Joseph John O'Connell explained

Joseph John O'Connell (1861 – 1959), 1st, was an electrical engineer and inventor. He worked for the Chicago Telephone Company (which began as the Chicago Bell Telephone, Co. in 1878 ^[1]) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He had many inventions including the circuit breaker and the coin return. He also created the "invisible wire" which was the first time more than one telephone conversation could occur on the same wire. Reference to some additional inventions are mentioned in Angus Hibbard's autobiography, Hello- Goodbye ^[2] including an electric lamp as a signal in a burglar-alarm operated by the telephone company in 1886. He was of Irish ancestry.^[3]

Inventions

O'Connell's inventions include:

• Telephone exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 417,271, dated Dec 17, 1889^[4]
• Testing apparatus for telephone exchange switches, US Patent No. 420,091, patented January 28, 1890^[5]
• Telephone-exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 430,747, dated June 24, 1890^[6]
• Telephone-exchange key board apparatus, US Patent No. 430,748, dated June 24, 1890.^[7]
• Metallic circuit test and time signal for telephone exchanges, US Patent No. 454,016, dated June 9, 1891^[8]
• Telephone switching apparatus and circuit, US Patent No. 533,015, dated January 22, 1894^[9]
• Switch and circuit for telephone exchanges, US Patent No. 515,531, dated Feb 27, 1894^[10]
• Signaling apparatus for telephone exchange circuits, US Patent No. 587,226, dated July 30, 1895^[11]
• Telephone exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 544,901, dated Aug 20,1895^[12]
• Signaling circuit, US Patent No. 555,707, dated Mar 3, 1896 (reissued Oct 20, 1897)^[13]
• Telephone trunk circuit, US Patent No. 587,226, dated July 27, 1897^[14]
• Signaling apparatus for telephone switchboards, US Patent No.652,977, dated July 3, 1900^[15]
• Apparatus for telephone switchboards, US patent No. 645,758, dated July 31, 1900^[16]
• Calling apparatus for party telephone-lines, US patent No. 647,515, dated May 21, 1901^[17]
• Coin collector for telephone toll lines, US Patent No. 704,268, dated July 8, 1902^[18]
• Cable terminal, US Patent No. 727, 829, dated May 12, 1903^[19]
• Telephone exchange system, US Patent No. 730,291, dated June 9, 1903^[20]
• Busy test apparatus for telephone switchboards, US Patent No. 736,002, dated Aug 11, 1903^[21]
• Earth or ground wire attachment, US Patent No. 762,341, dated June 14, 1904^[22]
• Apparatus for amplifying or reinforcing telephone currents, US Patent No, 760,143, dated May 17, 1904^[23]

Family

Grandson, Joseph John O'Connell 3rd, was a sculptor, print maker, photographer, artist-in-residence and teacher at CSB/SJU from 1962 to 1995.^[24]

References

1. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2715.html Illinois Bell Telephone Co
2. Hibbard, Angus: Hello- Goodbye, My Story of Telephone Pioneering pages 183, 201, &203. A.C. McClurg & Co. 1941.
3. Web site: Long-distance memories rush back to O’Connell - The Newsleaders . 2023-10-21 . en-US.
4. Web site: Telephone exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 417,271. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
5. Web site: J.J. O'Connell. Testing Apparatus for Telephone Exchange Switches. United States Patent Office.
6. Web site: Telephone-exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 430,747. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
7. Web site: Telephone-exchange key board apparatus, US Patent No. 430,748. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
8. Web site: Metallic circuit test and time signal for telephone exchanges, US Patent No. 454,016. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
9. Web site: Telephone Switching Apparatus and Circuit. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
10. Web site: Switch and circuit for telephone exchanges, US Patent No. 515,531. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
11. Web site: Signaling apparatus for telephone exchange circuits, US Patent No. 587,226. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
12. Web site: Telephone exchange apparatus, US Patent No. 544,901. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
13. Web site: Signaling circuit, US Patent No. 555,707. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
14. Web site: Telephone trunk circuit, US Patent No. 587,226. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
15. Web site: Signaling apparatus for telephone switchboards, US Patent No.652,977. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
16. Web site: Apparatus for telephone switchboards, US patent No. 645,758. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
17. Web site: Calling apparatus for party telephone-lines, US patent No. 647,515. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
18. Web site: Coin collector for telephone toll lines, US Patent No. 704,268. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
19. Web site: Cable terminal, US Patent No. 727, 829. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
20. Web site: Telephone exchange system, US Patent No. 730,291. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
21. Web site: Busy test apparatus for telephone switchboards, US Patent No. 736,002. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
22. Web site: Earth or ground wire attachment, US Patent No. 762,341. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
23. Web site: Apparatus for amplifying or reinforcing telephone currents, US Patent No, 760,143. O'Connell. Joseph John. United States Patent Office.
24. Web site: The Joe O'Connell Collection – CSB/SJU. www.csbsju.edu. 2016-12-07.