Telephone operating device for disabled persons

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT INCLUDING A BASE HAVING THEREON A PUSHBUTTON OPERABLE WHEN DEPRESSED TO REMOVE SAID TELEPHONE FROM SERVICE AND WHEN RELEASED TO PLACE SAID TELEPHONE IN SERVICE, AND A DIAL CAPABLE OF BEING TURNED TO CONNECT THE TELEPHONE USER WITH THE CENTRAL OFFICE OPERATOR, A TELEPHONE OPERATING DEVICE FOR USE BY A DISABLED PERSON, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A CASE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID INSTRUMENT BASE, (B) ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED OPERATION MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE AND OPERABLE ON SUCCESSSIVE ACTUATIONS TO PERFORM, IN A CONTIONUSLY REPEATED SEQUENCE, THE FUNCTIONS OF FIRST RELEASING SAID PUSHBOTTON, SECOND TURNING SAID DIAL TO CONNECT THE USER WITH THE CENTRAL OFFICE OPERATOR, AND THIRD TO DEPRESS SAID PUSHBUTTON, (C) AN ACTUATING SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY A DISABLED PERSON, (D) AN OPPERATIVE CIRCUIT INCLUDING A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER, SAID OPERATING MEANS, AND SAID ACTUATING SWITCH (E) A BY-PASS SWITCH IN SAID OPERATIVE CIRCUIT AND OPERABLE WHEN CLOSED TO COMPLETE SAID CIRCUIT INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID ACTUATING SWITCH, AND (F) MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID OPERATING MEANS TO CLOSE SAID BY-PASS SWITCH AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OF SAID FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY SAID OPERATING MEANS, AND TO OPEN SAID BY-PASS SWITCH UPON COMPLETION OF EACH SAID FUNCTION.