US990972A - Telephone-call distinguisher. - Google Patents

Description

I K. W. GALE. TELEPHONE CALL DISTINGUISBER. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 16, 1909.

Patented May 2,1911.

WWW

rue NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

KNIGHT W. GALE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TELEPHONE-CALL DISTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 16, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Serial No. 478,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KNIGHT \V. GALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Telephone-Call Distinguisher, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a desk telephone with means that will give indication whenever a call is made over the telephone, and which will automatically return to the normal or non-indicating position when the call is answered, and will so remain after the telephone returns to normal position until another call is made.

The invention is applicable to various kinds of telephones, and to wall phones as well as desk phones, and is especially adapted to avoid confusion where two telephones are arranged side by side and the bell-signal may not enable one to readily determine over which telephone the call has come.

A novel feature of this invention by which the same is adapted for application to desk phones consists in providing a phone with an electro-magnet connected in series with the ringing circuit and independently of the bell mechanism. By this means and other features of construction, a signal is operated at the phone independently of the mechanical operation of the hammer of the bell and without relation to the location of the bell ringing apparatus.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective View of a telephone call distinguisher constructed in accordance with the invention and applied to a wall-telephone. Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan of the device as applied to a desk telephone, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. 3 is a fragmental front elevation, the mouth-piece being omitted and its post broken away for clearness of illustration. Solid lines show the parts in position when a call has just been received, and dotted lines indicate their normal position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation viewed from line indicated by w, Figs. 2 and 3, looking to the right. Parts are shown in the normal position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental plan in section on line indicated by m, Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the support 1 comprises a horizontal base 2 terminating in arms 3 and 4 which are screw-threaded to receive nuts 5 that hold a cap 6 in place on said arms to clamp the support 1 to the vertical standard 7 of a desk-telephone. Integral with the support 1 are horizontal and vertical arms 8 and 9, the horizontal arm 8 forming a support for an electro-magnet 10, and the vertical arm 9 providing a mount for an armature 11, and index-plate 12, and an indicator-disk 13. The index-plate 12 is securely fastened to said arm 9 by rivets or otherwise, and is slotted to accommodate lugs 14 of the armature 11 which are hinged to ears 15, 16 of the plate 12 by a pivot 17. The indicator-disk 13 is pivoted to the upright arm 9 by means of a screw 18 seated in the arm 9 and plate 12 and at a little distance aside from a vertical line drawn from the center of gravity of the disk; the disk being provided on the other side of said line with a weight 19, so that the disk will drop edge sidewise when released by a latch 20 that is seated in and carried by the armature 11 and extends up and forward through a slot 21 in the index plate 12 to engage a nib 22 formed by bending aslant rearwardly one margin of a slot 23 in the indicator-disk so that the catch will slide over the finger 20 and spring in behind it as the disk returns to normal or upright position where the latch holds the disk.

24 designates a coil spring to lift the armature to cause the latch to engage the nib 22 whenever the electro-magnet is deenergized. A finger 25 is adjustably secured in a boss 26 of an arm 26 by a set-screw 27 and extending upwardly through a slot 25 in the horizontal base 2. The arm 26 may be adjustably attached to any telephone receiver'hook 28 by means of a clamp comprising a head 29 integral with said arm 26, and a block 30 between which the hook 28 is interposed and made secure by a screw 31. A lip 32 on the head 29 also guards against any dislocation after the clamp is in place.

The electro-magnet 10 is connected in series. The electric circuit 33 for ringing the bells 34 is provided with a branch circuit 33 which passes through the electro-magnet 10, whereupon the armature is attracted thereto and the finger 20 withdrawn from the nib 22 of the indicator-disk 13, thus allowing the latter to drop as shown in Fig. 3 under the action of the weight 19.

35 designates a stop mounted upon the arm 9, its purpose being to engage the indicatordisk 13 and hold it in the indicating or dropped position until automatically returned to its normal or upright position. To accomplish this a pin 36 is provided at the lower extremity of the disk and below the pivot or screw 18 which, when the disk drops, engages or nearly so, the finger 25.

When the bells 3 1 have rung and the indicator 13 has dropped, the same serves as a signal until the telephone-receiver is removed from its hook 28, thus allowing the receiverliook 28 to rise on its pivot 37 under the action of the usual spring 38 for that purpose, thereby moving the arm 26- and its finger to act upon the pin 36 to throw the disk 13 into upright position where it is latched by the finger 20 engaging the nib 22 as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows the application of my invention as applied to a wall-telephone. In this view the arm 26 is in front of the receiverhook 28 and the upright arm 9 is bent around, to form a support for the electromagnet 10 and down to provide a lip 39 by which the entire support 1 may be fastened by means of a screw 10.

In the form shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4c and 5, my invention is attached directly behind an ordinary mouthpiece of a desk telephone.

I claim 1. A telephone call-signal comprising, in combination with a telephone, a slotted fixed disk and a movable disk pivotally imposed thereon, a detent-latch extending through the slot, an armature supporting the latch, a magnet, and means for energizing same; a backward inturned lip on the pivoted disk adapted to engage the detent-latch when superimposed, a weight on the outer edge of the pivoted disk, magnetic means to retract the latch, and cause it to disengage the lip and let the pivotal disk drop, and a finger upon the inner end of the receiver-hook to engage the base of the pivotal disk and throw it back upon the fixed disk at the 1 raising of the hook.

2. The combination with a telephone having an el'ectromagnet, a signal bell and a ringing circuit therefor, of a support connected to the standard which carries the receiver hook of the telephone, an electromagnet connected in series with the bellringing circuit, an indicator pivotally connected with the support, a latch pivoted to the support and normally held in position to engage the indicator to hold it out of commission, an armature to withdraw the latch from latcl-iing position when the electromagnet is energized, and a finger carried by the telephone receiver and adapted to restore the signal to normal position when the receiver hook rises. In combination with a desk telephone which has a bell ringing circuit, a call distinguisher consisting in a support comprising a horizontal base and horizontal and vertical arms, means for attaching the base to a telephone standard, an electro-magnet mounted on the horizontal arm and connected in series with the bell-ringing circuit of the telephone, an armature for the electromagnet, a latch pivoted to the upright arm and operated by the armature, an indicator pivoted to the upright arm and adapted to be held by the latch and adapted when unlatched to fall by gravity to indicating position, and a finger carried by the telephone hook and adapted to replace the indicator to latched position when the hook rises.

In testimony whereofi I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of February, 1909.

KNIGHT WV. GALE.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND, M. BEULAH TOWNSEND.

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

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