US3013128A - Auxiliary cradle for telephones - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1961 H. D. LocKARD AUXILIARY CRADLE FOR TELEPHONES Filed April 25, 1960 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY HAROLD 3,613,128 AUXILIARY CRADLE FR TELEPHONES Harold D. Lockard, Downey, Calif., assigner to Lockard Tool & Engineering Co., Lynwood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,358 4 Claims. (Ci. 179-146) This invention relates to an auxiliary cradle for telephones of the table or desk model.

The present invention has for an object to provide a novel rest for a telephone handpiece to provide means for cradling or supporting such handpiece in a convenient manner during an open circuit condition of the telephone so that the user may hold a cali while attending to other duties. The support obviates make-shift handling of the instrument such as may cause damage thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to that is held gravitationally in operative position without the need for securing means. Thus, the present cradle s installed and removed with easy facility.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

PIG. 1 is a top plan view of an auxiliary cradle according to the present invention and shown in operative position on a desk type of telephone.

FIG. 2 is an end-view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view as seen from beneath.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of the cradle construction.

A conventional desk type of telephone is shown in the drawing in dot-dash lines. The same ordinarily has a base 5, provided with a cradle 6 from which protrude circuit-breaking buttons 7 that are depressed by a handpiece or instrument 8 when the same is in the cradle 6. The cradle 6 is defined by a forward set of posts 9 and a rearward set of posts 10, the hand-piece having a handgripping portion 11 that is retained against displacement by said posts 9 and 10. The present auxiliary cradle 12 is mounted on the base 5, has hooking engagement with the rear posts and rests upon the rearwardly sloping face 13 of the base, as can best be seen in FIG. 2.

The cradle 12 is advantageously formed of molded plastic, the particular type of plastic used being immaterial provided the same is hard, rigid and resistant to fracture. In fact, the type of plastic used for modern day telephones will serve quite well for the present cradle.

The cradle that is illustrated integrally comprises a bottom 14 of a length substantially the same as the length 3,013,123 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 of cradle 6 of the base 5 and of a commensurate width, two rear, upwardly directed fingers 15 that are on a rearward slope and extend from the rear edge 16 of the bottom 14 from both ends thereof, two forwardly and upwardly sloped arms 17 extending from the front edge 18 of the bottom from both ends thereof, and a bottomopen hook or socket 19 on the upper end of each arm and adapted to have hooking engagement with the rear posts 10 of the telephone base 5. In the present case, each socket is defined by a top wall 20, a front hook wall 21, and a side wall 22 that connects with the walls 20 and 21 and with the upper end of the arm 17. The side walls 22 are provided at the opposite ends of the cradle and the same cooperate to present lateral displacement of the cradle relative to the posts 10 by engaging the sides of said posts. Said side walls 22 also impart strength to the hooks 19 by resisting fiexure of the walls 21 which may fracture under such fiexure unless resisted as by the walls 22.

Additional strength is imparted to the hooks 19 by providing a metal insert 23 that extends with the upper end of each arm 17, within the top walls 20 of each hook, and within the front hook walls 21. Such embedded hook inserts may also extend within the side walls 22, as indicated. Thus, the entire weight of the cradle and a telephone hand-piece 8 resting therein, is supported from the post 10 in a firm and non-flexible manner because of the rigidity of the hooks 19.

It will be clear that the spaces between the ears 15 and between the arms 17 afford room for the Afingers of the hand when resting a hand-piece on the cradle and when removing a hand-piece therefrom. Also, the space between the arms 17 allows the fingers to grasp the handgripping portion 11 of the hand-piece when the latter is being placed on or removed from the cradle 6.

The support that the bottom 14 has along the portion adjacent edge 18 with the sloping face 13 of the base 5 provides a definite position for the cradle which therefore has desired stability on the base 5 although not secured thereto by pins, screws, etc.

While I have illustrated and described what I now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An auxiliary cradle for the handpiece of a telephone having a base that is provided with transversely spaced posts that define the rear of the normal circuit-closing cradle of said telephone, said auxiliary cradle comprising a support member provided with two transversely spaced hooks adapted to engage over the mentioned posts on the telephone base to hang from said posts in hand-piecesupporting position, and a transversed bottom extending from said hooks in a rearward direction, said bottom being provided with hand-piece-retaining ears that are arranged along the rearward edge-of the bottom.

2. An auxiliary cradle according to claim 1 in which each hook is provided with a side wall to be disposed at the outer sides of ythe posts and to cooperate to prevent 4. An auxiliary cradle according to claim 3 in which endwise displacement of the cradle relative to the posts. said walls, ears, arms and hooks are molded of rigid plas- 3. An auxiliary cradle for a telephone hand-piece intic material, and a metal reinforcement embedded in the tegrally comprising a bottom wall, transversely spaced hooks and the outer side walls thereof. upturned ears at one edge of said wall, similarly spaced 5 l upstanding arms at the opposite edge of said wall, and References Clted 1n the file 0f thlS patent a hook on the end of each arm for hooking engagement UNITED STATES PATENTS over the rear cradle posts of a telephone base, each hook being provided with an outer side wall and the latter 1849277 Casb'mo etal Mar' 135 walls cooperating to locate the cradle against lateral dis- 10 1955 placement relative to the posts of the base.

Images