US1259597A - Device for preventing telephone-cords and the like from twisting. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. BREEN.

DEVICE FQR PREVENHNG TELEPHONE CORDS MD THE LIKE FROM XWiSTiNlL AFPLICATIGH HLED MN; '25. $9M.

Man

A TTORNEY JOHN A. BREEN, OF NEVT HARTFORD, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING TELEPHONE-CORDS AND THE LIKE FROM TWISTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application. filed January 25, 1917. Serial No. 144,563.

To all who 1n it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join A. BREEN, of New Hartford, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Preventing TelephoneCords and the like from Twisting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My present invention relates to a device for preventing telephone cords and the like from twisting.

It is well known that the telephone cord connecting the pedestal of a desk telephone to the bell box secured upon the wall or upon some other fixed article, often becomes twisted or formed into kinks. This twisting or kinking is partly due to the fact that the telephone cord has a natural tendency to twist due to its being constructed of small flexible wires and due to the twisted an r. ngement of the insulation or covering over the electric wires. A further cause for the twisting of the cord is that in handling the telephone the cord is often in effect twisted either by the telephone instrument being turned over or by the cord being passed around below or beneath the desk telephone as the telephone instrument is being used and particularly when it is handed from one person to another. After one or two twists have been given the cord it seems to accumulate further twists instead of having any tendency to straighten out. The first kinks or twists tend to produce additional ones by causing the telephone cord to lie in folds or curves and so give more facility for the cord to be passed over or under the telephone instrument.

The twisting or kinking of the telephone cord shortens the cord, wears out the cord faster than necessary and generally makes trouble through the knots or kinks catching upon surroundig articles or on knocking papers or other articles from the desk or table.

A similar trouble arises in some cases where a cord or flexible cable is used to connect a fixed article to another article that is being moved and handled considerably.

The purpose of my present invention is to provide novel, efficient and improved means for preventing telephone cords or the like from becoming twisted or formed into kinks or knots.

A further purpose is to provide an article of the class described which can be readily attached to the ordinary telephone cord or the like by any one without the use of special tools.

A still further purpose is to provide an article of the class described which can be readily attached to or detached from a telephone cord or the like without disarranging or cutting the cord and without having to remove the telephone instrument from the cord.

Yet another purpose of my invention is to provide an article of the class described that can be readily attached to telephone cords or the like of considerable difference in size so that one standard article can be used even though several sizes of telephone cords are used in the vicinity.

Further objects and advantages of my device will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk telephone instrument to the cord of which has been applied one of my devices.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. l but upon an enlarged and practically actual size.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. i a sectional view thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side and front views respectively of the fastening member used in the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to at.

Fig. 7 is a sectional. view on an enlarged scale of a modified form of my. device and Fig. 8 a side elevation of one of the parts shown in Fig. 7 v

Fig. 9 is a side view of another form of my invention upon an enlarged scale.

10 is a sectional view of the form shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a side view of one of the parts shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description, there is shown an ordinary form of a desk telephone with the usual telephone cord 15 connecting the bell box 16 to the pedestal of the desk telephone itself 17. The bell box 16 it is assumed is afliXed to the wall or some other fixed object in the usual way and the telephone instrument itself is shown as resting upon any convenient object 18 such as the draw shelf of a desk or a table. My device for preventing twisting of the telephone cord is attached to the telephone cord 15 preferably about midway of its length although it may be located nearer to or farther from the bell box according to the location of the telephone. In general my device is most effective when placed at about the bottom of the loop formed when the telephone cord hangs down of its natural weight in its usual position.

In general my invention comprises a weight of any convenient size, shape and material and a connecting member adapted to securely fasten said weight to the telephone cord 15 in spaced relation to said cord and in non-rotative relation to said cord. Preferably also the connecting member is of such form as to make the device readily attachable to and detachable from the telephone cord. Furthermore the means for attaching the device to the telephone cord are of such character that the telephone cord does not have to be cut nor disconnected from the desk telephone nor the bell box. In other words the article can be attached to the telephone cord without having either end of the telephone cord free from its connection to the bell boX or telephone.

