US2316540A - Telephone sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1943. G. 1.. DANLEY ETAL TELEPHOfiE STERILI ZER Filed March 13, 1.941

'INVENTOR. GAIL L. flA/YLL). BY ALVl/Y Go/wo/y.

A TTORHEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1943 TELEPHONE STERILIZER Gail L. Danley and Alvin J. Gordon Denver, 0010.

Application March 13, 1941, Serial No. 383,126

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic telephone sterilizer and has for its principal object that it will automatically come into operation whenever the telephone is not in use. and will cease operation while the telephone is in use; to provide a combined telephone base and sterilizer which will not require any attachment of any nature to the telephone or its associated apparatus; which will not interfere in any way with the normal use of the phone; and which can be quickly adapted for either right or left hand use.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference'is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numorals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking at the rear of a typical telephone, illustrating the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved telephone base and sterilizer with the phone removed therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross section therethrough, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a. detail section, taken on the line 5--5, Fig. 2, illustrating the automatic switching arrangement.

In the drawing a typical telephone is illustrated at 12 and the hand set thereof at M with its transmitter at l5 and receiver at Hi.

The improved telephone stand and sterilizer consists of a base box "I in which is a floor plate ll. The floor plate is positioned intermediate the top and bottom of the box l so as to provide a socket in the top of the box for receiving the base of the telephone l2 and to provide an enclosed housing below the floor for the reception of a suitable transformer I3.

When the hand set M is in place on the telephone, the transmitter l over-hangs one side of the base box l0. At that side of the box In, a lamp housing I] is secured in any suitable mannot such as by means of bolts It. The lamp housing I1 is provided with a lamp receptacle l9 at one extremity from which a tubular Sterilamp" 2!! projects.

Immediately below the transmitter 15, the light housing I! is provided with a light opening 2| through which the rays of light from the lamp 20 are thrown into the transmitter [5. A shielding sleeve 22 extends upwardly about the opening 20 to a position immediately below the transmitter i5 so as to prevent stray rays from being thrown to any other position than into the transmitter.

The lamp 20 is operated by current from the transformer l3 through suitable conductors 24.

' Current is fed into the transformer through a flexible cord 23.

As thus far described, the device makes a highly efficient mouthpiece sterilizer for the telephone. Each time that the hand set is replaced, the transmitter thereof will be positioned immediately over the germicidal rays being emitted by the lamp 20 so that the mouthpiece will be effectively and completely sterilized.

Some telephone users prefer to have the transmitter positioned to the right of the telephone set and others prefer it to the left. This device can be adapted for either preference by simply removing the lamp housing I! from one side and placing it on the other side of the box II].

It is preferred to provide means to extinguish the lamp while the phone is in use so as to prevent the light rays from striking the eyes of the phone user. When desired, this is accomplished by means of a mercury switch tube 25 in the electric circuit of the lamp 2D. The tube 25 is mounted in the usual retaining yoke 26 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 21. An arm 28 extends from the yoke 26 outwardly and upwardly in the light opening 2| to a point where it will be contacted by the transmitter 15. A suitable spring 29 urges the arm 28 upwardly towards the transmitter.

Thus, whenever the hand set is replaced on the phone, the pressure of the transmitter on the arm 28 will tilt the mercury switch to. cause the mercury to close the circuit therein to the lamp 20, and whenever the hand set is removed, the spring will tilt the mercury switch back to break the circuit.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: c 4

1. A telephone sterilizing device comprising: a base for supporting a telephone; a raised rim on said base to engage and accurately position the telephone thereon; a lamp housing secured to one side of said base; a sterilizing lamp in said housing; an opening in the top of said housing in alignment with the normal, at-rest position of the transmitter of said telephone; and an enclosing shield extending upwardly about said opening to confine light rays emitted through said opening to the area of said transmitter.

2. A telephone sterilizing device comprising: a base for supporting a telephone; a raised rim on said base to engage and accurately position the telephone thereon; a lamp housing secured to one side of said base; a sterilizing lamp in said housing; an opening in the top of said housing in alignment with the normal, at-rest position of the transmitter of said telephone; and an enclosing shield extending upwardly about said opening to confine light rays emitted through said opening to the area of said transmitter, said lamp housing being interchangeable to either side of said bue so that the transmitter may be placed on either side of said phone.

3. A telephone sterilizer comprising: a sterilizing lamp; means for supporting said lamp in juxta-position to the mouthpiece of a telephone so that the rays of the lamp will enter the mouthpiece thereof; a tilting mercury switch in circuit with said lamp; a tilting arm extending from said switch to a position in the path of the telephone transmitter as it approaches its "at rest position so that the weight 01' the transmitter will tilt the switch to close a circuit to said lamp.

. 4. A telephone sterilizer comprising: a sterilizing lamp; means for supporting said lamp in juxta-position to the mouthpiece of a telephone so that the rays of the lamp will enter the mouthpiece thereof; a switch in circuit with said lamp; and a contact device for operating said switch, said device extending to a position to be contacted by said transmitter when the latter is in the at-rest position on said phone.

GAIL L. DANLEY. ALVIN J. GORDON.

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