Improvements in or connected with Telephonie Apparatus,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Telephonie Apparatus,
I, WILLIAM GRAY, of 84, Ambrose Street, York, in the County of Yorkshire,
Clerk, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in, or connected with, telephonic
apparatus, and consists in providing means, under the control of the telephone
operators, whereby when a person or firm on the telephone is rung up from the
exchange, a graniophone answer is caused to be automatically sent back from
the point rung up as aforesaid to the exchange, in the event of there being no
one to answer the said call.
By this means, the inconvenience caused by the exchange operations having
to continually ring up a person or firm when the call is not at first answered,
is obviated, as by my invention a call is immediately answered in an automatic
manner by my combined reply instrument, in such a way as at once to inform
the exchange operators that the person rung up is absent, (perhaps suddenly
called away from business), while at the same time the names and addresses, or
telephone subscriber's number of the callers who have been switched on or con-
nected with the office of the absentee, together with any other suitable and
desired information are automatically recorded by my invention for subsequent
reference. Another advantage is, in the absence of all persons, my invention
will record a message which perhaps would facilitate its immediate attention on
the return of the absentees.
Other objects and advantages of the invention all appear in the course of the
following description.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a small gramophone which
is fitted into a case or box-like compartment so as to protect the instrument from
dust and the like and permit the trumpet or horn to project therefrom.
The said gramophone is operated by suitable clock-work or its equivalent,
so as to utter a pre-determined phrase when started and to repeat same until
automatically checked.
In order to set the gramophone in operation, I connect the wire (by inserting
it into a tubular oblong opening), which usually rings the telephone call bell,
with the gramophone mechanism in such a manner that when the circuit is
completed and the electric current flows along the said wire, the gramophone
mechanism is released and set in operation.
In order to record the names and addresses of the callers who ring up or signal
the office in which my apparatus is situated, I provide a phonograph which is
connected with the telephone receiver, (the glass at end of which is made to
slide to one side from left to right or vice versa, and fastened at one point only,
in such a manner that when a message is transmitted through the telephone, such
message is automatically recorded on the phonograph cylinder.

page_text: If desirable I may provide a small stay or support to hold the telephone
receiver fixed on the outside of reply instrument during its engagement.
In order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet
of illustrated drawings, wherein :-
Fig. 1, is a side elevational view of the apparatus complete.
Fig. 2, a side elevational view of the upper part of a gramophone shewing the
arrangement of the checking and starting device.
Fig. 3, is a plan view of a portion of the gramophone shewing the arrange-
ment of the catch device.
Fig. 4, a side elevational view of a detail thereof, while, Fig. 5, shews in
elevation, a view of the connection between the telephone receiver and the
phonograph.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts throughout the several figures, a represents a gramophone or
similar apparatus for re-producing the human voice, such instrument being
enclosed in a suitable wooden or other case, which may conveniently be removably
fixed as at a¹ to the telephone desk b.
The trumpet of the gramophone a projects from the said case and is in
close contact with the mouth of the transmitting or speaking tube of the tele-
phone.
The gramophone is provided with the usual voice producing disc a³, by means
of which the instrument is caused to emit a suitable set phrase or phrases when
the apparatus is operated by clock-work or electricity in the usual manner.
In order to cause the gramophone to be set in action to emit a pre-determined
phrase or phrases, I provide a pivotted catch d on the upper side of the gramo-
phone, such catch being operated to rise and fall, by means of an electro-magnet e
or its equivalent, connected in the usual manner, with the signalling circuit under
the control of the telephone exchange operators, the usual electric signal bell
being disused pro-tem, and the connection made with the electro-magnet or its
equivalent aforesaid. This catch is located in a slot d¹ in a tubular or other
bracket d², such catch being capable of being turned upon its pivot out of action
when required.
A convenient number of projecting stops f are provided on the surface of
the gramophone dise a³ with which the pivotted catch d is adapted to engage
when the electric current is switched off the electro-magnet and the said catch
.thereby caused to assume its lowest position, or in other words, fall on to, or
in close proximity to, the disc.
The operation of the gramophone reply apparatus is as follows:-
When the office or the like in which the apparatus is installed is rung up
or signalled by the telephone exchange operator, in the usual way, the electric
current, instead of ringing a bell as heretofore, causes the electro magnet to
raise the catch d from engagement with one of the stops f on the gramophone
disc a³ and enables the said dise to be put in motion and emit the desired sound
in the usual manner.
