Improvements in Ear Pieces for Telephones.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ear Pieces for Telephones.
I, RUDOLF SEIFFERT of 171 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois United
States of America, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel construction in an ear-piece adapted specially
for use with telephones, and consists in the features of construction hereinafter fully
described and specifically.claimed.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the receiving instrument of a
telephone with my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of my invention.
By reason of the public use of a telephone it is obvious that the receiving
instrument is placed to the ear of a large number of people and there is a liability
of disease being conveyed in this manner, as will be plainly obvious.
It is the object of my invention to obviate this objectionable feature by providing
an ear-piece that can be readily applied and removed from the receiving instrument
of a telephone and that can be conveniently carried in the pocket when not in use.
In this way, it will be seen that a person's ear does not come into contact with an
object that may have been placed to the ears of hundreds of other people, so that
the liability of conveying diseases in this manner is obviated.
My invention consists of a disk 1 provided with devices for holding it centrally
upon the receiving instrument 2 of a telephone, and having a perforation 3 that is
located centrally over the diaphragm when the disk is placed upon such instrument.
This disk is small enough to be carried in the pocket and when it is desired to use
the telephone it can be readily placed upon the receiving instrument as shown in
Fig. 1, so that when the instrument is placed to the ear the disk 1 comes in contact
with the ear, while the sound waves from the diaphragm will be conveyed through
the perforation in the disk to the ear.
As a convenient construction in the devices for holding the disk 1 centrally upon
the instrument, the disk is provided centrally with a projection 4 of such length
that when the inner face of the disk rests against the end rim or edge 5 of the
instrument 2, the end of the projection 4 will enter the opening 6 in the end of the
instrument 2 just over the diaphragm as shown in said Fig. 1. In this way
the disk 1 is held centrally upon the end of the instrument and the perforation 3
which also passes through the projection 4 will allow the sound waves to reach the
ear which is placed against the outer face of the disk 1.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide a device that
effectually prevents the contact of the ear with the receiving instrument of
telephones, and which can be applied and removed quickly and without trouble,
and conveniently carried in the pocket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An ear-piece of the kind specified consisting of a perforated disk provided
with devices for holding the same upon the receiving instrument of a telephone, the
portion of said disk through which the perforation is made being so constructed
that it extends inwardly near the diaphragm of the receiving instrument when the
ear-piece is in place thereon, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. An ear-piece of the kind specified consisting of a disk having a centrally.
located projection on one side, and a perforation extending through said disk and
projection, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of July 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.