Particularly Adapted for Use with Telephones.
Year: 1886

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Frederic Newton Gisborne, Engineer and
Electrician, and David Herbert Keeley, Telegraphist, both of the City of
Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of
Canada.]
. Particularly Adapted for Use with Telephones.
I, CHARLES ADOLPH GISBORNE of 96 Newgate Street in the City of London
Commission Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication
to me from abroad by Frederic Newton Gisborne Engineer and Electrician and
David Herbert Keeley Telegraphist both of the City of Ottawa, in the County of
Carleton in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention is particularly adapted to telephone systems, and relates to that
class of switching which is operated in the removal of the receiving instrument
from and its restoration to a certain place or position provided for it in the
structure of the associated apparatus.
In all of the switches heretofore operated on the general principle above cited,
the prime factors in their action are the weight and dimensions of the hand phone
or receiving instrument.
In those dependent upon the weight of the instrument various arrangements of
springs and counter weights with movable platforms, hooks and the like, are used
in combination with points or plates and flat springs or levers which are brought
into and out of contact according to the position of the platform, hook, or other
device which is controlled by the impost and withdrawal of the weight of the
instrument in question. And in those dependent upon the dimensions of the hand
phone or receiving instrument, various arrangements of elastic or weighted levers
jaws and spring jacks are used which close together when the instrument is
withdrawn, and are kept apart when holding or supporting the receiving instru-
ment; the different positions of the levers making and breaking the contacts as
in the former case and as will be readily understood.
In the present adaptation of the general principle indicated, an entirely
different method of operating the contacts is observed, in that instead of utilizing

page_text: the weight or the dimensions of the telephone receiver, the permanent magnetism
is made available which forms one of the essential features of the best known
instrument of this class.
The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which like parts are correspondingly lettered.
In the front view Figure 1 the working parts which are few and simple, are
represented fixed to the bottom framing D of an ordinary magneto call bell, the
magnetic system of which is utilized to polarize the device for the purpose
hereinafter explained.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same showing more clearly how the parts are
polarized by the call bell magnets (or where desirable a separate or special magnet)
represented by N. S.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the hook for the receiving instrument.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the parts consist of an adjustable soft-iron arbor
plate or bracket A, between the lugs of which a soft-iron lever E is centrally pivotted
at f; The lever E has, in the direction of its length, an extended arm C the end of
which plays between, and makes electrical contact alternately with, two insulated
adjustable stops G and Q. On one side of the lever E, and coinciding with its
length, there is secured an adjustable soft iron retention plate P, so formed that
while the bulk of the plate is somewhat removed from the pivoted portion of the
lever E, two extensions of it are brought respectively in close proximity to the
ends of the lever E. The plate A, and the lever E in consequence of the former
being secured to the N. pole of a permanent magnet, as explained, are of
N polarity; and the plate P being connected with the S. pole of the magnet is of
S. polarity; in virtue of which the lever E when drawn, at either end, towards an
extension of the plate P, is retained by the magnetism, and is therefore with
respect to the extended arm C indifferently attracted in either direction.
On the other side of the lever E and in positions corresponding to the extensions
of the retention plate P there are fixed two soft-iron switch plates I and K, which
extend to the edge of the supporting frames To the outer end of the plate I a soft
iron hook H (which is shown separately at Figure 3) with a brass or other non-
magnetic extension, O is fixed so that the end thereof comes beneath the outer end
of the plate K. This hook serves to support the receiving telephone when not in
use (a ring R being, for the purposes connected with the S pole of the permanent
magnet which extends through the handle T h, of the instrument) and the removal
and restoration of the instrument from and to this hook actuates the lever E in the
following manner.
When the telephone is being removed from the hook H, the ring R (of
S. polarity) touches, in passing, the switch plate K, which thereby momentarily
partakes of the magnetism throughout its length, and the end nearest the lever E
(of N. polarity) attracts the latter, making contact between C and G in which
position it is held, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 by the proximity of one of its ends
to an extension of the plate P.
When the telephone is restored to the hook H, the ring R after repassing the
plate K, rests upon the iron part of the hook H, which is in contact with the
plate I, the latter becomes polarized thereby, and augmenting the attraction exerted
by the plate P in the opposite direction to that of the plate K which is now
unaffected attracts the lever E and makes contact between C and Q.
Hence while the telephone is on the hook H the extension C of the lever E is in
contact with the stop Q; and when the telephone is off the hook H the extension C
of the lever E is in contact with the stop G.
If therefore the operating line terminal L Figure 1 be connected with the
lever E; and the stops G and Q be connected respectively through the Telephone
(Terminal T) and the call bell (terminal B) with the earth, it follows that when
the telephone is on the hook H the call bell is in operating circuit; and when the
telephone is off the hook the Telephone is in the operating circuit.

page_text: It is obvious that where required any number of contacts can be made and
broken by simply extending the junction of the lever E by associating with it a
system of spring contacts or subsidiary levers in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim as
the invention communicated to me is:-
First. The method of utilizing the permanent magnetism of a receiving
telephone to actuate an electrical circuit switch, substantially as described.
Second. The combination with any magnetic system, of the adjustable soft iron
plates P and A, and the pivoted lever E with the soft iron switch plates I K,
and composite hook H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.