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lighted dial and was encased in a sleek, curved molded-plastic housing that took up less space than earlier
Western Electric telephones. However, the glass-smooth and shallowly-curved plastic handset proved difficult to retain between cheek and shoulder for hands-free communication without slipping. This problem was never corrected over the life of the model line. Third-party manufacturers offered cushioned clamp-on adaptors to make it easier to cradle the handset, but these add-ons were unsightly.
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269:(LED) to backlight the dial, which was powered by current from the telephone line, eliminating the need for the transformer. Always eager to re-use its older stocks of turned-in rental phones, AT&T later repainted and sold early-model non-LED Trimlines as "non-lighted" models, without a transformer.
330:
The clear plastic button backplate with colored paper backing matching the color of the phone is replaced with an aluminum backplate on the round button Touch-Tone phones. Also at this time, the round handset cords using proprietary connectors are replaced with modern flat modular cords and jacks. On
244:
models. To miniaturize the rotary dial sufficiently to fit in the
Trimline handset, the designers invented an unusual moving fingerstop. Like in the Princess line, the dial was lit when the handset was removed from the base. The Trimline was also one of the first phones to use the predecessor of the
219:
were first designed starting with the creation of the handset is 1927. This series of telephone evolved through several designs in the 1920s and 1930s, to refurbishments in the 1950s. They consisted of a table-top handset stand and a wall- or desk-mounted subscriber set that contained the components
252:
Field trials for the first iteration of the
Trimline, nicknamed the "Shmoo", started in 1959 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Based on the trials, Western Electric modified the design several times, ultimately resulting in the Trimline, which was eventually introduced in 1965. The Trimline included a
281:
versions. Rotary dial
Trimline production began in late 1965 and a Touch Tone keypad was installed in mid-1966. The Trimline base was available in desk-top and wall-mount versions. The handsets and bases were interchangeable. The Trimline was the first US telephone to achieve design recognition in
543:
be using pins 2 and 5 (black and yellow pair) in jacks in other parts of the house. The early
Trimline and Princess incandescent lamps were rated at 6.3 volts and 0.25 amperes and the transformer output is approximately 6–8 volts AC. Later Trimline versions had LED light sources, powered directly
534:
telephone jack, pins 2 and 5 (black and yellow) may carry low-voltage AC or DC power. While the telephone line supplies enough power for most telephones, older telephone instruments with incandescent dial lights (such as the classic
Western Electric Princess and Trimline models) needed different
264:
plugged into a standard electrical outlet. The bulky transformer and the need for a conveniently-placed outlet was criticized by many consumers, but was necessary because of the power demands of the incandescent light bulb. Years later, Western
Electric redesigned the Trimline to use a low-power
282:
Europe, where it was referred to as the "Manhattan" model or the "Gondola". Today, similarly designed telephones are sold by many companies. AT&T retained the
Trimline name for the later "Trimline III", a more compact successor featuring squared corners and straight lines.
227:
line, in 1959, the design motivation for the
Trimline series was to create an alternative design that was stylish and easier to use than a traditional telephone. This was accomplished by moving the dial from the telephone's base to the underside of the handset, between the
337:
A green LED light fed by the phone line power replaces the incandescent lamp, additionally, the Touch-Tone version now sports slightly larger, square keys, as opposed to the earlier small round keys. Also the Touch-Tone version receives an aluminum faceplate behind the
535:
voltages and more current than the line could supply. Typically, the power came from a transformer plugged into a power outlet near the telephone jack, wired to supply power to just that telephone, or to all jacks in the house, depending on local
354:
AT&T is divested of its regional operating companies and is prohibited from using the Bell name or logo, so the
American Bell brand is dropped and replaced with simply AT&T. All telephone production continues as normal.
376:
Only one handset-to-jack cord is required for the telephone connection; cord can be tightly secured onto the bottom of the base, which now only exists with no purpose other than as a rest for the handset
539:
practices. It is now usually recommended that only the one local jack used by such older telephones be wired for power, to avoid any potential interference with other types of service that
444:
The soft rubber keys are again replaced with hard plastic keys, similar to the late 70s and early 80s models, but the keys are even larger and rectangular rather than square
331:
all Trimline phones, the screw cover above the dial changes from reading "Bell System made by Western Electric" to just "Trimline" with a bell logo to the left of the text.
