US2020016A - Accessory attachment for telephones - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1935. M. J. BRUSSEAU ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONES Filed Nov. 6, 1935 INVENTOR. Wary i7, .Z'rasseazz B Y 5%, ?7z 9 77M ATTORNEYS.

Wwf tziom ACCESSORY ATTAGEWIENT FOR TELEPHONES Mary J. Brnsseau, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Application November 6, 1933, Serial No. 696,854

g In Canada June 30, 1933 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-217) This invention relates to accessory devices for associated therewith an accessory attachment intelephones, and more particularly to an ornacorporating the invention in somewhat modified mental and useful attachment of improved naform; and ture adapted to be associated with a. telephone in- Figure 6 is a view partly in side elevation and a strument to provide illumination therefor, therepartly in vertical section taken substantially on d by facilitating its use, and incorporating as well, the line 6-6 of Figure 5 and looking in the diif desired, a timepiece conveniently arranged and rection of the arrows.

carried by the device and positioned to be illumi= Referring now to the drawing, reference charnated by the lighting means when lit, although acter it designates the base portion of a hand lb unobstructedly visible at all times, as well when set telephone, of the sort commonly referred to as iii the telephone is in use as when idle. the European type, in which the transmitter An important object of the invention is also 82 and receiver [It are carried by' and at opposite the provision of improved means for controlling ends of a handle portion l5,by which the instruthe switching on and off of the iluminating means ment is supported in the brackets or hooks E6 of it in response to lifting and replacement of'the tele-' the stand ill when not in use. Switching means phone instrument or receiver,which switching (unshown) within the base of the instrument is means is so constructed and arranged that no mechanically so connected to switch bar ii that parts thereof, or any other portion of the accesupon downward movement of the bar under the sory, need be connected. to the telephone instruweight of the instrument the circuit is broken,

at) ment in any fashion whatever-other than by while spring means (also unshown) moves the standing the telephone upon a tray portion of bar upward and makes the circuit when the inthe accessory device adapted to receive it. strument is lifted, all in a well known manner.

Another important object is the provision in The telephone is also shown equipped with a callsuch a device of an improved casing and supporting dial I9.

ingconstruction adapted to interfit with and sup- My improved accessory, which is intended to 25 port a telephone instrument, and which is simple provide a reliable timepiece conveniently arand inexpensive of construction, rugged and foolranged within the view of a user of the teleproof, as well as of graceful, ornamental appearphone, and to illuminate both the timepiece and ance the dial and other portions of the instrument,

80 A still further object is the provision of such an preferably comprises a base portion 20 formed as accessory adapted to be closely associated and a tray adapted to receive the base of the teleportable as a unit with a telephone, but which phone standard, and provided with an upturned cannot interfere with operation or convenience of flange portion 2! adapted to prevent displacement use of the latter. of the telephone.

85 Other objects and advantages will be apparent An upstanding housing or frame, shown as of from the following description, wherein reference enclosed box-like construction, is afilxed to the ismade to the accompanying drawing illustrating supporting base or tray portion 20 of the accespreferred embodiments of my invention, and sory which underlies the telephone, and the side wherein similar reference numerals designate walls thereof may be formed integrally with its 4 similar parts throughout the several views. front face 23 by offsetting the walls rearwardly Inthe drawing: in the stepped fashion shown, which also pro- Figure l is a front elevational view of a televides for a pleasing modernistic ornamental apphone instrument, showing one form of my inpearance. The entire housing is preferably invention incorporated therewith; clined rearwardly somewhat, as best shown in Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the as- Figure 2. The base plate 20 may also be suffisembly, partly broken open to show interior ciently heavy to stabilize the device and hold it parts; erect, even when the telephone instrument is Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substannot in place. The front wall of the housing may tially on the line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in be of the ornamental outline best shown in Figthe direction of the arrows; J ure 1, and may carry at about the midpoint Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a porthereof a timepiece, shown as an electric clock tion of the switch and switch actuating mecha- 21, over which is arranged an electric light, the nism; bulb 29 of which projects from the front 'wall Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a teleand is partly covered by a hood-like shade 30. 5 phone instrument of a different type, showing The light socket 32 is arranged within the housing. The lower portion of the front wall, although generally conforming to the configuration of the telephone instrument, has forwardly projecting portions II adapted to fit beneath the hooks l8, and of substantially the same width, and is preferably cut away to provide hand clearance, as at 2|, immediately behind the space between the brackets I6, so that despite the closeness of the accessory to this portion of the telephone instrument, the central or handle portion l5 may be convenienly grasped by the user without any inconvenience by reason of the presence of the attachment.

