Ringer box
Encyclopedia
The ringer box is an external phone ringer housed in a bell box
or subscriber set, and was used with most early desk stand type phones including the candlestick telephone
s, and the Western Electric
model 102
and 202
telephones, which were too small to hold a ringer or other needed electrical parts inside. A subscriber set (or "subset") also includes an induction coil
, capacitor
, and magneto generator (if required). The ringer box alerts the call recipient to any incoming calls by electrically ringing
one or more metallic bell
s creating a ringtone.
In 1937, the Western Electric Model 302 telephone
was the first widely-used Bell System phone to include the phone ringer and subscriber set inside in the same housing as the telephone set. With phone technology improvements, a ringer box was no longer needed.
Almost all telephones manufactured since the Model 302 telephone was introduced, have an internal phone ringer.
and several minor regional manufacturers. The case of the ringer box was made with wood
, metal
, and/or plastic
.
Refurbished ringer boxes are sold online for antique candlestick, cradle, and pay phones.
Bell box
A bell box is an electronic audible device, when activated, makes a chime, bell, or buzzer sound.- Components :The housing for the bell box can be made of wood, metal, and/or plastic. The basic core component of a conventional bell box is an electromagnet and a bell or piece of metal that will make...
or subscriber set, and was used with most early desk stand type phones including the candlestick telephone
Candlestick telephone
The candlestick telephone is a style of telephone that was common from the late 1890s to the 1930s.-History:Also known as a desk stand, upright, or a stick phone, it came with or without a rotary dial, and with a ringer box...
s, and the Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
model 102
Model 102 telephone
The Model 102 telephone was Western Electric's first widely distributed telephone set to feature the transmitter and receiver in a common handset. Prior models had been of the "candlestick" type, which featured a transmitter fixed to the base, and a receiver held to the ear...
and 202
Model 202 telephone
The Model 202 telephone was a desktop telephone produced by Western Electric from 1930 through 1936. It was a modified version of the Model 102, and contained newly created anti-sidetone circuitry to prevent audio from the earpiece from being picked up by the mouthpiece, which would result in an...
telephones, which were too small to hold a ringer or other needed electrical parts inside. A subscriber set (or "subset") also includes an induction coil
Induction coil
An induction coil or "spark coil" is a type of disruptive discharge coil. It is a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply...
, capacitor
Capacitor
A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field. The forms of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric ; for example, one common construction consists of metal foils separated...
, and magneto generator (if required). The ringer box alerts the call recipient to any incoming calls by electrically ringing
Ringing (telephony)
A ringing signal operates a bell or other ringtone generator in a telephone, to alert the user to an incoming telephone call.Telephone bells or ringtones are rung by impressing a 105-volt RMS 20-Hertz sine wave across the tip and ring conductors of the subscriber line. This signal is produced by a...
one or more metallic bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s creating a ringtone.
In 1937, the Western Electric Model 302 telephone
Model 302 telephone
The Model 302 telephone subscriber set was manufactured by Western Electric from 1937; manufacture of entirely new units was ceased after the introduction of the Model 500, but Model 302 units were continually remanufactured as such at least until 1958, and as the Model 5302 telephone which was...
was the first widely-used Bell System phone to include the phone ringer and subscriber set inside in the same housing as the telephone set. With phone technology improvements, a ringer box was no longer needed.
How It Works
The ringer box would consist of bells, and an electromagnetically-driven clapper. The AC electrical ringing signal powered the electromagnet which would rapidly move and release the clapper, striking the bells, and producing a distinctive ringing sound.Almost all telephones manufactured since the Model 302 telephone was introduced, have an internal phone ringer.
Manufacture
The original main producers of ringer boxes were Western Electric, KelloggKellogg Switchboard & Supply Company
Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company was a major manufacturer of telephone exchange equipment. It was founded in Chicago, Illinois, by Milo G. Kellogg, an electrical engineer...
and several minor regional manufacturers. The case of the ringer box was made with wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
, and/or plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
.
Refurbished ringer boxes are sold online for antique candlestick, cradle, and pay phones.