491:
Handset screws are eliminated completely. Handset is only held together by "snap" ends at both ends of the phone, above the receiver and below the microphone.
318:
Touch Tone keypads become available in addition to dial models at mid-year. First touch-tone phones lack pound and star buttons and so only have ten buttons.
470:
Phones are marked "Lucent Technologies", though this turned out to be temporary, and the boxes and marketing materials were always co-branded with AT&T
324:
Keypads on Touch Tone models were expanded to 12 keys, adding a pound and a star button to prepare for future functionality not yet available in 1968.
344:
AT&T begins selling phones, including the Trimline, to the public (as opposed to their previous leasing only policy) through its newly created
669:
456:
Caller ID models, the 250 & 260, are introduced under the Trimline brand. The design shares nothing in common with the 210 model.
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Original Trimline introduced in the winter of 1965. Only rotary dial versions produced that first year, and availability was limited.
205:
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The faceplate behind the keys, aluminum since the late 70s LED conversion is now a dark gray plastic with a matte surface
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Only 1 screw is used to hold the handset together; location of screw and screw cover is moved to below the dialpad
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Handset screws' cover no longer says "Trimline"; made smaller in the middle to conform to new switchhook location
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produces the Trimline models 205, 210 (based upon original design), and the 265, under license from AT&T.
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Early Touch Tone Trimline with round buttons and clear plastic backplate and round non-modular handset cord
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The rotary Trimline is discontinued, and further modifications are made to the touch-tone model:
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100:
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16:"Trimline" redirects here. For the clear line on the side of a valley formed by a glacier, see
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One cord to connect telephone is eliminated, base-to-handset and base-to-jack cords reinstated
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to connect the telephone to the telephone line, as well as an electromechanical bell ringer.
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from the phone line, and the last Western Electric-made Princess version had no dial light.
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Lucent dissolved the joint venture with Philips in 1998, and sells its consumer division to
370:
Line switch (switchhook) eliminated from base, moved to top of phone just below the receiver
60:
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729:
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132:
A 220 Trimline rotary desk phone, showing the innovative rotary dial with moving fingerstop
8:
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192:. These telephones were first introduced in 1965 and are formally referred to as the
678:
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The Touch-tone Trimline phone is heavily modified with the following new features:
246:
185:
488:, creating Philips Consumer Communications. Shortly after, more changes are made:
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The Trimline 2225, one of the last phones made at the Indianapolis Works in 1986
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859:
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Ringer loudness switch is moved back to dialpad; ringer remains inside the base
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Touch-Tone/dial pulse switch, eliminating separate Touch-Tone and rotary models
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Electronic chirp ringer in the handset, replacing the previous real bell ringer
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2220 Trimline is dropped as a model number, replaced by the 210, 220, and 230.
204:; the firm had produced the previous post-war desktop telephone types for the
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951:
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Bottom of the base is now made of plastic, with a lead weight inside the base
201:
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407:
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Redesigned touch-tone desk model Trimline, manufactured on January 9, 1985
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Telephones are again branded AT&T; Lucent Technologies branding ends.
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603:. (New London, Connecticut). (advertisement). March 6, 1967. p. 3.
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Desk or wall convertible, eliminating separate desk and wall models
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The Trimline phone is again updated with the following features:
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451:
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473:"Trimline" again marked above the dialpad on the matte surface
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is spun off from AT&T, and minor modifications are added:
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Chirp Ringer/ringer loudness switch moved to base of the phone
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90s Trimline phone made by Lucent/Philips and branded AT&T
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The Trimline handset was produced in both rotary dial and
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In the Trimline version designed for connection to an
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643:Western Electric Trimline Phone Model Variations
556:, a similar form factor handset designed by the
410:Works, Trimline production is moved overseas to
30:Type of American telephones by the Bell System
663:
65:introducing citations to additional sources
367:Keys are now made of a soft rubber material
670:
656:
618:An Experimental "Dial-In-Handset"Telephone
206:American Telephone & Telegraph Company
164:Early foreign made Trimline, December 1986
406:With the closing of the Western Electric
570:, a low-profile handset designed by the
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55:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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526:Powered modular jacks for illumination
236:. The same concept was later used for
217:Hand telephone sets in the Bell System
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677:
607:
597:"We invented this telephone in 1974"
517:. VTech moved all production to the
32:
484:Lucent enters a joint venture with
306:, an early Trimline concept design.
