IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR FACILITATING TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cowan of the Vineyard Garston in the County
of Lancaster Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED FOR FACILITATING TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cowan at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1882.
JOHN COWAN of the Vineyard Garston in the County of Lancaster
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR FACILITATING TELEPHONIC
COMMUNICATION
"
At the present time with the telephonic systems of communication in use any
subscriber is able to communicate from his own office with any other of the
subscribers but he is unable to do so except from his own office or from any of
the central offices. The object of this Invention is to enable a subscriber to use
the telephone from any part of a town in which there is a system of telephone
apparatus.
For this purpose in addition to the ordinary wires leading from the central
telephone offices to the various offices of the subscribers I erect other wires to
various parts of the town.
At any convenient points in the several streets or districts I employ for
supporting the wires poles which at about four feet from the ground line are
formed with a box capable of holding a telephone transmitting and receiving
instrument the portion of the pole above this box I make hollow so that one of
the wires may be carried down through it to the telephone instruments-the
hollow pole serves effectually to protect the wire from injury. The box containing
the telephone instruments is provided with a hinged door kept securely locked.
Subscribers only are furnished with a key to give access to all the boxes and so
any subscriber can make use of the telephone from whatever part of a town or
district he may be at. A separate wire is led from each box to one of the central
offices so that it may in the usual manner be connected by an attendant to any of
the wires leading to the rooms or offices of the several subscribers.
D

page_text: With apparatus of this description it is essential that the door of the box con-
taining the telephone instruments should be closed whenever a person goes away
after using the telephone contained in the box-to ensure this I so make the lock
that the key cannot be withdrawn from it until the door has been properly
closed and locked. The door might also be acted upon by a spring so as to secure
its closing whenever it is not held open by any person using the telephone-
I also make provision for ensuring that the receiving instrument of the telephone
shall be properly hung up in its place before the door is closed and locked. This
may be done in many ways, a simple way is to use an electric bolt which keeps
the door from closing except when the telephone iustrument is hung up.
When the telephone instrument is taken down from its peg a slight movement
of the peg may be made to complete an electric circuit and so to shoot the bolt.
In place of the boxes containing the telephone instruments being carried by the
poles which support the wires they might form part of short pillars like the letter
box pillar posts. The box containing the telephone instruments might be at the
upper part of the pillar and the wire might be led down to the instruments
through the top.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Cowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
February 1883.
JOHN COWAN of the Vineyard Garston in the County of Lancaster
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR FACILITATING TELEPHONIC
COMMUNICATION
"
At the present time with the telephonic systems of communication in use any
subscriber is able to communicate from his own office with any other of the
subscribers but he is unable to do so except from his own office or from any of the
central offices. The object of this Invention is to enable a subscriber to use
the telephone from any part of a town in which there is a system of telephone
apparatus.
For this purpose in addition to the ordinary wires leading from the central
telephone offices to the various offices of the subscribers I erect other wires to
various parts of the town.
At any convenient points in the several streets or districts I employ for
supporting the wires poles which at about four feet from the ground line are formed
with a box capable of holding a telephone transmitting and receiving instrument-
the portion of the pole above this box I make hollow so that one of the wires may
be carried down through it to the telephone instruments-the hollow pole serves
effectually to protect the wire from injury: The box containing the telephone
instruments is provided with a hinged door kept securely locked. Subscribers
only are furnished with a key to give access to all the boxes and so any subscriber
can make use of the telephone from whatever part of a town or district he may
be at. A separate wire is led from each box to one of the central offices so that it
may in the usual manner be connected by an attendant to any of the wires leading
to the rooms or offices of the several subscribers
With apparatus of this description it is essential that the door of the box con-
taining the telephone instrument should be closed whenever a person goes away
after using the telephone contained in the box-to ensure this I so make the lock
that the key cannot be withdrawn from it until the door has been properly closed
and locked. The door might also be acted upon by a spring so as to secure its
closing whenever it is not held open by any person using the telephone-I also
make provision for ensuring that the receiving instrument of the telephone shall
be properly hung up in its place before the door is closed and locked. This may
be done in many ways a simple way is to use an electric bolt which keeps the door
from closing except when the telephone instrument is hung up.
When the telephone instrument is taken down from its peg a slight movement
of the peg may be made to complete an electric circuit and so to shoot the bolt.
In place of the boxes containing the telephone instruments being carried by the
poles which support the wires they might form part of short pillars like the letter
box pillar posts.
In order to carry out my invention in any particular town or district I divide
the town or district so as to have the telephone boxes placed at comparatively
equal distances from each other and so as to have them as convenient as possiblo
for subscribers to reach them; from each box I lead a wire to the nearest central
office the wire as above stated may be supported on poles or otherwise above the
ground or carried in a properly constructed channel under theo ground as might be
preferred.
In cases where the wires are carried under ground I use short pillar boxes
something after the form of letter box pillars of a sufficient height to permit of

page_text: the telephone instrument being placed about 4 feet from the ground and in this
case I introduce the wires from underneath into the box or pillar, the pillars or
poles I make of wood, stone or iron as may be most convenient or desirable.
In all cases the boxes for receiving the instruments are to be substantially
formed with properly made doors.
As it is essential that the doors of the boxes or pillars should be closed whenever
a person goes away after using the telephone contained in the box, I so make the
lock that the key cannot be withdrawn from it until the door has been properly
closed and locked I also as before stated preferably make provision for ensuring
that the receiving instrument of the telephone shall be properly hung up in its
place before the door is closed and locked by using an electric bolt which keeps the
door from closing except when the telephone instrument is hung on it.
Other means than those above described might be resorted to for ensuring that
the doors of the several boxes or pillars should not be left open-the means I
have described are however I believe well adapted for the purpose.
The principal advantages of my invention are to enable subscribers to com-
municate with each other from any part of a town or district in place of as
at present being only able to do so from their own offices or other place where
they may have a telephone, and also the saving: of the expense of attendance, and
expensive offices for carrying on the communication
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means with
which I am at present acquainted of carrying out the same.
I claim the combination of boxes or pillars with telephone apparatus, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof I the said John Cowan have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Thirtieth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN COWAN, (LS.)