Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-05
THE MICRO-GRAPH0PHONE.
A Great Improvement ON the PhenOErapl
Invented by an italian.

A Great Improvement ON the Phcnograph
Invented by an Italian.
NEW YORK, October 2.-Those who have
heard the phonograph "talk" know how
thin it's tone ia and how feeble it's voice.
As q matter OF fact, less than 80 per cent.
OF the original volume of sound is returned
to the ear. This is overcome to some ex-
tent by mechanical attachments. The
"magnifier," great horn-like sounding
horn OF metal, amplifies the sound repro
duced. The ear.piece guides all OF the
sound-waves returned directly to the
ear. A machine has been re-
Gently devised, however. which, con-
structed on very different lines,
dispenses with all such mechapical aids.
The reproduced sound comes forth from
the mouthpiece clear and loud, and with
tho original qualities OF tone. Sixty per
cent. OF the sound waves are reproduced
now, and later on, it is thought, 80 per
cent. may be utilized. The inventor is
Gianni Bettini, wealthy italian OF this
city, q lieutenant in the service OF the
King of Italy, and but eighteen months
in this country. He calls his instrument
the micro o-graphophone. A patent was
issued for it in the middle OF August. In
general appearance it is like the instru.
ments in actual use.
The voice ia thrown on q diaphragm oi
aluminium or mica. Here the resemblance
ceases. In the present phonograph, fast.
~ ho ronSar ~ tho ofhor Ida NJ the
diaphragm, il q needle point, which records
the sound waves on u swiftly revolving cyl
| inder OF wax. In the new instru-
ment the recording needle point does
not OF itself touch the diaphragm.
It is placed on spider" in the
center OF series OF arms
\ OF different length, each one OF which
reaches some point on the diaphragm. The
vibrations or sound waves spread out on
the diaphragm as when a stone is dropped
into the water the rings extend out in
widening circles until they can no longer
be traced. The outstretched arms catch
| the vibrations from various points, focus
them at the needles point, and make the
| record. In Edison's device the vibrations
are taken off at the center alone, and only
| q portion OF them are transmitted. Here
| they are taken off at many points, and
resultant OF the tones that 60 to make up
sound is gotten at the half tone, the over
| tone and their graduations as well as the
tone itself. Again, when vibrations are
taken of from the center, besides the actual
sound waves there 10 the mechanical move
ment or oscillation OF the diaphragm. al
WAYS greatest at the center. This, as
we'll as the vibrations proper, is COM
municated to the needle. SO the record in
that case is noticing more or less than
q composite OF the actual sound
waves and the mechanical movement oi
the diaphragm. The apparatus for the
! actual reproduction Of the sound may also
be used with the record made by any oil
the existing instruments. The disk here is
much larger and divided into several cir
cular parts, equal in size, each under sepa-
rate, uniform tension. Here the principle
of an increased loudness is involved. II a
dia phragm gives out q certain volume oi
sound, five Of them will give five times as
much. In the application OF this. when the
Imachine grirlds out it's repro1uctlon, TO
room the sound comes forth clear and
loud, without the use OF sounding board.
The '.spider" arms are of the same length,
that they may find the esame resistance and
send forth the same qualities OF tone
From these circular divisions OF the
disk run tubes OF equal lengths, ending in
40 many barreled mouth-piece. The prin'
cjple OF the reprodueer is not applicable u
monographs and micro. o.graphophones
/ alone. It (the reproducer) might be at
tached to the receiver OF q telephone. The
feeble whisper one gets thersfrom would
then be magnified and the voice hundreds
/ Of miles away be thrown into the room.
The inventor, curiously though, is q man
| self-educated in science. He only took uE
the study on his arrival in this country
As electricity was his especial hobby, b.
frst attempted an electrical phonograpn
Theoretically he succeeded. practically II
was not q success. Then some eight months
ago he hit upon the principles described
At the time Of the invention he had nevel
examined the workings OF the phonograpi
and knew nothing Of it except what he mac
seen in the public prints.