Rotary phone – Kellogg K-500 decomposed

For the past few months, I’ve been regularly lecturing on the architecture of the IP Multimedia Subsystem, and VoLTE access. Therefore, I thought it fitting to take a step back and explore some classic telephony.

Western Electric produced the WE 500 in 1949, a design that was Bell’s standard issue deskphone from 1950 to 1984 (when the Bell divestiture into ‘Baby Bells took place’).

The following is a decomposed view of the a Kellogg 500 (K-500) from 1958, which was produced by Kellogg / International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) under licensed permission from Western Electric. The K-500 is identical to the WE 500 sets at that time. After the Kellogg / Stromberg Carlson merger into ITT was complete, the K-500 phone became marketed as the ITT 500.

This page is copied from page 8 of the, ‘K-500 Telephone Handbook: Installation and Maintenance’ published by Kellogg Switchboard and Supply Co. a division of the ITT Corporation. Printed in the U.S.A. 1958.

K-500 parts identified
1 – 10. Handset
11 – 15. Number card assembly
16. Dummy Plug
17. R.H. Self tapping screw
18. Clamping plate
19. Plunger retainer
20. R.H. Self tapping screw
21. Plungers
22. Housing assembly
23. Vinyl Gasket
24. Dial
25. Mounting Screw
26. Network
27. Terminal Screws
28. Cradle Switch Assembly
29 & 30. Ringer
31. Base Plate
32. Spring Washer
33. Bind HD Machine Screw
34. Cabinet Lock Screw
35. Cover
36. Bind HD Machine Screw
37. Washer
38. Base Assembly
39. Cord Strain Relief Band
40. Cord Clamp Hook
41. Hex Nut
42. Terminal