Year: 1886

page_text: 1, WILLIAM JAMES MORTON, of 36. W. 56th Street, New York City, in the County
and State of New York, 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 :-
My invention consists in the combination with a coil of insulated wire included in
an electrical circuit and placed in proximity thereto, of an extended steel-plate or
diaphragm, constituting in itself or embodying within itself a complete permanent
magnet, and which exhibits consequently throughout or in some definite portion of its
mass, independently of any extraneous influence, polarity of opposite names, either
under all conditions as in an ordinary magnet, or when disturbed only, as in magnets
which are neutral when in a quiescent state.
The variation or undulation of the current in a closed circuit, brought by means of a
coil into proximity to the magnetised steel-plate or diaphragm in my invention, does
not depend upon an inductive effect resulting from a bodily movement of the diaphragm
when the sound of the voice falls thereon, but is produced independently of such
movement of the mass by reason of a molecular movement of the atoms of the plate.
Its operation is based upon the reciprocal influence which is created between a body
whose molecules have previously received a permanent magnetic set, and an electrical
conductor brought into proximity thereto, whenever the arrangement of the molecules,
or their polarity, is disturbed by a jar or shock imparted to the body; and upon the
production of electro-magnetic currents in a telephonic circuit by a mechanical jar or
trepidation of the molecules in a permanent magnet which, by disturbing and altering
their set, or fixed mutual relations, shall change their polarity and thereby create an
induced current in the proximate electrical conductor.
This movement of the molecules inter se, is produced by the jar which the
impingement of the voice upon a magnetised steel diaphragm produces, the displaced

page_text: molecules returning to their original position by reason of the normal set previously
imparted to them.
My new apparatus, in its simplest form, consists of a steel diaphragm so highly
magnetised as to constitute independently in and of itself a complete magnet, and of a
coil of insulated wire brought into proximity thereto, the coil being included in the
telephonic circuit.
In the accompanying drawings, A, represents a magnet in the form of a thin, hard,
steel-plate. This thin, steel-plate magnet, which is to constitute the diaphragm of the
telephone, is fitted in a suitable case B, of wood, hard-rubber or its equivalent, by
means of which the magnet diaphragm is supported in the customary manner at its
edges only, leaving it otherwise suspended over a recess D, in which is secured a simple
coil, E, of insulated wire whose ends are connected, by means of binding posts F F,
on the case, with the main-line wires extending to a counterpart receiving instrument,
the one form of instrument being adapted to serve either as a transmitter or receiver.
The case is constructed with a suitable mouth-piece or ear-piece G, in the customary
manner to form either a transmitting or receiving instrument.
The steel magnet A, which thus constitutes in itself the diaphragm of the telephone,
be either circular or angular in its configuration without affecting its normal
action.
may
Two or more coils E, if connected in one circuit, may be employed either under, or
on each side of, a single diaphragm, and one or more coils in a circuit may be inserted
with good effect between two of said steel magnet-diaphragms, one of which is presented
to the mouth-piece G.
By preference, although it is not essential, the steel-plate magnet or magnetised
diaphragm A, is rendered neutral so that it shall exhibit no polarity so long as it is ir
a quiescent state. This neutrality is obtained by producing throughout the mass, a
closed circle of mutual attraction between its molecules, a result which is accomplished
.by a superposition of magnetism of opposite names successively upon the plate in the
process of magnetising it. The method of thus superposing magnetism of different
names successively upon a piece of metal (by first magnetising the plate in one direction
with a strong magnetic directing power and then similarly in the opposite direction),
is well known to the art, having been heretofore published as the discovery of
Prof. D. G. Hughes F.R.S. of England.
"
"
The permanency of the magnetism in the plate is dependent upon the molecular
rigidity of the atoms or their bound condition, for the molecules when perfectly free to
move, invariably take the polarity of the external directing force such as that of
the earth. These molecules, however rigid in their set, retain nevertheless (as has
been demonstrated by Prof. Hughes), each " a small field of its own through which it
can move with excessive freedom, trembling, vibrating or rotating through a small
degree with infinitely less force than would be required to rotate it permanently on
"either side," so that by a mechanical jar, shock, or vibration of the mass, they may be
partially deflected on either side sufficiently far to disturb their symmetrical arrangement
and produce evident polarity in the mass which will disappear, however, so soon as the
trepidation of the mass ceases so that they may resume their equilibrium or normal
state and thereby satisfy their mutual attraction. The diaphragm of steel is preferably
made extremely thin in order to obtain the maximum effects of the superposed
magnetism and its double polarity. Its thinness moreover facilitates the jar or
trepidation thereof by the voice required to obtain a molecular rotation or deflection
therein.
As a modification of my invention, the steel-plate magnet or diaphragm A may be
placed upon a highly magnetised ring, H, of steel fitted in the case B, as illustrated in
Figure 3, and which, when thus combined with the diaphragm, serves as a reservoir of
magnetic power complementing that of the thin plate.
This ring may also be so magnetised as to exhibit no evident polarity and be perfectly
neutral when quiescent although powerfully magnetised.
I am aware that a magnetic telephone has heretofore been constructed in which a
thin, vibrating plate or diaphragm of iron, connected to, or made to form a metallic

