US2471430A - Telephone number listing attachment - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1949. G. A. HIGBEE 2,471,430

TELEPHONE NUMBER LISTING ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l 3nnentor Gleinn Paul-B31200 (Ittorneg May 31, 1949. G. A. HIGBEE TELEPHONE NUMBER LISTING ATTACHMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 19, 1945 3m cntor Glann A. Hi 1am 2.1/1 attorney May 31, 1949. G. A. HIGBEE TELEPHONE NUMBER LISTING ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 19} 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snventor 6 ID no 1 A n v n 0 l G 3 (Ittbrneg May 31, 1949. G. A. HIGBEE 2,471,430

TELEPHONE NUMBER LISTING ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet;

Snoentor 61m A; Hi bu I Cittomeg Patented May 31, 1949 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE TELEPHGNE NUMBER LISTING ATTACHMENT 19 Claims. 1

This invention relates to drawer accessories for telephones and may be considered an improvement on the attachment disclosed by my pending application, filed February 16, 1944, under Serial Number 522,669 now Patent No. 2,432,760, dated December 16, 1947. The designated application discloses a drawer normally disposed beneath a telephone stand of the modern type having supporting feet, said drawer being slidable .in and out between two of said feet and carrying a numbers list or the like. I An object of the present invention is to dispose a drawer beneath a telephone stand so as to be largely concealed when not in use and to attach it to the stand by a simpler, less expensive and more easily applied means than has heretofore been available.

Another object is to attach a drawer or other slide to and beneath a telephone stand by a resilient connection, which serves additionally to retract the drawer and yieldably hold it retracted.

Another object is to adapt a drawer or the like installed beneath a telephone stand to be resiliently retracted, and to provide a simple and unique latch for resisting retraction.

Another object is to utilize two of the feet of a modern telephone stand as guides for a drawer or other slide normally underlying such stand,

and to provide stops on the drawer coacting with said feet or one of them to limit projection and retraction of the drawer.

Another object is to equip a slide installed beneath a telephone stand with improved sounddeadening and shock-absorbing stops for limiting retraction.

Another object is to provide resilient means for retracting a slide beneath a telephone stand and to further utilize said resilient means to give effect to a latch element for yieldably resisting retraction.

Another object is to equip a sliding drawer or the like with a latch element in sheet form and disposed normally substantially parallel to the drawer and to adapt said element to be automatically raised to a latching position when the drawer is drawn out, at the same time exposing certain printed or written information carried by said element.

Another object is to utilize such a latch element as a cover for a pad of sheets carried by the slide and serving to carry or receive additional information.

Another object is to establish a resilient connection between a telephone stand and a drawer 2 or the like slidable beneath the stand, said connection serving the triple purpose of mounting the drawer on the stand, retracting the drawer following use thereof, and actuating a latch element by which the drawer is yieldably held in its projected position.

These and other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in accompanying drawings, wherein;

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a telephone stand equipped with a drawer in accordance with one form of the invention, the drawer being shown retracted.

Fig. 1A is a cross sectional view of one of the rear feet of the telephone stand, taken on the line lA--IA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a, sectional elevational View of the stand and drawer, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig, 2 but showing the drawer latched in its projected position.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the drawer, omitting the pad of sheets which the drawer carrles.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drawer and pad, showing the cover sheet of the pad raised to its latch-forming position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of said latch-forming cover in its lowered position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of a portion of said cover, taken on the line 'l-I of Fig, 6.

Fig. 8 is a View in longitudinal sectional elevation of a drawer projected from a telephone stand shown in said elevation, illustrating a modified provision for retracting the drawer and holding it projected.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of a telephone stand, showing the relation thereto of a somewhat diiierent drawer.

