US562693A - Graphophone - Google Patents

Description

E. H. AME'I'.

GRAPBUPHONE.

Patented June 23, 1896.

FG.T.

(No Mode-1.)

maf W UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEe EDIVARD HILL AMET, OF VAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES DICKINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAPHOPHONE.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,693, dated J' une 23, 1896.

Application filed June 6,1895. Serial No. 551,852I (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD HILL AMET, a citizen of the United States, residing in Wraukegan, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Graphophon es, of which the following is a specification.

My ,invention relates to graphophones or phonogram reproducers.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of a simple, cheap, and durable construction, by means of which phonograms or sound-writings may be accurately and perfectly reproduced, without the more or less harsh and disagreeable grating with which such reproductions have heretofore generally been accompanied in graphophones hereto-I fore in use.

In my invention I employ a stationary diaphragm fixed to the frame of the machine and connect the same to the reproducing-stylus by a soft -flexible cord or thread, preferably of silk, the horizontal travel of the stylus from one end of the phonogram-cylinder to the other being 'provided for by a horizontally-swinging arm pivoted to the frame near the stationary diaphragm. The stylus is ,secured to the lower or horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever, to the upper or vertical arm of which is secured the soft cord leading to the diaphragm. The stylus and its supporting or carrying arm are thus free to be swung or moved from one end to the ot-her of the phonogram-cylinder as it revolves by the simple operation of the stylus following the spiral line of sound-writing on the cylinder, the writing itself acting as a screw-thread to swing the stylus-carrying arm on its pivot as required.

My invention consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal In the drawings, A represents the frame ofy the machine.

B is the phonogram-holding revolving cylinder or shaft, the same extending, as usual, in a horizontal position and being continuously revolved by any suitable mechanism 5 5 or motor. The phonogram shaft or holder B has no traveling or traversing movement, but simply rotates on its axis.

As the mechanism for continuously revolving the phonogram cylinder or holder is al- 6o readywell known to those skilled in the art, and as my invention is entirely independent of the particular construction of this driving mechanism or motor, it is not necessary to a full understanding of my improvement to 6 5' herein show or describe this driving mechanism or motor.

O is the phonogram-cylinder,of Wax or other material, upon which the sound writing to be reproduced has been made.

D is the stationary diaphragm, its ring d being fixed to the frame A. It is furnished, as usual, with a bell or funnel d', to which Jthe ear-tube may be connected. This stationary diaphragm is preferably fixed to the 7 5 frame at a distance of about eight inches from the revolving diaphragm cylinder or holder B and slightly above it.

E is the reproducing-stylus, the same being of any ordinary or suitable construction. 8o

F is the bell-crank lever, to the lower horizontal arm of which the reproducing-stylus is secured.

G is a soft exible cord, preferably of waxed silk or cotton, attached at one end to the ver- 85 tical upper arm of the bell-crank lever F, and secured at its other end to the diaphragm D, preferably at the center thereof. This attachment is made preferably by means of a small hook d2, glued or cemented to the dia- 9o phragm.

II is a horizontally-Siringing lever or arm pivoted to the frame at one end near the diaphragm, and preferably below the same. The bearing or journal h h for this lever is 9 5 preferably of the pivot or center -bearing type, so that it may swing or turn horizontally with little friction. The horizontallyswinging arm or lever II is also preferably furnished with a movable section or member roo H hinged or pivoted at h" to the main portion of the lever by a horizontal pivot.

The

bell-crank lever F, carrying the reproducingstylus E, is pivoted at f' to this hinged outer section or member H' of the lever H.

Owing to the lengthot' the horizontallyswinging arm, upon the outer end of which the reproducing-stylus is mounted, the reproducing-stylus is adapted to move from one end of the phonogram-cylinder to the other and still remain at all times very nearly directly over the axis of the phonogram-cylinder, as the horizontal arc in which the stylus moves carries it very little out of a straight line in moving half the length of the phonogram-cylinder; and as the phonogram-cylinder is ordinarily about two inches in diameter, this slight movement of the stylus to one side of a vertical plane through the axis of the phonogram-cylinder I find does not interfere in the least with the proper operation of the machine.

