Improvements relating to Electric Telephones.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Telephones.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple compact and portable telephone
which may be conveniently placed upon a desk, table or the like so as to be ready for
use when required.
One feature of my said invention is the combination of a transmitter and a receiver
with each other and with a suitable handle in such a manner that, when the receiver
is held up to the ear, the transmitter will be in a convenient position for speaking
into. For this purpose the said receiver and transmitter are mounted upon the
extremities of a bent rod or of a bent tube through which are passed the conductors
for one or the other of the said instruments, a part of the said rod or tube forming a
handle or being provided with a suitable handle of porcelain, wood or other suitable
material. The conductors for both the transmitter and the receiver preferably extend
through the casing of one or the other of the said instruments, and are connected with
terminals attached to a suitable base or stand. The said tube is sometimes made
telescopic or otherwise adjustable so that the relative positions of the two instruments
can be varied.
Another feature of my said invention is the provision of a support for the said
transmitter and receiver, which is so constructed and arranged that the weight of the
combined instruments, when placed on the said support, will cause the interruption of
the telephone-circuit and switch in the signal or call-bell, suitable provision being
made for automatically interrupting the signal or call-bell circuit and switching
in the telephonic instruments when the latter are removed from the said
support.
The support for the combined transmitter and receiver is advantageously constructed
with a hollow or tubular standard in which is fitted to slide a rod provided at its
upper end with a T-piece or cross-bar having at each end thereof a suitable rest for
the rod or tube connecting the said transmitter and receiver. Suitable means are
provided for preventing rotation of the sliding rod of the said support whilst
permitting it to move freely up and down in the hollow or tubular standard. The
said rod rests upon a contact spring attached to the underside of the aforesaid base
or stand and extending between two contact pieces also attached thereto. The said
contact spring tends to raise the said rod until the said spring bears against one of
the contact pieces forming part of the telephone-circuit. When the transmitter and
receiver are placed upon the said support, the said contact spring is depressed and
thus moved away from the one contact piece and into contact with the other contact-
piece, thus switching the signal or call-bell into the line-circuit ready for the
transmission of a call from the distant station. A suitable push-piece and contact
spring are provided for signalling to the distant station.
The support for the combined instruments may, however, be otherwise constructed
and arranged for the purpose above specified.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Telephones.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple compact and portable telephone
that can be conveniently placed upon a desk, table or the like so as to be ready for use
when required.
For this purpose I connect a transmitter and a receiver with each other by means
of a bent rod or tube in such a manner that when the receiver is held up to the ear,
the transmitter will be in a convenient position for speaking into. The transmitter
and receiver are mounted upon the extremities of the bent rod or tube, through which
when of tubular form. the conductors of one or both of the said instruments are
preferably passed, a part of the said rod or tube forming a handle or being provided
with a suitable handle of porcelain, wood or other suitable material. The conductors
for both the transmitter and the receiver preferably extend through the casing of one
or the other of the said instruments and are connected with terminals or binding
screws attached to a suitable base, stand or bracket. The transmitter and receiver can
be connected by a rod and a tube, or by two tubes that are made telescopic or
otherwise adjustable so that the relative positions of the two instruments can be
varied.
The base or stand is provided with a support for the combined transmitter and
receiver. This support is so constructed and arranged that the weight of the
combined instruments, when placed on the said support, will cause the interruption
of the telephone-circuit and switch in the signal or call bell, suitable provision being
made for automatically interrupting the signal or call-bell circuit and switching in the
telephonic instruments when the latter are removed from the said support.
The support for the combined transmitter and receiver is advantageously con-
structed with a hollow or tubular standard in which is fitted to slide a rod
provided at its upper end with a T piece or cross bar having at each end thereof
a suitable rest for the rod or tube connecting the said transmitter and receiver.
Suitable means are provided for preventing rotation of the sliding rod of the said
support whilst permitting it to move freely up and down in the hollow or tubular
standard. The said rod rests upon a contact spring attached to the underside of the
aforesaid base or stand and extending between two contact pieces also attached thereto.
The said contact spring tends to raise the said rod until the said spring bears against
one of the contact pieces forming part of the telephone surface. When the transmitter
and receiver are placed upon the said support, the said contact spring is depressed and
thus moved away from the contact piece and into contact with the other contact piece
thus switching the signal or call bell into the line circuit ready for the transmission
of a call from the distant station. A suitable push-piece and contact spring are
_ provided for signalling to the, distant station.
1
The support for the combined instruments may, however, be otherwise constructed
and arranged for the purpose above specified.
In the accompanying drawings,:-
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and plan of one form of telephonic
apparatus according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is an underside view of the portable stand shewing various electrical contacts
and connections.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the line x x Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing a modification.
Fig. 6 shews partly in vertical section and partly in elevation and.
Fig. 7 in underside view a modified form of the apparatus.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 1 is a transmitter, and 2 a receiver, each of

page_text: .
which can be of any suitable construction. 3 is a tubular bent rod to the ends of
which the transmitter and receiver are secured in such a manner that the front or
open side of the transmitter is at right angles to the front or open side of the receiver
as shewn, so that when a person applies the receiver to one of his ears, the transmitter
will be in a convenient position for him to speak into. 4 is a handle between the
transmitter and receiver by which the rod and combined instruments can be readily
held to a person's ear and mouth and also by which these parts can be supported when
not in use as shewn in Fig. 1. The tubular connection between the two instruments
may be made in two parts telescopically arranged as shewn in Fig. 5 to admit of the
distance between the instruments being adjusted as required.
::
The support for the combined instruments as illustrated comprises a vertical rod. 5
with cross head 6 having bifurcated or recessed ends or rests 7 to receive the handle 4.
