The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1920-11-17


might he tremendous.
The reproducing instrument has the
appearance Of small monograph. and
Is kept In a wooden case like a travel
er's typewriter. The weight Is 2 or 3
pounds. Like the photograph there Is
n large circular disc about inches In
diameter. Above this disc Is another
disc, about the size Of a six-inch rec
ord. This disc receives the typophone
record. Connecting the two Is u re-
duction gear. The reader" places the
record In position and fastens the
needle on the sound boxes as In the
ordinary photograph. In order to be-
gin reading the book he turns the large
disc and the words of the story are
then tapped out In the improvised
code. The reduction gear causes the
record to rotate at rate one thirty
sixth as slow as the lower disc Is turn
ed. The operator may read" as slowly
or as rapidly as he desires merely by
twirling the lower disc to suit his abil-
ity to comprehend the sounds.
Recognizing that reader" may
grow tired after perusing a few chap
tiers Dr. Herr has contrived an in
genious "bookmark" that enables him
to begin "reading" where he left of.
A small clutch inside the wooden case
clamps the bar holding the needle In
the place where the book" is closed"
200 Models Of Machine Made.
The present model typophone is the
2OOth DIR. Herr has made. It bears all
the improvements and is without the
faults that were embodied In the 1919
discarded models. His primary pur-
pose In visiting the United States was
to accept the Invitation by those inter-
ested In having him demonstrate his
invention. He hopes while here to in
terest individuals or organizations to
take hold Of his invention so that the
machine and books" may be placed at
the disposal Of the afflicted, for the
cost Of manufacture or without cost.
The inventor feels that If out of his
own affliction there can como some
good to the millions similarly situated
the loss of his vision will not have
been in vain. He Is not Interested
In the commercial exploitation of typo
phonia and stands ready to turn It
over without cost to the philanthropic
individual or organization which will
undertake to give 1t to the blind and
weaksighted out Of humanitarian mo-
tives. free from any suspicion of CON-
mercialism.
1t is the dream of DR.. Herr that
there may eventually arise I'm the Uni
ted States an International Institute
for the Blind, with sections for all the
nations. BY the system of typophonia
he Is of the opinion that the world Of
literature, science and culture may be
opened to the afflicted. Records, he
says, can be made in all languages. As
most of the blind are poor, he insists
that his invention must be given free
of cost or at cost.
Record in Three Languages.
Records have already been made by
Dr. Herr in German, English and Pol
ish. He was subsidized to a limited
extent by the Austrian and Polish gov
ernments in his experiments. The first
German records were Grimm's Fairy
Tales and the first English record was
Oscar Wilde's 1.-THE Happy Prince and
other Tales"
DIR. Herr came to this country at
the request of M. G. Nigel, chairman
of the New York state commission for
the blind, William Ziegler. Jr., and w.
G. Holmes, editor of the Matilda Zieg-
Ter Magazine. Representatives of the
following organizations also sent let
tiers inviting him:
The Red Cross Institute for the
Blind, the National Committee for the
Prevention of Blindness, the AssOcia-
tiOn for the Instructors of the Blind,
the American Association of Workers
for the Blind, the Matilda Ziegler Pub
fishing Company for the Blind, the
New York Association for the Blind,
the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the
Librarian for the Blind, Library Of
Congress and the American Printing
House for the Blind.
When Dr. Herr first took up the
study of braille three years ago there
was shortage of thick paper in Aus
tria, the sort used in printing braille
He thereupOn invented
method Of stamping the characters on
any thickness of paper by means of
perforated zinc stencils. He made an
frame for the sightess
persons use and by means Of which he
Is able to print his own braille books
n little expense.
In his medical speciality, heart dis
Ease, he has invented machines in con-
nectiOn with mechalotherapy. The ap-
paratus bearing his name is said to
be in use all over the world. A small
pocket instrument for measuring blood
pressure Is among his inventions.
DR.. Herr Is planning to sail for Eu-
rope on July 81 He will stop In Lon
Ion to visit Sir Arthur Pearson, the
blind publisher. The physicians wife
was born In New York. but she did not
come with him. He was accompanied