A NEW TELEPHONE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7636, 9 August 1886, Page 3

A NEW TELEPHONE.

Some two years ago Mr I'arnell Uablnclgo, n young man whoso hobby was electrical Bcionct. iua<lu a iliacovcny whicli lius since boon Collov,i:d up with such ronmrkabli! success that it hiis utconsiderablo iittuntiou thoroughout tile coloiiien and even in Great Britain, iiinl now biiln fair tc> elt'cct soniowlmt of a revolution in telephony. Tho discovery consisted ol' Uio upplicati'jii of n iiiimji-aioreUiiownas chaluo pyiitis, which AH' U.ibbidgt; siiw for tho lirst time in Nelson. .Uitimrto invunlors hail iliscovoroil nothing but oiu'buu wliich oouUl be used with aiiything liko Biiccuss in telephonic transmission,bnttho result of the early exporiments made; by lUr Ktibbidgo jirovurl conclusively that tin; metallic ore could be usud in place of the clirbon with <n'c:n better results. Mr liabbidge joined in partnership with MrUuatavol)ilbui'(f, ami tho two lit once proceeded to carry tbu discovery to a practical issue. Considerable dillieulty wan, however, experienced in constructing a telephone which would not in any way infringo existing patents, but nt length their efforts were crowneil with success, and, iil'ter a good deal of patient labour, and tho expenditure of a considerable sum of money, a patent was taken out for the invention in March 18S5. Messrs Miles and Co., a London (inn, on hearing of tho iiivciition.'nt once agreed to take it in hand, and Mr Kabbidgo was engaged to proceed to London, tho (inn showing their con(i,lence in the invention by paying him all his expenses and a regular salary besides. The invention is only applied to tht! transmitter, which is really a very simple and neatly finished contrivance, occupying less space than a small teacup. The diaphragm, or vibrating plate as it is called by tho patentees, is made of ferotype iron. Just behind this vibrating plate are two smajl platinised plates at either end of an indiarubber tube, about half an inch long and somewhat less in diameter. The plate newest the diaphragm is connected with it by means of a thin wire, and the other plate connects with the lino wire. Tho mineral ore (which is composed of copper, iron, and sulphur) is contained in granular form in the indiarubber tube between the two platinised plates, the pressure being regulated by an adjusting screw. On Saturday morning Mi'Dilberg, in company with a brother of the inventor, met with Mr Logan at the Dunedin telegraph station and conducted experiments with the new transmitter between Duiit'diu and Christchurch. Notwithstanding the extremely unsatisfactory state of tho weather, the test was a remarkable success, a distinct conversation being easily kept up with Mr Meddings in tho Chriitchurch office. The first experiment was with a battery of ten Daniel cells at each end, and fair results tfere obtained. Experiments were then conducted with from five to ten cells added with thoroughly satisfactory results, the conversation being even more distinctly heard than would have been the case with the local telephones in such a state of the weather. Forty cell batteries were then tried but were found to be too strong, tho best results being obtained with batteries of from 15 to 20 cells—much less than would be required for telegraphy on such a wet day. The invention evidently will prove of great benefit to commerco. Hitherto tho longest practical distance in England has been regarded as about 40 or 50 miles, though sometimes communication has been held over a distance of a thousand miles, but this was only with specially constructed instruments tried under the most favourable circumstances. Judging by the results of yesterday's experiments, howler, there seems no reason why the business people of cities as far distant as Dunedin and Christchurch should not be connected in the ordinary way by telephone. Messrs Rabbirigo and Dilberg have tested their talepphone successfully up to 3000 miles by means of artificial resistance, though of course it would not work successfully over such a distance on an ordinary hue. Already the invention has been patented iii all the European countries as well as in America, the Australian colonies, ludia, and Canada, so that wo will probably hear more of it before long. It even bids fair to break down the monopoly held in Great Britain by the United Telephone Company, who hold tho patent rights of Addison's carbon invention. The next experiment in NewZealand will be from Wellington to Nelson with the Cook Strait cable.