13:
830:American Telephone & Telegraph
14:
969:
638:Western Electric Telephone Models
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418:. Minor modifications included:
188:, the manufacturing unit of the
48:relies largely or entirely on a
37:
256:The first Trimline models used
200:under the project direction of
196:. The Trimline was designed by
223:After the introduction of the
1:
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302:First customer trials of the
249:modular phone plug and jack.
515:Advanced American Telephones
287:Advanced American Telephones
7:
958:Western Electric telephones
620:, Bell Laboratories Record
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292:
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194:No. 220 Hand Telephone Sets
10:
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519:People's Republic of China
497:Ringer moved into handset.
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22:
15:
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878:
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796:
758:
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558:Northern Electric Company
395:Redial and Mute functions
198:Henry Dreyfuss Associates
258:incandescent dial lights
23:Not to be confused with
450:Production is moved to
421:Earpiece Volume Control
750:Design Line telephones
173:
165:
157:
149:
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922:Bell System Practices
835:AT&T Technologies
809:Orthophonic recording
624:(1) 23 (January 1960)
285:In the 21st century,
184:that was produced by
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155:
147:
139:
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267:light-emitting diode
76:"Trimline telephone"
61:improve this article
860:Lucent Technologies
572:General Post Office
513:, where it becomes
465:Lucent Technologies
346:American Bell, Inc.
260:powered by a power
886:Automatic Electric
560:, and deployed by
242:cordless telephone
238:cellular telephone
225:Princess telephone
178:Trimline telephone
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927:Eastland disaster
906:Stromberg-Carlson
870:Northern Electric
823:Related companies
760:Switching systems
537:telephone company
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797:Other technology
679:Western Electric
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245:now-ubiquitous
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180:is a series of
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937:Henry Dreyfuss
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632:External links
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59:. Please help
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578:in the 1960s.
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202:Donald Genaro
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117:February 2021
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78: –
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72:Find sources:
66:
62:
58:
52:
51:
50:single source
46:This article
44:
40:
35:
34:
26:
19:
768:Panel switch
744:
621:
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408:Indianapolis
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879:Competitors
845:Bell System
695:Candlestick
562:Bell Canada
348:subsidiary.
262:transformer
190:Bell System
814:Touch-Tone
687:Telephones
583:References
279:Touch-Tone
234:mouthpiece
182:telephones
87:newspapers
840:Bell Labs
804:Vitaphone
568:Trimphone
554:Contempra
507:Hong Kong
412:Singapore
359:Late 1984
328:early 70s
57:talk page
25:Trimphone
18:Trim line
952:Category
915:See also
745:Trimline
740:Princess
548:See also
509:company
335:late 70s
293:Timeline
273:Variants
230:earpiece
901:Kellogg
850:Graybar
601:The Day
574:in the
486:Philips
212:History
101:scholar
452:Mexico
265:green
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
541:might
511:VTech
416:China
338:keys.
304:Shmoo
108:JSTOR
94:books
855:IBTC
788:5ESS
783:1ESS
730:5302
532:RJ11
503:2000
482:1997
462:1996
439:1993
414:and
404:1986
384:1985
352:1984
342:1983
322:1968
316:1966
310:1965
300:1959
247:RJ11
240:and
232:and
176:The
80:news
896:ITT
891:GTE
778:5XB
773:1XB
725:302
720:202
715:102
63:by
954::
710:D1
705:B1
700:A1
622:38
609:^
599:.
576:UK
208:.
671:e
664:t
657:v
564:.
521:.
298:'
119:)
115:(
105:·
98:·
91:·
84:·
67:.
53:.
27:.
20:.
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