US1522180A - Telephone-dial attachment - Google Patents

Description

R. GAYLQRD TELEPHONE DIAL ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 11, 1923 Patented Jan. 6, 1925 starts inane BOSS GAYLOR-D, OF LOS CALIFORNIA.

TELEPHONE-DEAL ATTACHMENT.

Application filed January 11, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Ross GAYLURD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Dial Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates ,to a telephone dial attachment suitable for use on automatic telephones, it being a special object of my invention to increase the reliability and the efficiency of instruments of this character.

As will be understood, it is customary in the use of telephones of the character referred to, for one subscriber to secure a desired connection with another subscriber by dialing the number of the latter. To do this, it is only necessary to insert a finger successively opposite each of the respective digits of the desired number and thereby rotate a finger plate or equivalent element relatively to a dial bearing figures until. the finger contacts with a finger stop, it being intended that the finger shall be withdrawn after each rotation of the finger slate and a soon as the finger contacts with the finger stop. In practice it is found that subscribers who are of a nervous temperament or who are in haste, frequently omit to withdraw the finger after it has contacted with the finger stop, and such subscribers often attempt to accelerate the return of the finger plate to its normal position in preparation for the dialing of another figure. The mechanism of an automatic telephone is, however, provided with a governor which is adapted to effect a return of the finger plate at a most favorable rate of speed; and any effort on the part of a subscriber to accelerate this return or to sweat the instrument, is likely to result in a defective response and the calling ofa wrong number. It is a primary object of my invention to obviate this danger of a defective response and the calling of a wrong number from the cause referred to. That is to say, it is the aim of my invention to provide means which shall make it impossible for a subscriber to turn a finger plate back, the subscriber being obliged, in order to get any result whatever, to withdraw his finger and let the finger plate run back under the action of the governor provided therefor.

It is a further object of my invention to fieri No. 611,983.

provide comparatively simple means for the purpose indicated; and preferably means which may be manufactured at a moderate cost and attached to telephones of a type already in extensive use.

it is believed that the general character of my invention will be readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 may be described as an elevaion of so much of the dialing mechanism of an automatic telephone as is pertinent to my present invention, only the parts to the left of the line AA and above the line BB being novel.

Fig. 2 is then a top plan view showing a dial bearing figures and a finger plate provided with corresponding apertures, this being a device of a type which is already in use, except that I have modified the central arbor to receive a pin of the character shown in Fig. 5, this pin being suitable for use in securing the additional and novel subsidiary finger plate which is shown in Fig. 3; and the type of finger stop which has heretofore been employed being indicated, for purposes of comparison, in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is also a top plan view, this figure showing in addition my novel subsidiary finger plate, which is provided on its upper surface with a movable pawl and is adapted to overlie the finger plate shown in Fig. 2. My novel plate provided with a complete circle of 12 finger holes is shown as superimposed upon the usual plate provided with 10 holes, and the position of a fixed ratchet wheelwith which the mentioned pawl may engage is indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a bottom View showing the modi fied form of finger stop which I prefer to employ inorder to carry the fixed ratchet wheel indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a pin adapted to be seated in the central arbor shown in Fig. 2, thereby securing the mentioned parts in their desired relationship.

Fig. '6 is a top plan View of a complete device assembled as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, .1 indicates a casing within which essential parts of an automatic telephone may be housed, and 2 indicates a dial secured thereto and provided with figures 1, 2, 3, etc,

this dial having a central boss asindicated at 2 in Fig. 1. Above this central boss, and mounted for rotation with an arbor Z3, is a finger plate a, which, in telephones of the type referred to, is customarily provided with ten apertures, one of these apertures being normally opposite each of the digits shown upon the relatively fixed dial, and the finger plate being adapted for the in sertion' of a finger opposite any desired eli it, the finger plate being then rotated until the finger contacts with a finger stop shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2), and then permitted to return automatically.

My invention, in the preferred embodiment shown, involves the providing of a central aperture 5 in the mentioned arbor 3, and within this aperture Inlay secure a pin 6, adapted to provide suitable bearing means for a second and subsidiary finger plate 7, of my improved construction.

There being ordinarily ten apertures in the usual finger plate i, I preferto provide a complete circle of apertures, to-wit, twelve apertures in my subsidiary plate 7, in order that, although this plateis movable in only one direction, there shall always be an aperture opposite each of the figures on the dial 2.

It being desired that the finger plate 7 shall be capable of rotation in one direction only, I prefer to provide thereon a pawl 8 pivoted at 9 to the plate 7 and adapted to be drawn into engaging position by the spring 10. In order to provide a fixed ratchet element adapted to be engaged by the pawl 8, I prefer to employ a unique type of finger stop, as shown in Fig. 4. Only so much of this figureas appears to the right of the line A-A is of usual construction, my preferred form of finger stop being provided with an expanded extension 11 which is provided with a central aperture 12, adapted to fit upon the bearing 13 of the mentioned pin 6, and provided with a ratchet wheel l l, which may be integral therewith or secured thereto by means of screws 15. The threaded portion 16 of the pin 6 being adapted to engage corresponding threads within the mentioned aperture '5 on the arbor 3, the final application of securing means such as the nut 17 and the lock nut 18 sufiices to hold all of the mentioned parts in their assembled relationship.

From the foregoing description it will bev understood that, the finger plate 4 being free to rotate or oscillate in either direction, and the superimposed plate 7 being adapted to rotate in one direction only, whenever an operative, inserting a finger opposite any one of the figures appearing upon the dial 2, shall move the two finger plates together as far as may be permitted by the stop 19 (which may be secured by screws 20, in the usual way), it will be necessary for him; to

withdraw his finger, in order to permit the finger plate 4 to run back at the'optimum speed, and under the control of the governor mechanism provided in telephones of this character.

It will'be' understood by those skilled in the art that, although I have described in detail one preferred embodiment of my invention, var ous parts thereof and various modifications therein might-be made with out necessitating departure from the spirit and scope of my invention as the same is indicated in the foregoing description and in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic telephone, a housing, an indicia bearing dial mounted upon said housing, an arbor adapted to be rotated to operate the telephone, an actuating dial having finger holes adapted to register With the indicia on said indicia bearing dial rigidly secured to said arbor, a second dial having finger holes adapted to register with the finger holes in said actuating dial, and means for permitting said second dial to rotate in only one direction.

2. In an automatic. telephone, a housing, an indicia bearing dial mounted upon said housing, an arbor adapted to be rotated to operate the telephone, an actuating dial having finger holes adapted to register with the indicia on said indicia bearing dial rigidly secured to said arbor, a second dial having finger holes adapted to register with the finger holes in said actuating dial, a finger stop secured to said housing, and means associated with said fingerstop for preventing rotation of said second dial in one direction.

3. In an automatic telephone, a housing, an arbor rotatably secured to said housing and adapted to actuate the mechanism of said telephone, an actuating dial secured to said arbor, a second dial secured to said arbor and rotatable thereon, a ratchet wheel fixedly secured about said arbor and a pawl carried by said second dial adapted to engage said ratchet wheel whereby said second dial will be permitted to rotate in only one direction.

4:. In an automatic telephone, a housing, an arbor rotatably secured to said housing and adapted to actuate the mechanism of said telephone, an actuating dial secured to said arbor, a second dial secured to said arbor and rotatable thereon, a finger stop secured to said housing and to said arbor, a ratchet wheel secured about said arbor and to said finger stop and a pawl carried by said second dial adapted to engage said ratchet wheel thereby permitting said sec ond dial to rotate in only one direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,

ROSS GAYLORD.

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