Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-06
The Telephone Patents.
Electrical World.


England to Alexander Graham Bell ex-
pired, and our British cousins are con-
graduating themselves on relief from
a monopoly that has made itself some
what 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 competition, and
to note in what state their successive
expirations will leave the art of tele-
phony. The fundamental patent was
granted on the 7th OF March, 1876, just
Il days after the filing of the applica-
tion. Its principal feature is the enor-
mously sweeping fifth claim for trans
mitting vocal sound by electrical un-
dulatiOns, that has successfully held its
own against every inventor. AS is now
we'll known, the patent was entitled
"An Improvement in Telegraphy,"
and the other claims are comparatively
unimportant, as the transmission of
speech is not mentioned in them.
The armature of the rudimentary form
of telephone, is supported at single
point and actuated mechanically by
flexible diaphragm. This patent will
expire on March 7, 1893, its life being
quite unaffected by the expiration of the
English patent, since the latter was tax
en- out after the American one was grant
ed. 1t will be seen, therefore, that on
the expiration of this patent the broad
principle is thrown open, and operative
receiving and transmitting instru-
ments can be freely manufactured.
But it should be remembered Alex
ander Graham Bell took out second
patent on the 30th of January, 1877,
covering the important features of the
form OF receiver generally used in every
part OF the world. His claims cover
the diaphragm of magnetic material,
and means of adjusting it to its proper
relation with the magnet. This Sec
ond patent will probably enable the Or
dinary forms of construction to be
held from public use until January 80,
1894, after which day the receiver sub
stantially as now known will become
public property. AS to the trans
mitter, the case is somewhat more COM
plicated. 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 trans
mitter 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 inven-
ton, and the American patent, grant
ed August 80, 1881, will expire with
the previous English patent on Sep
tember 16, 1892; it is, however, ante
dated by the Edison patent, so that
the Bell Telephone Company will hold
claim on the carbon transmitter un-
til the expiration of the latter. The
Blake form of transmitter is the sub.
ject of a group of patents dated Nc
vember 29. 1881, but is the result Of
the division OF an application filed jan
uary 8, 1879, and the entire group pa
tented in England in that year will
pass out of legal existence on January
20, 1893.
There is, however, a patent to Ber-
liner, also owned by the Bell Telephone
Company, covering the same principle
which is used in the Blake transmitter,
that OF varying contact between two
electrodes; this will expire on January
Is, 1895, and includes the induction
coil apparatus now usually employed.
1t will thus be seen that while the re-
ceiver becomes public property, at least
in some of its forms, in 1893, the group
of transmitter patents are likely to tie
up that part of the telephone system
for nearly two years thereafter. OF
course the Bell receiver can be made
to work quite successfully as trans
mitter, and it is altogether probable
that notifications of it will be found
to operate far more successfully than
is generally supposed. In any contin'
gency a thoroughly successful tele.
phone for anything except long dis
tance lines can be manufactured by
any one who chooses, after the expira.
ton of the second Bell patent, January
80, 1894. A single additional contin
gency with respect to the carbon trans
mitter NAV be mentioned.
This instrument has been claimed BY
the now notorious Daniel Drawbaugh
his chief opponent in the Patent Office
being Edison. The Drawbaugh appli
cation was filed considerably later thar
Edison's, but possibly might be rulet
to come within the statutory limita
tions if there were no serious opposi
ton. 1t is within the bounds of posi-
bility then that an effort might b,
made to tie up the transmitter for an
other long term of years by establish
ing legal priority for Drawbaugh il
default OF an active opposition in be
half of Edison. Such a combination
OF circumstances might come about
the Bell Telephone Company were in
terested in allowing the issue OF pc
tent to the alleged Pennsylvania ir
ventor. This statement of the cond
ton of the telephone patents is nece.
sarily incomplete, since We have mad
no attempt to discuss all the accessor
apparatus that is in use to-day; but
will have served its purpose If it call