Improvements in Speaking Tubes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1889.
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speaking Tubes.
We, THOMAS PATON HAWKSLEY, of 357 Oxford Street, in the County of London,
Surgical Instrument Maker, and WILLIAM RICHARD GOWERS, of 50 Queen Anne
Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of London, Physician, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is often necessary to concentrato at one place, such as a manager's or editor's
office, a number of speaking tubes communicating with different apartments, and
hitherto each one of such tubes has been arranged so as to have its separate mouth
and whistle or other signalling device.
Our invention has for its object to increase the convenience with which such tubes
may be used and to provide means whereby a single tube or any one of a number of
tubes can be brought at will into and out of relation to the tube-ending at which the
operator speaks or listens. We effect this by a sliding or other valve arrangement
(which may be termed a commutator) by means of which a communication can be
established between any one of a series of tubes and a mouth piece or tube ending.
Each tube has a whistle or other signal appliance wholly or in part distinct from the
rest. The apparatus operates in the following manner :-A signal being given, for
instance by blowing into one of the tubes at a distance and thus moving an indicator
on the commutator and giving an audible signal, a person at the commutator end of
the tube will so move its sliding part that its single mouth piece or tube ending is
put in communication with the tube through which the signal has been transmitted
and conversation can then be carried on with the person giving the signal. In like
manner the operator at the commutator end of a series of tubes can by moving its
slide make the single tube ending continuous with any one of the tubes connected
to the commutator.
The tube ending or mouth piece for the commutator may be either fixed to the
slide or other valve arrangement or it may be fixed with a universal joint on a stand
and he connected with the commutator by a flexible tube so that it can be placed in
any convenient position on a table or otherwise.
In the case where there is even only one speaking tube connecting two rooms,
our commutator arrangement may be used advantageously for the purpose of securing
privacy which can be effected by so moving the slide part that the connection between
the mouth piece and tube is interrupted and thus no sound can be communicated from
one room to the other or others.
According to another part of our invention, in order to increase the convenienco
with which speaking tubes may be used, we construct the mouth or end piece of
much larger diameter than has been usual beretofore with the effect that, in either
speaking or listening, the person using it need not place his lips or ear so close to the
tube end as is necessary at present.
Dated this 29th day ol June 1889
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speaking Tubes.
We, THOMAS PATON HAWKSLEY, of 357 Oxford Street in the County of London,
Surgical Instrument Maker, and WILLIAM RICHARD GOWERS, of 50 Queen
Anne Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of London, Physician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
D27

page_text: performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
It is often necessary to concentrate at one place, such as a manager's or editor's
office, a number of speaking tubes communicating with different apartments, and
hitherto each one of such tubes has been arranged so as to have its separate mouth
and whistle or other signalling device.
Our invention has for its object to increase the convenience with which such tubes
may be used and to provide means whereby a single tube or any one of a number of
tubes can be brought at will into and out of relation to the tube-ending at which
the operator speaks or listens. We effect this by a sliding or other valve arrangement
(which may be termed a commutator) by means of which a communication can be
established between any one of a series of tubes and a mouth piece or tube ending as
we shall describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is a part vertical section of an arrangement of valves
and commutator according to our invention for communicating with any one of a
number of speaking tubes, of which 12 are shewn, by way of example, in Fig. 1 but
of which there may be a less or greater number. Each of the fixed speaking tubes A
terminates level with the upper surface of a base B, and it has a lateral aperture C
provided with a reed, whistle or other wind sounder to a passage D which is covered
by a light valve E having a projecting tail piece F.
On the base B is fitted to revolve a disc, ring, or circular slide to which is attached
à speaking or listening tube H, preferably flexible with a suitable mouth or ear
piece K. The tube H is fitted into a hole which passes quite through the slido G
and is at the same radial distance from the centre of the commutator as the speaking
tubes A. The slide G is made with a raised annular bead L which is sloped up to a
higher level at in face of the tube H.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows. All the speaking tubes A being
closed by the slide G except such one of them as may happen to be in line with the
tube H, when a person at a distance blows through one of them such as a, he causes
the reed C, or its equivalent, to sound and the valve E to open so that its tail piece F
rests on the bead Las indicated by the dotted lines ef. Attention having thus been
called by the audible signal, the operator seeing one of the valves open as at d
moves the slide round till the tube H comes to face a. By this movement the raised
part of the bead L is brought to close the valve E and the tube H is brought in
line with the particular tube a from which the signal proceeded.
Although we have shewn the speaking tubes A arranged in a circle and the
commutator as a circular slide G, the tubes might obviously be otherwise arranged,
as for instance in a line, the commutator being in that case in the form of a straight
slide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim. is:
In combination with a number of speaking tubes terminating near each other, each
having a lateral passage provided with a wind sounder and a valve, a slide having a
speaking or listening tube which can be moved to coincidence with any one of the
speaking tubes thereby closing the valve and opening the communication with that
particular tube, substantially as described.
Mach 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.