The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-04-12
EDISON STILL Ar lr.
ThIs Time IL Is the Aerophone.

tnan seven WOnOSrSs 10 W OElu re-
porter who called upon him at Me-
MO Park, yesterday, shat l cannot
show you the aerophone to-day; /
have Just sent the application for a
patent to Washington, and have Ia
ken the machine had here TO pie
ces."
The Aerophone was an affair
not to be met with every day, where
upon Mr.. Edison, who is one of the
most courteous gentlemen in the
world, undertook to explain it's me-
chanism and capabilities. The for
mer was less easy than the latter to
understand, that Mr.. Edison, how
ever, has Invented a machine which,
placed upon q locomotive will raise
It's voice and announce In giant tones
that can be heard for miles, al am
the engine Marmanduke, and will
stop at Boonton Station" or what
ever other warning or Information
IL chooses there is not the least rea-
son to doubt. 1t seems probable
that Mr.. Edison can make whatso-
ever he likes, and even without the
mesgre explanation of this, bis last
wonder, which the reporter is here
with able to give, no person who
has ever met him or visited HE
work shop at MEMO Park should
doubt its practicabilitY. In the
aerophone-wbich, by the way, Is
as yet by no means perfected-the
vibrating diaphragm principle in
use In the marvellous phonograph is
made key to the mystery. The vi
bratiDg plate, which in the phono-
ha rnTnk n
volving cylinder, in the aerophone
operates as valve to shut off and
open the flow of steam through a
pipe leading from the boiler to q
peculiarly arranged horn or whistle.
By this contrivance, the steam in
stead of producing long, continu-
GUS loot, is made to pronounce
words.
''It is quite simple" said Mr.. Ed
isoD, smiling upon the perplexed
reporter, ''but II you don't under
stand IL altogether, just take my
word for it that this thing will ut
ter words which can be heard dis
tinctly four miles away, aud wait
patiently for a few weeks, when l
will demonstrate what l say to you"
With this, for the present, the re-
porter had to content himself, Mr..
Edison fret having called his atten-
ton to the immense value it would
have on shiDboard in time of fog
or in lighthouses on stormy coasts,
from which, by Its aid, the keepers
could hail all surrounding vessels,
Informing them of their where
abouts and of the peculiar dangers
of each particular coast.
81 have been so busy in perfect
ing the photograph" said Mr.. Edi-
son, as the reporter turned reluctant
ly from a speculation upon the posi-
bilities of this able modern siren, to
q contemplation of the labratory in
which they were standing, "that l
have thought of but little else for
the last two weeks. All the pho
,n0Eraphs that have as yet been
yexhiPited are, you know, very i'm.
perfect, or rather very meagre in
their results. They have been mere
experiments. haYe, however,
perfected the instrument, and in a
few DAYS q talking-machine that is
q talking machine will be complet-
ed" So saying, he led the way
down stairs to q machine shop,
where eight busy .machinists were
jndustriously at work, and where
q perfect network of leather bands,
attached to all manner of machines,
was in animated motion. Among
the workmen, looking over their
shoulders and giving instructions
here and there, this little man,
whose brain had supplied the occa-
sion for all that was going on,
moved quietly about, while the re-
porter, lost in admiration, followed
behind. Eight men, and these the
most expert machinists-Swiss
workmen all of them-are employ
ed by Mr.. Edison at an expense of
several hundred dollars a week
merely to make in iron and brass
the myriad inventions that are con-
-Sstantly taking form in his mind.
"Ah, here It 49," said he, picking
mp q circular piece of brass, the sur
face of which was scanned with 8
fine thread, which, starting at the
center, ran around the plate many
thousand times before the circum-
ference was gained. "This lie to
take the place of the cylinder in the
phonogragh. 1t revolves, you see,
in this way (placing it upon a pivot
aud twirling it around like platter
and the pointer, which is attached
to the diaphragm, will follow the
thread by means of q movable arm.
The plate will be turned by clock
work to insure q uniform rate OF
motion. Instead of having to put
the sheets of tinfoil directly on a
cylinder, with the risk of tearing in
removing them, by the means of
this fat plate we will be able to
have the tinfoil made secure TO q
cardboard frame, which, having
holes at the four corners that will
just fit over four pegs, can be eaisly
lifted from the machine when used
and pat away in safe place until
wanted again"
The reporter asked how many
words could be put upon q sheet OF
tin foil sufficiently large to cover
this plate, which was about ten
j inches in diameter. Mr.. Edison
: replied he was confident any Ordi-
F.. nary fifty cent novel could be regis
1 tered upon it. To perfect the cult
walton of the monographs voice so
that IL will be capable of transmit
ting precisely the same tones of
ANOACo tuob oIc cROhCu " Az &AAAs LII
son is engaged In making an affair
to take the place of the metallic fun
mel, which Is now used to bring ont
the sound. He proposes to con-
'struct q tube, which shall be shaped
like the Interior of human mouth,
and which shall be supplied with
teeth somewhat similar TO those en-
ployed In the vox humane organ
stop.
az have another idea," said he az
nonchAlantly as If wonderful ideas
were as cheap as common potatoes
81 propose, in sending the exhibit
of several of my Inventions to the
Paris exposition, to have q large
photograph running in the machine
~ department. will have q piece
of tin foil electrotyped so that the
Expressions upon it will not wear
out by constant use. A very sim
pie contrivance will shift the cylin-
der-I intend using one of the cyl.
inder Photographs for this purpose
L.