Fig. 10 perspectively shows the drawer appearing in Fig. 9.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, and describing first the construction shown in Figs, 1 to '7 inclusive, the reference character I designates a modern cradle-type telephone stand having a rectangular hollow base and padded supporting feet 2 and 3 on its bottom face. The feet 2 are attached to the front corner portions and the feet 3 to the rear corner portions of a bottom cover plate 4 rigidly carried by the stand within its rectangular base. The plate 4 is secured in place by screws 5 and each of said feet comprises (see Fig. 1A) a lower upwardly dished stamping 6, an upper stamping 1 downwardly dished within the lower one and a pad 8 3 stretched across and around the lower stamping and having its margin 9 downturned and firmly clamped between the two stampings. A screw it secures each foot rigidly to the plate 4, drawing the stamping I firmly against said plate. It is to be noted that the pad, in embracing the upturned edge of the stamping 6 is spaced slightly downward from the plate 4, use being made of this feature as hereinafter appears. The' described stand construction is highly standardized and in common use, it being important to note that the chamber produced beneath said stand is quite shallow. There is some variation of the chamber heightin differentmodels the range being from about one tenth to one eighth of an inch.

Beneath the stand I in the aforementioned shallow chamber, I install a slide n formed. preferably of thin sheet metal, the illustrated This drawer rests slide being a shallow drawer. on the surface supportingv the stand and is slidable between and guidedby. the front feet 2 of the stand. The front end of the drawer is integrally formed. with a pair of opposite laterally projecting stops l2' engageable with the feet 2 to limit retraction of' the drawer, and'a pair of similar stops E3- on the rear end'of the drawer are engagea'ble with said-feet to limit projection. The lateralmargihs of the drawer are formed with flanges l4 upturned a slight distance preferably about a sixteenthof an inch. These add considerable strength to the drawer and further avoid presenting to' the feet thin metal edges which might damage the. pads B and would not permit satisfactory functioning of the stops l2 and I3. For reasons which willpresently appear, the front stops. l2 encounter the. feet 2 much more forcibly than the rear ones-and. it is hence preferred to provide shock-absorbing and sounddeadening pads on-thestops l2. These may be very easily and inexpensively applied as small rubber bands. l5? stretched, toembrace upward extensions IIGfrom the' rear edges of the stops i2} and it is preferred to bow the extensions l6 so as to spacethem from the feet-engagingrear spans of said bands, thus materially increasing their cushioning effect- A handle-forming lug. l1 projects integrally forward from the drawer, it's'forward'margin being arched to receive the forward pressure of a' finger or to be gripped at the arch ends by a finger andthumb. The drawer carries" a pa'd-ofsheet's l8 for receiving a list of namesaiid telephone, numbers; permitting reference to the latter muchmore easily and expeditiouslyj'than dbes. the usual-directory; The topmost sheet l'9 of this pad is preferably heavier than the others, its. top" face carrying emergency numbers and such' other numbers as are likely to be hurriedly'reqlui'red by any telephone user- The under face 'o'f the sheet is provides for a written list of certain numbers mostcommonly required by the subscriber using my accessory. To. secure said. pad; to the drawer, its rear margin is forced beneath a row of keepers- 20 formed by tongues struck'up from the drawer and'bent forwardly'at a suitable level above the drawer. The drawer extends, of course, sufiic'iently reward beyond the keepers 20 to allow afull exposure'of the padlwhile the rear stops it are functioning (seeFig. 4). A light band 2'! of, elastic material such as rubber provides an easily applied and. inexpensive means for holding the drawer'normally'r'etracted, said bandf being stretched tde'nibracethe rear feet 3 and to extend from the latter to'the rear portion of the drawer. In applying the band to the feet 3, advantage is taken of the small annular spaces occurring above the pads 8, the band being snapped into said spaces, as best seen in Fig. 1A, thus being well restrained from downward escape. Also any cutting action of the band on the pads 8 is avoided by disposing the band in said spaces. I use the sheet [9 as a means of connecting: the band to the" drawer, the connectiodbeihgfstlhh as to derive from said sheet the function of a latch element. Thus a pair of spaced rearwardly projecting arms 22 are struck out of slots 23- in the rear portion of the sheet 19, a connecting strip 24 being integral with said arms slightly rearward of said sheet. Said arms and stripf'orm a U-shaped yoke which is preferably reinforced by a sheet metal plate 25 conforming to said strip and secured thereto by several I hooked tongues 26, two of which also serve for attaching the band 2! to said yoke. Bythus connecting the band 2 1 tothe yoke, thereis avoidedadding thebandthicknessto that-ofthe drawer and pad,- this being; important in'view of the shallow nature-of the chamber receiving-these parts.

