US642408A - Sanitary attachment for telephonic appliances. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 30, I900. A. J. WOLFF.

SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONIC APPLIANCES.

(Application filed June 7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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INVENTOR.

WITNESSES U ITED STATES PATENT GFFIQE.

ARTHUR J. WOLFF, OF HARTFORD, OONNEOTIGU'II' SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONIC APPLIANCES SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,408, dated January 3t), 1906.

Application filed June 7,1899. Serial NB. 719.701. (No 1110.181.)

To aZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. WOLFE, a

- citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of the city and county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Attachments for Telephonic Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sanitary attachments for telephonic and other similar appliances, and more particularly to detachable mouthpieces for telephone-transmitters and analogous devices.

It is a well-known fact that certain forms of disease, and especially contagious and infectious diseases, are due to the introduction into the human body of certain micro-organisms, as bacteria, and by their subsequent multiplication and product and that the inhalation of an infectious or germ-impregnated atmosphere is one of the prime causes of disease.

By analytical experiments I have found that the ordinary mouthpieces of telephonetransmitters, and especially those subject to public usage, form excellent repositories for many specific forms of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, and occasionally parasites of the lower order, and on this account must necessarily in use be dangerous to health,for the reason that the germ-impregnated or infectious and somewhat-confined atmosphere within the mouthpiece would be inhaled by the use of the transmitter perhaps with results injurious to health; and it is the one particular object of this invention to furnish, in connection withthe speech-transmitter, an improved mouthpiece constructed strictly on hygienic principles for temporary use and one that may, after being once used, be quickly removed, destroyed, or thrown away and replaced by a new or clean one at nominal cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in connection with a telephone-transmitter or analogous device, a sanitary attachment embodying a holder and a flexible, conical, or cup-like mouthpiece, of paper or analogous material, open at both ends and which is so constructed and applied to said holder that an air-space of considerable magnitude is formed between the exit end of said mouthpiece and the adjacent surrounding portion of said holder, and which mouthpiece may also be readily removed and replaced.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of a telephone-transmitter, showing in section one form of sanitary mouthpiece and holder embodying this invention applied thereto. Fig.

2 is a similar view of another form of sanitary attachment-i. e, a holder embodying this invention applied to a transmitter. Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form of sanitary attachment embodying this invention, showing the same applied to an ordinary transmittermouthpiece; and Fig. 4 is a side view of the sanitary mouthpiece illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the same detached from the transmitter-mouthpiece and having advertisingmatter thereon.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the drawings I have for convenience shown several modified forms of sanitary attachments for telephonic transmitters, each of which embodies some feature of this invention.

Generically considered, the sanitary attachment constituting the subject-matter of this invention comprehends a holder (designated in a general way by H) adapted to be applied to or constituting a part of a telephone-transmitter or other analogous appliance and a sanitary mouthpiece or cover, (designated in a general way by M,) constructed of paper or other similar inexpensive expansile mate rial, so constructed and applied to said holder that an air-space will be formed between the inner end of said mouthpiece and the adja- 0 cent surrounding portion of said holder, for a purpose hereinafter described. For convenience this cover or part M will be hereinafter referred to as a mouthpiece, but it will be obvious that the same may constitute an earpiece for a telephone receiver. In the construction and organization thereof illustrated in Fig. l the holder H is shown as a nipple externally screw-threaded at its inner end and fitting the opening in a tele- I00 phonic transmitter-box R and having the periphery of its outer end tapered inwardly to correspond to the inclination of and receive the inner end of the conical mouthpiece M. The mouthpiece, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is shown comprising a conical external tube 25, constructed, preferably, of two layers 2 and 3, of paper or other inexpensive material, with an antiseptic absorbent 5 interposed between said layers 2 and 3, and an internal tube 25 of preferably conical construction disposed Within the outer tube t and constituting a soundconcentrator and germ-interrupter, the inner end of said tube t being of relatively small diameter as compared with the diameter of the inner end of the outer tube 15 and the outer end of said tube 25 being fixed to or merging into the tube t intermediate its ends, as shown in said Fig. 1.

