US2504307A - Hand telephone - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1950 J. F. DALTON 2,504, 01.

HAND TELEPHONE Filed Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/VTOR JGHIV HWWUS DAL TQM Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STAT-ES "PATENT OFFICE HAND TELEPHONE John Francis Dalton, Springfield, N J :assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, .1 Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York :Application'August 24, 1945, Serial No. 612,477

.9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hand telephones and mo'reparticularly to microphones including -a circuit controlling element for operatively assoc'iating'the microphone with a telephone circuit.

One object of this invention isto facilitate the use of hand telephones and more specifically to enable ready operation of-the circuit controlling element'in microphones including such an ele- ":ment.

Another object of this invention is to assure comfortable use of hand held microphones including a circuit controlling element.

:Axfurther objectofthis invention is to increase the 3 operating life of hand telephones used in -l'ocations, such as-on ships and in tropical areas, where iadverse'moisture-conditions are encoun- .ztered.

In:one illustrative embodiment of this invention, a hand telephone comprises a handle or Jhousinghav-ing "a switch therein'and a microphone mounted upon the handle'or housing and associated electrically' withtheswitch' to be connected in or' disconnectedfrom a telephone circuit byaoperation of theswitch.

Inaccordance with one feature of this-invention, a mechanical control system is provided for-the-switch, including an actuating member adapted-to be engaged by the upper li-p of tl're la s-or the user of the telephone andthe microphone is positioned upon the handle-or housing so' 'that whenthe actuating member is placed aga'inst'the upper lip the microphone is located automatically in: proximity to the mouth of l the user.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the actuating member comprises a bridge 'piece'having a surface contoured to coni-form substantially to the upper lip 'ofthe user, thebridgepiece being coupled to the-actuating or operating-element of the-switch by a substantially frictionless linkage, whereby the switch may'be operated by slight pressure upon the bridge piece and such pressure is distributed over a -substantial area f the upper lip of the user.

-"In-accordance with a further featureof this invention, the coupling between the bridge'piece "and' the switch is constructed and arranged so :that'locking or failure of this coupling by nonuniformpressuredistributionover the bridge piece is prevented.

In accordance with still another feature of this invention, means are provided for preventing entrance of'moisture into the handle or housing, asby way oi'the coupling'between'the' bridge piece and the'housing.

telephone, portions being broken away to show details; and

Fig. -5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly insection, showing details of "the actuating sys term for the switch.

f'Reierring nowto the drawing, the hand telephone thereinillustrated comprises'a handle or housing, for examplemolded of insulating mate'- rial such *aS-a phenolic condensation product,

having a cup-shaped portion In provided with flutes H in its outer surface, an intermediate portion l2 affixed to the portion In by screws l3 threaded into tapped inserts M embedded in the portion l0, and a cover 15 secured to the intermediate portion by screws [6 threaded into tapped inserts ll embedded in the intermediate portion.

Extendingfrom the base of the cup-shaped portion i0 is a multiconductor cord la'having thereon a softrubber collar [9 which is compressed between cooperating locking nuts 20 and -2'l'to form a moisture-proof 'seal 'between'the cord and the :housing, the nut 20 being embedded in the housingportion' l0. 7

"Mounted within the housing'portion .lll is a switch'22 having anactuating member 23. The switch is of conventional construction and "of thetype wherein the contacts thereof are closed when the actuating member 23 is depressed and are opened when the actuating member is released.

