Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-03-05
STURGIS ADVERTISER.
The ADvERTISERissente at the Saurgis pos
Office as seoond-class matter.
OFFICIAL PAPER:
or MEADE C0UH7Y, THE CIR or STgRGiS. AMI
The MAR DEPARTMENT. DEPARTMENT or DaKoM.
THE TELEPHONE PATENTS.

pired, and our British cousins are con-
graduating themselves on relief from q
monopoly that has made itself obnoxious
to them. Competition has already
sprung up and telephone rates have
been reduced. In view of these facts it
may be worth while briefly to review the
principal patents that have enabled the
Bell Telephone company to hold its own
against any and every attempt at compe-
tition, and to note in what state their
successive expirations will leave the art
of telephony The fundamental patent
was granted on the 7th of March, 1875,
just 81 days after the fling of the appli-
cation. Its principal feature is the enor-
monsly sweeping fifth claim for trans
mitting vocal sound by electric undula-
tions, that has successfully held its own
against every inventor. As is now well
known, the patent entitled '.An Improve
ment in Telegraphy," and the other
claims are comparatively unimportant, as
the transmission of speech is not men,
toned in them. The armature of the
rudimentary form of telephone, shown in
the drawings, is supported at single
point and actuated mechanically by
flexible diaphragm. This patent will
expire on March 7, 1898, its life being
quite unaffected by the expiration of
the English patent, since the latter was
taken out after the American one was
granted Et Ht viii will be seen, therefore, that
on the expiration of this patent the
broad principal is thrown open, and
operative receiving and transmitting in
struments can be freely manufactured.
But it should be remembered Alexan-
der Graham Bell took out second pat
ent OH the 30th of January, 1877, cover
ing the important features of the form of
receiver generally used in every part OF
the world. His claims cover the dia-
phragm of magnetic material, and means
of adjusting it to its proper relation with
the magnet. This second patent will
probably enable the ordinary forms of
construction to be held from public use
until January 80, 1894, after which day
the receiver substantially as now known
will become public property. AS to the
transmitter, the case is somewhat more
complicated. The principal patents on
the carbon transmitter were granted to
Thomas A. Edison, on April 80, 1878,
are now controlled by the Bell Telephone
company, and will expire April 80, 1895.
The Edison transmitter is successful, but
has not been in very general USE
The form Of transmitting instrument
most widely employed, especially for
long distance work, is that patented by
Hunnings. 1t is an English invention,
and the American patent, granted Au-
gust 80, 1881, will expire with the pre-
vious English patent on September 16,
1892; it is however, antedated by the
Edison patent, SO that the Bell ,Iele-
Iphone company will hold a claim on the
carbon transmitter until the expiration
] of the latter. The Blake form of trans.
mitter is the subject of group of pat.
ents dated November 27, 1881, but it
the result of the division of an applica.
| tion fled January 8, 1879, and the en-.
tire group patented in England in that
year will pass out OF legal existence or
January 20, 1898.
There is, however, patent to Berliner
also owned by the Bell Telephone com
pany, covering the same principal which
is used in the Blake transmitter, that o
varying contact between two electrodes
this will expire on January 15, 1895, ant
includes the induction coil apparatu
now usually employed. 1t will thus b
seen that while the receiver become
public property, at least in some of it
forms, in 1898, the group of transmitte
patents are likely to tie up that part Q
the telephone system for nearly tw
: years thereafter. OF course the Bell re
ceiver can be made to work quite sue
cessfully as a transmitter, and it is alto
gether probable that notifications of
will be found to operate far more sue
cessfully than is generally supposed
I'm any contingency thoroughly sue
cessful telephone for anything eKceI
long distance lines can be manufacture
by any one who chooses, after the expil
alton of the second Bell patent, Januar
80, 1894. A single additional contir
gency with respect to the carbon trans
!. mitter may be mentioned.
i This instrument has been claimed b
the now notorious Daniel Drawbaugl
. his chief opponent In the patent ofit
being Edison. The Drawbaugh appl
cation was filed considerably later tha
Edison's but possibly might be ruled
come within the statutory limitations
there were no serious opposition. It
within the bounds of possibility the
that an effort might be made to tie i
Aha fransrniftAr far another long term