page_text: extension of, one pole of a magnet, is combined with a coil encircling the opposite pole
and brought into inductive proximity thereto, the induced currents in the line being
produced by the vibration of the one pole or pole-piece of the magnet or magnetic
system, in the field of the other pole. Also, that two such diaphragms, one of which is
made to serve as a common North pole-piece, and the other a common South pole-piece
for a number of magnets arranged radially around, and connected with, the diaphragın,
or for a single magnet, have been combined with an interposed coil, connected with
the line circuit, whereby inductive currents are produced in the coil by the vibration
of the diaphragm.
I am also aware that a telephonic receiver has been constructed of a non-polarized
diaphragm (that is to say, a simple, soft iron plate, which is not in contact or connection
with a magnet, nor in any sense magnetised), placed in combination with a coil of wire
without a core through which a current of electricity is made to pass, the undulations
in the current operating by induction upon the iron plate to cause its vibration.
My invention differs from all these in that my diaphragm is, in and of itself, a
complete magnet, which, whilst it may exhibit polarity, is preferably made strongly
magnetic without evident polarity. And it differs furthermore from all other
telephones, in that the diaphragm in itself may be incapable of inductive action and
will not produce a current when moved to and from an electrical conductor, the effect
of the diaphragm upon the conductor or vice versa, being produced by the independent
movements of the distinct magnetised molecules in its mass, apart from, and, if need
be, in the entire absence of, any direct movement of the mass. The relation of the
Anagnetised molecules in the diaphragm of the transmitter is simply changed by the
shock or jar of the voice impinging thereon, and the changes in the relations of the
molecules of the diaphragm produce, when they occur, an inductive influence upon the
proximate electrical conductor; whilst conversely, the change of relation in the
molecules of the diaphragm in the receiver produced by the fluctuations of the electrical
current in the proximate conductor will reproduce the sounds which influenced the
transmitter. The set of the magnetised molecules in the steel diaphragm is so fixed
by their rigidity or superposition as that their polarity is not changed by repeated
shocks and vibrations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an instrument for transmitting or receiving sound, speech, or signals, the
combination with a coil included in an electrical circuit, of a magnetised steel-plate or
magnet serving solely, in and of itself, as a diaphragm for the instrument, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
2. The combination in an electrical circuit of two or more telephonic instruments
each consisting of a steel-plate or disc permanently magnetised to constitute
independently and in itself a complete magnet, and a wire coil placed in inductive
proximity thereto and included in the circuit, said permanent magnet serving as the
metallic diaphragm of the instrument, substantially in manner as set forth.
3. The combination in a telephonic instrument, of a steel diaphragm constituting
independently in itself a complete permanent magnet; with an annular reinforcing
magnet; and a wire coil; substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set
forth.
WILLIAM J. MORTON.