US2528661A - Dialing tool - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7,- 1950 A. P. LYNN Erm.

DIALING 'rooL Filed Sept. 3, 1947 7% w iz@ Z f Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE DIALING TOOL Anthony P. Lynn, Elmhurst, and Gary A. Lynn, River Grove, Ill.

Application September 3, 1947, Serial No. 771,886

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in dialing tools of the type adapted for use in actuating the rotatable dials provided on automatic telephone instruments. Automatic telephones now in common use are provided with a fixed inner plate bearing numbers and letters, and also with an outer plate adapted to rotate relative to the inner plate, the outer plate being formed with a plurality of finger receiving apertures normally disposed in alignment with their respective numbers and letters provided on the inner plate. In dialing hundreds of numbers per day, it will be appreciated that an operators nger will become sore or injured and, as a result thereof the operators usually resort to the unauthorized use of pencils, rods, and the like for insertion in the linger apertures, thereby often causing injury to the dialing equipment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dialing tool adapted to facilitate the manipulation of telephone dials, and which will not cause injury to the dialing equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dialing tool embodying a spherical-shaped knob journaled for rotational movement upon the end of an adapter, the adapter being formed with improved means for detachable engagement upon the end of a lead pencil, rod, or the like.

This invention further contemplates the provision of improved means for assembling the spherical knob for rotatable movement upon the end of the adapter, said securing means being confined within the spherical knob to provide a smooth even exterior surface on the knob.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a dialing tool embodying an adapter which is slotted longitudinally to provide a plurality of resilient fingers to receive the end of a lead pencil, or the like, and a locking sleeve for telescopic movement over the resilient lingers to hold the latter in tight frictional engagement against tlie engaged portion of the lead pencil.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a dialing tool which is relatively simple and ineipensive in construction, reliable in operation, and which will not readily get out of order. l f

This invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View illustrating a dialing tool embodying features of this invention. Y 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modified form of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating another modified form of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan View illustrating a telephone dialing device embodying an outer rotatable dial provided with apertures to receive the spherical knob of the dialing tool.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the manner of applying the dialing tool in a finger opening of a telephone dial.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of this invention, and more particularly to Figs. l and 2 therein, the dialing tool is shown as comprising a spherical-shaped knob 1 formed with a cylindrical bore 8 to receive a cylindrical bearing portion 9 of an adapter I0. The outer end of the adapter Ill is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve II formed with longitudinally extending slots I2 to define a plurality of resilient ngers I3 'to receive and snugly engage the end of a pencil I4 illustrated in dotted outline. The adapter I0 is provided with a wall IB at the in ner end of the bearing portion 9, the wall being formed with a centrally disposed aperture Il to receive the threaded end of the screw I 8. To insure free rotational movement of the knob 'I about the adapter II), the bearing'portion 9 is provided with an annular bearing surface 2| to coact with the adjacent surface of the cylindrical bore 8.

The dialing tool is adapted for detachable engagement upon the eraser end of a standard lead pencil I4, the pencil being of the type in which an eraser 22 is securely mounted upon the end of the pencil by means of a metallic retaining band 23. It will be noted that the inner diameter of the bearing portion 9 corresponds to the diameter of the eraser 22; and that the inner diameter of the cylindrical sleeve portion II corresponds to the outer diameter of the metallicl band 23, thus insuring a compact unit of sturdy construction.

After the metal band 23 ofa pencil has bee inserted into the sleeve portion I I ofthe adapter, a retaining sleeve 24 is moved axially into position to snugly enclose the resilient fingers I3 andA to move the latter into tighter frictional engagement with the metal band 23. When the adapter is thus assembled upon the end of a pencil, it is secured against movement relative thereto, but may readily be removed for attachment to another pencil. During inward movement of the locking sleeve 24, it is brought to rest against an Lil an outer dial 21 formed with a plurality of iinger receiving apertures 28. The outer dial 2.1 is

,journaled for rotational movement relative to an inner dial 29 bearing numbers and/or letters 3i.

In dialing a number, the outer dial 21 is rotated in a clockwise direction until an operators nger or a dialing tool is brought into Contact with a fixed abutment arm 32. As illustrated in Fig. 6,

the dialing tool knob 1 is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter .of the linger receiving apertures 26 provided in the outer `dial 21.. During rotational movement of the outer dial 21, it will be noted that the dialing tool knob l is free to rotate about the bearing Vend 9 of the adapter I0, thus preventing wear or injury to the walls defining the finger receiving apertures 28.

