Patent GB-190619956-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Reading Machines in which Electrical Apparatus Control Phonographs and Telegraphones
Inventor: DRAGOUMIS EMMANUEL
Filed: 1906-09-07
Granted: 1907-09-05
Abstract: 19,956. Dragoumis, E. Sept. 7. Phonographs; telephones.-The words and phrases contained in a suitably prepared text are beard by means of a telephone. This effect is obtained by means of a phonographic cylinder bearing the phonograms of different syllables, the combinations of which constitute these words and phrases, and by microphones affected by these phonograms. The phonograms of the syllables are traced in spiral or circular lines on the surface of a cylinder 60, Figs. 11 and 12, each syllable being repeated several times and separated by blank spaces. About one thousand syllables in all are recorded, this number being stated to be sufficient to reproduce a language intelligibly. The phonographic cylinder is arranged to move axially, so that one microphone can be used for eight syllables. The text, consisting of blank and inked spots, is printed on a metal sheet in insulating-ink, and wrapped round a cylinder 1, Fig. 3. A commutator switch 4 closes an electric circuit for each syllable. A number of metal feelers 11, equal to the number of lines of spots in the text, and each in circuit with a battery and an electro-magnet 30, Fig. 6, slide ou the text, thus energizing the magnet 30 when a blank spot is touched. Each time the feelers touch one syllable, the corresponding reproducer is actuated and the syllable audibly produced by means of a device called the combinator, which consists of a number of sliding plates 10 called elements, each being controlled by an electro-magnet 30 operated by the corresponding feeler 11. These elements are provided with holes which do not all correspond in a position of rest, so that when one or more of the elements moves, a continuous hole is formed at one different point only, depending upon the blank spots of the text. Of a total of eleven elements, seven are provided with holes in such a way that for each of 125 combinations one of 125 air channels is formed. The next three elements are provided with holes so that for each of their eight combinations an air channel is formed which serves for the axial displacement of the phonographic cylinder 60. The remaining element provides for accentuation by cutting out a resistance in the telephone circuit. A plate 12, cover:ng an air reservoir 17, has 134 holes 19 (125 for the seven elements, 8 for the three elements, and 1 for the remaining element), and a plate 11<1> an equal number of corresponding holes 20. In 126 holes of the plate 11<1> are metallic pistons 21 which, when pressed by the air current, contact with terminals 23, each of which is connected with one of the 125 microphones, and one terminal serves to cut out the resistance for accentuation. To return the pistons to their original positions, a plate 37 controlled by springs 38 is pressed over them by means of a slide 35 and bell-crank levers 36. The elements 10 are impelled by springs 14 when the corresponding lever 15, Fig. 6, actuated by the electro-magnet 30 by means of a sliding plate 31 and angular levers 30', 33, is rotated. The slider 31 is returned by a spring 32, and the element 10 by bell-crank levers 72 controlled by another slider 71. To effect the axial displacement of the cylinder 60, the eight holes corresponding with the three elements are connected to pipes 28, which have pistons 27 at their ends controlling levers 43, 42, the levers 42 being adapted to enter eight grooves 40 on a drum attached to the cylinder 60. Each groove 40 has four widenings 41, equal to the number of repetitions of the syllables around the cylinder 60 ; when one of the levers 42, pressed down by a spring 45 and freed from a hooked lever 43, enters one of these widenings, the cylinder 60 then moves axially to one of its eight positions. The levers 42 are returned to their original positions by means of an eccentric 46, which is revolved four times for each revolution of the drum. The microphones are mounted on screwed rods 58. They consist of a small rectangular plate 49, Fig. 13, having a semicircular cavity 50. Around the plate and cavity is bent a sheet of celluloid, having on its inner sides two insulated sheets of tin-foil 52 ; between the tin-foil, and filling the cavity, is a quantity of granulated carbon. At the underside of the celluloid sheet is secured a sapphire point 53 which bears upon the cylinder 60. One side of each microphone is connected with one terminal 23 of the combinator, and the other side with the telephone. The cylinder instead of moving axially may revolve, in which case the phonograms are spiral, and there are as many microphones as syllables. If the rod carrying the feelers and the wheel 3 is graduated, a table of contents of the text may be arranged in ordinary letters, or in raised characters if the machine is used by the blind.