The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-16

extremity to the uncovered leg of the electro mag
net b. and its other extremity is attached to the cen
| ter of stretched membrane a. cone A, is used
to converge sound vibrations upon the membrane
When sound is uttered in the cone the membrane
IS setn vibration the armature is forced TO rartake
OF the motion and thus electric undulatons ere
/ ated upon the circuit e b z. These fluctuations
are similar in form to the air vibrations caused by the
sound-that is they are represented graphically by
similar curves. The undulatory current passing
through the electromagnetic f. influences its armature
to copy the motion of the armature c. A similar
sound to that uttered into is then heard to proceed
| from L."
To simplify: In the fifth claim and the part of the
specification quoted above the applicant declares that
his invention consists in this In thedscovery that
vocal or other sounds by being uttered otherwise
communicated through receiver, and by reason OF
their force being made to impinge upon armature,
mpart to it the vibrations of the ar that these mo-
tons OF the armature corresponding fluctuations
In the electrical current that at the end OF the cir
cult similar vibrations given to another armature,
through it to the surrounding air. and through the air
to the human ear. Thus voices communicated to the
electrical current and reproduced at the end of the
wire IN the air. and all this by of the discov-
cred fact that vibrations in the air caused by sound
similar to the unduatons in the electrical current
thatvocal sourd of whatever character itself may be
passed from air to the electrical current and delivered
again through the air by means of receiving and
delivering or emitting armature.
THE ESSENTIAL FACT.
The great discovered fact that the vibrations in
the air similar in form to the following and i'm
parted electrical unduations and that heunduations
are similar to the ultimate vibrations.
1t follows that the vibrations the undu-
lations whether gradual sudden of whatever pitch
loudness, whether constant varying in pitch or
loudness, whether caused by single by successive
sounds. We think this sufficient description of the
process and apparatus and of the whole discovery
patented and that it neither required nor did it
ceive substantial changes by the amendments sub
sequently made, matter from what sug-
gested or derived.
Another objection urged by the defense that the
apparatus described in the specifications and illus
trated by figure is not capable of transmisting
ticuate speech. There afdavts to this effect,
but the afdavis in favor of the capablity very
strong and satisfactory and the court ITSELF through
its own senses, convinced that the transmission
of speech had been completely attained by of
the Bell apparatus, as exhibited by figure No. 2.
The fact that Bells invention certainly dates from
Jan. 20, 1876, and that it covers speaking tee-
phone transmitting articuate speech by means OF an
undulatory oscilatory vibratory current of cleo
tricity renders 1T unnecessary to pass upon the evil
dence relating to the ergiversations and claims OF
Gray the alleged frauds of Bell in advancing his APP
piication for patents the illegal conduct and conflict
ing statements of Examiner Wilbur and any alleged
vices and irregularities the evidence of which forms
the bulk of the record and apparently the main de-
Tense In the case.
with CLEAN HANDS,"
At the time, it is proper to say that in all the
evidence have found nothing that shows that Bell
has done caused to be done anything inconsistent
with his right be called honest man-wth clean
Wilbur as to the contents of Gray's caveat fled
the day his (Bells) application (which. how.
does not appear), he had right to do to
able him to restrict and limit and clearly define his
application; the information shown to have been
furnished furnished under the authority of Rule
33 of the Patent Office for such purpose
We will next consider the second ground of de-
Tense, which is that the invention of Bell lacked
novelty, because it had been anticipated by Philip
Refs.
That Refs made great strides toward the discovery of
the great fact law subsequently announced in the
fifth claim of Bell, does not admit of doubt.
That he failed to reach it is equally beyond ques
ton.
Refs discovered that by means of the electrical
rent, sound could be received transmitted and deliv
cred. But it was the pitch OF tones that trans
mtted, and exclusively by of an intermittent
make break current-a current incapable of
veying the form of sounds. protracted varying
sounds and therefore incapable of conveying artcu-
late speech His apparatus appears to have been
devised in the attempt to transmit speech by electric
ity; but the attempt was acknowledged failure.
His apparatus, under the influence of the voice,
other sounds simply sroke the circuit at each prnci
pal vibration with frequency corresponding to the
pitch of the sounds.
Professor Trowbridge says:
1T is impossible to transmit speech electrically by
means of that operation; for the reproduction of arc
ulaton requires the reproduction not merely of the
number of sonorous vibrations but what is technically
known as their form or character The electrical
changes the line wire which to convey this
characteristic from the transmitter to the receiver
cannot do that unless they take note of that eharac
elementary proposition of geometry"
Refs apparently had idea of operating through
continuous uninterrupted current, which should be
unduatory, i. e., should be plastic mpressble and
should be the medium of receiving freely and contin
ously, and reproducing exactly the vibrations Ia the
air accompanying sound by the corresponding dis
turbances in the electrical current without any inter-
mission of the flowing of the current.
In the Jahresbericht, the annual report of the
Physical Society of Frankfort for the year 1S60-61
is account given by Refs himself of his invention
and apparatus. 1t was presented to the court as
translated in the biographical sketch of Philip Refs
by Sylvanus P. Thompson, published in London in
1883. Upon suggestion that the translation might
be imperfect. ordered that the memoir should be
obtained from the Congressional Library and should
be translated into English bv j. Hanno Deiler profess
sor of German in the Tulane University We have
carefully compared MIR. Reiss description of his in
venton and apparatus given in the two transla-
tons While differing in the words used in the two
renderngs, they agree in making Refs state that he
an intermittent current, and that each sound
wave effects an opening and closing OF the current
This is made palpable by his illustration of
his apparatus or instrument.
This is entirely inconsistent with any idea of
tnuing current which should undulate l. g., be in
creased or diminished merely by apparatus con-
structed to be susceptible of being set in motion by
the vibrations of the air produced by sound and
should freely receive convey and deliver single
eessive sounds by of being &c constructed as
to be capable of being started and continued in motion
Just so long the vibrations of the air lasted He
did not apply to his instrument the aw-indeed he
seems not to have designed his instrument with any
reference to the law-that the vibrations in ed
had exact correspondence to the fluctuations in
the other not only for an instant but for any period
of time.
The merit, and as we think the originality of the
Bell invention consisted in the discovery Of this law
and in the nstructon of his apparatus that when
the sound caused aerial movements vibrations thew
might without any intermisson of the current, be
freely transferred translated into electrical undua
tons, which again, at the end of the circuit, would
freely reproduce the aerial vibrations, and thus
vey, single combined, transmitted sounds to the
ear and continue to convey them without interrupt
ton as originally uttered whether single combined or
successive Reis's result was that sound could be
sent through the electric current like missile
through the air. Bells result that the electric
rent was continuing connection between voice and
ear like the air itself
AN IMPORTANT FACT.
great fact in proof of the correctness of this de-
ducton is that the instruments invented by Refs and
his methods were described in many scientific papers
and works and were well known in the scientific