Obviously the attachment ofthe'described accessory to'a -telephone'standis quickly. and easily eifected, it being necessary merely to engage the drawerbetween the front feet-of the stand and snap the band- 2-:l-- into proper engagement with the rear feet, as-Fig.-1 clearly shows. Thus installed, .the drawer almost entirely concealed, there being-exposed-only the-front-stops l2 and handle H. When-the d-rawerisdr-awnsufiicientl-r forward-toexpose the pad; N5, the top-sheet Is is immediately snapped to its raised position-- (Figs, 3 and 5), hinging upon its clamped-rearmargin; the arms'22r flexing. to permit application-0t a rearward pullto said sheet av suitable distance aboveits-hinge axis. Inthe raisedposition-ofsaid sheet, the most commonly used telephone humbers are exposed on said sheet and ready access-is had tothe remaining. sheets of; the: padv [8+ If it is-desired to refer only'to the emergency numbers onethe top face ofthe sheet I 9, the. latter is held down by a slightfinger pressure in: pulling out the drawer. Releaseof the sheet l9 fromrits-latching position requires only aslight inward pushagainst the drawer, .this reducingvthe -leverage at forded-the arms- 22 so that-therearward pull on drawer exceeds thattending to liftthe sheet- Illa. .As the released drawer snaps baoki beneath thestand, throwing the stops I2- against the feet 2, the shock.-- and sound of impact are greatly re duced by the cushioninglmeansl-5:-

The modification illustrated by Eigzadifiers from the described construction 'inreplacement'of thelband Z- Ibya-coiledspring 2 and in requiring a. manipulation ofthe top-sheet l9a' or the pad lac;- to derive the latch funotionr of saidsheet. The spring ends are hooked respectively to the rear endof-the drawermidway of---saidend; and tothe rear edge of the bottom plate k- Advan tage is taken of an. aperture 28- occurring as a standard-provisionin the-rear wall of the baseto accommodate a conductor cord, saidaperture: sufiicientlyexposing; the rear edge- 0t the plate 4 toallow thespring; to hoolesaidedge. The length of the pad I8a, including its topsheet is such: that upon flexing. said sheet upwardly and rearwardly after drawing out the drawer, the. upper margin of such sheetlmay'beinsertedbeneath the: dialing di's'c' 2Q o'ithe' stand, al'atch function being thus derived. This arrangement achieves most-of the advantages ofthe'chnstiuction first-described,.

but is somewhat less convenient and the spring is of course more expensive than the rubber band 2|.

The accessory illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10 consists merely of a cardboard sheet lib freely disposed beneath a telephone stand such as has been described, the front feet 2 of the stand guiding said sheet in a sliding travel and said feet limiting such travel both rearwardly and forwardly through encountering laterally projecting front and rear stops I2b and [31) on said sheet. Said stops are integral with the sliding sheet and may be formed in the operation of stamping out the sheet, the same being true of a lug I'lb forwardly projecting from the sheet to serve as a handle. This highly simplified form of the invention may be produced at very little cost, but is suited to carry only a small list of names and numbers, must be manually shifted to both limiting positions, and lacks attachment most in its entirety is another advantage comm-on to the several disclosed arrangements. Numerous sub-phone cabinets have been designed to receive sliding drawers, but they are unduly conspicuous, complicated and costly. My construction disclosed by the aforementioned application eliminates the objections to said sub-phone cabinets, but entails use of a mounting plate for the sliding drawer adding materially to the thickness of the accessory and making installation difficult when the height of the sub-phone chamber is a minimum. The present construction may be readily installed even in a chamber of minimum depth and yet makes ample provision for number entries.

