US1719573A

US1719573A - Mouthpiece for telephones

Info

Publication number: US1719573A
Application number: US216597A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vernon J Tracy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-08-31
Filing date: 1927-08-31
Publication date: 1929-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1946-07-02

Description

July 2, 1929. v. J. TRACY v 1.719.573

MOUTHPIECE FOR TELEPHONES Filed Aug. 31, 1927 Patented July 2, 1929.

VERNON J. TRACY, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MOUTHPIECE iron 'rnnnrnonns.

A'pp lieation filed Au usta, 1927: Serial no. 216,597.

This invention relates to telephones and;

particularly to telephone transmitters. Frequently, in holding a conversation over the telephone, it may be desired by the. person telephoning to talk with persons in his presence without having the telephone transmit his conversation.

The general object of this invention is to provide simple means for enabling the function of the transmitter to be temporarily inhibited so as to prevent it from transmitting a private conversation and atthc same time to construct the device in such a way as not to interfere with the ordinary use of the instrur ment.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel parts and combination, of parts to be described here inafter, all. of which contribute to produce an efficient mouthpiece for telephones.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed. out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a transmitter and showing the mouthpiece with my improvement in cross-section.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the transmitter with my improvement.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through a device ilhistrating another embodiment of my invention and showing a portion of the outer end of the mouthpiece of a telephone transmitter.

Figure t is a front elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5.

In practicing the invention I provide means associated with the mouthpiece in such a way that by a slight movement of ones hand the opening through the mouthpiece can be closed, thereby preventing the transmission of any sound through the telephone. This may be accomplished in various ways. I prefer to employ means for engaging the edge of the mouthpiece to secure the device in position. The device includes a plug located within the mouthpiece and movable inward- 1y so as to close the orifice through the mouthpiece. Between this plug and the edge of the mouthpiece I provide yielding means for normally holding the plug in its withdrawn position so as to leave the orifice clear and unobstructed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figure'1 I construct the device. as an attachment "for the mouthpiece 1 of the telephone transmitter 2. This attachment-consists of a disc 3 of rubber or similar materialwhich isprovided with a flange 1 at its edge to enableit to be slightly stretched and applied over the outer end of the mouthpiece. I

The body of this disc is provided. with perforations 5 which enable the sound to pass through the disc to the interior of the mouthpiece. At its middle point the disc is pro-. vided with a plug 6 which may be molded integrally with the body of-the disc. This plug is of substantially conical form and with its large end disposed near the perforated .diaphragm 7, at the inner end of the mouthpiece. The plug is formed at its outer end with a button 8 which projects outwardly on the forward face of the disc. Thisbutton, however, is not essential. With this con struction it will be evident that if the button 8 is pressed inwardly the inner end of the plug 6 can be brought into engagement with the diaphragm 7 so as to close the perforations through it. The inner end of the plug is preferably formed with a deep conical recess 9 so that a relatively acute edge 10 is formed around the inner end of the plug. This facilitates an expansion of the plug which takes place when the plug is shoved against the diaphragm 7.

It will be noted that in an embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1,'the disc 3 itself operates as the resilient means between the edge of the mouthpiece and the plug for normally holding the plug in its Withdrawn position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 the body of the attachment is formed of a disc 11 of light sheet metal, which may be stamped out in quantities with a die. This disc is slightly resilient and is formed at its edge with a plurality of integral ears 12 which can be sprung outwardly to enable the disc to be applied over the end of a transmitter mouthpiece 13, as shown in Figure 5. In this form of the invention I provide a plug 14 which is supported on the inner end of a stem 15 which is mounted to slide inwardly through an opening 16 in the center of the disc. Suitable means is provided .on the disc for holding the stem 15 in its extreme outward position. This means is preferably in the form of a spiral spring 17, one end of which is secured to a hook 18 formed on the inner side of the disc, the other end of the spring being secured by a pin 19 to the stem 15. If desired, the stem may be threaded into the outer end of the plug. The function of the spring is, of course, to hold the stem and plug in the position in which they are illustrated in Figure 5, and to return them to this position after the plug has been forced inwardly.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the 'many embodiments this invention may take, and I do not Wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

WVhat I claim is:

1. An attachment for the mouthpiece of a telephone consisting of a disc having means at its edge for securing the same to the outer end of the mouthpiece and having a central plug yieldingly held in place, located on the inner face of the disc and movable longitudinally by pressing on the central axis of the disc to close the opening through the mouthpiece.

2. An attachment for the mouthpiece of a telephone consisting of a disc having means at its edge for attaching it to the outer end of the mouthpiece, and a central plug disposed on the central axis of the disc, said disc being of resilient material so as to enable the plug to be moved inwardly'on its axis to close the opening through'the mouthpiece.

3. An attachment for the mouthpiece of a telephone consisting of a member having means at its edge for engaging the edge of the mouthpiece, and a plug supported by the said member and movable longitudinally inwardly Within the mouthpiece to close the