Telephone device with means for changing the angle of inclination

A telephone apparatus composed of a telephone set and a device for changing its angle of inclination relative to its support surface is provided. To this end, a wire shackle is pivotably seated in the floor trough of the telephone set, whereby two different positions of the telephone set relative to its supporting surface are selectable on the basis of the shaping of the wire shackle. Portions of the shackle engagable with the support surface are provided with an elastic, riffled cladding to prevent slipping of the shackle on the support surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention comprises a telephone means composed of a telephone 
set and of a device for changing its angle of inclination relative to its 
supporting surface. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
An arrangement is already known wherein a wedge-shaped lower part is 
employed as holding device. This lower part is dimensioned such with 
respect to its angle of inclination that it corresponds to the angle of 
inclination of the operating surface of the telephone set, so that the 
angle of inclination can be doubled given employment of the telephone set 
as a table-top set, whereas the angle of inclination of the table-top set 
is compensated given employment of the telephone set as a wall telephone. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a further possibility for 
changing the angle of inclination of a telephone set with simple means. 
This object is achieved in that the device is formed by a wire shackle 
which has two ends facing one another and at a distance from one another 
pivotably seated in recesses of the telephone set and in that the wire 
shackle is fashioned such that the telephone set can be placed into at 
least two different angles of inclination relative to its supporting 
surface. This wire shackle can be easily and quickly introduced into the 
recesses of the telephone set and allows the user to bring the operating 
surface of the telephone set facing him into the desired attitude merely 
by pivoting the wire shackle. 
To this end, the wire shackle can be shaped essentially U-shaped in its 
respective region effecting the change in angle of inclination, whereby 
the legs and the base of this region respectively comprise different 
lengths. The regions can thereby be connected to one another via a web. 
Between the regions, this web can comprise a curvature having a large 
radius. By bending this web, the distance between the ends of the wire 
shackle engaging into the recesses of the telephone set can be changed 
within certain limits. 
In order to increase the resistance to slipping, the regions of the wire 
shackle resting on the supporting surface can be provided with a cladding 
of elastic material, whereby the cladding can be riffled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A telephone set 1 used as a table-top set should be variable with respect 
to its angle of inclination by means of an adjustable device. 
A wire shackle 2 serves this purpose, this wire shackle 2 being bent such 
that two different angles of inclination of the telephone set with respect 
to the supporting surface accepting it can be achieved on the basis of 
different leg lengths. The region of the wire shackle 2 effecting the 
change of angle of inclination is desiged essentially U-shaped, whereby a 
free end 4 of a leg 3 is bent off at a right angle and is directed toward 
the other region fashioned U-shaped. This end 4 engages into a recess 12 
in a floor trough 5 of the telephone set 1. A quick mounting as well as an 
easy pivoting of the wire shackle for changing the angle of inclination 
are thereby possible. A base 6 of the region adjacent to the leg 3 is kept 
somewhat smaller with respect to its length than the leg 3, whereas a leg 
7 in turn connecting to the base 6 is even shorter than the base 6. The 
other region of the wire shackle (not shown here) effecting the change in 
angle of inclination is fashioned in the same way as the illustrated 
region and is integrally connected thereto via a web 8. The web 8 is 
thereby bent with a large radius in order to compensate tolerances which 
can occur between the angled ends of the wire shackle 2 which are hooked 
into the floor trough 5. In order to increase the resistance to slipping, 
the wire shackle is provided with a cladding 9 in the seating region. This 
cladding preferably composed of rubber comprises a longitudinal riffling 
10. 
In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first position of the 
telephone set relative to its supporting surface 11 is shown with solid 
lines, whereas a second position having a greater angle of inclination 
relative to the supporting surface is shown with broken lines. 
As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is 
susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications 
which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the 
preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we 
wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such 
modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our 
contribution to the art.