Leich 901B with button on top. whutzit4?

[RB]

 Hi
Anyone know what the small button behind the handset was for?
I have a Leich 901B...was there an "A" ?
it has a small button on the top.
it has no other components inside that it works with.

[rdelius]

The difference might be the baseplate.Early ones were metal and later bakelite.AE manufactured these in later years ,sometimes with type 41 handsets

[RB]

Thanks

[AE_Collector]

I have four of them I believe but haven't seen one with a button. They are replacements for older Magneto sets that also frequently had buttons for various functions like disconnecting your bells while cranking to send more juice out. And wasn't there a scene that sent AC out on just one side of the line to the operator if a button was pushed so the other parties ringers didn't sound?

But on yours, it activates nothing? Like a contact set was removed from the inside or a case with a button was put onto this phone as a replacement?

[LarryInMichigan]

I have one of those with an AE type 41 handset and that same button in the cradle area.  I don't recall what it does.  I may have posted about it a few years ago, but my memory does not work like it used to, if it ever did.

Larry

[RB]

Thanks for the info guys.
I am gonna go with the "option" thing.
There is no other part existing in this phone.
no scratches, brackets, etc. so it prob DID get a new hat.
I know about the ground switch, "do not know correct term"
for ringing the operator.
I have seen it on tons of schematics for mostly wood box phones.
so I did not think about the same application on a Leich.
make sense tho.

[Ktownphoneco]

This may help to clarify the issue.   Automatic Electric Telephone Catalog - 1957 includes 2 or 3 pages on the Leich 900 Series Magneto sets.      These tow pictures aren't the very best quality, as they were converted to jpeg from a pdf format.       I've marked the button in the parts diagram, and put a square around the typed description of the set dealing with the ground button.

Click twice to enlarge for viewing.

Enjoy the day.

Jeff Lamb

[RB]

There we are then.
Thanks