The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-11
THE PHONOGRAPH-
THE PRESENT STATE OF EDISON'S
GREAT INVENTION.


Come. Out
HE Now York Ersa,ag Post has bepp
investigating tho phonograph What Il can
DO now, aud What Il may do In the future.
Il saSa Iho most common mistake regard
lng lhe invention is that electricity Las
anything 10 DO with u. or that the ma,
chin" IS co.tly or IN sny way complicated
in Us working. Then follows the p'ainc.t
explanation We have yo, seen. Saws the
Post
Ga "a table near the ccutre ul The faum
Mas thr iar,inmea rhouorraph. which can
hc briefly d,srribei 49, follows 4 hol.
low cylinder VI tfuss, about nine inches
long aud dve inches in diameter, Is placed
horizontally in very much the same way
that piece ~ wood or metal is placed be.
tween The chayks OF lathe 10 be- turned
"a brass rod runs through the centre of The
cylinder, and "A, the end of ibis rod is a
lutle crank which enable, one TO turn the
cyllndrr around al any rate Of speed de-
erred the rod 10 which this handle Is fixed
has II screw thread cut ON It's surface, SO
that when the cylinder Is turned il shine
slowly 10 one side IN such way that Il q
pencil is held ia a stationary position
against lh- cylinder Whllo 1t ~ turning IL
would trace line Ike the thread oi y
screw. Instead Of using pencil dimin.
uuyo drum with only one iympanum .thc
lower onei Is used firmly attached % the
undcr side OF lhls lower tympanum is q
small steel poin, like tho poin, ola needle
when the bottom Of this drum is made 10
yibra!c from any eaase-A touch. OF even
the vibration OF the nir-lL,s steel point
will Yibrale With IL, gnd Ia this simple fact
is the whole EeeEs. of tho phonograph A
Thin Aa0oi ~ common tin foil, such a. il
used 10 wrap tobacco Ia, is placed ArouHd
the brass cylinder. which is sol in motor.
.he lllilr drum is now placed SO that the
poin: of the needle just touches the tia foil
The slightest movement OF tho Iympanum
IL Iao drum will make The needle scratch
!hs surface ut the TIA sheet As the cylinder
moves. Talking into the open end Of the
drum gives the Iympanum this needed Vi
bratiun. suppose that a sentence eight or
ten words long is spoken into the lille
drum, aud the limo which tho needle
makes uU the TN sheet il examined. the
line Is seen - he made ap vf tiay dots
/ which the puiut 81 tho noodle made
whore the Viteh Of the voice Was hiah The
vibrations olthe drum-skih or Iympanum
were very rAdid and the dots very close
Together where the voice WAS deea, ,hs
dots we've !ar.heF apart. Who're iho sound
Na' very loud, tho Vibrations Of the iym.
pauaI Ssrs very energetic. and the poin,
vas pushed lar Ia. Sad made very deep Ia.
deulstiurs. a. now, The needle puiu. il
/ placed NJ the beginning of this dotted line
and held on the line while The cylinder
,grus, exactly the same kind az vibrations
si'. Dc impaired 70 the drum ly lie nee,
die passing sYr, ,a4 .asta.Al.oHa Rs the
I lT..,, iApsHel 10 the needle vheu tue 10.
( ienIalioas were made. Iy,he iudoniaIiou,
are very close together the vibrations oi
/ the drgm.skiu will be very rapid, snd the
note hcAri will be ca-rcsp0nIirEly high,
anl under contrary coad yions the uags
" 20 De casrcspoldlueiy low.
According % ,Ae Is.aIte voice u n,
/ g.. .gDosrspa /. H3 pressH, Stale Of periee
ton is that of prrsal talking ia loud
voice ia az adjoining room sikh the door
closed Any sound. no malger what. &
SHhiully reproduced Laughing. whist
I liag coughing, singing. and ssA.s.F,
,peskiag. The ieyaEtloS u yet In its in
.augy .rA what may bq the Improvement
which %. speedily snd probably follow
il Is impossible . say. Mr.. Elisaa ha. al
ready succeeded IN makirg the phono
graph sufficiently delicate 60 record an,
reproduce the words % speaker. Ja.kiHI
in An ordinary way, ios' iasg no@ Tue 10
,lssWeH; The EaRey w3ih which The .ouhI
can De reproduced depends entirely on IA
species % sounding board ~hich is used
and on this point more decided results Wi
~ doubt soon be obtained Al present {
large room fIll q. p-r.u0s there i d
IdiGccl:y n loaFiug IEe words distinct
from al parts of the room. Tho amour
uf talking can te recorded ou q smzI
piece of,,a foil Is marvellous. M Ediso
has succeeded IN putting forty eigb; lhrl
sand words on a sber; Of .ir foil about e.
tnehes square. 80 far. thin copper sheet
nave been found 10 work mos. salislar.or
~ snd 3, 10 probable that diamond poiu
vi. ultimately be used. Mr. Edison
confident that be Will soon DO able 20 2,
produce tho slighlest Whisper a. we'll y
Tho scrcrch OF steam whistle.