The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-16

had no legal value here because the telephone had
become well known before the patent was issued.
ON hearing of my experiments he took interest in
them furnished facilities for carrying them on and
brought the results TO the attention OF the govern
ment.
COMPARISON OF SYSTEMS
chow does your invention differ from Bells and
.It differs from Bells in everything but the
fundamental principle aud has resemblance at all
Edsons. Professor Bell in Boston Elisha Gray
in Chicago conceived the idea of throwing a current
Of electricity into waves or unduations instead Of
breaking it into shocks pulsations as is done in
the Morse and other Geographic systems. l don't
know who had the idea first but Bell made the first
successful instrument to transmit the human voice
on this plan. He used plate OF iron before
the pole or poles of magnet. Talking against
the plate thew it into vibration, ana these
vibrations generated undulatory currents a cleo
trity in the coils upon the poles OF the magnet
sent them along the line to similar apparatus at
the other station. Faraday knew that the currents
could be generated by movement of the iron plate
before the poles, but he not to have known
that such currents could be applied to transmitting
the human voice along the line Bell and Gray pro-
coed upon this idea. and their instruments are the
same both for receiving and transmitting. Edison
uses these instruments for receiving. but he gen.
crates the current by means a battery placed in
circuit with button of carbon between two plates Of
iron. Talking against this arrangement front
plate into vibration. and varies the pressure upon
the carbon 1t Is found that this variation changes
the electrical resistance of the carbon and thus
duces undulations of current upon the line, as in
the magnet telephones.
MR.. COVERS IDEA
ciple. and to produce magnet strong enough to al
low the battery to be dispensed with. felt sure
phonc give sound loud enough to at
tract attention The common form of horse
shoe magnet seemed to me all wrong; Il great
the hypothesis, forty years ago. that magnetism is
the circulation Of currents of electricity in direc-
ton ct right angles TO the axis joining the poles TO
conform to this circular tendency the body of the
magnet ought to be nearly circular possible,
parallel. So / made my magnet circular. and got
very good result. But trying the idea further
found that q still better result was obtained by
total divergence OF the poles from the centre of the
circle, that the form which have finally
adopted consists simply Of half circle. with two
touch each other. magnet made in this form from
steel OF the proper quality can be made to lift
twelve to fourteen times its weight whereas lift of
nine times Its weight has been considered very good
work for permanent magnet hitherto. This devel-
opment OF power has, as ! expected. enabled us to
We find the loudness OF the voice in these instru-
ments sufficient for all practical purposes the vol
Of sound on line OF ten miles being about the
same that of speaking tube at 200 feet distance.
THE SIGNALLING PROCESS.
For the signalling we have proceeded on the theory
that the vibration Of the diaphragm in telephone
il chiefly due to molecular changes the iron and
not to the movement of the diaphragm as whole.
This, you know. has been very much disputed.
The Count du Moncel holds the molecular theory,
while Professor Tyndall denies that that form of
vibration can produce audible sound such get
from this instrument. Mr. Preece and many others
in London hold that mere molecular disturbance
IN
sound at al And SO the argument goes on. make
no pretence to scientific attainment, but have
satisfied myself that 1t is the molecular change in
the iron OF the receiving telephone which produces
the sound, and 30 inferred that some sound pro-
ducing agency could be fastened directly upon
the diaphragm without injurng its qualities
AZ receiver. Experiments showed the most
effective form of such sound producers TO
be reed like that of parlor organ, cased in tin
tube aud soldered upon the under surface of the
diaphragm near the poles of the magnet pos
sible. The diaphragm is ciamped upon metal disc
fI,a uo6 into hnY hat f1.a
whole affair is perfectly solid and not Ut all like
acoustic instrument in appearance Placing the reed
upon the diaphragm reduces what we used to call
the 'superhuous vibration Of the diaphragm in the
first telephone. and thus enables to flexible
tube speak into without too great loss of distinct
ness. Thus We have the mouth OF the telephone
entirely closed except for this tube. To make the
signal has only to blow into the tube as into
ordinary speaking tube. The air passes through the
reed, vlbrates 1t and escapes through opening in
the box under the diaphragm. The vibration Of the
reed sets up intense vibration in the diaphragm
to which the reed is attached and this transmits
strong currents OF magneto-electrcity to the
| ceiving telephone. producing there . clear loud
note sufficient to attract attention any ordinary
room or Office. The telephone is commonly placed
upon the desk or table of some one at either sta
tion and the practical result Is that one has be-
fore him u round brass box five inches in diameter
and inch and half deep. with speaking tube
coming from 1t. Hearing sound from the box one
simply picks up the tube and asks what is wanted.
Wishing to begin . conversation, one merely blows
into the tube and produces the sound at the other
station No switches. batteries flexible cords. regu-
lstion of the instrument or other complications,
and any one who can use aspeaking tube uses this
instrument without previous practice. 1t is the
simplicity of the thing which has made it success in
France and is now bringing in applications from all
the European countries.
COMPANY FORMED
"Wil the concession be acted upon at once for
FranceY
YES. strong company is forming, and with the
government approval which we now have it is easy
to get any reasonable amount of capital. We pro-
pose making the Paris telephone system the finest in
the world, as the field for the instrument here is
almost unlimited"
s.Have you patents in other countries?"
"les. The novelty of the idea in 1t led Mr.. Roose-
welt and myself apply for patents in all the prn-
cpai countries so that the invention is pretty thor
oughly protected
.'The United States ought to be great field for
your
east OF Chicago few weeks ago to see the progress
Of the telephone system. 1t Is something astonish-
ing. Scarcely q town but has its telephones and
frequently its telephone exchange as we'll Nothing
like 1t has been seen this side OF the Atlantic
"One moro question: If it is fair one. 1t is re-
ported that the company organizing in Paris is to
pay 200 francs for the invention Is that true?
There may be something in it. should have no
objection that know or But you had better ask
Mr.. Roosevelt. who that part Of the business"
Mr.. Roosevelt being questioned admitted that the
was believed to be very valuable, but he was not
prepared to 60 into figures. He considered Mr..
Covers success something extraordinary. and spoke
of the granting OF the concession OF the
highest compliments he had ever known to DO paid
to an American inventor in France. Following upon
this applications for telephone connection al
ready upon file from the leading bankers and others.
the Kothschds heading the list. and there
reason to doubt the immediate OF the inven-
ton commercially. There had been talk of COM
bnng the interests OF Mr.. Edison in France with
the new company, put it was yet impossible to tell
what M, ght come of II. The capitalists OF the
Cover party feeling very strong and well salts
fed with their position. He not aware that any
particular movement had yet been made In France
by Mr. Edison representative. but should expect to
something now. They had no authority to build
lines Tar he was aware.
THE FEEI,ING AGAINST CHINESE.
From fha oninion Of Mr.. Juatica Eiald ON the