Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
178
Bell
patented
his
speaking
telephone
in
the
United
States
at
the
beginning
of
1876,
and
by
a
strange
coincidence,
Mr.
Elisha
Gray
applied
on
the
same
day
for
another
patent
of
a
similar
kind.
Gray's
transmitter
is
supposed
to
have
been
suggested
by
the
very
old
device
known
as
the
'lovers'
telephone,'
in
which
two
diaphragms
are
joined
by
a
taut
string,
and
in
speaking
against
one
the
voice
is
conveyed
through
the
string,
solely
by
mechanical
vibration,
to
the
other.
Gray
employed
electricity,
and
varied
the
strength
of
the
current
in
conformity
with
the
voice
by
causing
the
diaphragm
in
vibrating
to
dip
a
metal
probe
attached
to
its
centre
more
or
less
deep
into
a
well
of
conducting
liquid
in
circuit
with
the
line.
As
the
current
passed
from
the
probe
through
the
liquid
to
the
line
a
greater
or
less
thickness
of
liquid
intervened
as
the
probe
vibrated
up
and
down,
and
thus
the
strength
of
the
current
was
regulated
by
the
resistance
offered
to
the
passage
of
the
current.
His
receiver
was
an
electro-magnet
having
an
iron
plate
as
an
armature
capable
of
vibrating
under
the
attractions
of
the
varying
current.
But
Gray
allowed
his
idea
to
slumber,
whereas
Bell
continued
to
perfect
his
apparatus.
However,
when
Bell
achieved
an
unmistakable
success,
Gray
brought
a
suit
against
him,
which
resulted
in
a
compromise,
one
public
company
acquiring
both
patents.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
