US 4,790,008 A · Telephone line switch apparatus

Abstract

A telephone stand has a housing with a cradle in its top for a handset adapted when placed in the cradle to depress a pair of laterally spaced plungers passing through holes in the housing down into its interior. A line switch is disposed in the housing below and laterally between the plungers. The plungers are coupled to the switch by a Y-shaped piston comprising a crosshead spanning the lateral spacing between the plungers, a pair of tines projecting upwards from laterally opposite ends of the crosshead and having vertical bores therein in which lower portions of the plungers are received, and a laterally central stem extending down from the crosshead and having camming surfaces thereon adapted upon downward displacement of the piston (by downward driving of either of both of the plungers) to wedgingly displace resilient blades in the switch to change switch conditions thereof. A spring passes up through a hollow in the stem to urge the piston upwards and impart to it a floating support which is stabilized by the plunger portions in the tine bores. The tines have upwardly and outwardly facing "L" shaped notches formed in their upper ends to prevent jamming of the downward displacement of the piston when only one of the plungers is driven down.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Apparatus comprising:

a telephone stand having a housing with a cradle on its top for a telephone handset, a pair of vertically movable laterally-spaced plungers passing from said cradle through holes in said housing down into its interior, a line switch in said housing below said plungers, vertically movable piston means disposed in said interior between said plungers and switch and adapted by a force coupled relation with each to be driven downward in response to downward driving of said plungers so to actuate said switch, and a pair of coupling means respective to said plungers and coupling them to parts of said piston means to provide guided positioning by said plungers of said parts as said piston means moves vertically in said housing, said pair of coupling means comprising separate parts of said piston means disposed on laterally opposite sides of said piston means and having formed therein respective vertical passages into which are received respective portions of said plungers extending into the interior of said housing.

Apparatus comprising:

a telephone stand having a housing with a cradle on its top for a telephone handset, a pair of vertically movable laterally-spaced plungers passing from said cradle through holes in said housing down into its interior, a line switch in said housing below said plungers, vertically movable piston means disposed in said interior between said plungers and switch and adapted by a force coupled relation with each thereof, said piston means being responsive to downward driving of either or both of said plungers to undergo a downward displacement operable to actuate said line switch to change switch conditions thereof, reactive means for opposing such downward displacement by exerting on such piston means an upward force adapted when either of said plungers is driven downward without the other being so driven to produce on said piston means a moment of force causing angular tilting in the lateral-vertical plane, and tilt counteracting means precluding jamming by said angular tilting of said downward displacement of said piston means, laterally spaced parts of said piston means having formed therein respective vertical passages in which are received portions of said plungers, and in which such received plunger portions guidably position said parts of said piston means in the course of its vertical movement in said housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Telephone line switch apparatus

Life of this patent

Telephone line switch apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9