Telephone protection circuit

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A circuit for protecting sensitive telephone equipment from voltage or current overloads on the TIP or RING line includes a resistor serially positioned in the line and a triac triggered by a voltage differential across the resistor. A pair of fast diodes is positioned on the line adjacent to the telephone equipment for momentarily clamping the voltage on the line at that point between ground and the voltage supply of the equipment. The momentary clamping of the voltage creates the voltage differential across the resistor which triggers the triac. The fast diodes are capable of passing current for a time sufficient to allow the triac to begin shunting current to ground. An enhanced form of …