Anti-vandalism arrangement for protecting the touch calling unit of a coin telephone

• US 4,160,136 A
• Filed: 05/25/1978
• Issued: 07/03/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quadrum SA de CV
• Original Assignee: GTE Automatic Electric Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: McGough, Gerald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US05/909,739
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 179/184, 179/178, 179/179, 179/158 R, 179/90 K, 179/6.3 R, 200/333, 200/334, 200/304, 200/159 R, 200/340, 200/DIG. 25
• US Class Current: 379/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/038 Anti-vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

An arrangement for protecting the touch calling unit and associated pushbuttons of a coin telephone, wherein the arrangement consists of metal pushbuttons interchangeable with the touch calling units standard pushbuttons and a decorative shield plate. The pushbuttons include a rectangular operating member of a reduced size, extending from an upper section of each pushbutton. The shield plate include protective collars, adapted to encompass the pushbutton operating member.

Claims

1. Anti-vandalism means for use on a telephone station apparatus including an external casing, said casing including a plurality of apertures therein, a touch calling unit mounted internally within said casing and including guide collars each extending thru a different one of said apertures, and a plurality of cavities each in alignment with said guide collars, said anti-vandalism means comprising:

a plurality of pushbuttons each slidably mounted within one of said cavities and moveable between an extended position and a depressed position and normally biased toward said extended position, said pushbuttons each including an upper section, said upper section arranged in a L-shaped structure including a horizontal stop member having a top surface and an operating member vertically oriented and perpendicular to said stop member top surface extending outward from a portion of said upper section;

a shield plate including a plurality of apertures therein adapted to be mounted on said telephone station apparatus casing in alignment with said touch calling unit guide collars, said shield plate apertures including protective portions arranged to encompass each of said operating members and said operating members extending outward of said protective portions;

whereby said touch calling unit is operable by application of normal manual pressure to said operating members and said touch calling unit is protected from application of excessive mechanical pressure to said operating members.

2. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said stop member top surface is arranged as an inclined plane.

3. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said stop member further includes a bottom surface and said touch calling unit includes a base, said pushbutton including a lower section generally square in cross section and extending downwardly from a portion of said stop member bottom surface, said lower section including a bottom surface with a centrally located bore therein arranged to except within said bore a spring member, said spring member bearing against said touch calling unit base and biasing said pushbutton upwardly.

4. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said pushbutton further includes a flange intermediate said upper section and said lower section extending peripherally of said pushbutton.

5. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said pushbutton is a one-piece unitary structure composed of a rigid and inflexible material.

6. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said shield plate includes a top surface and a bottom surface, said protective portions comprising a plurality of vertically oriented walls encompassing each of said shield plate apertures and extending outwardly from said top surface to a predetermined height, adapted to accept said pushbutton operating member therein, said operating member top surface extending outward of said walls to a predetermined height.

7. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 6, wherein:

two of said plurality of walls, parallel and in spatial relation to each other include central portions of their walls oriented downwardly and generally concave in cross section.

8. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said guide collars include a planar top surface, said shield plate bottom surface including planar portions arranged to be mounted on said telephone apparatus casing, and recessed portions encompassing each of said shield plate apertures forming shoulders therein, said recessed portions adapted to provide a slip fit over said guide collars, with said guide collars top surface engaging said shoulders.

9. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 8, wherein:

said shield plate bottom surface includes a portion of said bottom surface adjacent to said shield plate apertures and encompassed by said shoulders arranged in an inclined planar surface adapted to engage said pushbutton stop member top surface and limit the extended position of said pushbutton.

10. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said shield plate bottom surface further includes mounting means for rigidly fixing said shield plate to said telephone station apparatus casing.

11. Anti-vandalism means as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said shield plate is a one-piece unitary structure composed of a rigid and inflexible material.