Telephone attachment.

Application filed June 29,1906. Serial No. 324,073.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Edward B. Thomas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and 5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

. The. present invention is in the nature of to. an index attachment for telephones and consists essentially of a peculiarly constructed case containing a number of systematically arranged cards upon which any desired data maybe placed, and provided with a bracket Ϊ5 bymeans of .which it can be readily attached totheinouth-pieceof a telephone transmitter.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character which while very compact in its structure is adapted to 2o receive a large amount of data and hold it in a classified condition so as to: be instantly accessible.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a 25 .knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

^r Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the 3° attachment applied to a telephone transmitter; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the case; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device with the cards 35 removed and the sides of, the case swung apart; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional -view through one end of the case; Fig. 6 is a, detail perspective view of one of the index cards. Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary view illustrat4° ing that end of th<? supporting bracket that is connected to the case. 1

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same 45 reference characters.

The case 1 of the attachment is shown as formed, of a single piece of sheet material and comprises essentially a front 2 and back 3 which are both, preferably, in · the form 50 of rectangular frames and connected along their lower edges by the base piece 4. The opposite ends of the front and back are formed with the extensions 5 which are bent at approximately right angles to the planes 55 of the front and back and overlap each other to form the ends of the case. A pair of ears is shown as stamped from each of the extensions 5 and bent inwardly against either the front or back, according to which of tlie members the extension 5 is made integral with. 60 These ears 6 form means for holding the cards 7 in position which fit over the openings in the front and back of the case, and which may be used for advertising pr any other desired purpose. In order to hold the members 65 of the case securely together, tongues 8 are formed along the edges of the outer extensions 5 and these tongues are adapted to enter and engage with the openings produced by cutting the ears 6 in the opposite exten- 70 sion. Flanges 9 project inwardly at the fiiouth of the case from opposite ends thereof and in the practical construction of the case, these fianges .are, preferably, made integral withthe extensions 5. A series of index cards 75 10 fit loosely within, the case 1 and are formed at their lower portions with the end extensions 11 which engage with the before mentioned inwardly extending flanges 9 to prevent the cards from being entirely withdrawn 80 from the case so as to become lost or disarranged. Tabs 12 project upwardly from the upper edges of the index cards 10 and may be lettered alphabetically or designated in any suitable manner to indicate the matter 85 upon the card. With this construction, it will be apparent that when it is desired to inspect any one of the cards, this can be readily accomplished by grasping the tab 12 upon the desired card and withdrawing the 90 said card until the end extensions 11 engage with the inwardly extending flanges 9.

The. bracket 13 by which the case 1 is held in position may be formed of the same material as that employed in the construction of 95 the case and comprises a body portion 14 provided at one end with means for attachment to the case, while the opposite end is enlarged and formed with the opening 15 adapted to receive the threaded portion of 100 the mouth-piece of an ordinary telephone transmitter. The end of the bracket 13 connected to the case 1 is reduced in width to form the oppositely disposed shoulders 16 (see Fig. 7) and split longitudinally to form 105 the tongues 17.. These two tongues 17 are passed through the slot 18 in the back 3 so that the shoulders 16 abut against the latter, and the said tongues are then bent in opposite directions at approximately right angles no to the plane of the bracket and pass through openings 19 in the front and back,respectively,

854,071 dex cards fitting loosely within the case, a bracket, one end of which is passed through the base and formed with tongues which engage with the front and back of the case, ivhile 5 5 the opposite end of the bracket js provided with means whereby it can be readily attached to a telephone transmitter.

4. In a telephone attachment, the combination of a case comprising a front and back 60 connected by ends ’and a base, a series of index cards fitting loosely within the case, and a bracket formed with shoulders toward one end thereof, the said end of the bracket being passed through the base of the case until the 65 shoulders engage therewith and then bent to form a rigid connection between the two members, the said bracket being also provided with means whereby it can be readily attached to a telephone transmitter. 70

5. In an attachment for telephones, the combination of a case comprising a front and back connected by ends and a Base, a series of index cards fitting loosely within the case, and a standard having one end thereof re- 75 duced to form shoulders, the said end being split to form tongues and passed through an opening in the base of. the case until the shoulders engage therewith, the tongues being then bent in opposite directions so as to pass 80 through openings in the front and back or the case, respectively, the said bracket being also provided with means whereby it can be readily attached to a telephone transmitter.

6. A case, comprising a front and back, 85 and a base, and angularly disposed extensions overlapping each other ana constituting ends, the extensions being provided with I stamped out ears extending inwardly therefrom, and adapted to maintain a card in 90 place in the case, said opposite or overlapping extensions being provided with tongues adapted to enter the openings formed by the stamped out ears, whereby to secure the respective extensions together. 95

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD B. THOMAS. [l. a.]

Witnesses:

Wm. R. Rose, E. T. Earley.

of the case. In-this maimer a rigid connection is formed between the two members which prevents any .front and back or side; tilting of the case.

In applying the attachment to a telephone, the threaded portion of the mouth-piece is passed through the opening 15 and the enlarged portion of the bracket clamped between the front of the transmitter and the io shoulder around the threaded portion of the mouth-piece, so as to hold the case in an upright and'readily accessible position. The formation of the index cards 10 with the end extensions 11 adapted to engage with the in15 wardly extending flanges 9 has the great advantage of preventing the cards from spilling out of the case, should the telephone be accidentally knocked over or should the mouthpiece become loosened so as to allow the case so to swing downwardly and assuine an inverted position.