US1932109A

US1932109A - Retainer device for telephone sets

Info

Publication number: US1932109A
Application number: US607561A
Authority: US
Inventors: Owen R Judson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-04-26
Filing date: 1932-04-26
Publication date: 1933-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1950-10-24

Description

Get. 24, 1933. 0, R JUDSON 1,932,109

RETAINER DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SETS Filed April 26. 1932 Patented Oct. 24, 1933 LUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to improvements in retainer-means for telephone sets of both the standard type having the receiver element separatel from the transmitter element and of what is known as the French type in which both the transmitter andreceiver are contained in a single element and adapted to be supported on a. stand.

While the invention is applicable to such sets whether or not used for automatic systems, it is particularly adapted for the desk sets used in connection with automatic systems, or in other Words, such as are equipped with dials to be operated by the individual using the telephone.

Telephone sets having dialing mechanism applied thereto are at times exceedingly inconvenient to operate unless one hand is used to hold the telephone set in place, while dialing with the other, especially when supported on a desk, table, or the like. When not so held, telephone sets tend to slide over the surface of the desk, table, or other object on which it rests, causing inconvenience to the operator, and in a busy place of business having a desk laden with papers of various kinds, oftentimes sliding about and causing the papers to be slid from the desk, or even the telephone set itself.

In various business places, especially such as have records stored in les, ille-room clerks are called up from 'various departments for information on dilerent subjects, and as the files occupy considerable lioor space, it is necessary for the file clerk to report his findings over a telephone at a distant point.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide the telephone set to which my improved retainer is attached with a long cord so that it can be moved about from le to le and be retained on the file case of which the contents are being examined, on any adjacent le case, on slides with which the file cases may be equipped, or on an adjacent Wall, so that `it will be at hand at the points of searching the records, regardless of Where they may be located within a file room, thus making it unnecessary for the file clerk to step away from upon a. desk, table or the like, so as to enable it to be moved about when desired.

A further object of my invention is the provision of retainer means, which necessitates the use only of pressure in order to secure the telephone set to a surface whether horizontal, vertical, or otherwise disposed, and the exercise of a pulling strain to disengage it from such surface.

With the above and other objects in view to appear hereinafter, my invention consists in the e5 novel features of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and more particularhr pointed out the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a telephone set, generally referred to as the French type, equipped with dialing mechanism, and to which my improved invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through my improved retainer device, taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, the lower portion of the telephone set being shown in elevation in connection therewith; the Whole being in a position of use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3, the adjacent portion of the telephone set being shown in elevation; this figure also showing the device in a position of use.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the two 35 parts of the body portion of telephone set retainer.

Although I have shown my invention as applied to a French type telephone set, it will be apparent that this type, as Well as the standard type of telephone set, has an enlarged base, to the under side of which my improved retainer is applied, the base in either case being usually provided at the bottom with a felt facing to prevent scratching of the desk, table, or the like on which it rests.

In the particular application of my invention as shown in the drawing, 6 ldesignates the desk stand or pedestal which is hollow and has a dialing mechanism 7 applied to the base thereof, within this stand, suitable mechanism, which may be conveniently referred to as "control mechanism, is arranged, and this is operatively connected with the dialing mechanism, as will be understood. A cradle 8 having upstanding retainer arms 9 is positioned at the upper end of the stand, and the combined transmitter and receiver 10 is placed upon this cradle between the upstanding arms thereof; the weight of the combined transmitter and receiver, which may be referred to as a hand telephone, actuating suitable mechanism within the stand, as will be apparent.

'I'he telephone set so constructed is comparatively light and is easily moved about on the surface of a desk or thev like, and consequently when dialing to call over the telephone, the telephone set shifts easily about unless held in position with one hand while dialing with the other. The standard sets vary considerably in weight, but do not differ materially at their lower ends from the French sets.

It has also been found that even the heaviest standard sets move about freely while dialing. To avoid this, and also to permit of positioning either the French type or the standard type against a vertical or inclined surface, I have provided what may be termed push and pull retainer means, consisting of two clamping elements 11, which in preferred form are of V- formation and may be exact counterparts, capable of being stamped out of sheet material. A single die therefore can serve to produce both clamping elements.

