, 1878-06-19

| adds I'm the case Ot AN invention oi
the nature and scope OF the phonograph
| it is practically impossible to in"ctc
| 1t to-day, Tor to morrow trjtie may OK.
tend it almost iudcfintcly.'
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ALREADY
The success already achieved by Mr..
Edison is thus summed up by him in AN
swer to categorical questions assumed to
be put regarding the monographs:
l \ vibrating plate Or disk is "capa
bic OF receiving II complex motion which
shall correctly represent the peculiar
property Of each and all the multifarious
vocal aud other sound waves"
.. Such complex movement can
"be transmitted from such plate by
means OF a single enclosing point at.
tached thereto, to effect record upon n
plastic material by indentation, with
such fidelity as to give such indentaton
the same varied and complex form" and
this being tine case, "this enclosing
point, upon being passed over the record
thus made, VIII follow it with such filel.
| ity as to retransmt to the disk the same
variety OF movement, and thus effect IL
restoration or reproduction of the vocal
or other sound waves without loss of any
property essential to producing upon the
ear the same sensation as if coming di-
rect from the original source
With regard to the foregoing Mr.. Ell.
ison 'urther states that "by application
of power for uniformity of movement
and by attention to many seemingly un
important and minor details-such as
the form and material of the embussing
point, the proper dampening OF the
plate, the character of the material EN-.
bossed, the formation of the mouth
piece over the plate, etc, he has sat
various times during the past weeks, re-
produced these waves with such
degree of accuracy in each aud every de.
tail as to enable his assistants to read
without the loss of Il word, one or more
columns of newspaper article untamil-
lar to them, and which were spoken into
the apparatus when they were not pres
ent. The only perceptible loss was
found to be in the quality of the utter
ance---a nonessential in the practical ap
plication OF the apparatus He makes
the curious and important announcement
that "thc articulation of some individ-
uals has been very perceptibly improved
by passage through the phonograph, the
original utterance being mutilatcd by
impertection OF lip and mouth formation,
and these mutilations eliminated or cor.
rectcd by the mechanism of the pnono
graph"
2. A record can 'be removed from
the apparatus on which it was made and
replaced upon second without mutia
tion or loss of effective power to vibratc
tue second plate"
This Mr.. Edison regards as mutter of
'mechanical detail, presenting no greater
obstacle than having proper regard for
the perfect interchangeableness oil the va
rlous working parts of the apparatus.
4. but about ten or fifteen seconds
suffice for placing or removing the rec
ording sheet A special envelope will
probably be required for the present, the
weight and form of which, however will
but slightly increase the postage
5. Repeated experiments have prov
ed that the indentations posses wonder
full enduring power, even when the re
production has been effected by the
comparatively rigid plate used for their
production. 1t is proposed, however, to
use more flexible plate for reproducing,
which, with perfectly smooth stone
point-diamond or SAPPHIRE will render
the record capable OF from fifty to a
hundred rcpetitions, enough for all
practical purposes
@. Many experiments have been
made, with more or less success, in the
effort to obtain electrotypcs of record
This work has been done hy others, and,
though the writer (Edlsonl has not as
Yet seen it, he is reliably Informed that,
very recently, it has been successfully
accomplished He can certainly see no
great practical obstacle in the way. This