Telephone Patents
© Brooke Clarke,
N6GCE
10 Feb 2005 - have replaced all the patent number links with stable
URLs.
1833 Samuel Morse sends signals over wires
For about 40 years the telegraph
was THE way to send a
message quickly. Bell was working on a way to allow multiple messages
to be sent in parallel over a single wire by using different audio
frequencies for each message. Today it would be called FDMA,
Frequency Division Multiple Access. In the process he realized
that voice could be sent over a wire. This required the invention
of the microphone and the invention of the speaker. The device in
the bell patent works as both a microphone and a speaker.
See the Leclanché Battery web
page for those and related patents.
Related Telegraph Patent
166095
Electrical Telegraph for Transmitting Musical Tones, Elisha Gray, July
27, 1875
178/47
Note that the Gray patent title is Electrical Telegraph for
Transmitting Musical Tones not some new term to describe telephony.
Gray thought he had a patent on an improvement to telegraphy. The
single class number is 178/47 which is for Telegraphy/Harmonic or reed.
1876 Bell Invents the Telephone
First generation Local Battery
operation with hand crank generator signaling.
174465
Telegraphy, A. G. Bell March 7, 1876
379/167.01;
178/48
- sending sounds over wire "The most valuable patent ever issued"
Included in this patent are the Gallows
and Liquid phones. Both are combined dynamic microphone/earphone types.
The primary class number 379/167.01 is for Telephonic Communictions/
Private (e.g., house or intercom) or Single Line System.
The secondary class number 178/48 is for Telegraphy/Harmonic or reed/Recorders and receivers
|
|
Gallows
Phone Mouthpiece
|
Side
(Gallows) view
|
Is patent 174465 also the first patent for a speaker - earphone type
device? yes.
Note that the coil and terminals looks just like those used in telegraphic
sounders.
For more on this phone, see my
phones web page.
Remember that at the time the patent titles were commonly the
same for the same patent class. For example out of over 400
patents related to the stock ticker machines the vast majority of them
are titled "Printing Telegraph". Since patent class 379 to
telephone related invensions did not exist then the only class that
mase sense with 178 for Telegraph Equipment. So although it
looks strange today to see "Telegraph" as the title on a patent for the
telephone, at the time it was about the only choice.
186787
Electric Telegraphy A. G. Bell Jan 30, 1877 379/167.01;
379/387.01;
381/177
In 201488 it says the rod in this patent can be a magnet.
Other Patents
199141
Telephone, E. Berliner, Jan. 15, 1878
379/167.01;
379/391;
381/178
201488 Speaking Telephone, A.G. Bell, March 19, 1878
381/163 ; 335/231;
336/110; 336/211; 381/419 -
this is the oldest patent in class 336/110 Inductor Devices/using a permanent magnet
The main idea is to close the magnetic path so that there is only the gap to the diaphram.
202495
Telephone Call-Signal Aoaratus, T. A. Watson, April 16, 1878
379/373.01;
74/47
203013
Speaking-Telegraph, T.A. Edison, April 30, 1878
381/111; 381/179
203016
Speaking-Telegraph, T.A. Edison, April 30, 1878
379/373.01
210886
Polarized Armature for Electric Bells, T. A. Watson, Dec. 17, 1878
340/397.5
1879 to 1890 Attempts at dial systems
215837 Telephone Switch May 27, 1879, H.L. Rosevelt 379/426
222458
Automatic Telephone Exchange Dec 9, 1879 M D & T A Connolly and T J
McTighe 379/195
- dial system that did/tn work
258626
Individual Signaling Aparatus for Telephone Systems May 30, 1882 C E
Buell (US Tel Mfg Co) 340/825.41;
379/177;
379/302
- early try at dial phone
275296
Automatic Signaling Aparatus for Telephone Circuits Apr 3, 1883 T N
Vail 379/302; 341/192
- try that did not work for dial phone
1880 Handset
1889
406567
Telephone T. A. Edison July 9, 1889
381/180;
252/502
AGB's patent 174465 was for a combined dynamic microphone - earphone -
speaker device. But the granular carbon mike was the commom
microphone used through the 1950s for telephones, military radios, and
many other microphone applications. From 1950 to the present
military radios use dyncamic mikes.
1891 Dial System working
Second generation system using Common
Battery signaling, and sometimes common battery power for the carbon
mike.
447918
Automatic Telephone Exchange March 10, 1891 A. B. Strowger
379/302
this is the class for dial systems
449106
Telephone Circuit and Aparatus, J. J. Carty, Mar. 31, 1891
379/177
1892
474230
Speaking-Telegraph, Thomas Edison, May 3, 1892
381/177
Web
page devoted to this
carbon type transmitter, a patent that took 15
years to grant.
485311
Telephone, A. C. White Nov. 1, 1892
381/180 - Granular Button Transmitter element assigned to American Bell Telephone
This is newer than the T.A. Edisno carbon mikes and is the one used by the millions.
1893 Bell's first patent runs out
529421
Multiple Switchboard System Nov 20, 1894 C. E. Scribner
379/319;
379/313;
379/332
545416
Telephone Aug 27, 1895 G F Shaver
379/350
- new carbon mike and improved wiring
570840
Automatic Telephone System Morgan Brooks Nov 3, 1896
379/215.01;
340/298;
340/313;
379/258
597062
Calling Device for Telephone Exchanges, A. E. Keith & C. J.
