US1690634A - Telephone - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 6, 1928. 1,690,634

F. c. GREENE I TELEPHONE Filed Aug. 26, 1927 awuzutoz J? 6 Greene Quota 013 Patented Nov. 6, 1928. v

UNITED STATES FBEDERIC CECI L GREENE, 0F ATLANTA,

GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OI FbUR-TEIlTHS TO FRANK BRANAN, 0F MAC ON, GEORGIA.

' TELEPHONE.

Application filed August 26, 1927.- Serial No. 215,683.

This invention relates to improvements in telephones of that type in which the receiver and transmitter are combined with a hand-piece to provide a unitar set. In previous devices of this type, owing to the unbalanced distribution of weight in the parts, particulariy in the standard for supporting the unitary hand set, the structures have been found to be unsatisfactoryfor desk service, as they are easily upset and the hand sets are easily dislodged from their supports by slight shocks and jars accidentally imparted to the instrument by the movement of material onthe desks. Also, where instruments of the foregoing type or of the type in ordinary use are employed for desk service, much trouble is experienced with the cords or cables carrying the service wires. The cords become twisted or tangled with the litter of material that usually cucumbers a desk to the impairment of "the service providedby the instrument.

One of theobjects of the instant invention is to provide a mounting for the unitary hand set in which the weight of the constituent parts is so distributed as to prevent easy upsetting of the instrument and also to prevent accidental displacement of the hand set from its support. Another object of the invention is to provide a reel mecha-' nism automatically operating to wind in the slack of the cord or cable between thebellbox and the instrument and also the slack between the supporting standard and the hand set. lVhile the reel .mechanism is particularly adapted to instruments of the unitary hand set type, yet it is also'adapted to instruments of the ordinary type. r

The means employed for carrying out the foregoing objects are described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a view of a telephone instrument of the unitary hand set type embodying-the invention, showing the same partly in elevation and partly in vertical section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view, showing the leads from one of the cable wires to the terminals of the circuit closer.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the

supporting standard for the telephone set comprises the hollow base 5 provided with a flat'bottom so that the set can be readily slid on the top of a desk or other flat support. Extending upwardly from the base and to one side thereof is the tubular column 6 with its wall in integral extension with the wall of the base. The upper end of the column is closed by the conical cap 7 secured thereon. Extending from the upper part of the vertical column 6 is the horizontal hollow arm 8 projecting over the base 5 and having at its extremity the upright fork 9. Mounted within the column 6 is the rod 10 extending through the conical cap 7 and having at its upper end the fork 11 in horizontal alinement with the fork 9. The rod is vertically movable in the column, being guided therein bythe cap 7 and the plates 12 and 13 in spaced relation and secured within the column. Surrounding the rod is the coiled spring 14 compressed between the plate 12 and the collar 15 secured on the rod, the spring normally tending to raise the rod. At its lower end the'rod. is formed of insulating material, as at 16, for a purpose that will be explained fur ther on.

The receiver 17 and the transmitter 18 are of, usual construction, and are mounted on the hand-piece 19 to form a unitary hand set. At its opposite ends the hand-piece is pro vided with annular grooves, as at 20, to fit loosely the forks 9 and 11. When the handpiece is placed in the forks, the weight of the set in the fork 11 depresses the rod 10 against the action of the spring 14, which is compressed thereby. When the hand-piece is lifted from the forks the spring returns the rod to its raised position. The downward movement of the rod forces. the insulation 16 at its lower end between the two spring terminals 21 included in the telephone circuit and thereby the circuit is broken. These terminals normally tendto spring together to close the circuit when the rod 10 is raised by the spring 14. The two terminals are mounted in the insulating block 22, insulated from each other and from the angle plate 23 to which the block is attached. The two terminals are electrically connected with the wires 24 of the cord 25 leading from thecall box 26 to the hand set in the usual manner. The circuit may form part of an automatic system, as

indicated by :dotted lines, 27 to the dial 28 mounted on the exterior of the base 5;

In the foregoing construction, the base 5 is provided ,with considerable area or: con:-

tact with the desk top to lessen :the tendencyof the instrument to overturn. The tubular column 6 is mounted on one side of the :base.

5 and the horizontal arm 8 extends over the base. the forks 9 and 11, the center of gravity or the set is in close proximity to the fork 11 so that-considerable part or the weight of the setis carried by the fork 11. As the fork 11 is part ofthe rod 10,.the dow ward movement of the rod against the action-oat thespringjle is assured when the; handpiece is placed in the forks. Also, the arm 8 "carrying the extended part or th'ehand set over-the'base 5, tends to balance the m- StlLtHlGIl t' and to prevent; accidental tilting 'w-inding'the, slack parts or "the cord ,upon 7 reels mounted in the base orthe set. .5

In -the-base 5, at a central part thereof, is mounted the tubular vertical bearing 29 between the bottom of the base and'the angle plate 23. On this bearing are journaled the-upper and lower reels 30 and 31, respectiVelyQ Each reel is provided'with a coiled" spring 32 normallytending to rotate the reel 'on the vertical b earing in' one direction: Between the two reels the division plate 3'3is fixed on tl-1e t-ubular bearing-.- On

;--t he'--upper reel 30 is I wound the slack of that partor the ,cord 25 leading from the base: of the set to the hand-piece 19;; on the lower I reel is'wound the slack of that partbrthe cord leading to thebell-box In, the equipment :or a desk with the telephone set, the bell-box 26 isfmount-ed on a side-of the desk (notshown) in an out of the way place and the set is positionedon the topof the desk within reach or a, sub- "scri-benseated atthegdeski' This position ofthe set is also closely adj-acent to the bell-box.

