The New York herald., 1878-01-18
PRESERVING SOUND.
A. NEW SPEAKING TELEPHONE AND coSTHIv-
ANcE TO PERPETUArE THE VOICE.

A. NEW SPEAKING TELEPHONE AND CoETEIV-
ANcE TO PERPETUArE THE VOICE.
An exhibition Of form of speaking telephone
and instrument called the "speaklDg pnonograph"
given last night in room No. "a Cooper Union
before the Polytechnic Institute About three
hundred gentlemen and two or three Ia
dies were crowded into the small ROOM
The successful experiments hailed
with enthusiastic applause. which proved the interest
felt by all present. and though the exhibition lasted
for hours and many persons had to stand the
whole time, one left the till the completion
Of the exhibition. The corresponding instruments
werc placed in an adjacent room. The inventor or
all the instruments shown conducted the experiments
assisted by gentleman, who explained the nature OF
the contrvances and the principles which governed
thcr action
The exhibition to have commenced with an
but owing some defect the battery connec-
tions than IA few disconnected bars of 'Poor
Old Ned" sung by a gentleman in another room,
could be got from IT, though several Efforts were made
to induce 1t to sing. Tho inventor was moro iortu-
nate with the speaking telephone. 1t was explained
that the principal difficulty to be overcome
in the construction o such instrument,
is that OF obtaining currents OF different degrees
of strength so as to produce articulation and modu
placed between disks OF platinum connected with
battery that IT carbon) snail be part OF tho
circuit that be then subjected to PRESSURE tho
current transin itted Will vary in direct pro-
portion to the pressure. III the application OF this
principle the pressure on the carbon Is erected oy
the force of sound waves lmpineing on diaphragm
which connected with the carbon, and the
varying current produced passes through an eicc-
tro-magnet IN the listening instrument, which at.
tracts iron diaphragm with varying Iotce TINS IN
turn communicates varying pusatons TO the ar re-
suting IN articuiate speech. The mouth is placed
voice whisper the ear Is placed close 10 the lis-
tenIng end when the words heard distinctly whis-
pered The listening instrument was passed round
room and all heard the words OF reader In tho
adjoining apartment
The speaking photograph is q mechanical Invention
for reproducing artcuate speech at any time after It's
spiral thread and moved ongitudnally BY crank ana
corresponding SPIRAL Round the cylinder is wrapped
In such manner as 10 depress II IN the me OF
tho spiral groove. This needle IS fixed to
diaphragm opposite which the mouth oil tho
speaker is placed As the sound Of his voice
impingc on the diaphragm II vibrates and presses
the needle with varying force against tne TN ION,
which is accordingly, irreguarly ndented us II is
moved by the crank under tbe point When the
speaker has concluded the point is removed, the
cylinder turned back 10 the hrst POSITION the point
again applied, and tho cylinder again rotated.
The indentations prev.ousy made have Low the
and down irreguarly, moving the dia-
pnragm IN manner precisely similar TO that IN which
aph rpSm Affects the air. and the words OF the speaker
are reproduced. A canvas cone, made on the prn-
ciple of the speaking trumpet was used to increase
the volume OF the sound, which was articulate aud
omprehcnsble, though IN u much higher pitch than
the voice which IL reproduced Sentences in
the German, spanish and Hebrew languages were
uttered and reproduced by IT in the hearing OF all
present The Spanish gave the best results, owing to
The preponderance OF vowel sounds. Noises OF
mails initiated and reproduced, us were also
coughing and singing. Many possible uses were
prophesied Tor this instrument An improvement IS
Leug prepared which will enable the operator to re-
III owe lol when he gets the impression OF the
be applied to another instrument, and the words be
repeated after any length OF time and any number Of
tImes.