scotianostra:On February 14th 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone, patent no. 174461.W
scotianostra:On February 14th 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone, patent no. 174461.Within hours that same day, Elisha Gray filed a caveat on the concept of a telephone transmitter and receiver. A caveat was a confidential, formal declaration by an inventor to the U.S. Patent Office of an intent to file a patent on an idea yet to be perfected; it was intended to prevent the idea from being used by other inventors. At this point neither Gray nor Bell had yet constructed a working telephone that could convey speech. On the basis of its earlier filing time, Bell’s patent application was allowed over Gray’s caveat.On March 7 the same year, Bell was awarded U.S. patent 174,465., as seen in the second pic. This patent is often referred to as the most valuable ever issued by the U.S. Patent Office, as it described not only the telephone instrument but also the concept of a telephone system. It wasn’t till March 10, 1876, the first telephone call was made by Bell to his assistant Thomas Watson, which Bell transcribed in his lab notes as “Mr. Watson—come here—I want to see you.” The first public demonstrations of the telephone followed shortly afterward. -- source link