It is desirable that the light be arranged to be turned on and oil. by removal of the telephone instrument from and replacement thereof upon the standard. Telephone companies, which own most of the telephones in use, however, frequently refuse to permit the attachment of accessory devices to their instruments. I have therefore so arranged my improved switch and switch actuating means that although operable in response to lifting and replacement of the telephone instrument, no parts are actually attached to any portion of the telephone. The switch comprises a-pair of contacts 35 connected in series with the light and arranged inside and near the bottom of the housing. The contacts are supported and normally insulated from each other by the block 60, which in turn is carried by the bracket 8! secured at its ends to the housing walls. The switch contacts II are connectible, to illuminate the bulb, by a contact arm 31 carried by a switch lever 38 rockably supported on a pivot pin 82 and projecting from the front of the housing through a suitably arranged slot (undesignated) The lever is provided with an enlarged and flattened actuating portion II which lies directly above the tray portion 20, and is so proportioned and positioned relatively to the path of movement of the switch lever that when the exposed end of the switch lever is down, and the contact arm accordingly lifted from the contacts, so that the switch is in off position, the actuating portion It lies flat against the tray. A spring 22 arranged within the housing in the manner shown in Figure 2 urges the switch lever toward the on position with more than enough force to counterbalance the weight of the telephone standard l0 alone, but lnsufllcient force to counterbalance the combined weight of both the standard and telephone instrument. As a result, when the instrument is lifted from the standard, the spring throws the switch to on position, the portion I 8 of course then slightly lifting the standard from the tray, and the bulb 29 is lighted. When the instrument is replaced upon the standard, the additional weight overcomes the tension of the spring and moves the actuating portion is of the switch lever downwardly to throw the switch to of! position and extinguish the bulb. A nut 3| threaded upon the spring retaining screw 33 serves as an adjustable abutment for one end of the spring, to permit adjusting its counterbalancing effect. In series with the automatic switch 35 may also be a hand switch 40 carried by a side wall 23 of the housing, and having suitable operating means, as the toggle lever 4|, conveniently projecting from the side thereof, permitting cutting off the illuminating means when not needed.

Current for the clock and light may be supplied through a flexible cable, as 42, which enters th:uhzousing through a grommet 43 in the rear w Inmgures5and6asomewhatmodinedembodiment is shown, in which the supporting frame of the accessory comprises a flat front panel "a, which also may be of ornamental configuration. carrying rearwardly projecting angular bracket and shielding side wall portions 40 the ends of which are flanged as at 40' and adapted to be secured, as by the screws II, to thewall directly above the telephone cabinet, generally designated 52. The call bells N of the telephone, if carried in exposed position on top of the cabinet as shown, may be partially enclosed and concealed by the accessory.

The panel "a also carries an electric clock 21a, and an electric light 20a immediately there- 15 above and arranged to illuminate both the clock and the dial Ila of the telephone. The light socket 32a may be carried by a suitable bracket "a aiiixed to the rear of the panel Ila and carrying at one end a hand switch, the operating 20 lever a of which projects conveniently from an edge of the panel through one of the side walls 46.

The telephone instrument is shown provided with a receiver Ha of conventional construction, 5 carried by a hook Ila, which also serves as a switch-actuating lever and is movable vertically upon removal of the receiver from and replacement thereof upon the hook. The supporting panel 25a of this accessory is provided with a 30 downwardly extending portion 56 adapted to iit against the side of the cabinet 52 and carrying at its lower extremity a switch "a operable by a switch lever in the form of a yoke 36a. The end of the yoke engages the receiver hook Ila, g5 and the switch, which is in series with the light 29a, is so arranged that when the receiver is lifted and the hook accordingly moves upward, the light is turned on by the switch 35a, and vice versa, provided, of course, the hand switch a be in 40 closed position.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be un- 45 derstood that the invention is suceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A telephone accessory device including a so base portion forming a tray adapted to support a telephone instrument, a standard carried by the base and projecting upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, said standard having a lower portion projecting upwardly substantially vertically and 65 adapted to lie close to a telephone instrument carried by the base, and having a cut-out portion appurtenant the hand portion of the telephone to facilitate convenient handling and use thereof, electric illuminating means for the telephone 00 instrument carried by the standard above said instrument, and means responsive to movement of a portion of the telephone instrument for controlling energization of said illuminating means.

2. A telephone accessory device comprising a II standard including a base portion forming a tray adapted to support a telephone instrument, an upright portion carried by the rear of the base including a substantially vertical section projecting upwardly therefrom in a manner adapted to 70 lie close to a telephone instrument carried thereby, said vertical section having an inset hand portion of increased clearance with respect to such telephone instrument to facilitate manipulation thereof, a rearwardlv inclined u ward continua- I6 p I I 2,020,010 tion of the vertical section having a 1m portion arranged above the normal height 0! such tele phone instrument for convenient visibility thereover, illuminating means carried by the stand- 5 ard, and automatic switching means for 'the illuminating means responsive to movement portion of the telephone instrument.

3. A telephone accessory device including abase portion forming a tray adapted to support a telephone instrument, a standard carried by the rear of the base and including a portion projecting upwardly substantially vertically therefrom and in a manner adapted to lie close to a t'elephone'instrument carried thereby, said vero'ia tical portion having an inset hand portion of increased clearance with respect to the telephone instrument to facilitate manipulation thereof, a rearwardly inclined upward continuation of the vertical portion of the standard having a race portion. arranged above the normal height or such telephone instrument for convenient visibility thereover, and means for illuminating said face portion including an electric light carried. by the accessory and switching means ve to m movement 01' a portion of the telephone instrument for controlling operation of the light.

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