The trumpet a being in close proximity to the mouth of the telephone speaking
tube c, causes the phrase or phrases emitted by the gramophone to be transmitted
through the telephone to the exchange.
In order that the telephone operators may know that the desired subscribers,
or their reply instrument have replied to their call, it is desired that the telephonic
reply sent by the gramophone part of the combined reply instrument shall utter
the town, and the telephone subscriber's number. It is also desirable that the
combined reply instrument (phonograph part) shall also record for subsequent
reference, the names, addresses, or numbers or any desired message from the
callers who have used the telephone in the absence of the human receiver there-
fore I prefer to render the combined reply instrument capable of sending back
to a call or signal, a reply of which the following is an illustration.

page_text: York," 0000. All out. What is the name and address of caller please, or
telephone number and town? Office hours are from nine to six o'clock, except
Wednesday, when we close at one o'clock.
The gramophone is preferably so arranged as to repeat the questions or
information three times if desired, well within the time allowed, i.e. three
minutes, after which the disc is prevented from revolving by the, action of the
catch falling on to such disc and engaging with one of the stops aforesaid.
The operation of the phonograph recording apparatus is as follows:-
The receiver c or that portion of the telephone apparatus which is placed to
the ear, has temporarily fitted into it one end of a hollow cone y, the other end
of which is connected with the receiving horn h of the phonograph, in such a way
that the full strength of the voice transmitted through the telephone is received
by the phonograph and recorded on the cylinder thereof in the same manner that
the human voice is recorded when spoken directly into the phonograph.
A small forked bracket-arm g is provided on the case containing the phono-
graph, for the purpose of holding the telephone receiver during its engagement
with the phonograph.
I preferably enclose the combined reply instrument in one case, divided into
two compartments, and the two wires connecting the phonograph and the gramo-
phone with the telephone are preferably connected together outside a suitable
distance off the said case, in such a way as to divide the electric current passing
through the telephone wires equally between the two instruments. One wire
controlling the catch will be out of use at the same time as the reply instrument
is out of use.
The cone that connects the telephone receiver to the reply instrument
(phonograph part) must be fixed to the reply instrument into its proper place
and respective part, and be so fixed that that end which is fitted into the said
receiver will project from the reply instrument. There must also be a cap,
cork, or other suitable stop to keep out dirt and dust and also to retain complete
control, and so prevent the reply instrument recording unimportant and un-
necessary conversation which may happen to take place in the same room as. the
one in which the reply instrument is situated.
I preferably so arrange the catch d so that it will not come directly in contact
with the gramophone disc a, when it falls to its lowest position, but will be
slightly raised, above such disc, in order to prevent a scratching noise when the
disc is revolving.
This holding of the catch off the disc may be effected in any suitable way, such
as for instance, by means of a suitable stop located in the bracket de beneath
the pivotal point of the catch.
The combined reply instrument above described may be so arranged as to bo
readily disconnected from the telephone when desirable.
It will be obvious that I may modify the several features of my invention
in various ways without departing from the spirit of such invention.
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 improvements in or connected with telephonic apparatus, the means for
automatically delivering a reply to a call, consisting in connecting the trumpet
of a gramophone or like voice emitting apparatus with the mouth of the telephone
transmitting tube, said voice emitting apparatus being arranged to utter a set
phrase or phrases when the disc is set in motion upon the release of an electri-
cally controlled catch, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In improvements in or connected with telephonic apparatus. the means
for recording, without direct human intervention a message transmitted through
the telephone, consisting in connecting the telephone receiver, by means of an
interposed hollow cone, with the voice receiving horn of a phonograph, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 3. In improvements in or connected with telephonic apparatus, the combination
of a phonograph having one end of a hollow cone fitted removably into the tele-
phone receiver, the glass at end of which is made to slide to one side, from left
to right, or vice versa, the other end of the said cone being fitted into the mouth
of the voice receiving horn of said phonograph with a gramophone or other voice
producing apparatus, adapted to emit a suitable set phrase or phrases, the revolv-
ing disc of said gramophone having stops thereon with which a pivotally mounted
catch on said gramophone is adapted to engage said catch being electrically
controlled whereby it is lifted out of engagement with the said stops, when the
subscriber's telephone instrument is connected with the exchange, and such
subscriber signalled, all arranged, combined and operating substantially as
described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1899.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.