chapter iv., page 62, Fig. 8. A telephone coil for moderately

long-distance circuits is made on a wooden spool turned from a piece of wood three inches and a half long and one inch square, as shown at Fig. 19. The core-sheath is turned down so that it is about one-sixteenth of an inch thick. This spool is given a coat or two of shellac, and two holes are made at each end, as shown in the drawing. The first winding or primary coil is made up of two layers of No. 20 double-insulated copper wire, one end projecting from a hole at one end of the spool, the other from a hole at the other end. This coil is given two or three thin coats of shellac to bind the strands of wire and thoroughly insulate them, and over the layer a piece of paper is to be wrapped and shellacked. The secondary coil is made up of twelve layers of No. 34 silk-insulated copper wire, and between each layer a sheet of paper should be wound so that it will make two complete wraps. Each paper separator should be given a coat of shellac or hot paraffine; then the turns of wire should be continued just as thread is wound upon a spool, smoothly, closely, and evenly, until the last wrap is on. Three or four wraps of paper should be fastened on the coil to protect it, and it may then be screwed fast inside a box. The core-hole within the coil should be packed with lengths of No. 24 soft Swedes iron wire three inches and a half long. In Fig. 19 the wires are shown projecting from the end of a spool, and Fig. 20 depicts a completed telephone induction-coil. The installation of the induction-coils is shown in Fig. 21.

The wiring is comparatively simple, and may be easily followed if the description and plan are constantly consulted when setting up the line. R and R 2 are the receivers, T and T 2 the transmitters, C 1 and C 2 the batteries, E B and E B 2 the buzzers or bells, P B and P B 2 the push-buttons, and L S and L S 2 the lever-switches. For convenience of illustration the induction-coils are separated. The primary coil (P C) is indicated by the heavy spring line and the secondary coil (S C) by the fine spring line. When the line is “dead” both receivers are hanging from the hooks of the lever-switches. If the boy at the left wishes to call the boy at the right he lifts the receiver (R) from the hook (L S) and presses the button (P B). This throws the battery (C 1 C 1 C 1) in circuit with lines Nos. 1 and 2, and operates the buzzer (E B 2). When the boy at the right lifts his receiver (R 2) from the hook (L S 2), the bell circuit is cut out and the ’phone circuit is cut in. When the lever-switches are drawn up against the contact-springs (A, B, and C and A A, B B, and C C), both batteries are thrown into circuit with the transmitters at their respective ends through the primary coils (P C and P C 2). By inductance through the secondary coils (S C and S C 2), lines Nos. 1 and 2 are electrified, and when the voice strikes the disks in the transmitters the same tone and vibration is heard through the receivers at the other end of the line. While conversation is going on the batteries at either end are being drawn upon or depleted; but as soon as the receivers are hung on the hooks and the lever-switches are drawn away from the contact-springs, the flow of current is stopped. The buzzers or bells consume but a small amount of current when operated, and in dry cells the active parts recuperate quickly and depolarize. The greatest drain on a battery, therefore, is when the line is closed for conversation.

An Installation Plan

A simple manner in which to install this apparatus in boxes is shown in Fig. 22. The box is depicted with the front opened and with the receiver hanging on the hook. When the lever-switch (L S) is down it rests on the contact-spring (A), thus throwing in the bell circuit. When the boy at the other end of the line pushes the button on his box it operates the buzzer (E B). This can be understood by following with a pointer the wires from the buzzer to the outlet-posts (Nos. 1 and 3) at the bottom of the wall-plate.

When the receiver (R) is lifted from the hook (L S), it cuts out the bell circuit and cuts in the telephone circuit, through the spring-contacts (B and C). This circuit may easily be followed through the wires connecting transmitter, receiver, induction-coil, and batteries. The heavy lines leading out from the induction-coil are the primary coil wires, and the fine hair lines are those forming the secondary coil. The medium lines are those that connect the binding-posts, batteries, and lines.

When the bell circuit is connected the impulse coming from the other end of the line enters through wire No. 10 to post No. 3, thence to strip E and plate G, and so on to E B, which it operates. The current then passes from E B to contact A, through L S to post No. 1, and out on wire No. 11.

To operate the buzzer at other end of the line the button (P B) is pushed in. This moves the spring (E) away from the plate (G), and brings it into contact with F. This connects the circuit through the battery wire (No. 8) to post No. 1 to line No. 11 without going into the box, and from wire No. 9 to post No. 2; thence to hinge No. 7 to plate F, through E, down to post No. 3, and out through wire No. 10. In this manner the current is taken from the batteries at the foot of wires Nos. 8 and 9, and used to ring the buzzer at the other end of the line.

When the hook (L S) is up the circuit is closed through T, I C, and battery. The current runs from the battery through wire No. 8 to post No. 1, to L S, through C and primary coil out to hinge No. 6, through transmitter to hinge No. 7, to post No. 2, and back to battery through wire No. 9.

By inductance the sound is carried over the line, in at wire No. 10, to post No. 3, through secondary coil to post No. 4, through receiver R to post No. 5, through B and L S to post No. 1, and out through wire No. 11. At the other end of the line it goes through the same parts of the apparatus.

A Portable Apparatus

For convenience it is often desirable to have a portable transmitter, and so avoid the inconvenience of having to stand while speaking. A neat portable apparatus that will stand on a ledge or table, and which may be moved about within the radius of the connecting lines, is shown in Fig. 23.

The wooden base is four inches square and the upright one inch and a half square. The stand is twelve inches high over all, and on the bottom a plate of iron or lead must be screwed fast to make it bottom-heavy, so that it will not topple over.

The lever-switch may be arranged at the back of the upright and the push-button at the front near the base, as shown at A. The wall-box contains the buzzer and induction-coil, and within it the wiring is arranged from the portable stand to the batteries and line as shown at C. This illustration is too small, however, to show the complete wiring, and the young electrician is therefore referred to Fig. 22. The battery (B) is composed of as many dry or wet cells as may be required to operate the line. These must be connected in series at both ends. At D a rear view of the upright and transmitter is shown to illustrate the manner in which the wiring can be done. If a hollow upright is made of four thin pieces of wood a much neater appearance may be secured by enclosing the wires.

In all of these telephone systems one wire must lead to the ground, or be connected with a water-pipe, taking care, however, to solder the wire to a galvanized pipe so that perfect contact will be the result. If the wire is carried directly to the ground it must be attached to a plate, which in turn is buried deep enough to reach moist earth, as described in the chapter on Line and Wireless Telegraphs, page 215.

Care and accuracy will lead to success in telephony, but one slip or error will throw the best system out of order and render it useless. This, indeed, applies to all electrical apparatus; there can be no half-way; it will either work or it won’t.