Expugnator Carbon Hearing Aid The Expugnator carbon hearing aid was manufactured by Expugnator Gmbh, Duderstadt, Germany around 1917. The complete hearing aid without battery weighed 6.6 oz. (188 g). The overall height of the Expugnator was 9⅛" (23.1 cm). The battery compartment was 3⅝" x 1⅞" x 1" (9.2 x 4.7 x 2.5 cm). |  | Click picture for larger view | | |
  | | | |
| Front view of the Expugnator double carbon microphone. Each microphone was 2⅛" (5.4 cm) in diameter and 11/16" (1.8 cm) thick. The double carbon microphones lowered the resistance in the circuit allowing more current to flow, thus giving more volume than a single carbon microphone would. Note that carbon microphones did not work when laying down. You had to keep the vertical. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Rear view of the Expugnator carbon microphones. The identical microphones are held together by a plate and 4 screws (center).
|  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Close-up of the upper back of the top Expugnator microphone showing the name of the manufacturer (Expugnator Gmbh) and the location of the factory (Duderstadt) in Germany. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Close-up of the bottom edge of the lower microphone of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid showing how the prongs on the battery case fit into holes in the bottom edge of the microphone.
|  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Close-up of the bottom edge of the lower microphone of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid showing the battery compartment connected to the microphones.
|  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
Top view of the separate on-off switch of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid. At the top is "E" (German for "ein" or "on") and below the switch is an "A" (German for "aus" or "off").
|  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Side view of the on-off switch of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid. The switch housing was 1⅛" in diameter by 7/16" thick (2.7 x 1.1 cm).
|  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Side view of the earphone of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid. This earphone shape is made in the German style of the day, being quite thick in the body and because of the all-metal construction, it was quite heavy for it's size. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Rear view of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid's earphone showing the flexible ear hook to hold the earphone to your ear. The ear hook is not a solid piece of wire, but a finely-wound spring so it would fit around any sized ear. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Top view of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid's earphone showing the black hard rubber ear tip. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Close-up of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid earphone showing how the ear tip snapped into the hole on the earphone. It could easily be snapped off for cleaning. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Bottom view of the battery case of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid showing the battery door latched closed. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Bottom view of the battery case of the Expugnator carbon hearing aid showing the battery door open. This hearing aid used a 3-volt carbon zinc battery such as the Teutonophone No. 1 carbon-zinc battery. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| The Expugnator in its carrying case. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| The
carrying case
for the Expugnator carbon hearing aid. The carrying case measured 12" x 2⅝" x 1¼" thick. (30.3 x 6.5 x 3.2 cm). |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
|
Emil Loest
(center) was the
founder of
Expugnator GmbH,
Hugo Loest
(left) and Marie
Loest (right).
|  | Click picture for larger view | | |
|
(If a larger picture doesn't appear, you may have to
turn your pop-up blocker off)
|
| |