The device of the character described and connected as stated to the proper part of the telephone cord operates to prevent the telephone cord or the like from rotating of its own accord or unless positively twisted by reason of the fact that the weight being to one side of the cord and in non-rotative relation thereto hangs down and has sutlicient power or weight to prevent the telephone cord from twisting of its own accord when slack or when being handled. The weight being located about midway of the cord tends to prevent its getting into loops and kinks but the efliciency of my device resides in the fact not that it is simply a Weight but that the weight is fixed to the cord upon a different center than that of the cord or that the weight is fixed oft center relative to the cord. It will therefore be seen that the cord of its own tendency to twist cannot twist or rotate without raising the weight from its position below the cord and up and over the cord. The power in a telephone cord to twist of itself is very slight and a relatively small weight spaced a short distance from the telephone cord is ample to efiiect the purpose desired and entirely counterbalance the tendency of the cord to rotate upon itself or become formed into kinks.

Referring now to the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 it will be seen that the weight here consists of a spherical body 19 and a connecting member 20. The

weight 19 is provided with a screw-threaded opening into which the screw-threaded end 23 of the connecting member 20 fits and can be adjusted at different distances relative to the weight. The projecting end of the connecting member 20 is formed as a hook opening at one side so as to have a recess 21 and a shank portion 22 passing from the screw-threaded end 23 to the head or projecting end 24: of member 20 and a short returning hook portion extending part wa from the head 24: toward the screw-three ed end 23. This arrangement leaves the opening 26 between the returning hook portion and the screw-threaded end 23 of less length than the recess 21.

This form of my invention is attached to the telephone cord 15 by inserting the telephone cord through the opening 26 into the recess 21 of connecting member 20, it being assumed that the connecting member 20 is either entirely separate from the weight 19 or that the connecting member and weight 19 are unscrewed from each other sufiiciently to allow the telephone cord to be inserted through the opening 26. Then the weight 19 is screwed up upon the connecting member 20 until the telephone cord is firmly grasped between the hook of the connecting member 20 and the weight 19. Preferably the parts are so proportioned that when this tightening is effected the returning hook portion 25 reaches to or substantially to the weight 19 and so entirely incloscs the telephone cord. The weight and connecting member are screwed up to the point where the device is secured to the cord in nonrotative relation but not to such an extent as to cut or injure the cord. This non-rotati've attachment is further facilitated by reason of the fact that the telephone cord is not usually circular in cross section, but has in its outer casing two separate insulated wires and often a third thread or fiber cord as an additional strengthening member. By reason of this two or three part formation of the telephone cord no great amount of pressure is necessary to aflix the weight nonrotatively upon the telephone cord.

In the form of my device as shown upon enlarged scale in Figs. 7 and 8, the weight and connecting member are not separate parts. The device is constructed of two parts 27 and 30 held together by the headed screw 28. The parts 27 and 30 each form one-half of the weight and half of the projecting part to be connected to the cord. These parts as illustrated have their weightportion in the form of a semi-spherical part 27 and 30 from which project oppositely disposed half-eyes 27 and 30 respectively of such form that when the parts are brought together as shown in Fig. 7 the eye parts 27 and 30 surround or almost surround the telephone cord in the eye 29 while the headed screw 28 passes through the member 27 and is in screwthreaded engagement with the member 30. It will be understood that the eye 29 formed by the two half-eye pieces 27 and 30 is slightly less in cross area than the telephone cord to which the device is to be attached so that as the parts are brought together the half-eye pieces will firmly grip the telephone cord be fore they touch each other. Preferably there will be provided on one of the parts of this form of my invention as upon part 27 a pin or dowel 31 projecting into an oppositely disposed recess 32 in the body of the other part 30. The dowel and recess thus provided aid in keeping the parts 27 and 30 in alinement when being attached and when attached without having to depend entirely upon the screw 28 or the telephone cord in the eye 29.

