Improved Device for Bringing the Receiving Instruments of Telephones Against the Ears of the Person Speaking and Returning the same to their Position of Rest, as also for Circuiting the Telephone In and Out.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov. 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., "ε91
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Bringing the Receiving Instruments of
Telephones Against the Ears of the Person Speaking and
Returning the same to their Position of Rest, as also for Circuiting
the Telephone In and Out.
We, RICHARD GROVE of 24, Friedrich Strasse, Engineer and CHRISTIAN LEHR
of 135, Wilhelm Strasse, Sculptor, both of Berlin, in the German Empire do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our present invention relates to a device for facilitating the use of telephones by
obviating the tiresome necessity of holding the receiving instruments against
the ears.
The device consists mainly of hinged brackets arranged in appropriate manner
on each side of the apparatus and carrying the receiving instruments. Underneath
the apparatus a desk is arranged on or under which a button is mounted, said
button being connected with the brackets above mentioned by suitable mechanism―
herein after more particularly described-so that on operating the button the
receiving instruments will be brought into proper position against the ears, and
simultaneously the apparatus circuited in. On releasing the button the receiving
instruments are returned to their original position and the telephone is circuited
out.
Our invention has the following advantages: firstly that in using the apparatus
the arms of the person speaking will not become tired, as at present, by having to
hold up the receiving instruments; secondly the telephone is automatically circuited
in and out and thirdly it enables lengthy interviews to be had per telephone without
tiring the speakers, whilst the receiver having his hands free is conveniently able
to take down the conversation in short hand or writing on the spot.
In order to make this Specification more easily intelligible we refer to the
accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the
several views.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a telephone provided with our improved device.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the hinged bracket.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the desk underside showing the button mechanism, and
Fig. 5 is a detail section showing how the receiving instrument is mounted on the
bracket.
Directly underneath the telephone, a desk or support P is mounted on one,
two or more brackets c² suitable ledges or boards P P having preferably been
previously fitted to the wall for the reception of the latter. A button having
rod S' is mounted on the underside of the desk P in bearings fis, the said
rod having a collar S and spring F the latter arranged between the bearing f
and collar and adapted to be compressed when the button is operated. The
swinging brackets c. c. are mounted on the ledges or boards P₁ Pi by means of
suitable hinges c c and are provided at their lower ends with rigidly
attached rods m n which are pivotally attached at A to the end of rod S₁ by
means of slots, allowing sufficient play for the radial motions of m n, and with
them the brackets c c on their hinges.
The hook on the telephone apparatus on which the receiving instrument is
suspended and by means of which contact is formed with the central office on
removal of the said receiving instrument, is in our device provided with a
weight G which breaks contact when the telephone is not in use, and which is
[Price 6d1

page_text: operated by the button k when contact is desired, by means of the following
device A bell crank lever o¹ Figure
:
is pivotally mounted at o on the wall
in suitable manner under the desk, one arm of said lever being attached to the
weight G by means of a rod S² whilst the other is suitably connected to one
of the rods m or n at r; or the weight can be omitted and the rod connected
immediately with the hook of the apparatus.
The apparatus is manipulated in the following manner: On pressing the
button the rods m and n will be operated, thus bringing the swinging
brackets cc with the receiving instruments bb into position against the cars of
the operator. At the same time the bell crank lever o' will be actuated,
raising the rod S2 and relieving the contact piece of the weight G and thus
making the connection with the central office. On releasing the button k the
rod S returns to its original position under the influence of the spring F, the
receiving instruments return to their position of rest, and the arm of lever o¹
.sinks allowing the weight G to break contact with the office.
It is obvious that if so desired we can provide the rod S¹ with a suitable stop or
catch by means of which the button may be retained in its depressed position
without being continually held down by the speaker, and we wish it to be clearly
understood that our present Specification covers such additions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An improved device for bringing the receiving instruments of a telephone into
position for use and returning the same to their position of rest by means of two
lever rods m and n operated by actuating a rod S¹ having spring F, said rods m n
being connected to swinging brackets cc carrying receiving instruments in such
manner as to cause the latter to be moved into position for use by operating the
device and automatically returned to their position of rest on releasing the rod S'
or its equivalent substantially as described.
2. In combination with the device covered by Claim 1 a bell crank lever o¹
suitably pivotted to the wall and adapted to form or break contact with the office
by means of intermediate rod S2 substantially as described.
3. Our improved device for bringing the receiving instruments of telephones
against the ears of the person operating and returning the same to their position of
rest, as also for circuiting the telephone in and out substantially as described and
shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 10th day of November 1891.
J. C. CHAPMAN, C.P.A.,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.