Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-04
AUGUSTA MANS INVENTION.
come Things About c. n. O'1rien's
wonderful Elsctrophone.

Wonderful Elsctrophone.
one OF the newest things to attract
attention In Augusta, and sometb;n.
wnlch Is of interest not only locally hut
70 the mechanical AMI scientific world
IN general. Is the O'Brien Electrophono
invented and patented by Charles IT
OBrien OF Hallowell, and for the nro.
motion or which a corporation has heen
lorsanlzed with a capital stock of s5O0 -.
900. '''0'
ror years past, inventors and scion.
tinc men have been at work upon the
problem OF applying electricity to some
sound producing device ether than rho
ordinary electric bell: something which
could be varied in pitch end INTENSIVE
in order to he applied to alarms
whistles and other uses. But 40 is
often the case in seeking for a des;reI
end, the inventors employed circuitous
and elaborate means. lahorin- undor
the deluslon that, as this end had never
pcen reached 1t must perforce require
some marvel of completely. while in far,
1t is marvel of simplicity, which at
tains the object sought.
MI U Br'en was at first no execution
to the other men at work on III,
problem. He began some three wears
ago. to experiment on methods for pro-
ducing an electric whistle, and worked
many elaborate schemes and wasted
both time and money with the ONLY rc.
suit that after each failure he had
plenty of pluck and tenacity to trv IL
again. Charlie" as everybody knows
him. is busy man with only his duti,s
as local manager Of the New England,
Telephone Co. to attend to: but With
all this on his hands. nc found time tn
continue his experiments, and a short
time since arrived at the results which
at first startled him with their success
and then made him wonder why he had
not thought of it before. As soon as
he was assured OF the success OF his
method of sound production he placed
tho matter before the patent Office at
Washington. and was soon accorded
patent rights. A similar course Of
action has also been pursued in foreign
countries. To develop and carry out
the manufacture Of his invention, a cor
poration was organized Il few days ago.
under the laws of this state, to be
known as the O'Brien Elcctrophone Co.
with Charles II. O'Brien as president /,
and Byron Boyd as treasurer. and hav-
ing capital stock of $500 900.
In brief. the Electrophone. as Mr.
OBrien has named his invention. is
made up Of an electro magnet and \
varying OscillatOr. which. placed upon
opposite sides of rcsounding body.
take up and make continuous tn =,
vibrations from that body, producing :,
fY. do, ,fnI
ing to the body to which 1t is attached.
In the model which the inventor ex-
hibits as a proof of the success of his
methods. three resOnatOrs Of different
sizes are employed, made from tin and
resembling ordinary tin cans. BY at
taching the magnet and oscillator and
connecting with a battery, the simple
act Of pressing outtOn produces n
pure and pleasing tone. BY varying
the size of the resonator, the sound
produced may be Of any pitch from
pin whistle 10 the heaviest tone" and
may be continued at the will of the
operator. The whole construction is
simple the only secret teing the make
up of the oscillator. But it is usually
the simple things that count in inven-
ton.
For practical applications to which,
the EleotrOpnOne can be ut. there arc
numerous places where just such an
article has been awaited with eagerness
for long time. In fire alarm systems
for one thing: on the automobile, for
another. where the hoarse and squawky
noise of the Objectionable horn may be
replaced by clear, steady tone that
will not offend the most sensitive ear.
similarly on the electric or vapor
launch. In any place where an alarm
or continuous sound production is re-
quireG. there the Electrophone may be
applied with results both pleasing and
surprising.
Then there are more ideal uses to
which this invention HAY. upon further
developments. be put. Just imagine,
for instance" said the inventor to 2
Journal man. that you set your piano
playing in the evening. 60 to bed and
let it play you to sleep. When you
wake up in the morning it will be play
ing 1.-The same old tune" And he
smiled quizzically at the thoughts of il.
But there can be no doubt that the in
vcntion has opened a new and wide
field in the way of electrical appliances
and like the changes which have been
made in the photograph since it's first
conception. SO this ElectrCphone will bc
developed and improved by scientific
experiment and application until i'm
perfected form it Will meet with uses
now undrcamed of.