In practice where a mouthpiece such as shown in Fig. 1 is used the absorbent layer 5, intermediate the two layers 2 and 3 of the outer tube, will be saturated with a suitable antiseptic solution, and to permit the antiseptic air to pass to the interior of the tube 6 and tube 25 the tube t will be perforated, as shown at 6.

The sanitary attachment illustrated in Fig. 2 is similar in a general way to that illustrated in Fig. 1, the only difference being in the omission of the antiseptic absorbent and the outer layer 2 of the tube 25, this constituting a preferred and simplified form of aseptic attachment. The holder for the aseptic mouthpiece shown in Fig. 2 is slightly different in construction from that shown in Fig. 1, this holder I-I being shown as an externally-flanged conical tube or ring secured in place on the telephone-transmitter by screws.

It will be obvious that this invention is not limited to the specific form of holders or mouthpieces illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, as various modifications may be made therein within the purview of this invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the sanitary mouthpiece is shown as a conical tube flared somewhat at its outer end and adapted to fit within the holder, the holder for this form of mouth-,

piece being shown in Fig. 3 as the ordinary telephone-transmitter mouthpiece.

The inner or exit end of the mouthpiece will, as shown in the drawings, be sufficiently reduced in diameter, as compared with the internal diameter of the adjacent surrounding portion of the holder, as to provide, when the mouthpiece is applied to said holder, an air-space of considerable magnitude between this end of said mouthpiece and surrounding portion of said holder.

On account of the cheapness in the cost of manufacture of these mouthpieces the same may be consistently used as an advertising medium, and to this end the mouthpiece is shown in Fig. at as having advertising matter (designated by 7) on its outer face, this adver tising matter being for convenience shown in Fig. 4: as the arbitrarily-selected words The John Doe Paper Tube (10.5 but it will be obvious that any desired advertising matter may be printed, stamped, or impressed on or in said mouthpiece.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the central opening 8 of the mouthpiece M is shown in axial alinement with the center of the opening in the transmitter, which is necessary for obvious reasons.

In practice the mouthpieces embodying this invention will be packed in nested condition in convenient relation to the telephone appliances with which the same are to be used, so that the user of the phone may withdraw one of said mouthpieces from the nest, apply it to the telephone-transmitter, as the case may be, use the appliance, and'subsequently remove the used mouthpiece and destroy the same, so that each user of the telephone will in turn use a new mouthpiece, especially where the form of aseptic mouthpiece illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4., inclusive, are employed. \Vhere the antiseptic mouthpiece shown in Fig. 1 is used, the same need not be removed as often as those illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4:.

To facilitate the application of the tube or mouthpiece M to the holder when the form of holder shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are used, said tube will be split or longitudinally divided at its inner end, as shown at 9 in dotted lines, to permit this end to expand sufficiently to be forced over the enlarged end of said holder,

said divided portions of the tube springing back, owing to their natural reactionary qualities, into tight engagement with the periphery of said holder.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the inner tube or cone t has its inner end of considerably less diameter than the inner end of the outer tube or cone, so as to form an airspace around the inner cone between it and the outer cone, whereby any germs which may be trajected through the inner cone will,when they strike the diaphragm plate 01 of the transmitter, be thrown backward into the space between the inner and outer tubes and adhere to the outer and inner faces of the inner and outer tubes, respectively.

I claim- 1. A sanitary attachment for telephonic and similar appliances consisting of a holder; and a conical mouthpiece of paper open at both ends and so constructed and applied to the holder as to provide an air-space between the periphery of the inner end of said mouthpiece and the adjacent surrounding portion of said holder.

2. An attachment of the character specified comprising a holder; and a paper mouthpiece open at opposite ends and constructed to frictionally engage said holder and having the inner or exit end thereof of materially less eizternal diameter than the adjacent internal so constructed and disposed as to form an air I diameter of said holder, as and for the purspace between said inner and outer tubes. 10

pose described. Signed by me at Hartford, Connecticut, this 3. A11 attachment of the character specified 5th day of June, A. D. 1899. 5 comprising a holder; and a flexible tube of ARTHUR J. WOLFE.

paper or analogous material secured to said \Vitnesses: holder and having secured upon the interior HARRY I-I. OLOOTT,

thereof, intermediate its ends, a conical tube E. O. WHITNEY.

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