US989795A - Sanitary telephone-mouthpiece. - Google Patents

Description

J. B. OHARA. SANITARY TELEPHONE MOUTH PIECE. 1910.

Y Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

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JOHN B. OHABA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SANITARY TELEPHONE-MOUTHPIEGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed April 2, 1910. Serial No. 553,038.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. OHARA, citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Telephone-Mouthpieces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mouthpieces for telephone transmitters and has for its object to provide a mouthpiece, the construction of which is such as efiectu-ally to prevent the entrance of dust or germs to the interior thereof and thus render the mouthpiece thoroughly sanitary.

A further object is to provide a mouthpiece having a cap or closure pivotally mounted thereon and adapted to contain a disinfectant.

A further object is to provide means for supporting the cap in open position when using the transmitter, and means for preventing accidental displacement of said cap when in closed position.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telephone provided with a sanitary mouthpiece constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the mouthpiece detached, showing the cap in open position; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view, showing the cap in closed position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The disinfectant appliance forming the subject matter of the present invention is principally designed for use in connection with telephones and by way of illustration is shown applied to an ordinary desk telespring clip 24: adapted phone in which 5 designates the supporting base, 6 the standard, and 7 the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece 7 may be formed of guttapercha, metal or other suitable material and is preferably provided at its outer or flared end with a laterally extending flange 9 hav ing a flat bearing surface 10 to which is secured a supporting bracket 11. One end of the supporting bracket 11 is provided with a laterally extending lug 12 having a perforation formed therein for the reception of a screw or similar fastening device 13, which latter engages the flange 9 and serves to support the bracket in position thereon.

Pivotally mounted at 14 on the outer end of the bracket, is a cap 15 which forms a closure for the mouthpiece and is provided with a chamber 16 adapted to retain a disinfectant. Disposed within the cap 15 is a perforated cup 17 which fits within the chamber 16 and serves to prevent accidental displacement of the disinfectant.

Interposed between the side walls 18 of the cup and the interior walls of the cap 15, is a gasket 19, preferably formed of rubber or other yieldable material and having one end thereof provided with a laterally extending flange 20 which bears against the adjacent end of the cap 15 and the flat bearing surface 10 of the reinforcing flange 9 so as to form a tight joint between the cap and flange 9 and thus effectually prevent the entrance of dust or germs to the interior of the mouthpiece.

The cup 17 is retained within the cap by means of a bolt or similar fastening device 21, which latter pierces the concavo-convex face of the cap and is provided with a head 22. Interposed between the head 22 and the convex face of the cap 15, is a hook 28 which forms a finger piece by means of which the cap may be moved to open position when it is desired to use the transmitter.

Fastened to one side of the flange 9 is a to frictionally engage the exterior wall of the cap 15 for holding said cap in closed position. Attention is here called to the fact that the flange 9 forms a support or rest for the cap 15 when in open position, while the clip 2 serves to prevent accidental displacement of the cap when in closed position. It will also be noted that the bolt 21 serves the dual function of holding the cup 17 within the cap 15 and as a fastening device for the finger piece 23.

lVhen it is desired to use the telephone, the operator grasps the finger piece 23 and tilts the cap 15 on its pivotal axis 1d until the convex face of the cap rests on the flange 9, and in which position the mouthpiece may be used in the ordinary manner. When the telephone is not in use, the cap 15 is swung downwardly in engagement with the bearing face 10 of the flange and in which position it will be held by the spring clip 24.

It will here be noted that the flange 20 of the gasket 19 not only serves to prevent the entrance of dust and germs to the interior of the mouthpiece, but also forms in effect a cushion for the mouthpiece so as to prevent injury to bot-h the mouthpiece and cap when the latter is closed.

' While the device is shown in connection with the mouthpiece of a transmitter, it will of course be understood that the same may be used with equally good results on the mouthpieces of speaking tubes, trumpets or wherever a device of this character is found practicable or desirable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a mouth piece, a cap for the mouth piece, a cup disposed within the cap and designed to receive a disinfectant, and a gasket interposed between the cup and the interior of the cap, one edge of the gasket also serving to engage the mouth piece when the cap is applied thereto. 2. The combination with a mouth piece, a cap adapted to be applied to the mouth piece and formed with a chamber, an inverted cup arranged within the chamber of the cap and adapted to contain a disinfectant, a fastening member extending through the bottom of the cup and the cap, and a finger piece applied to the exterior of the cap and held in position by the fastening member.

3. The combination of a mouth piece, a bracket projecting from one side of the mouth piece, a cap hinged upon the bracket and adapted to be swung over the mouth piece, an inverted cup arranged within the cap and adapted to receive a disinfectant, a finger piece upon the exterior of the cap, a fastening member extending through the bottom of the cup and the cap and also engaging the finger piece so as to hold both the finger piece and cup in position, and a spring arm applied to the opposite side of the mouth piece from the bracket for holding the cap over the mouth piece when the latter is not in use.

-l. The combination of a mouth piece, a cap formed with an interior chamber and adapted to be applied to the mouth piece, a disinfectant receiving member arranged within the interior chamber of the cap, and a yieldable gasket interposed between the said disinfectant receiving member and the cap, one edge of the gasket being designed to engage the mouth piece when the cap is in position thereon.

5. The combination with a mouthpiece having a flange provided with a flat bearing surface, of a cap mounted on the mouthpiece and adapted to contain a disinfectant, a perforated cup disposed within the cap, a yieldable gasket interposed between the cup and interior wall of the cap and provided with a laterally extending flange projecting across the edge of the cap for contact with the flat bearing surface of the flange of the mouthpiece, and means for retaining the cap in position on said mouthpiece.

6. The combination with a mouthpiece having a flange provided with a flat bearing surface, of a bracket secured to the flange, a concavo-convex cap pivotally mounted on the bracket and adapted to contain a disinfectant, a perforated cup disposed within the cap, a yieldable gasket interposed between the cup and interior wall of the cap and having a flange adapted to engage the flat bearing surface of the flange of the mouthpiece, a fastening device extending through the cup and cap, respectively, and provided with a head, a finger piece interposed between the head of the fastening device and the concavo-convex face of the cap, and a clip secured to the flange of the mouthpiece and adapted to engage the cap for holding the latter in closed position, the flange of the mouthpiece forming a support for the cap when in open position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa ture in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. OI-IARA. [L.S.]

Vitnesses WM. F. BOYD, CLARA K. BOYD,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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