IM- PROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ambrose McEvoy, of the London Ordnance Works,
Bear Lane, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS."
Sealed the 18th June 1878, and dated the 20th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Ambrose McEvoy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1877.
CHARLES AMBROSE M°EVOY, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, South-
wark, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS."
The telephone as now ordinarily constructed, is composed of a small wooden
chamber, across the end of which is secured a disc of thin sheet iron; within the
chamber is a magnet with a wire coil around it, and the ends of the coil are coupled
one to the line wire, and the other to earth.
It is also usual to have two apparatus of this description at each end of the line
wire, one to be held to the ear by one hand when receiving a message, the other to
be held by the other hand near the mouth when speaking to send a message.
According to my Invention I am enabled in a simple manner to use one apparatus,
both for sending and receiving a message. For this purpose I form the apparatus
with a pipe leading out from the chamber in rear of the metal disc, the chamber
being made somewhat deeper than usual, and at the end of the pipe I provide a
small trumpet mouth, into which the message to be sent is spoken; the pipe is
formed with elbow bends, so that when the apparatus is held so as to bring the
metal disc near to the ear of the person using the apparatus, the trumpet mouth
may be at a short distance in front of his mouth. Or if the apparatus is not to be
held in the hand, but is in a fixed position, the pipe carrying the trumpet mouth
may be flexible.
By employing a trumpet mouth and tube to speak into the chamber at the back
of the disc, as above-described, a much more powerful effect is obtained, and with

page_text: less exertion in speaking than when the voice is directed against the front of the
disc, as is now usual.
In order that no annoyance may be experienced by the person speaking and
sending a message by reason of sounds proceeding from the disc which is applied to
his ear, a moveable valve may be used to come in front of the disc when the person
is speaking, and to move out of the way when a message is being received. This
valve may be moved to and fro by a small key, or otherwise.
In some cases, in place of employing the tube and trumpet mouth, two telephones
may be secured in a suitablo bolder, so that one may be held opposite to the ear of
the person using the apparatus, and the other near to his mouth, provision being
made for adjusting both instruments backwards or forwards in the holder, to bring
them into any desired position with respect to one another.
By this arrangement, as well as by the arrangement first described, one hand only
is required for holding the apparatus, so allowing the other hand to be used for
recording the messages as they are received.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Ambrose MoEvoy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th June 1878.
CHARLES AMBROSE M°Evoy, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, South-
wark, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONIC APPARATUS."
The telephone as now ordinarily constructed, is composed of a small wooden
chamber, across the end of which is secured a disc of thin sheet iron; within the
chamber is a magnet with a wire coil around it, and the ends of the coil are coupled
one to the line wire, and the other to earth.
It is also usual to have two apparatus of this description at each end of the line
wire, one to be held to the ear by one hand when receiving a message, the other to
be held by the other hand near the mouth when speaking to send a message.
According to my Invention, I am enabled in a simple manner to use one apparatus,
both for sending and receiving a message. For this purpose I form the apparatus
with a pipe leading out from the chamber in rear of the metal disc, the chambers
being made somewhat deeper than usual, and at the end of the pipe I provide a
small trumpet mouth, into which the message to be sent is spoken; the pipe is
formed with elbow bends, so that when the apparatus is held so as to bring the
metal disc near to the ear of the person using the apparatus, the trumpet mouth
may be at a short distance in front of his mouth. Or if the apparatus is not
to be held in the hand, but is in a fixed position, the pipe carrying the trumpet
mouth may be flexible.
By employing a trumpet mouth and tube to speak into the chamber at the back of
the disc as above described, a much more powerful effect is obtained, and with less
exertion in speaking than when the voice is directed against the front of the disc,
as is now usual.

