New-York tribune., 1880-03-07
SCIENCE FOR!THE PEOPLE.
FABER,s TALKING MACHINE.

Herr Faber's talking machine has recently
been exhibited at the COnversazione or the
London Physical Society. This talking ma
chine is the produce of tho. continuous Ianor
and study Of two members of the same family;
1t was begun in 1915 by Joseph Faber, ana
40 far elaborated in 1S41 that 1t was exhibited
in that year to the King of Bavaria. Inc
originator, dying, bcqueathed the machlne 10
his nephew, the present owner aiso hailtH ,l;ti'
Joseph Faber, who had been associated WIN
him in It's construction, and since II hecam5
his property Herr Faber has almost doubled
its powers of articulation.
The principal features of the machine
are, to begin with, the bellows, from
which the air is driven with consd-
erably varying force by means ei a
ped dd lever. The air passes IN a horizontal
stream through a small chamber. which repre-
sents the human laTynX, and III tMe same iIsII
line ont through the mouth. The nps ana
tongue are of india rubber and the lower jaw Is
movable. Below the laryngeal apparatus ana
opening from the chamber IN which u Is con-
tanned, IL another smaller chamber, ABOUT me
size and shape OF lemon, from Whlch q Plpc
curved upward allows the air when driven
through to escape. This supplies the place oi the
nose To the instrument. and when valvrlS lSopth,,
ed enables the sound of the letters IN ana II
to be produced by the striking OF the same KEYS
with which the sounds of 30 or p are obtalhcu.
The LIynX Is, OF course, the m0sf compeN pali
of the machine, ard to Hon Fabcr Is due the
elaboration of This portion oi the mcchah-
ism Within a small olloug box a narrow
and exceedingly thin strip of hippupotamps
bone. strengthened by iudia-rubbcI on one
side. produces by its vibrations the speaking
tone which may hc called the fundamental
sound to be subsequently, modified. A. the
will # the operator jhC pitch can hc ral>,
or lowered. lut not during ihc uttcrancc ci !.
word or sentence, 50 that 10 ing Mariana
OF Comment vous por;cz yuu,! (thc machine
talks French, German, Italian, OT Euglls),
the kew note remains mlal.crcd 10 thc end. III
front OF the vocal chord, and WITHIN tht
laryugcaI chamber aIr stops or GHph@Gln-,
placed vertically. and rising ami falling Ike
the wards ol % Chubb- lO"k, Int different, ~
that each stop Is II complex machine Ia 1t>ril,
having within. moved 10y Splng. another
stop by means ol which dn Oiillcc nj the has"
Is enlarged Or dImmisac /. Hem Fabcl has
taken another liberty with nature, for besides
placing the ncsc below the mouth, Tor thc
sake OF convenience. he haS placed the teeth
in the laryux, or, more sirctly speaking. with
olc OF these stops he gets a somewhat l.WnE
" s. or the sound OF " sin from the macnluc.
\ smi III WindmIii-iIhc arrangement give me
rattle of ihc letter" IT, and 90 thu iron band,
uotchcd III the lower rim iu front, h,iuF "Il.
side the upper lip, dcSccnds to gave the "
or w sound.
There are fourteen keys 10y which sounds
are controlled. SIT king the hIst the sound ot
- IN " father Is produced, the mouth lC-
manning wide open another KEY being struck
the lower Jaw rises and The sound oi - IN
" bowl i given y thlrd key moves lever
which nearly closes the mouth and the sound
of cor IN movement Is emitted. Tie
other vowel sounds and the c,n-onaHt- are
produced by the list OF the dlal hIaSMs III the
hrynx with the mOUih IN the second or iIlrd
DOsltlOES