The" actuating member 23 engages the central thickenedportion 24' of a resilient di'aphragm25, advantageously of soft rubber, the thickened periphery of which is clamped between the intermediate andcup shape'd'portions l2 and Ill re spectively, of the housingland forms a moisture-.-

tight seal therebetween. Seated upon'the portion 24 of the diaphragm 25 and positioned within a central aperture in the wall '26-.oflithe intermediate housinghportion. i2 is ..aspherical ball or. bearing 2! which isengagedby an'inclined rigid'finger '28 mounted'by aflbarQZQ'. Thebar 2Q is coupled at its ends to a pair of parallel drive pins fitted slidably in sleeves or bearings 3i embedded in the intermediate portion l2 of the housing. The coupling between the bar and pins is loose and constituted by headed studs 32 upon the rods which pass through oversized apertures 33 in the barjso that some play between the bar and rods and toggle-like action of the coupling is permitted whereby seizure between the pins and the bearings therefor is prevented and mo-'- tion of the bar results from longitudinal displacement of either pin.

The bar 29 normally is forced against an inner wall of th intermediate housing portion l2 by a spring 34 aiiixed to the bar, as by rivets 35, so that the finger 28 loosely engages the ball 2! and is in the position relative thereto illustrated in the drawing, whereby the actuating member 23 1 is released. The drive pins are secured attheir outer ends to a bridge member 36 the surface 31 -of which is contoured to conform substantially to the upper lip of the user of the hand telephone. In order to prevent entrance of moisture into the housing through the sleeves or bearings 3|, soft rubber sleeves 38 aiiixed, as by cementing, to the pins 30 and sleeves 3| are provided. As shown clearly in Fig. 5, the sleeves or bearings 3| project beyond the face of the housing portion l2 adjacent thereto and, thus, serve as stops to limit motion of the bridge member 36 to- ;ward the housing.

Mounted upon the housing portion l2 and opposite the bridge member 36 is a bent support member 39 which carries a pair of terminals 40 insulated from each other and the support member. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, terminals 40 are connected by tie wires 4! to tabs 42 which are connected electrically to respective tabs 43 by screws 44 threaded into eyelets 45 embedded inmicrophone, which advantageously is of the noise;

housing portion 12 and forms a moisture-tight seal therebetween.

In use of the hand telephone, the surface 31 of the bridge member 36 is placed against the upper 'lip of the user whereby the microphone 4'! automatically is positioned opposite the mouth of the .user. The bridge member is pressed against the lip so that the finger piece 28 rides over the ball or bearing 21 and the latter is moved to depress the actuating member 23 for the switch 22, where- 'by the microphone circuit is completed. Upon release of pressure against the bridge member, this member moves outward to a point near the 'end of its travel whereupon the actuating member is released and this circuit is opened. Because of the ball or bearing 27 and finger piece 28 association, and also the loose coupling between the bar 29 and drive pins 30, but very little resistance in addition to that afforded by the spring 34, is

afforded to operation of the switch so that the switch can be held operated by very little pressure upon the bridge member 36 and comfortable use of the telephone is assured. Similarly, because 'of the very small frictional resistance provided by "the actuating system, the spring 34 is e'ffective'to prevented.

assure positive opening of the microphone circuit when the bridge member 33 is moved away from the lip of the user of the telephone. Moreover, the motion of the upper lip in speaking i slight so that the bridge member when actuated to effect closing of the microphone circuit does not substantially interfere with or impede normal speaking of the user of the telephone nor materially affect the intelligibility of the speech picked up by the microphone. Small motions of the bridgemember will not efiect operation of the switch 22 so that false operation during use is It will be appreciated that not only is the switch housed in a moisture-tight enclosure but also the elements, such as the ball or bearing 27 and spring 34, within the housing portion [2 and the connections between the microphone and the switch, excepting the terminals 48 which are readily cleaned, are protected against moisture. Thus, the hand telephone is capable of long use in exposed situations, such as on ships or in tropical areas; where adverse moisture conditions are encountered.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that it is but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand telephone comprising a housing, a switch within said housing and having an actuating member, a pair of drive pins extending slidably through a wall of said housing, a bridge member coupled to said pins outside of said housing, means mechanically linking said pins to said actuating member for operating said member in response to motion of said pins into or out of said housing, and a microphone mounted by said housing and positioned adjacent said bridge member .so that when said bridge member is placed against the upper lip of the user of the telephone said microphone is opposite the mouth of the user.

