Who Invented the Telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell is commonly credited with the invention of the telephone. Bell filed a patent application for a working telephone on Feb. 14, 1876. Bell’s patent of the telephone has been successfully defended in five hundred and eighty-seven lawsuits, including five that reached the United States Supreme Court.
Indeed, Alexander Graham Bell did invent the first working telephone, but many other inventors developed similar systems at various times and with various degrees of success.
Charles Bourseul published an article on the transmission of sound using electricity in 1854. Bourseul failed to create a working telephone.
Philipp Reis created a device in 1861 that could transmit simple tones, but not understandable voice.
Innocenzo Manzetti created a device in 1864 that could transmit simple tones, but not understandable voice. This device was similar in nature to the Reis telephone.
Antonio Meucci filed an intent to file a patent on Dec. 28, 1871, but never actually filed the patent. Some claim that Meucci’s patent was for a working telephone which would have preceded Alexander Graham Bell’s patent. Lawsuits brought by Meucci were never able to invalidate Bell’s patents in court.
Amos E. Dolbear invented a telephone which was an improvement upon the Reis design. The Dolbear telephone was shown in court to be non-functional for voice transmission.
Daniel Drawbaugh appears to have invented nothing at all, but nonetheless he brought a lawsuit against Bell and pursued it in court for many years.
Elisha Gray filed an intention to file a patent on a telephone two hours after Alexander Graham Bell filed the actual patent application. Elisha Gray is Bell’s top contented for the title of The Man Who Invented the Telephone.
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