Multiplex communication system wherein a redundant bit of one signal is replaced by a bit of another signal

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLEXING AND DEMULTIPLEXING A FIRST DIGITAL SIGNAL AND A SECOND DIGITAL SIGNAL, COMPRISING MEANS TO CREATE SPACES PERIODICALLY AT SPACED TIME INTERVALS ON SAID FIRST SIGNAL, SAID SPACES BEING SEPARATED BY A PLURALITY OF PULSES OF SAID FIRST SIGNAL, MEANS TO INSERT PULSES FROM SAID SECOND SIGNAL SUCCESSIVELY INTO SAID SPACES, AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH PULSES CONSTITUTE A SYNCHRONIZING PATTERN, TO FORM A MULTIPLEXED DIGITAL SIGNAL CONTAINING BOTH SAID FIRST AND SECOND DIGITAL SIGNALS, RETIMING MEANS TO ALTER SAID MULTIPLIED DIGITAL SIGNAL INTO A SERIES OF PULSES OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL PERODS FOR SUBSEQUENT TRANSMISSION OR MANIPULATION, MEANS TO INDIVIDUALLY SAMPLED AND EXAMINE SELECTED PULSES FROM SAID MULTIPLEXED DIGITAL SIGNAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY CONSTITUTE PART OF SAID SYNCHRONIZING PATTERN INCLUDING MEANS TO GENERATE CONTROL PULSES TO ADVANCE THE SAMPLING PROCESS TO A SUCCEEDING PULSE UNTIL SAID SYNCHRONIZING PATTERN IS LOCATED, MEANS TO GATE THE PULSES COMPRISING SAID SECOND SIGNAL FROM SAID MULTIPLEXED SIGNAL TO OBTAIN SAID SECOND DIGITAL SIGNAL, MEANS TO RETIME THE PULSES ON SAID MULTIPLEXED SIGNAL SO THAT THE PULSES COMPRISING SAID SECOND SIGNAL OCCUPY A SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER TIME INTERVAL THAN THE OTHER PULSES, AND MEANS TO SAMPLE SAID RETIMED MULTIPLEXED SIGNAL SO AS TO SAMPLE ONLY THE PULSES COMPRISING SAID FIRST SIGNAL TO OBTAIN SAID FIRST DIGITAL SIGNAL.