Fig. 3 in the drawing illustrates a modified form of this invention .in which a spherical-shaped knob 36 is provided with an enlarged diameter bore 31 to receive a bearing portion 38 of an adapter 3S. At the -inner end `of the bore 1 is provided a coaxially dis-posed bearing ring bore 4| to receive a bearing ring 42. A self-threading rivet 43 extends through vthe bearing ring 42 for self-threading engagement in a drill Yhole t provided in the end of the bearing portion 38. In assembling the dialing tool, the bearing ring 42 is first assembled in position upon the bearingportion k38 of the adapter 39 `by means of the selfthreading screw 43. By providing a forced lt for the bearing ring i2 in the bore 4l, the knob 3.6 is assembled upon the adapter 39 by merely forcing the bearing ring into thebore 4'! 'This form of the invention is otherwise similar tothe ferm heretofore described and illustrated in Figsl and 2 of the drawing. f I

Fig. 4 illustrates another modified form of this invention in which an adapter il@ is provided with a bearing portion 41 having a bearing shank 48 for rotatable engagement in the bearing ring 42 of the spherical-shaped -knob 35 which is similar to the knob heretoforedescribedand illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In .assembling this modified form of dialing tool, the bearing ring-A2 is l first mounted upon the bea-ring shankll and the end of the bearing shank l4i! is peened over to provide an annular shoulder Mito prevent axial displacement of the bearing ring. In assembling the -knob 36 upon Ythe adapter 45, the bearing ring 42 is forced into the reduced diameter bore 4l This form of the invention is otherwise similar to the form heretofore described in connection with Fig. 3 of the drawing, except that the-adapteris not formedwith longitudinally extending 4 shaped knob is provided with a smooth outer surface, free of indentations or rivet heads, and that the knob is adapted to be simply and inexpensively assembled upon the end of the adapter by telescopic movement of the parts. It is also contemplated that the ends of the rivets or screws I8 and 43 may be provided with knurled surfaces in place of screw threads. Y

vWhile this invention has .been shown in several forms, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

We claim as our invention:

"1. In a dialing tool, a substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a wall at its inner end and adapted to embrace the outer surface of a handle, a knob provided with an enlarged cylindrical bore and a coaxial reduced diameter bore opening into said enlarged bore and terminating short of the outer surface of said knob, the inner end of said adapter being disposed within the enlarged bore of said knob and embraced by said knob, and means secured in said reduced bore to engage the inner wall of said adapter and prevent axial displacement from its position within saidenlarged bore.

2; In a dialing tool, a substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a Awall at its inner end and adapted to embrace the outer surface of a handle, a knob provided Awith an enlarged cylindrical bore and a coaxial reduced diameter bore opening into said enlarged bore land terminating short ofthe outer surface Vof ysaid knob,lwhereby said knob surface opposite said enlarged cylindrical bore is continuous, the inner end of said adaptenbeing disposed within the enlarged bore of said knob and embraced by said knob, and means secured in said reduced bore to engage the inner wall of said adapter and prevent axial displacement from its position within said enlarged bore. f

3. In a dialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter 5' formed with a wall at its inner end, said adapter being formed with a journal surface spaced from the inner end thereof,y a spherical-shaped knob havinga bore extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the inner end of said adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring secured within the inner end of. .the bore provided in saidv knob, and means provided on the inner end of said adapter toxengage `said bearing ring to hold the knob kand adapter in assembled relatively rotatable engagement.

4. In avdialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a wallat its innerl end, said adapter being formed with a journal surface Aspaced from the inner end thereof, a `spherical-shapedknob having arborev extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive-the innerend of Ysaidl adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring secured within the inner. end; of` the bore provided in said knob, means providedpn the inner end of said adapter toengage. said-bearing ring to hold the knob andadapter irri-as,- sembled relatively rotatable engagement, said means comprising a :self-threading:- screw secured tothe inner end of theadapter. 1 p

. 5. In a dialingftool, 4a sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a wallat its inner end, said-adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring secured within the inner end of the bore provided in said knob, means provided on the inner end of said adapter to engage said bearing ring to hold the knob and adapter in assembled relatively rotatable engagement, said means comprising an upsetshoulder formed on the inner end of the adapter for engagement against the inner side oi' said bearing ring.

6. In a dialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter .E

formed with a wall at its inner end, said adapter being formed with a journal surface spaced from the inner end thereof, a spherical-shaped knob having a bore extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the inner end of said adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring secured within the inner end of the bore provided in said knob, means provided on the inner end of said adapter to engage said bearing and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring secured Within the inner end of the bore provided in said knob, means provided on the inner end of said adapter to engage said bearing ring to hold the knob and adapter in assembled relatively rotatable engagement, said means comprising a self-threading screw, the outer end of said adapter being slotted longitudinally to provide resilient fingers to receive and grip the end of a lead pencil, and a locking sleeve to snugly enclose said resilient fingers to force said ngers into tight frictional engagement with a lead pencil.

ANTHONY P. LYNN.

GARY A. LYNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the `iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,591,998 Popper July 13, 1926 1,694,429 Peak Dec. 11, 1923 2,247,027 Kuhn June 24, 1941 2,285,286 Kirkman June 2, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,839 Great Britain May 1, 1935

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