Recently, we discussed some PBX features offered by the Bell System. In the 1950s, the Bell System developed a variety of new dial PBXs with features to meet more sophisticated communications demands from customers.
One new system was the 761 PBX, which was intended to be a low-cost system designed for the needs of motels. I don't know how popular it was; to me it appeared that many smaller motels and hotels used conventional manual switchboards (the 608 was very popular, though older places could use a 551 or 555.) The larger/fancier hotels had dial systems.
The 761 did require that every room have a four-button keyset, and that the hotel guest select one of the buttons prior to making a call (see below), depending on the type of call to be made. I wonder if that led to some confusion on the part of guests.
The following is extracted from both the Bell Labs History
1925-1975 and the Bell Laboratories Record of July-August 1964:During the latter 1950s the United States "took to the road" in ever-increasing numbers, and the hotel/motel business expanded enormously. Conventional PBX systems, used in considerable numbers for guest communications in hotels and motels, were usually tailored to the type and size of the hostelry. Among the new features introduced was one that permitted reaching frequently called numbers (such as the registration desk, valet, room service, etc.) by dialing only a single digit. Also introduced in 1958 was a "message-waiting" feature, which is probably familiar to most travelers as the lamp on the telephone set, which flashes if there is a message at the desk. The essence of both of these features was extreme simplicity at low cost, an objective met by innovative circuitry.
Enormous expansion has taken place in the motel industry in the last few years and all signs indicate that this growth will continue to accelerate with the recent introduction of prefabricated units. One of the many objectives of the Bell System is to keep pace with such growth by providing adequate communications facilities designed to met the particular needs of this type of customer. For example, the recent introduction of Guest Dial service for larger hotels and motels has received enthusiastic acceptance and more and more of these larger establishments are converting to this new service.
Guest Dial service permits a guest to dial his own local calls and to place calls directly to a long distance operator. For charging purposes, the local calls are automatically scored on an individual- per-room register located near the hotel desk. Long distance time and charges are reported by the toll operator to the hotel attendant at the conclusion of each call. This new service also includes a Message Waiting feature to advise the occupant of a room that a call was received for him during his absence and that the caller had left a message with the hotel attendant.
Later, in 1962, a special PBX designated 761A was developed to provide telephone service integrated with new features, at a cost that would permit economically attractive rates to the small motels that predominated at the time. The control position contained message-waiting keys, and message registers to tally local calls.
The 761A PBX is a small self-contained crossbar system in which all internal and outgoing calls are originated merely by pushing a button. It features message registers for the lines and trunks, Message Waiting, Direct Station Selection, and Remote Answering when the "desk" is unattended. It is available in 20-, 30-, and 40-line equipment sizes.
Switching equipment for this new PBX consists primarily of wire spring relays and crossbar switches. The basic cabinet is arranged for 20 station lines and growth in groups of 10 lines is provided by plug-in units to increase the station capacity to 40 lines. The local central office trunks and trunks to the long distance or toll operator may be provided in any combination of from one to eight plug-in units. From one to three intercommunicating trunks may be provided as required for room-to-room communication. Two "hold" circuits are provided to permit the attendant to handle several calls simultaneously.
Switching is accomplished by the operation of the crossbar switches under the control of a common group of circuits and by the line and trunk circuits.
In this new system, each room is provided with a conventional four-button key telephone set which has an exclusion key. Three of the buttons are arranged for nonlocking operation and one is blocked inoperative. Calls are originated at room telephones by lifting the handset and momentarily depressing a nonlocking button corresponding to the type of call being made. For instance, to make a central office call within the local calling area, the momentary operation of the LOCAL button will automatically connect the caller to central office dial tone after which he may dial the desired number. Calls also can be made to the hotel or motel desk or to a toll operator by depressing the DESK or LONG DISTANCE keys, respectively. On these calls, the caller will hear an interrupted ringing tone during the ringing period. Local and long distance calls are made solely by the guest without any assistance from the desk attendant.
The console operates in the usual cordless fashion. The clerk may reset any room local message register at any time. The clerk also a key for each room to light the Message Waiting lamp.
A new feature known as "Remote Answer" has been included in this new PBX. This feature permits the attendant to answer any incoming calls from any room telephone when the desk console is unattended. A dial completion feature is provided whereby the attendant can extend a remotely answered call to any other room telephone by flashing the switchhook and dialing the desired room.
A group of trunks is provided for completing long distance calls. These trunks are wired directly to the [Bell] toll operator positions and are arranged to return an audible ringing tone to the caller when they are selected from either a station or from the console. They also are arranged to allow the toll operator to re-ring the PBX attendant immediately after the call has been completed to pass the time and charge information and the caller's identity to the motel attendant.
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Perhaps some readers here will share their motel/hotel old PBX experiences. Also of interest would be a description of modern PBX's and the new features they provide for motel/hotel service.
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