Improvements in and relating to Speaking Tubes and their Fittings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1898
Improvements in and relating to Speaking Tubes and their Fittings.
I, ARTHUR BULL, of 61, Cross Street, Burton-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford,
Locksmith, Bellhanger, and Gasfitter, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in and relating to speaking tubes
and their fittings by which I am enabled to attached one or more ear pieces without
any way interfering with the transmission of the sound of the voice when speak-
ing and I also provide means for cutting off the transmission of sound to the ear
piece or pieces when not in use.
In carrying my invention into practice I attach the mouth piece of my speaking
tube to a hollow metal or other fitting which is fixed to or forms part of the
plate for securing the same to the wall or other place. Formed with or fitted
to the side of this hollow fitting is a junction piece which communicates with the
interior of the hollow fitting and in the side of this junction piece a hole or holes
is or are formed. I then fit a socket or swiveling piece over this junction piece
and this socket is held in position by a washer and screwed pin or nut which
screws into or onto the end of the junction piece. The socket or swiveling piece'
is also provided with a junction piece onto which the rubber or other tube to which
It will thus be seen that when the socket or
the ear piece is attached fits.
swiveling piece is turned so as to bring its junction piece opposite the hole or
holes in the junction piece which communicates with the hollow fitting that the
sound will be clearly transmitted to the ear piece but when this socket or swivel-
ing piece is moved so that its junction piece is not opposite the hole or holes in
the hellow fitting junction piece the transmission of sound is cut off.
cases the hollow fitting may be provided with two junction pieces each fitted with
a socket or swiveling piece and ear piece especially in the case of long distance
tubes or in noisy situations thus enabling the sound to be transmitted through two
mediums.
In some
Improvements in and relating to sprang
I, ARTHUR BULL, of 61, Cross Street, Burton-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford,
Locksmith, Bellhanger, and Gasfitter, do hereby declare the nature of my said

page_text: 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 has for its object improvements in and relating to speaking tubes
and their fittings by which I am enabled to attach one or more ear pieces without
in any way interfering with the transmission of the sound of the voice when speak-
ing and I also provide means for cutting off the transmission of sound to the ear
piece or pieces when not in use.
In carrying my invention into practice I attach the mouth piece of my speaking
tube to a hollow metal or other fitting which is fixed to or forms part of the
plate for securing the same to the wall or other place. Formed with or fitted
to the side of this hollow fitting is a junction' piece which communicates with the
interior of the hollow fitting and in the side of this junction piece a hole or holes
is or are formed. I then fit a socket or swivelling piece over this junction piece
and this socket is held in position by a washer and screwed pin or nut which
screws into or onto the end of the junction piece. The socket or swivelling piece
is also provided with a junction piece onto which the rubber or other tube to which
the ear pin is attached fits. It will thus be seen that when the socket or
swivelling piece is turned so as to bring its junction piece opposite the hole or
holes in the junction piece which communicates with the hollow fitting that the
sound will be clearly transmitted to the ear piece but when this socket or swivel-
ling piece is moved so that its junction piece is not opposite the hole or holes in
the hollow fitting junction piece the transmission of sound is cut off. In some
cases the hollow fitting may be provided with two junction pieces each fitted with
a socket or swivelling piece and ear piece especially in the case of long distance
tubes or in noisy situations thus enabling the sound to be transmitted through two
mediums.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated examples of my speaking tube fittings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing my speaking tube fixed in position.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2 with the connecting tube and ear piece
detached.
Figure 4 is a front view shewing the swivelling piece. D and mouth piece
detached.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the swivelling piece D.
Figure 6 is a front view of my speaking tube fitted with two ear pieces.
Figure 7 is a part sectional view shewing a modified form of the cut off arrange-
ment for the ear piece.
In carrying my invention into practice I attach the mouth piece A preferably by
screwing it into the short neck 6 of the hollow fitting B which is fixed to or
forms part of the back plate 62 having the holes 63 through which screws or the
like pass for fixing the fitting to the wall or other place. Fitted into one side or
formed at one side of the hollow fitting B is the tapering branch junction piece b
which communicates with the interior of the fitting B and in the side of this
junction piece 64 I form the hole 65 the end being solid or closed and formed with
the reduced part 66 which is screw threaded I then fit the socket or swivelling con-
nection piece D onto this junction piece 64 and this swivelling piece is formed with
the branch pipe or junction piece d¹ with its passage or opening d³ into which the
flexible tube E for connecting the ear piece F to the swivelling piece fits. The
knob d² which screws onto the end 66 is provided for the purpose of keeping the
swivelling piece in position.
When fixing the speaking tube against the wall or other place by screws or their
equivalents the metal or other tube H which communicates with some other room
or part of the building or other place is fitted into the hole 6s formed in the back
plate 63 preferably in a direct line with the mouth piece A as shewn at Figure 1

