Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1878-01-31
A MARVELLOUS INVENTION.
Remarkable Experiments With Mr.. E<li
sons PhOnOgraph--AstOnis
Results.
from the New York SUM-

(From the New York SUM-
In the early part of November last the Sun
printed description of new invention by
Mr.. Thomas A. Edison, called the speaking
phonograph. Mr.. Edison has since made an
improvement, and has now succeeded in
making an instrument that will record and
reproduce any words or sounds pronounced
or made within the proper distance of the
mo1thpiece OF the apparatus. This apparatus
is exceedingly simple. 1t consists OF CYL
inder four inches in diameter and ten inches
long upon the shaft. A spiral groove, like
the thread Of a screw, is cut in the surface of
the cylinder from end to end, and the same
kind of screw is cut in the shaft carrying
it. Over this cylinder is secured a sheet OF
paper or tinfoil. Immediately opposite the
cylinder, on an upright arm, is speaking
tube, one end of which is closed by dia-
phragm. In the center of the diaphragm is
a small point, like that of pin, arranged so
as to be exactly opposite the grooves upon
the cylinder. When the cylinder is set in
motion it rotates, and at the same time moves
endwise. If while rotating person utters a
sentence in front of the tube the movement
of the diaphragm causes the point upon it to
indent the tinfoi, so that for every move
ment of the diaphragm the point indents the
3
ture will be made, and if small shallow one
is made, and thus every movement of the dia-
phragm is accurately 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 repro
duces all the original movements.
MIR. Edison had his improved machine on
private exhibition in the Western Union Tel
egraphic Office on Monday, and President
Orton and number of other gentlemen con-
nected with the company tested its extraordi-
nary powers of repeating spoken words. On
one occasion three gentlemen spoke in sue
cession-the frs: in English, the second in
Spanish, and the third in Hungarian the
machine repeated the words SO as to be dis
tinctly heard by dozen persons standing
around the apparatus. ''Old Uncle Ned" and
a verse of Spanish love song were next
sung, and reproduced by the instrument to
the satisfaction of all.
Mr.. Edison says the machine is designed
for practical use by business men and lawyers,
etc. He is now making new machine which
will have plate sufficiently large to receive
500 spoken words. Thus man may dictate
half dozen letters before leaving his Office,
and his clerks may write them out in his ab-
sence. If he should wish to say more, he can
remove the first plate and put in second,
and so on up to any number he may require.
So accurately are the words repeated by the
machine that gentleman who was present
at the exhibition yersterday would not be-
lieve that the sounds were made by it. He
insisted that it was a ventriloquial perform
ance, and would not be convinced that it was
not until Mr.. Edison retired into another
room while the machine was worked by some
one else