'It is to be noted that the rubber band 2| or spring 21, by connecting the rear portion of the drawer or slide to the rear portion of the stand and maintaining a firm pressure of the front stops against the front feet, permits the stand to be lifted or moved without escape of the drawer from its described position.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a telephone stand having a plurality of spaced underlying supporting feet, whereby a restricted space is formed beneath such stand, a slide fitted between and guided by two of said feet in travel from a normal position within said restricted space to an exposed position, and stops laterally projecting from the front and rear portions of the slide and coacting with said guiding feet to limit both inward and outward travel of the slide.

2. In combination with a telephone. stand having a plurality of spaced underlying supporting feet, a slide fitted between and guided by two of said feet, stops on said slide engageable with the two last-mentioned feet to limit retraction of the slide, and an extensible resilient connection from the rear end portion of the slide to the stand, yieldably assisting retraction of the slide and coacting with said stops to mount the slide on the stand.

3. In combination with a telephone stand having a plurality of spaced underlying supporting feet, a slide slidable between and guided by two of said feet, means normally holding said slide retracted and yieldably resisting its projection, stop means on the slide for limiting its retraction by engagement with the stand, and a flexible latch element on the slide engageable with the stand to yieldably maintain a projected position of the slide.

'4. In combination with a telephone stand having a plurality of supporting feet, a slide slidable between and guided by two of said feet, and a resiliently extensible connection from said slide attached to another of said feet for normally retracting the slide and yieldably resisting its projection.

5. In combination with a telephone stand having four spaced feet, a slide slidable between and guided by two of said feet, and an elongated resiliently extensible element extended between and anchored to the other two feet and extended from the last-mentioned feet to the slide, said element holding the slide normally retracted and yieldably resisting its projection.

6. In combination with a telephone stand having a plurality of supporting feet, a slide slidable between and guided by two of said feet, and an elongated resiliently extensible element having spans extended from said slide to and looped over at least one other of said feet, the last-mentioned foot having a shoulder above which said element is engaged to prevent its escape.

'7. In a telephone attachment, a slide installed beneath a telephone stand and slidable to an exposed position, a latch element carried by said slide and movable on the slide to a position for engaging and cooperating with the stand to yieldably resist retraction of the slide from the exposed position, and a common means for holding th slide normally yieldably retracted and holding the latch element in its said position, when the slide is exposed.

8. A telephone attachment as set forth in claim 7, said common means being an elongated resiliently extensible connection between the latch element and stand.

9. A telephone attachment as set forth in claim 7, said latch element being upwardly movable from the slide in assuming its latching position, and engageable with a peripheral face of the stand to resist slide retraction.

10. A telephone attachment as set forth in claim 7, said latch element being pivoted on the slide and extending from its pivot toward the front of the slide, when confined beneath the stand, said common means being effective on the latch element to swing it up to a latching position, when said element is withdrawn from beneath the stand.

11. In combination with a telephone stand, a slide installed beneath the stand and slidable to an exposed position, an information sheet normally disposed substantially flat on said slide and pivoted to the slide to swing upwardly about an axis transverse to the slide travel, and means acting on the slide through said sheet to yieldably assist retraction of the slide, and further effective in a projected position of the slide to swing the sheet to a raised position, exposing information on that face of the sheet which normally confronts the slide and engaging the sheet with a peripheral face of the stand to yieldably maintain the exposed position of the slide.

12. In a slide for installation beneath a dialtype telephone stand and for sliding to a projected position, means for holding the slide normally retracted and resiliently resisting its projection,

spaced support'in ifeet; a s'lide dispbsd be zen-mea ere" the bein a flexible-i information sheet at-- ta'ched at o'ne edg-e tb tn slideana riormaiiy prb jecting toward the front of the slide.

