The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-21
TEE TELEPHONE.
The Controversy as to who Invented Il Not
Yet Decided

Referring yesterday to the controversy
about the Bell telephone patent, Professor
Alfred Herbert of this city gave some inter
estng "reminiscences of the telephone inven-
ton. Professor Herbert was one of the
eight chief examiners in the Patent Office
from 1853 to 1861, for some years he was an
alytical chemist at the Maryland Agricul-
tural College and he is somewhat Of an in
ventor himself. Daring the last ten or
twelve years lie has made many notes re-
gaTding the telephone and they were the
basis OF his "reminiscences.
He said that in 1861 ReiSS, of Germany in
vented a telephone. For his services IN this
respect the German Government granted a
pension TO his widow, and the scientific
friends and nei5hb0rS Of Reiss raised a mOnu-
ment TO him. Some time between 1861 and
1869 House, Of this country, patented tele-
phone. He was also the inventor Of the
printing telegraph. Professor Herbert also
referred to BUnta's patent of the telephone,
in which the pulsatory or intermtting cur
rent was used, while the Bell patent IS for the
closed continuous circuit Except In the single
instance OF the claim TO a closed current, and
an attached aTmature, the professor does not
think that the arrangement OF Bells original
apparatus differs from that OF RelSs, while
Bell asserted that ReiSS used an intermittent
current in a circuit-elOsed BY the weight Of
another, and which was subject 10 De
broken by the jar or blow on the diaphragm,
he attached the armatuTe to the diaphragm
and secures an unbr0ken circuit through 1t
by substituting a spring for the weight
used by ReiSs to preserve the contact OF The
electrodes and the unbroken current.
While the weight Of the armature in
Reiss' apparatus WAS sufficient TO keep the
platinum electrodes in contact the circuit
was closed. When too light the circuit be-
came intermittent by the jar on the dia-
phTagm, breaking the contact Of the cleo
irodes. 1t was on this improvement on
Reiss in keeping the circuit closed that Bell
and Sir William Thompson rested, and it
was the preservation Of the contact of the
electrodes by Bell that caused Judge Lowell
10 affirm that therein consisted the inYen-
ton which made the telephone success.
In lecture some time ago Professor Her
bert gave an explanation or the working Of
the telephone. The theory of the ap-
paratus," he said, SIS that the armature
vibrating with the diaphragm. to which it
is attached, eXcites a vibration OF the cleo
trio current IN the magnet At the opposite
end Of the wire, which lmDartS 1t 10 the
armatuTe there, and, causing ii to give a
motion to the diaphragm, puts in activity
the waves of air, and their falling on the
tympanum Of the ear causes the sensation
Of sound and enables the person at a dis
tant end of the wire 70 hear messages sent
by the transmitter."
1t was discovered that sounds could be
made more audible through a telephone by
increasing the intensity of the current Of
electricity which was passing through it.
The Bell telephone was made mercantile
success, Professor Graham contends, by the
application of the mlcTOphODe principle.
Mr.. Blake's transmitter, used by the Bell
company for number Of years is nothing
more, he contends, than the Reiss transmit
ter with the microphOne attachment
Washington Post