Telephone answering device

Claim 2

In an answering device for a telephone having a handset, a base for holding the handset, and cradleswitch means adjacent the top of the base biased to one position where it projects upwardly from the base, and having another position where it is retracted into the base, said answering device including a housing adapted to be seated on and supported by said base: cradling means formed in said housing for receiving the handset with the housing seated in operative position on said base; and adjusting means mounted on said housing for adjusting the position of said cradleswitch means with the handset placed in and removed from said cradling means comprising: a movable actuator bar disposed over and operable to engage said cradleswitch means with the housing seated on said base, a movable handset support including a substantially planar deck portion extending substantially completely across the width of the housing adjacent said cradling means, said deck portion being positioned to be engaged by the handset with such received in the cradling means, and being constructed to provide the sole vertical support for a handset so received; means operatively interposed between said handset support and actuator bar operable to shift said actuator bar downwardly against said cradleswitch means to place the same in its said other position with the handset received in said cradling means and supported by said support, and with the housing seated on said base; and continually acting lifting means operatively interposed between said actuator bar and said housing and exerting an upward pull on said actuator bar operable, on the handset being removed from said cradling means and with the housing seated on said base, to lift the actuator bar away from the cradleswitch means thereby releasing the same and providing clearance thereabove enabling the cradleswitch means freely to move and to assume its said one position.

Claim 3

The answering device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting means further comprises power operated means operatively connected to said actuator bar operable, on being energized and with the handset received in the cradling means and the housing seated on said base, to lift said bar away from said cradleswitch means thereby to permit the cradleswitch means to assume its said one position without removal of the handset from the cradling means.

Claim 4

The answering device of claim 1, wherein the means operatively interposed between said handset support and said actuator bar comprises a pair of springs under compression supported on said bar and supporting opposite sides of said deck portion.

Claim 5

The answering device of claim 3 wherein said lifting means comprises a pair of springs under tension disposed above said actuator bar.

Claim 6

The answering device of claim 4, wherein the springs in said first-mentioned pair of springs are stiffer than the springs in said second-mentioned pair of springs.

Claim 7

The answering device of claim 2, wherein said power operated means comprises a Solenoid disposed over said actuator bar, and a movable member anchored to said bar which is acted upon and drawn upwardly by the magnetic field produced by said solenoid upon energizing thereof.

Claim 8

The answering device of claim 6, wherein said solenoid is disposed below said deck portion in said handset support, and which further comprises a member anchored to said deck portion which member is positioned to be acted upon and urged downwardly by said magnetic field.

Claim 9

For a telephone having a handset including transmitting and receiving transducers, a base for holding the handset, and cradleswitch means adjacent the top of the base biased to one position where it projects upwardly from the base and having another position where it is retracted into the base, an answering device including a housing adapted to be seated on and supported by said base with the handset removed, said device comprising: cradling means formed in said housing for receiving the handset with the housing seated in operative position on said base; communication means mounted on said housing directly adjacent at least one of said transducers for communicating with the transducer when the handset is received in said cradling means; and and adjusting means mounted on said housing for adjusting the position of said cradleswitch means with the handset placed in and removed from said cradling means comprising: a movable actuator bar disposed over and operable to engage said cradleswitch means with the housing seated on said base; a movable handset support including a substantially planar deck portion extending substantially completely across the width of the device adjacent said cradling means, said deck portion being positioned to be engaged by the handset with such received in said cradling means, and being constructed to provide the sole vertical support for a handset so received; means operatively interposed between said handset support and actuator bar operable to shift said actuator bar downwardly against said cradleswitch means to place the same in its said other position with the handset received in said cradling means and supported by said handset support, and with the housing seated on said base; continually acting lifting means operatively interposed between said actuator bar and said housing and exerting an upward pull on said actuator bar operable, on the handset being removed from said cradling means and with the housing seated on said base, to lift the actuator bar away from the cradleswitch means thereby releasing the same and providing clearance thereabove enabling the cradleswitch means freely to move and to assume its said one position; and power operated means operatively connected to said actuator bar operable, on being energized and with the handset received in the cradling means and said housing seated on said base, to lift said bar away from said cradleswitch means thereby to permit the cradleswitch means to assume its said one position without removal of the handset from the cradling means.

Claim 10

For a telephone having a handset including transmitting and receiving transducers, a base for holding the handset, and cradleswitch means adjacent the top of the base biased to one position where it projects upwardly from the base and having another position where it is retracted into the base, an answering device including a housing adapted to be seated on and supported by said base with the handset removed, said device comprising: cradling means formed in said housing for receiving the handset with the housing seated in operative position on said base; communication means mounted on said housing directly adjacent at least one of said transducers for communicating with the transducer when the handset is received in said cradling means; and and adjusting means mounted on said housing for adjusting the position of said cradleswitch means with the handset placed in and removed from said cradling means comprising: a movable actuator bar disposed over and operable to engage said cradleswitch means with the housing seated on said base; a movable handset support including a substantially planar deck portion extending substantially completely across the width of the device adjacent said cradling means, said deck portion being positioned to be engaged by the handset with such received in said cradling means, and being constructed to provide the sole vertical support for a handset so received; means operatively interposed between said handset support and actuator bar operable to shift said actuator bar downwardly against said cradleswitch means to place the same in its said other position with the handset received in said cradling means and supported by said handset support, and with the housing seated on said base; continually acting lifting means operatively interposed between said actuator bar and said housing and exerting an upward pull on said actuator bar operable, on the handset being removed from said cradling means and with the housing seated on said base, to lift the actuator bar away from the cradleswitch means thereby releasing the same and providing clearance thereabove enabling the cradleswitch means freely to move and to assume its said one position; and power operated means operatively connected to said actuator bar operable, on being energized and with the handset received in the cradling means and said housing seated on said base, to lift said bar away from said cradleswitch means thereby to permit the cradleswitch means to assume its said one position without removal of the handset from the cradling means.