Telegram-herald., 1891-02-18
FATE OF The qkLEPHoNE.



ssss Expts<S
New Nagk Tames TIE fieetrlcal
Mails vii tass week offer some very
p<Ftsnsnt suggestions T~e~Hasng sae
tsleptoae monopoly. Las l'e0emoer
tue fundamental patent "a the sseak
ng telephone. granted IN fngizna -
Alexander GrAhsm bell explrsds ana
the BT.tlshers are already oaagfssuiAi-
ipg themselves on relief from ahat,
there as here, has proved g ne very
obaoxioas monopoly. Telephone rates
have already teen reduced through the
natural sgenes u composition.
1hss leads - hfaSf consideration OF
tie circumstances surrounding the
principal patents that have enaeicd the
Bell telephone company 10 MAINTAIN lik
almost absolute monopoly. The funda~
mental patent was granted March !.
1879, lusi tweuiy-one days after the ap-
plieaiion VAS fsled. IL MAS remark
abls paIeat. its features being the enoT-
moasly sweeping claim for transmit
ting vocal sounds ~ electrical anduia
tons. Al! other claims are compare
lively unimpoTt4nt
Ihis patent wall expire IN tina country
March !, 1888. lis life being quite un.
Affected by the expiration OF the English
patent. Ii wall Doe seen, therefore. that
March :, ls9S. the broad principle Of
teiephoniDg will be thrown open, and
operative, receiving aud transmitting
Instruments can be freely msnufae-
turec. This seems 10 open up rosy
future 70 The unlortunaies Who now
have 90 use the telephone, bat there
are other matters 10 be considered.
January so, 1871, Alexander Graham
Bell took out a second patent, covering
toe important features OF the form OF
receivers generally used. The second
patent will probably enable the ordln-
AIRY form OF construction TO be with
held from public use until January 80,
1894. Relief al THIS comparatively early
date, however, is not 10 he too strongly
reckoned on, for complications arise
regarding the patents on that part OF
the telephone known g. the transmltter.
THOMAS A. EDISON,
April so, 1865, secured the principal
patents on the carbon transmitier.
They are now controlled 10y the Bell
Telephone Company, aud will not eI-
pre- until April so, 1895. While the
Edison transDitter is eminently suc-
ccssfui, IL has not been generally used.
The one IN common use WAS patented
by Hunnings. The American patent
on this was granted August 80. 1881,
and Will expire September Is, 1892.
TINS Is, however, antedated by the
Edison patent, so the Bell Company
NIL hnf Il al. 81
mltter until April 80, 1895, when the
Edison patent expires. The original
form OF Blake transmitter is the sub.
ject of L group Of patents dated No
vembcr 20. 1881, but is the result OF the
division of an application filed January
3. 1879, and the entire group. patented
III England IN that year, viii pass out
of legal existence January 20, 1898.
1t Will thus be seen that while the
receiver becomes public property in
most Of its form. IN 1898. the transmit
ter patents are likely to tie up that par,
of the telephonlc system for nearly two
years thereafter. OF course, other
modified transmitters will be found TO
operate, though perhaps IL will pe weak
IN loDg-distance work. So it seems thai
a thoroughly successful telephone for
anything but long distance work can be
manufactured by anybody who desires
to put them on the market after Jan.
20. 1924.
This condition Of affairs has led 10
the circulation of very interesting
rumor IN telephone circles. 1t Will be
remembered that Daniel Drawbaugn
became notorious as claimant 10 the
carbon transmitter. His application for
a patent was filed considerably later
than Edison's, but might be ruled 10
come within the statutory limitations II
there was no serious opposition. IL is,
therefore, stated as possibility that au
effort will be made 10 tie up the trans.
mitter for another long term of years
by establishing legal priority for
Drawbaugh, in default of an active op,
I; position in behalf of Edison. Through
such n possible legal Vaccination the
Bell Company might continue Its cher.
. lshed monopoly very component
part Of its telephone system.