page_text: so as to form a clear passage for the transmission of sound. The mouth piece
is provided with the usual whistle W preferably with an indicator when a number
of speaking tubes are arranged together for indicating which whistle has been
sounded. The attendant then withdraws the whistle and lifts the ear piece l'
to his or her ear thus turning the swivelling piece D on the junction piece 6 into
the position as shewn in dotted lines Figure I so as to bring the opening or passage (3
of the branch socket or pipe d¹ opposite the hole or opening 65 by which means the
sound or voice of the person speaking is clearly transmitted through the ear piece
thereby enabling a conversation to be carried on without removing the ear piece
from the ear, but when the ear piece is released the swivelling piece turns on the
junction piece 6* and so cuts off the communication between the passage d³, and the
opening 65 thus allowing the whistle when replaced to the easily and clearly
sounded.
In some cases I may form the hollow casing B with a junction piece such as b
on either side each being provided with a swivelling piece such as D and flexible
connection and ear piece such as F as shewn at Figure 6 which will be found a
very convenient speaking tube where the sound is transmitted from a long distance
or when fixed in noisy situations such as workshops or the like.
At Figure 7 I have shewn a modified form of my speaking tube. In this case
I form the hollow casing B with the junction piece J at one side when using a
single ear piece and at both sides when using a double ear piece. The end of this
junction piece is formed with the hole j and is screw threaded on the exterior to
receive the coupling which connects the swivelling junction piece K the end
of which is provided with the hole k¹. It will thus be seen that when the swivel-
ling junction piece K to which the flexible tube and ear piece are attached is
turned so as to bring the opening opposite the opening that the sound will be
transmitted through the ear piece and when the swivelling junction piece is moved
into the position as shewn at Figure 7 the sound will be cut off from the ear piece.
Instead of forming a junction piece on the side of the casing B I may form a hole
and tap it to receive the coupling in which case the coupling would be provided
with a diaphragm fitting flush against the end of the swivelling junction piece f
having a hole formed therein in such a position that when the ear piece
or lifted the hole would come opposite it thus transmitting the sound through
the ear piece.
raised
In some cases I may form the hollow body or casing B without the back plate 2
and fit a flexible tube into the hole 68 so that the speaking tube may be placed upon
a desk or table, the flexible tube being connected to the metal tube H.
It will be evident that the shape of the body or casing B may be varied and that
other methods may be adopted for cutting off the communication with the ear
piece or pieces.
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:-
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements in and relating to speaking tubes and their fittings
consisting essentially of a casing or body such as B having a branch
junction piece such as with its opening either at one or both
ends upon which a swivelling connection or socket piece such as D
with its passage d³ turns for cutting off the communication with the
ear piece F in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth
and as shewn upon the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Second: In speaking tubes forming a branch junction such as J with its hole j
on one or both sides of the body such as B upon which the swivelling junction
such as K with its opening & turns for cutting off the communication with the
ear piece such as F in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein
set forth and, as shewn by Figure 7.

page_text: Third In speaking tubes the end mounting having a swivelling ear branch 1)
with a passage capable of being cut off from the main pipe or of connection there-
with by the swivelling action of the branch D substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1898
ARTHUR BULL,
By George Barker,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.