A still further modification of my inven tion is shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. Here as in the. last described form the device is formed in two halves 33 and 3% each forming a half of the weight and a half of the connecting means and the parts are connected by a headed screw 28 extending through part 33 and screw-threaded into the part 34. A dowel pin 31 and cooperating recess 32 are also preferably used in this form. The portion of the parts 33 and 34: which form the means for connecting the weight to the cord are so arranged, however, as to hold the cord parallel with the screw 28 instead of at right angles thereto as in the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In the present modification the projection 38 from part 33 is in the form of a C-shaped hook having a side opening 36 through which the telephone cord may be passed to the main recess 37. Fig. 11 is a side view of the flat side of part 3%. The other part 33 has a similarly C- shaped hook 38 but the opening is oppositely disposed to the opening 36 on part 33. It v. ill then be obvious that the two parts may be placed against the telephone cord from opposite sides and then the parts 33 and 3% secured to each other by the headed screw 28 with the telephone cord non-rotatively ailixed to the device and extending in the direction indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 10.

it will be obvious that various other forms and modifications of my device may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the claims herein.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for preventing telephone cords and the like from twisting comprising a weight and a member adapted to hold said. weight in spaced and fixed relation to the cord, said member being adapted to be attached to said cord Without having either end of said cord free from the parts of the telephone.

2. A device for preventing telephone cords and the like from twisting comprising a weight and a member adapted to hold said weight in spaced and fixed relation to the cord, said member being adapted to be attached to and detached from said cord without having either end of said cord free from the parts of the telephone.

3. A devi for preventing telephone receiver cords and the like from twisting comprising a weight secured to the cord in fixed and non-rotative relation, the center of gravity of said weight being to one side of said cord whereby the weight normally depends from the cord and the cord cannottwist without lifting the weight.

-:l. A device for preventing telephone re ceiver cords and the like from twisting comprising a weight attachably and detachably secured to the cord in fixed and non-rotative relation, the center of gravity ofsaid weight being to one side of said cord whereby the weight normally depends from the cord and the cord cannot twist without lifting the weight.

A device for preventing telephone receiver cords and the like from twisting comprising a weight secured to the cord in fixed and non-rotative relation, the center of gravity of said weight being to one side of said cord whereby the weight normally depends from the cord and the cord cannot twist without lifting the weight, said device being adapted to be attached to and detached from said cord without having either end of said cord free from the parts of the telephone.

6. A device for preventing telephone receiver cords and the like from twisting, C0111- prising a weight attached only to the cord and means holding the weight in fixed, spaced and non-rotative relation to the cord whereby the weight depends from the cord and the cord cannot twist without lifting the weight.

7. A device for preventing telephone receiver cords and the like from twisting, comprising a weight and means non-rotatively fastened to a given point on the cord and rigidly holding the weight to one side of the cord, said weight being supported only by thecord and preventing the cord twisting exceptby lifting the weight.

8. A device for preventing telephone re ceiver cords and the like from twisting, c0mprising a weight and means fastening the weight to the cord in fixed, spaced and nonrotative relation thereto whereby the weight normally hangs below the cord and the cord cannot twist without lifting said weight.

9. A device for preventing telephone receiver cords and the like from twisting, comprising a weight and means attachably and detachably fastening the weight to the cord in fixed, spaced and non-rotative relation thereto whereby the weight normally hangs cannot twist withoutlit'tingsaid weight, said 10 below the cord and the cortl cannot twist device being attachable to and detachable without lifting said weight. from said cortl without having either end of 10. A device for preventin telephone resaid cortl free from the parts of the teleceiiver cords and the like from twisting, eoniphone.

prising a weight and means fastening the In witness whereof I l'litVQflfllXCd my sig- 15 weight to the cord in fixed, spaced and nonnature, this 18th day of January 1917.

rotative relation thereto whereby the weight normally hangs below the cord and the cord JOHN A. BREEN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

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