As the connection between the diaphragm and stylus is made through the agency of a soft flexiblefcord stretched gently taut, all disagreeable, harsh, or strident sounds, due to the riding of the stylus over the phonogram, are obvia-ted and the sounds are reproduced with great accuracy and perfection and very free from disagreeable modification through the action of the reproducing mechanism. In this respect my graphophonc operates much on the same principle as the old lovers telegraph or string-telephone. The horizontallyswinging reproducing-stylus-carrying arm H, after traversing the phonogram-cylinder from end to end, may be returned to the beginning end of the cylinder by hand by simply taking hold of the handle H2 at the end of the lever and swinging it back. For convenience, however, I have provided the mechanism with a device for automatically returning the arm H to its first position after reaching the farther end of the cylinder. This returning device may be of any suitable kind, form, or construction. In the drawings I have illustrated one suitable form of mechanism for this purpose, the same consisting of a vibrating spring or flexible arm K, pivoted at K to the frame of the machine and adapted to vibrate normally in. a diagonal plane across the machine and under the swinging arm H, and to engage the hook 7a, secured to said swinging arm only when the swinging arm reaches the final end of the phonogram-cylinder, and

then, after thus engaging said hook, to move transversely across the machine and return the arm H to the other end of the cylinder, at which point the flexible lever K automatically disen gages the hook by slipping out of it, the disengagement at this side being due to the radial or pivotal movement of the flexible arm K about its own pivot or center of motion. By reason of the arm K being made flexible or in the form of a light iat spring, it is, by its bending, adapted to move transversely with the hook 7o when in engagement therewith, instead of diagonally, as it does normally. The iiexible arm K may be automatically and continuously vibrated back and forth by any suitable connecting mechanism, connecting it with the motor which drives the phonogram cylinder or holder B. As illustrated in the drawings, this mechanism consists simply of a crank K2 on one of the shafts of the motor, connected by a link K3 with an arm K4, secured to or made integral with the ieXible lever K.

To limit the throw of the horizontallyswinging arm H, stops M M are provided, thc same being made cam-shaped, so that by turning them the throw may be adjusted to cylinders of different lengths.

As the outer member H of the horizontallyswinging arm H is pivoted to the main portion of said arm, and as the lever H is supported in a horizontal position by its pivot-bearings h h, it will be observed that the weight ot' this hinged section of the lever carrying the stylus causes the stylus to ride gently upon the phonogram-cylinder, and at the same time, through the bell-crank lever F, to keep the flexible cord G properly taut.

I claiml. In a graphophone, the combination with a non-traversing phonogram-holder and a stationary diaphragm of a traveling or movable `reproducing-stylus, free to traverse the phonogram cylinder or record and means for connecting the movable stylus mechanically with the stationary diaphragm, substantially as specified.

2. In a graphophone the combination with a non-traversing phonogram-holder and a stationary diaphragm of a pivoted horizontallyswinging arm, and a reproducingstylus mounted upon the outer end of said arm and having a mechanical connection with said diaphragm, substantially as specified.

3. In a graphophone the combination of a non-traversin g revolving phonogram cylinder or holder and` a stationary diaphragm, with a movable or traveling reproducer-stylus adapted to move from end to end of the cylinder, and a horizontally swinging or pivoted arm upon which the reproducing-stylus is mounted and by which it is carried to and fro from end to end of the cylinder and a mechanical connection between said diaphragm and stylus, substantially as specified.

4t. The combination with a horizontal revolving, non-traversing phonogram cylinder or holder, of a stationary sound-reproducing device or diaphragm, a horizontally-swinging arm and a reproducing-stylus carried by said arm and free to be swung or moved from one end of the cylinder to the other as the cylinder revolves by the thread or spiral writing on the cylinder itself, and means connecting mechanically said movable stylus and said stationary sound-reproducing device or diaphragm for conveying the sound-vibrations from the stylus to said sound-reproducing device or diaphragm, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a horizontal revolving, non-traversing phonogram cylinder TOO IOS

IIO

` or holder, of a stationary sound-reproducing device or diaphragm, a horizontally-swinging arm and a reproducing-stylus carried by said arm and free to be swung or moved from one end of `the cylinder tothe other as the cylinder revolves by the thread or spiral Writin g on the cylinder itself, and means connecting mechanically said movable stylus and said stationary sound-reproducing device or diaphragm for conveying the sound-vibrations from the stylus to said sound-reproducing device or diaphragm, said horizontally-swinging arm having a vertic( lly-hin ged section or member' upon Which the stylus is directly mounted, substantially as specified.