page_text: In order that no annoyance may be experienced by the person speaking and
sending a message by reason of sounds proceeding from the disc which is applied to
his ear, a moveable valve may be used to come in front of the disc when the person
is speaking, and to move out of the way when a message is being received. This
valve may be moved to and fro by a small key, or otherwise.
'
By employing a trumpet mouth and tube to speak into the chamber at the back
of the disc, as above described, I am also enabled to use what is known as a
phonograph, in conjunction with the telephone instrument, so as to obtain at the
sending end a record of the messages sent.
In some cases in place of employing the tube and trumpet mouth, two telephones
may be secured in a suitable holder, so that one may be held opposite to the ear of
the person using the apparatus, and the other near to his mouth, provision being
made for adjusting both instruments backwards or forwards in the holder, to bring
them into any desired position with respect to one another.
By this arrangement, as well as by the arrangement first described, one hand only
is required for holding the apparatus, so allowing the other hand to be used for
recording the messages as they are received.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I have shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed, various views of telephonic
apparatus arranged as above described.
Figure 1 shews a side view of a telephone formed with a pipe leading out from
the chamber in rear of the metal disc and provided with a mouth-piece, into which
the message to be sent is to be spoken.
:
a is the metal disc; b, the chamber in rear of it; c, the stem or handle at the
back of the chamber b, in which is secured the rear end of the permanent magnet
as is usual; d is a short tube standing out from the side of the chamber b; into this
tube is slipped the end of another tube e; this tube is bent round as shewn, and
carries a mouth-piece f, into which any message to be sent is spoken. The junction
between the tubes d and e being telescopic, the mouth-piece can be set to any desired
distance from the disc a, and the tube e can also be turned within the tube d, so
that the relative position of the disc and mouth-piece can be varied to any desired
extent to suit the convenience of the person using the apparatus.
At Figure 2 I have shewn how a telephone formed as described with a speaking
tube led out from the chamber in rear of the metal disc a, can he used together with
a phonograph for obtaining a record of messages as they are spoken into the mouth-
piece.
In this Figure a is the metal disc of the telephone; b, the chamber in rear
of it; f, the mouth-piece; g, a spirally grooved metal barrel covered with tin
foil;
h, a small metallic point carried by the disc a, and bearing against the
metal foil opposite the groove in the barrel.
Any suitable arrangement may be adopted for revolving the barrel at a uniform
speed during the time that a message is being spoken into the mouth-piece.
The barrel as it is revolved is also caused to traverse endwise as is usual, so that
a fresh part of the surface of the metal force is constantly brought in front of the
point h, and so that the part of the metal foil opposite to the point has the hollow
groove in the barrel at the back of it, and does not rest against the metal surface of
the barrel.
By this arrangement when a message is spoken into the mouth-piece, the message
will not only be transmitted to the telephone instrument at the receiving end of the
telegraph line wire, but a permanent record of the message sent will also be obtained
on the surface of the metallic foil, and the foil may be kept for future reference, so
that if at any time it is desired to know the precise terms of any message sent, the
phonograph apparatus may be caused to repeat the message, as is now well under-
stood.
At Figure 3 I have shewn a holder suitable for carrying two telephones, one to be
held to the ear of the person using the apparatus, and the other in front of his mouth.
The holder is formed with a right-angled bend, as shewn, and at each end is formed

page_text: with a screw or other clamp in which the stem of a telephone instrument may be
.held.
Both of the telephone instruments can be slid endwise to or fro in the clamp
which holds it, so that the instruments can be set in any desired position relative to
one another, to suit the convenience of the person using them.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. Constructing telephone instruments, substantially as herein-before described
with reference to Figure 1.
Second. Constructing telephone instruments so that any message to be sent is
spoken through a mouth-piece into the chamber in rear of the disc, as herein-before
described.
Third. The combination of a telephone with a phonograph recording apparatus,
substantially as herein-before described.
Fourth. The combination of two telephone instruments with a holder, substantially
as herein-before described with reference to Figure 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ambrose McEvoy, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
C. A. MCEVOY. (L.S.)