15: Iii-combination 'itita teiepfhofiestanwnav ins: spaed supf or-ti flg feet?a slide fittd 'betwe' and guided by two of said feet, the vertical e'xti it of tlie slide I beingless: that oi said feet, whereby? interference with?- the su portingfilm-'- tio'n' of the feetis' avoiddt a}pa'fr of"stop's uptic siteiWlaterallW projecting fiom thefi'brite'nd ofthe" slide a-n'd engageabl'e with the tWfigu'idi g' fet-to-limit retraction of tl i e' slide} an'd aApa stops oppositely laterally projeb'tin'g from the-rear end of said slide an 'd eii gag'eab'l'e with the guiding; feet to limit withdrawal of the slide:-

1 6$ rf-c'orri' bination' withanteleph'oiie-starid liav neath said' standand'erigageame 'with the' sui face supporting? thestand: arid siid'able between 1 and ghided by two of said feet; means be'neath" the stand reabtlnglbetween thfe slide and stand to exert a retractive piill on the slide, anda pair of stops-' oppositely: laterally projecting fro'ni the from porti-oii of the-slide; said meansresiliently holding-i the stops against said 'giiidiisig feet a d' resistingdropping 01 tha front e'nd of the slide wl'ieii thestand is lifted? 17. In combination with' a t'ele'phoiie stand, a slide: installed beneath-- such star-id and slid-able toan exposed-positiong an ififormatio'ri slieet -nor ma ll y' disposed substantial-ly 'fiat on th e slide and projecting normally towaiidtti frbrit of the slidefrom axt axis about-whioh -s'aid sl-ieet'is adapted to swing-upwardly, said sheet having ann emzig -emtehdi'ngtio'rwardly from 'thei e r edeoftl ie-slieetR and a tongue attached to the sheet' at thefrbnt errd o'f sucl'i openi-ng'z ahd r'earwardly extiiding byeii'd-" the sheet; said tongue normalfy' occupying saitf openi'ng; and an"extensibleresilierit connec tion from the peripheral portion of the stand to said ton ue, acting through 1 saidi sheet; to resist witlfdrawai of tlie slide;- and effective ina with-- d iawn pe'sitiorr of the slide to raise the sheet' to a lathing pesiti'on Of' 'eX'teriOr engagement with thesta'ri'd.

'I l'ie combination setforth' in 'claim 17} said i tongu bein integral with said sheet and com-' prising' a porti'on struckout ofsaid openin'g ofth'e' sheet- 19$ liicbmbiriaitioi'i with a telephone stand hav'-- mg atplurality'of supporting feet, a slide fitted b'etweefiand guided by two of said feet and foi' nied -witli'stops engageable with said guiding feet to limit withdr'aw'al of the slide, the vertical eifite'rit' of 'tl ie slide being' les's than that of the feet} wher eb y interference withth'e supporting filn'c tibl'iof tfie fet' isavoided, a=resilient extensible element extending from the rear portionof said slide' -beneatli the stand to the peripheral portion of the-stanWfor yi'eldably resisting withdrawalof the slide'ari'd an iii-formation pad secured'to the' slideaiid having it's t'op sheet-upwardly fiexible'in a positibh of the slide established by said stops to: exterio'rlyen'gage the stand and'resist retraction ofthe slid 'e.

GLENN' A. HIGBEEL' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file-of tliis patent:

UNITEDSTATES' PATENTS Name Date 567;6'93- Smith Sept. 1'5; 1896 4QQ 9Z5" Beck Apr. 21; 1891 38,91 Thum' Nov. 2, 1909? 132412093 Canihgs Sept 2'5,'1917 1 ;5'69,98'6' Kiirtzehorn Jan. 19', 1926" 15659164 Sanders F b; 14, 1923- 1 8"3l"-86-7 Jbnke Nov; 17, 1931 1,851,445 Rappaport Mair; 29;1932"

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