G. In a graphophone, the combination with the stationary diaphragm, of a horizontal revolving non-traversing phonogram-holder, a horizontally-swinging arm pivoted to the frame near said diaphragm and provided with a vertically-swinging hinged section, a bell-crank lever mounted upon said hinged section, a reproducing-stylus secured to said bell-crank lever, and means connecting said bell-crank lever with said diaphragm, substantially as specified.

7. In a gra-phophone, the combination With the stationary diaphragm, of a horizontal revolving non -traversing phonogram holder, a horizontally-swinging arm pivoted to the frame near said diaphragm and provided With a vertically-swinging hinged section, a bellcranli lever mounted upon said hinged section, a reproducing-stylus secured to said bellcrank lever, and a soi't flexible cord connecting said bell-crank lever with said diaphragm, substantially as specified.

8. In a graphophone, the combination with the stationary diaphragm, of a horizontal revolving phonogram-holder, a horizontallyswinging arm pivoted to the frame near said diaphragm and provided with a verticallyswinging hinged section, a bell-crank lever mounted upon said hinged section, a reprodncing-stylus secured to said bell-crank lever, a soft flexible cord connecting said bellcrank lever and mechanism for automatically returning said horizontally-swinging arm to position, substantially as specified.

9. In a graphophone, the combination with a stationary diaphragm, of a horizontal revolving phonogram-holder, a horizontallyswinging arm pivoted to the frame near said diaphragm and provided with a verticallysxvinging hinged section, a bell-crank lever mounted upon said hinged section, a reproducing-stylus secured to said bell-crank lever, a soft flexible cord connecting said bellcrank lever with said diaphragm, and mechanism for automatically returning said horizontally-swinging arm to position, the same consisting in a continuously-moving diagonally-vibratin g ilexible lever adapted to engage said horizontally-enfin ging arm, substantially as speciiied.

l0. In a graphophone, the combination with the stationary diaphragm, of a horizontal revolving phonogram-holder, a horizontallyswinging arm pivoted to the frame near said diaphragm and provided with a verticallyswinging hinged section, a bell-crank lever mounted upon said hinged section, a reproducing-stylus secured to said bell-crank lever, a soft flexible cord connecting said bellcranlz lever with said diaphragm and mechanism for automatically returning said horizontally-swinging arm to position, the same consisting in a continuously moving diagonally-vibrating flexible lever adapted to engage said horizontally swinging arm, said horizontally-swinging arm being furnished With a hook 7s to engage said ilexible lever, substantially as specified.

ll. The combination With a revolving horizontal, non-traversing phonogram-holder, of a stylus, and a horizontally-swinging pivoted stylus-carrying arm moved from one end ot' the cylinder to the other bythe riding of the stylus in the thread or spiral line of Writing on the phonogram-cylinder itself, a diaphragm or sound-vibratable device mounted on the stationary frame of the machine and mechanical means for communicating the sound-vibrations from said movable stylus to said stationary sound vibratable device, substantially as speciiied.

l2. The combination with a revolving horizontal non-traversing phonogram-holder, of a horizontally-swirl ging pivoted stylus-carrying arm, a stationarj7 diaphragm, astylus and mechanical means for connecting the stylus and the diaphragm, substantially as specied.

13. The combination With a revolving horizontal phonogram-hold er of a horizontallyswinging pivoted stylus-carrying arm,a stylus operating to swing said arm on its pivot from one end of the holder to the other by following the thread or line of Writing on the phonogram-cylinder itself and mechanism for automatically returning said swinging arm to position, said stylus-carrying arm being free to vibrate or swing horizontally on its pivot substantially as specified.

14:. The combination With a revolving horizontal phonogram-holder, of a horizontallyswinging pivoted stylus-carrying arm, and mechanism for automatically returning said swinging arm to position, said mechanism comprising the diagonally-vibrating flexible arm adapted to engage and disengage said horizontally-swinging arm, substantially as specified.

EDVARD HILL AMET.

Witnesses:

I-I. M. MUNDAY, S. E. Cunris.

ICO

IIO

Images