The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-10

A Marvellous Invention.

In the early part of November last
the sun printed a description of a new
invention By Mr.. Thomas A. Edison,
called the speaking monograph. Mr..
Edison has since mad an improve
ment. and he now su cceeded III max
ing an instrument that will record and
reproduce any words or sounds pro-
! uounced or made within the proper
distance of the mouthpiece of the
apparatus This apparatus Is exceed
iugly simple. Ii consists of a cylinder
four inches in diameter and ten inches
long upon a shaft. A spiral groove.
ike the thread of a screw, is cut in
the surface of the cylinder from end
to end, and the same kind of a screw
is cut in the shaft carrying it. Over
this cylinder is secured sheet of paper
or tinfoil. Immediately opposite the
cylinder, on an upright arm. is q
speaking tube. one end of which is
closed is a diaphragm. In the centre
of the diaphragm is a small point, like
that of a pin. arranged go as to be ex-
actly opposite the grooves upon the
cylinder. When the cylinder is set in
motion 1t rOtateS. and at the same time
moves endwise. If while rotating a
person utters a sentence III front of the
:u5e the movement of the diaphragm
causes the point upon it to indent the
tlnfoll, SO that for every movement Of
the diaphragm the point indents the
foil. If the movement is great a deep
lndenture will be made, and if small q
shallow ~ is made, and thus every
movement of the diaphragm is accu-
rately recorded by indentations in the
foil. To reproduce the sounds all that
is necessary is to turn the cylinder
back to its original position and start
again, the point upon the diaphragm
riding in and out of the indentations
sets it in motion, and thus r%eproduces
all the original movements.
Mr.. Edison had his improved ma
chine on private exhibition in the
Western Union Telegraph office on
Monday, and President Orion and a
number of other gentlemen connected
with the company tested its extraordi-
nary powers of repeating spoken words.
On n occasion three gentlemen spoke
in succession-the first in English, the
second in Spanish, and the third in
Hungarian-and the machine repeated
the words 50 as to be heard distinctly
by a dozen persons standing around
the apparatus. "Old Uncle Ned" and
a verse Of a Spanish love song were
next sung, and reproduced by the in
strument to the satisfaction of all
Mr. Edison says the machine is de-
signed for practical use by business
men and lawyers, &c. He is now max
ing a new machine which will have a
plate sufficiently large t o receive 500
spoken words. Thus a man may die
tate half a dozen letters before leaving
his office, and his clerks may write
them out in his absence. If he should
wish to say more, he can remove the
first plate and put in a second, and so
on up to any number he may require.
So accurately are the words repeated
by the machine that a gentleman who
was present at the exhibition the other
day would not believe that the sounds
were made by it. He insisted that it
was a ventriloquial performance, and
would not be convinced hat it was not
until Mr.. Edison retired into another
o while the instrument was worked
nv some one else