'I'hese clamping elements constitute the body portion of the device and each comprises two outwardly diverging arms 12 connected together at their inner ends, as at 13, and provided at their inner ends with depending flanges 14. To reduce weight, these arms are slightly narrowed between their ends and have their outer ends bent or curved upwardly and slightly inwardly to form clamping jaws 15. The two clamping elements are applied to the under side of the desk stand or pedestal in an opposite manner so that the depending flanges 14 thereof are in opposition and preferably spaced slightly apart.

'I'he diverging arms, when considered with relation to the circular face of the base against which they bear, may be referred to as radiating arms, and the jaws 15 at the outer ends engage and slightly embrace the peripheral edge of the base. The ends of the clamping elements having the depending flanges 14 may therefore be referred to as the inner ends of the clamping elements, and these inner ends are connected together by means of a screw 16 passed through one of the depending flanges 14 and threaded into the other. Upon tightening this screw, the two clamping elements are drawn together and the jaws at the outer ends of the arms thereof are tightened against the peripheral portion of the base. Due to these jaws being directed upwardly and inwardly, the possibility of disengagement from the base is prevented by any downward pull upon the retainer, or upward pull upon the desk set.

Near the outer ends of the arms, suction cups 17 are secured, the suction cups. being formed of soft rubber and are preferably of circular formation with thin outer edges. They may be feathered if desired, or otherwise arranged to have a one-line bearing area. Each of these suction cups has a screw 18molded therein, the screw being provided with a head 19 fully embedded in the rubber of the cup and a shank 20 partly within the rubber of the cup and partly extending outwardly therefrom, the outwardly-extending portion being threaded into an arm 12, as

' clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

When the two clamping elements or members of the retainer device are tightened against the base of the desk set by means of the screw 16, the base of the desk set has firm support on the four radiating arms 12 of the device or, as it may be expressed, the device has rigid connection with the base of the desk set. Pressure applied to the desk set in a downward direction will cause the suction cups to adhere to the surface of a desk or the like and prevent its moving about. Therefore, when telephoning, the desk set may be conveniently positioned on the desk, and by pressing downwardly thereon, it will be retained in such position, thus leaving one hand free for use while dialing with the other, without any possibility of the desk set moving from its position.

Assuming a large number of file cases to be arranged along a wall in a file room, and it is desired to impart information to distant points while looking up records or notations of various kinds, a long cord only is required to enable the desk set to be moved to any desired ille case, where it may be pressed against a wall, or against the front of a drawer in the 111e case or a drawer in an adjacent le case. The two hands of the clerk will be available for looking up the records in the file case and the information desired may be conveyed over the telephone without moving away from the file case. An outward pull on the desk set away from the wall or the drawer of the file case will release the telephone set so that the clerk may move to another file and have the telephone handy at all times. Thus it will be seen that the telephone may be moved about by the le clerk to any point where he is to be engaged, and information telephoned to distant points without necessitating the carrying of records to a distant telephone to impart such information; thereby conserving much energy and saving considerable time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephone set, comprising two V- shaped members lying against the under side of the telephone set, means for adjustably connecting said V-shaped members together, said V- shaped members having means to retain the telephone set thereon, and suction cups on said V- shaped members adapted to retain the telephone set in a fixed position on a desk or other surface.

2. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephone set, comprising two V- shaped members formed of sheet metal and having their flat sides bearing against the under side of the base of the telephone set, said V-shaped members having depending iianges at their inner ends and upstanding jaws at their outer ends adapted to engage the edge of said base, a screw for connecting said depending flanges and drawing said V-shaped members together, and a suction cup applied to each of said V-shaped members.

3. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephone set, comprising two V- shaped members formed of sheet metal and having their flat sides bearing against the under side of the base of the telephone set, each of said V-shaped members comprising two radial arms connected together at their inner ends and having an angular flange at its inner end and means for securing the telephone thereto at the outer ends of said arms, a screw passed through said angular iianges to draw said V-shaped members together, and suction cups applied to said arms near the outer ends thereof.

4. A retainer device detachably applied to the under side of a telephone set, comprising two V-shaped members formed of sheet metal and having their iiat sides bearing against the under suction cups applied to said arms near the outer ends thereof, each of said suction cups having a screw partly molded therein and partly extending therefrom, the extending portion of the screw oi.' each suction cup being threaded into one of said arms.

OWEN R. JUDSON.