The rod 5 extends through a tubular holder 8 fixed to a portable stand 9, and rests at
its lower end upon a contact spring 10 secured to the bottom of the stand and herein-
after referred to. The rod 5 is prevented from turning in its holder 8 by the lateral
parts 6ª at the junction of the rod with the cross head, entering slots in the upper
end of the holder. 11 and 12 are conducting wires connected to the terminals of the
transmitter and also to binding screws 13 and 14 respectively which are secured to
the stand 9. 15 and 16 are other wires that pass through the tubular rod 3 and are
connected to the terminals of the receiver. One of these wires (15) is connected to
the binding screw 14 and the other (16) is connected to a third binding screw 17.
18, 19 and 20 are three other binding screws. To 18 is connected one end of the
line wire when the apparatus is in use; 19 is connected to earth or a return conductor;
and also to one pole of an electric battery the other pole of which is connected to 20:
The line wire and battery are shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 3. 21 is a bell operated
by a magnet the winding of which is shewn diagrammatically as a coil in dotted lines
at 22 in Fig. 3. One end of this coil is connected by a wire 23 to a contact piece 24,
its other end being connected by another wire 25 to the binding screw 19. The
binding screw 13 is connected to a contact piece 26 by a wire 26. The binding
screw 17 is connected by a wire 17 to the binding screw 20, and also by a wire 27
to a contact piece 27 that is arranged to extend below but is normally out of contact
with the second contact spring 28 that is secured to the underside of the stand and is
connected to the binding screw 18 by a wire 29. The .contact spring 28.is so
constructed and arranged that it normally bears against a contact piece 30 that is
connected to the contact spring 10 by a wire 31. 32 is a push by which the contact
spring 28 can he pressed away from the contact piece 30 and into contact with the
contact piece 27. The contact spring 10 is arranged between the contact pieces 24
an 26 and tends to raise the rod 5 that rests upon it and to come into contact with the
contact piece 26.
When the transmitter and receiver are carried by the cross head 6 the contact
spring 10 will be depressed by the rod 5 and moved away from the contact piece 26
and into contact with the contact piece 24 as shown in Fig. 4 thus switching in the
signal or call-bell into the line circuit ready for the transmission of a call from a
distant station The course of this circuit from the binding screw 18 to the binding
screw 19 is as follows -Wire 29, contact spring 28, contact piece 30, wire 31,
contact spring 10, contact piece 24, wire 23, bell magnet coil 22, and wire 25.. When
the transmitter and receiver are removed from the support 5-6 the contact spring 10
raises the rod and comes into contact with the contact piece 26 thereby breaking the
bell circuit and putting the transmitter and receiver into the line circuit which is then
completed through the wire 29, contact spring 28, contact piece 30, wire 31, contact
spring 10 contact piece 26, binding screw 13, wire 11, transmitter 1, wire 12, binding
screw 14, wire, 15, receiver 2, wire 16, binding. screw 17, wire 17, binding screw 20,
and thence to the binding screw 19 and earth through. the electric battery the poles
of which are connected to the binding screws 19 and 20.
For signalling to a distant station, the push 32 is depressed so as to bring the
contact spring 28 into contact with the contact piece 27. An electric current then
flows from the electric battery through the binding screw 20, wire 17ª, binding

page_text: screw 17, wire 27, contact piece 27, contact spring 28, wire 29, to the binding
screw 18 and thence into the line wire connected to this screw.
As will be obvious the transmitter can be arranged with its front or open side at an
angle other than a right angle with that of the receiver for example as shewn in
Fig. 6 where the angle is an obtuse one. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7
the call bell magnet 22 is fixed to the underside of the stand 9 and in lieu of an
ordinary bell gong 21, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, a wire helix 21 is used. The
wire forming this helix is fixed at its outer end to the stand 9 and is struck by the
hammer 22 of the vibrating armature of the magnet 22 when the same is in circuit.
The wire is thus caused to emit sufficient sound to attract attention; and this
sound is of a nature that is for many purposes preferable to that emitted by the
ordinary electric bell gong. The tubular holder 8 is placed at the centre of the stand.
The various electrical connections shewn in Figs. 6 and 7 though differently arranged
to those shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 are similar to them and are correspondingly
marked.
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modification in which that part of the instrument which
in previously described arrangements constitutes the stand is in a form resembling
a bracket adapted to hang on a hook or nail against the wall; and the support
for the combined transmitter and receiver projects from the upwardly inclined arm of
the bracket.
.. Fig. 10 illustrates another modification. In this case the part corresponding to the
stand in the earlier arrangements has projecting from it a hinged hook 32 on which
the combined transmitter and receiver hangs as shewn, the weight of these
instruments making or breaking contact when removed from or placed on the
said hook.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electric telephone the combination and arrangement substantially as
described, of the transmitter and the receiver connected together by a rod or tube
in such a manner, that when the receiver is placed to the ear, the transmitter will he
in a suitable position near the mouth for the transmission of messages, the rod or tube
between the transmitter and the receiver forming, or being provided with, a suitable
handle by which the compound instrument can be held.
2. In an electric telephone constructed with combined or connected transmitter
and receiver, the hereinabove described support comprising a tubular holder 8, and
a rod 5 fitted with rests for holding the combined or connected transmitter and
receiver, and adapted to make and break contacts as set forth.
".
3. The combination of parts constituting the improved portable electric telephone
constructed arranged and operating as hereinabove described with reference to and
shewn in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings annexed or modified according
to Fig. 5.
4. The several modifications of my improved portable electric telephone hereinabove
respectively described with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7; Figs. 8
and 9 and Fig. 10 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this ord day or may 1090.
W. Lloyd Wise,
D. B. MORISON.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..