Erickson, Jan. 11, 1898
379/365;
340/294;
379/367
assigned to the Strowger Automatic Telephone
Exchange, replaced the origional buttons with a dial, this is the first
patent in class 379/367
670564
Telephone Receiver, C. H. North, March 26, 1901
381/393
- has internal terminals
687499 Telephone Transmitter (Candlestick), Nov 26, 1901, WW Dean, Kellogg,
381/180 ;
381/186;
381/347 - preventing carbon granules from compacting. (found this while looking for patent
112158 which is not a Kellogg phone patent)
815176
AutomaticTelephone Connector Switch March 13, 1906 A E Keith & C J
Erickson (AE Co) 379/302; 379/303 - modern step & repeat
switch, 26 page patent, very complex switch with many parts
815321
AutomaticTelephone Connector Switch March 13, 1906 A E Keith & C J
Erickson (AE Co)
335/109; 74/21; 74/156; 74/169; 74/575;
379/302 - more on the step & repeat switch
831875
Interrupter for Automatic Telephone or other switches Sep 25, 1906 A E
Keith (AE Co) 379/302; 379/337
848398
Automatic Exchange Selector March 26, 1907 J G Roberts (WE Co) 379/302;
335/136; 340/825.4
1508424
Telephone Desk Set Sep 16, 1924 G. K. Thompson (AT&T)
379/424;
379/436;
379/454
- dial phone with cradle for handset
1565581
Telephone Transmitter, C. H. Moore, Dec. 15, 1925
381/180
Not position sensitive
1602824 Telephone Receiver, L L Jones
381/419 ; 310/25;
367/182
1615311
Impulse Sending Device Jan 25, 1927 H. F. Obergfell (Automatic
Electric)
341/184; 379/366 - rotary dial
1642822
Calling Device Sep 20, 1927 H. F. Obergfell (Automatic Electric)
379/367;
379/369 - rotary dial
1719992 Calling Device July 9, 1929 H. F. Obergfell (Automatic Electric)
379/362;
379/367
1894
519347 Transformer for Telegraphic, Telephonic or other Electrical Systems, M I Pupin, May 8, 1894,
379/398 ; 307/109; 333/177; 333/27; 336/182
This patent purchased by Bell Telephone in 1901.
Newer Patents
4823379 Telephone ringer 379/373.01
; 340/397.5 - This is an example of something that looks like a good
idea. BUT . . . the way it's been manufactured it's so fragile
that age or dropping the phone breaks the plastic parts. So
professional phone installers avoid any phone that contains this ringer
like the plague.
Cross Bar Switch replaces the Step and Repeat Switch
Third generation switching, didn't last
that long
Electronic Switch replaces the Cross Bar switch
Forth generation, and now current,
switching.
USPTO Classification Numbers Relating to "Telephone"
Telephone .................................. 379
Answering device
Answering-recording system ......... D14 / 141
Calling number recorder ............ 379 / 142.01+
Remote inquiry ..................... 379 / 76
Sound recorder or reproducer ....... 379 / 70+
Attachment ............................. 379 / 441+
Base pad ........................... 248
Index .............................. 40 / 336+
Pad ................................ 281 / 44
Roll type pad ...................... 281 / 11
Automatic systems ...................... 379 / 258+
Call ............................... 379 / 350+
With recorded message .......... 379 / 69
Card ............................... 40 / 336+
Common control ..................... 379 / 268
Party line ......................... 379 / 182+
Booths ................................. 52 / 27+
Design ............................. D25 / 16
Movable wall ....................... 52 / 71
Calling ................................ 379 / 352+
Card attached to telephone ............. 40 / 336+
Cellular or zoned radiotelephone ....... 455 / 422.1+
Coin collectors for pay stations ....... 194
Coin operated .......................... 379 / 143+
Computerized switching ................. 379 / 284
Cordless ............................... 455 / 462+
Design ................................. D14 / 142+
Dial
Dial structure ..................... 379 / 362+
Illuminated ........................ 362 / 24
Locking ............................ 379 / 445
Pulse transmitter .................. 379 / 362+
Self luminous ...................... 40 / 337
Telephone system ................... 379 / 258
Directory .............................. 40 / 371
Earth transmission ..................... 455 / 40
Handset ................................ 379 / 433.01+
Headgear support ....................... 379 / 430
Key systems ............................ 379 / 156+
Light wave telephony ................... 398 / 132+
Lights for telephones .................. 362 / 88
Mechanical telephones .................. 181 / 138
Message counter ........................ 379 / 139
Muffler for mouthpiece ................. 181 / 242
Over composite line used for ........... 379 / 90.01+
Other services ......................... 379 / 90.01+
Pad or book holder combined ............ 248 / 441.1+
Party line ............................. 379 / 177+
Plural phone systems ................... D14 / 241
Push button call transmitters .......... 379 / 368+
Radio transmission ..................... 455
Receiver and transmitter combined ...... 379 / 433.01+
Repeaters .............................. 379 / 338+
Dial pulse ......................... 379 / 341+
Conversion ..................... 379 / 339
Voice frequency .................... 379 / 338+
Repertory dialers ...................... 379 / 355.01+
Sets ................................... 379 / 419+
Sterilizer ............................. 379 / 439
Supports ............................... 379 / 454+
Switchboard ............................ 379 / 319+
Switches ............................... 379 / 422+
Telemetry .............................. 128 / 904*
Toy telephones ......................... 446 / 141
Design ............................. D21 / 517
Train telephony ........................ 246 / 7+
Transducers ............................ 379
Class 381 Electrical Audio Signal Processing Systems and Devices
Telephone Microphone.................... 381/355
231226
Telephone Transmitter Aug 17, 1880 G. M Hopkins
381/166;
381/355
202870
Speaking-Telephone Transmitter April, 23, 1878 G. B. Richmond 381/166
652230
Art of Reducing Attenuation of Electrical Waves and Aparatus
therefor June 19, 1900 M. I. Pupin - Loading Coil
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