2. A hand telephone in accordance with claim 1 comprising means defining with said housing a moisture-proof enclosure for said switch, and means a defining a moisture-proof seal between said wall and, said drive pins.

3. A hand telephone in accordance with claim 1 comprising means including a diaphragm constituting a part of said linking means defining with said housing a moisture-proof enclosure for said switch.

4. In a hand telephone, a housing having a first .hollow portion open at one end, a switch within said portion and having a reciprocable actuating member opposite said one end, a diaphragm extending over said end and having a portion engaging said actuating member, said housing having a second hollow portion seated upon said diaphragm, a freely rotatable member seated upon. said diaphragm portion and mounted by said second housing portion for free displacement in the direction of reciprocation of said actuating member, a drive pin extending slidably .through a wall of said second housing portion and at an angle to said direction, and an inclined finger piece coupled to said pin and engaging said rotatable member.

5. In a hand telephone, the combination defined in claim 4 comprising resilient means defining a moisture-tight seal between said pin and said second wall portion, and means including said diaphragm and said second housing portion a defining a moisture-tight enclosure for said rotatable member and said finger piece.

6. In a hand telephone, a housing having a cup-shaped portion, a switch Within said portion and having a reciprocable actuating member adjacent the open end thereof, a resilient member overlying said open end and having a portion engaging said actuating member, said housing having a second portion overlying said resilient member and provided with an aperture opposite said diaphra m portion, a spherical member within said aperture and seated against said portion of said resilient member, and means including a member extending through a wall of said second housing portion and reciprocable at an angle to the direction of reciprocation of said actuating member for depressing said spherical member thereby to operate said actuating memher.

7. In a hand telephone, a housing having a cup-shaped portion, a switch within said portion and having a reciprocable actuating member adjacent the open end thereof, a resilient member overlying said open end and having a portion engaging said actuating member, said housing having a second portion overlying said resilient member and provided with an aperture opposite said portion of said resilient member, a spherical member within said aperture and seated against said portion of said resilient member, a pair of substantially parallel drive pins extending slidably through a wall of said second housing portion and at substantially right angles to the direction in which said actuating member is reciprocable, and a finger piece engaging said spherical member, coupled to said drive pins and inclined with respect to said direction.

8. In a hand telephone, the combination defined in claim 7 wherein said resilient member is a moisture-tight diaphragm and which comprises means defining with said second housing portion and said diaphragm a moisture-tight enclosure for said spherical member and finger piece, said means including resilient members afiixed to said drive pins and forming moisture-tight seals therebetween and said second housing portion.

9. A hand telephone comprising a housing, a switch within said housing and having an actuating member reciprocable parallel to the axis of said housing, a resilient diaphragm within said housing and having a portion in engagement with said actuating member, said housing having a transverse wall therein provided with an aperture adjacent said diaphragm portion, a ball bearing within said aperture and seated upon said diaphragm portion, a finger piece engaging said bearing and inclined with respect to said axis, a bar coupled to said finger piece and mounted within said housing for motion normal to said axis to force said finger piece over said bearing, drive pins extending slidably through a wall of said housing, substantially normal to said axis and coupled to said bar for actuating it, a bridge piece external to said hOusing and joining said drive pins, said bridge piece having a surface contoured to conform substantially to the upper lip of the user of the telephone, and a microphone mounted by said housing adjacent said bridge piece to be opposite the mouth of the user when said bridge piece is placed against the upper lip.

JOHN FRANCIS DALTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,298,217 Jenkins Mar. 25, 1919 1,341,358 Chapin May 25, 1920 1,352,939 Booth Sept. 14, 1920 2,039,625 Blount May 5, 1936 2,066,092 Brown Dec. 29, 1936 2,301,184 Arnold Nov. 10, 1942

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