
, Illinois. AE acquired a manufacturing facility in Genoa, Illinois
Genoa, Illinois
Genoa is a city in the north-east corner of DeKalb County, Illinois in the United States. It is located on the historic Galena-Chicago stagecoach route. At the 2010 census the city had a population of 5,193, up from 4,169 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, from Leich Electric
Leich Electric
Leich Electric began as the Cracraft-Leich Electric Company, which was result of the merger of the Advance Electric Company and the Eureka Electric Company. The name was changed to the Leich Electric Co...
, and, in 1978, opened a research and development branch in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. In the mid-1960s, a manufacturing plant was built in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. Public coin operated telephones and the "Styleline" line of consumer telephones were manufactured there. A smaller rental telephone refurbishment operation was also moved to the Huntsville plant in the 1970s. The plant was closed in the mid-1980s as domestic labor and production costs rose sharply against overseas competitors.
A predecessor to the company was founded in 1891 by Almon Strowger, who was inspired by the idea of manufacturing automatic telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
s that would not require operators. His company, the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company, held patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for equipment and leased them exclusively to Automatic Electric, which he helped form.
Among other equipment, Automatic Electric manufactured automatic stepping switch
Stepping switch
In electrical controls, a stepping switch, also known as a stepping relay, is an electromechanical device which allows an input connection to be connected to one of a number of possible output connections, under the control of a series of electrical pulses. It can step on one axis , or on two axes...
es (specifically, "Strowger switch
Strowger switch
The Strowger switch, also known as Step-by-Step or SXS, is an early electromechanical telephone switching system invented by Almon Brown Strowger...
es") which enabled Strowger's vision. These switches allowed customers to connect their own calls without operator assistance. Because AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
s Bell System used Western Electric equipment exclusively, automatic switches proliferated in independent exchange companies in the 1920s, well before the Bell System developed their own Panel switch
Panel switch
The panel switching system was an early type of automatic telephone exchange, first put into urban service by the Bell System in the 1920s and removed during the 1970s...
technology. The most notable independent was General Telephone
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
Corporation, which later became General Telephone and Electronics (GT&E). GT&E acquired Automatic Electric through a merger with Theodore Gary & Company
Theodore Gary & Company
Theodore Gary & Company was a 20th century independent telephone firm in the United States. Among its subsidiaries was the Associated Telephone and Telegraph Company, which controlled telephone companies in Latin America and telephone manufacturing interests in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. In...
in 1955, and it continued operating into the 1980s. Lenkurt, a manufacturer of carrier equipment, was purchased by GT&E in 1959, and held separately from Automatic Electric until 1983, when GTE merged Automatic Electric and Lenkurt into GTE Network Systems, which was quickly renamed GTE Communication Systems when AT&T announced the renaming of Western Electric as AT&T Network Systems.
In 1989, the assets of the company were placed into a joint venture between AT&T and GTE called AG Communication Systems (the A and G respectively standing for the partners' names). This company ceased separate existence in 2004, and became fully incorporated into Lucent, now Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
. Alcatel-Lucent also owns many of the assets of the Western Electric Company, Automatic Electric's former rival and Bell System counterpart.
Automatic Electric's rotary dial
Rotary dial
The rotary dial is a device mounted on or in a telephone or switchboard that is designed to send electrical pulses, known as pulse dialing, corresponding to the number dialed. The early form of the rotary dial used lugs on a finger plate instead of holes. Almon Brown Strowger filed the first patent...
makes a single clicking sound as it is released but is otherwise fairly silent, while Western Electric's rotary dial
Rotary dial
The rotary dial is a device mounted on or in a telephone or switchboard that is designed to send electrical pulses, known as pulse dialing, corresponding to the number dialed. The early form of the rotary dial used lugs on a finger plate instead of holes. Almon Brown Strowger filed the first patent...
has a distinctive whirring sound as the dial returns to the normal position. Many AE telephones use a distinctive dual-gong ringer, the low and high tones of which are a musical minor fifth
Interval (music)
In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
apart, rather than the typical natural third interval of most Western Electric ringers.