In-1the normal inoperative positi-on or the set the handp iece 1-9 rests in the forks 9ancl 11 and its weight depresses the rod 10so that the insula-tio rlo,rorces apart the spring arms 21 or the'circuit closer and thereby the electric connection with the set In using theset, the subscriber is broken, 7 slides it along-the desktop to a handyposition. As the set is'inoved away from the With the handpiec'e 19'positioned b'el-l ibox connection, that part of the cord between the connection and the base of the set is drawn oil the reel 31, the latter turningugainstthe-action its. spring; :82 to release. the cord. The spring maintains tension on the cord, but it is not sufiicient to move the set. Thesubscriber then lifts the hand-piece 19 from its rest and positions it fer conversationalpurposes. In this movement or" the hand-piece, that part of the cord leading from the base or the set to the hand-piece is drawn oil the upper-reel 30, which turns against the action ott'fits spring 32 to unwind the cord. When the handpi-eceis lirtedrroin its supports, the spring 1d moves the released rod 10 upward to withdrawthe insulation 16' rrom between the spring arms 21, which move into contact and close the circuit through the set. When the-handpiece 1s returned'to its rest and the setshoved toward the bell-box, the

reels through the action of theirsprings rewind their respective parts of thecord so that there ,are-no loose parts to become entangled with desk material orto become twisted andkinked. As the base or the set covers considerable area and as the several parts are in balanced "relation to the base,

the liability or'the instrument to upset is lessened,

The cord continuous from one reel to the other and where it passes through 'the'dii ision plate 33, as'at 34, it is fixed with relationto the tubular bearing 29. It is from this fixed part'th'at the leadsQd extend from one or the wires to 'th'e spring arms2l, or the circuit-closer. Wheneither reel winds a cord on its barrel, it forms a compensating coil between the reel and thedivision plate 33. Thepurpose of thediwision plate is'to separate the compensating coils of one reel from those of the other to prevent interference between thesame;

' WVhat I claim is: i I

'1. In a telephone instrument, the combination witha standard-comprising a hollow base of extensive-seating area, a tubular column' extending upwardrrom the base in oilset'relation tothe; center of the base, an arme tendi-rm horizontally from the upper part of the-caumn and projecting diametrically across the base, a fork on the extremity of the arm, a rod movably mounted in thevertical column, a second fork on the upper end of the rod and horizontallyalined with the for-k atthe endfofthe horizontal arm, a spring normally pressing the rod upward in the Vertical column, a unitary-hand set adapted to be placed in said forks and op erating by its weight to depress the movable rod against the action of the spring, the offset col umn and the horizontal arm operating to support the handset diametrically across the base to balance tlie weight aofthe hand carrying the parallel wires is i set with relation to the center of the base, an electric circuit for the hand set including a circuit closer positioned in the vertical column to be opened by the downward movement of the rod.

2. In a telephone instrument, the combination of a hand set and an electric circuit therefor, with a supporting standard for the set having ahollow base, a bearing in the hollow base, separate sprlng-drlven reels journaled in the base on the bearing there in, and an insulating cord for the circuit wires of the instrument leading through the hollow base to the hand set and having an intermediate part in fixed relation to the bearing between the reels, one of the reels operating to wind the slack of the cord leading into the hollow base and the other of the reels operating to wind the slack of the cordvbetween the fixed-part thereof and the hand set.

3. In a telephone instrument, the combination of a hand set and an electric circuit therefor, with a supporting standard for the set having a hollow base, a bearing in the hollow base, separate spring-driven reels journaled in the base on the bearing there in, an insulating cord for the circuit wires of the instrument leading through the hollow base to the hand set and having an intcrmediatepart in fixed relation to the bearing between the reels, and a division plate mounted on the bearing between the reels,

one of the reels operating to wind the slack ot' the cord leading into the hollow base and the other of the reels operating to wind the slack of the cord between the fixed part thereof and the hand set, the division plate operating to separate the compensating coils the bearing by the ing in the hollow base, separate spring driven reels journaled in the base on the tubular bearing, and an insulating cord for the circuit wires of the instrument leading through the hollow base to the hand set and having an intermediate part in fixed relation to the tubular bearing between the reels, one of the reels operating to wind the slack of the cord leading into the hollow base and the other of the reels operating the slack of the cord between the fixed part thereof and the hand set. i

5. In a telephone instrument, the combination of a standard comprising a base having an extensive seating area, a column on the base in offset relation to the center of the base, the seated base operating to maintain the column upright, a horizontal arm projecting from the column diametrically across the base, and forks respectively mounted on the upper end of the column and on the outer end of the horizontal arm, said forks being horizontally alined; with a unitary hand set adapted to be placed in the forks and including a handle having annular grooves at the ends to register with the engaged forks, said offset column and the horizontal arm operating to support the hand set placed in the forks diametrically across the base to balance the weight of the hand set with relation to the base.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERIC CECIL GREENE.

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