North Phone makes no sense

[HowardPgh]

I have a bakelite North "Galion" phone that has a little pushbutton on the front right of the handset cradle.
When the handset is lifted from the cradle the buttons lift halfway up. When the little button is pressed the buttons go to their normal position.
Internally, when the hookswitch is halfway down, the contacts for the white & green wires are held open.  This disconnects the receiver. Push the button, and the receiver circuit is closed. It's weird because the transmitter is still active the whole time.
I thought if this was a phone for a party line that the transmitter should be out of circuit until the little release button is pressed.
I wired it according to the attached diagram.

[RB]

Hi Howard.
I think that button is for snooping the line to see if someone is on it.
It allows you to hear, but not interrupt, until the button is pressed, connecting the xmitter.
SG phones have a similar arrangement.

[dsk]

I have a bakelite North "Galion" phone that has a little pushbutton on the front right of the handset cradle.
When the handset is lifted from the cradle the buttons lift halfway up. When the little button is pressed the buttons go to their normal position.
Internally, when the hookswitch is halfway down, the contacts for the white & green wires are held open.  This disconnects the receiver. Push the button, and the receiver circuit is closed. It's weird because the transmitter is still active the whole time.
I thought if this was a phone for a party line that the transmitter should be out of circuit until the little release button is pressed.
I wired it according to the attached diagram.

I do absolutely agree, this does not give any meaning, you go off hook, seize the line by connecting the transmitter and induction coil, but the receiver are disconnected until you relies the hook-switch to its upper position.  The diagram tells the same thing as you observed.

dsk

[HowardPgh]

It seems that the phone should work the other way. Monitor the line until you push the button.

[dsk]

That would be reasonable, but the diagram shows a blocking of the receiver, odd!

dsk

[tubaman]

The only way I can see that working is if it once had a loudspeaking unit attached, so you could dial with the loudspeaker in circuit and then switch to handset?
Just a thought.