Improvements in and relating to Phonographs.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Phonographs.
I, THEODORE VAN HEEMSTEDE OBELT of 140 Rokin, Amsterdam, in the Kingdom
of Holland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved Phonograph, so constructed, mounted and
arranged as to be set in motion by the insertion of a coin.
My invention consists of a suitable wooden or other case or box, upon which is
mounted and fixed a metallic plate, to the under surface of which is fixed a metallic
frame carrying a train of wheels arranged to be set in motion by the tension of a
coiled spring, the said train being provided with a suitable adjustable governor for
The said train of wheels carries a shaft upon which
regulating the speed of same.
is mounted a pulley or sheave adapted to impart motion by the means of a band or
strap to a mandrel mounted in suitable bearings upon the upper surface of the before
mentioned metallic plate, upon which said mandrel is placed a cylinder of wax or
other suitable material having thereon a record of some selected, tune, song, speech
or the like.
Upon the upper surface of the said metallic plate, and parallel with the said
mandrel, is mounted a hollow shaft, in which revolves a threaded shaft receiving
motion, at a predetermined speed, by the means of gearing operated by and from the
before mentioned mandrel, and upon the said hollow shaft is loosely mounted a
suitably shaped sleeve adapted to carry a reproducing diaphragm, and one end of a
flexible tube, the opposite end of which is suitably and flexibly connected to a hollow
vertical shaft, the upper end of which receives a resonator or a tube or tubes carrying
attachments for placing in the ears.
The said plate also carries a semi-tubular rod pivotally mounted upon suitable
bearings and has at one end a depending lever in connection with a suitable spring.
The said semi-tubular rod is adapted to make contact with the arm of the sleeve
carrying the reproducing diaphragm, the rising of which said tube and arm places a
half nut upon the opposite end of the arm in contact with the before mentioned
threaded shaft through a slot in the said hollow shaft and so causes the said sleeve
and diaphragm to travel along the said shaft.
The spring of the said train of wheels is wound up by a handle extending through
one end of the before mentioned wood or other case, or box, and so arranged that this
cannot be rotated until a predetermined coin has been deposited in a slot provided
for its reception, which when so deposited releases a lever from contact with a ratchet
wheel, unlocks the said handle, and permits the depositor of the coin to wind up the
said spring, and at or near the finish of such winding a pin upon a wheel engages
with the lever of the before mentioned semi-tubular rod, which being thereby raised,
places the before mentioned half nut upon the arm of the sleeve, in contact with the
revolving screw shaft, and the Stylus of the speaker or reproducing diaphragm in
proper contact with the cylinder upon which the sound waves to be reproduced have
been recorded or traced, and at the same time a brake is removed from the governor
before mentioned, and the train of wheels is set in motion, when the mandrel and
-

page_text: cylinder commences to revolve, the sleeve to travel along the said hollow shaft, and
the Stylus of the speaker to trace the record upon the said cylinder, thereby giving
off through the before mentioned resonator a reproduction of the sounds recorded
thereon.
The said sleeve when travelling along the hollow shaft as stated, gradually places in
tension a suitable spring, and at the moment that the reproducing stylus reaches the
final end of the record, the said sleeve is adapted to collide with a spring governed
rod mounted upon the upper end of the lever of the before mentioned semi-tubular
rod, such collision serving to release the said semi-tubular rod, which immediately
falls by the tension of its lever spring, thereby raising the speaker out of contact
with the cylinder, and the before mentioned half nut out of contact with the threaded
shaft, when the sleeve carrying these would be immediately returned to its first or
normal position at the opposite end of its Shaft by the tension of its spring, ready to
start again upon the insertion of another coin. The said lowering of the semi-
tubular rod operates a lever brake and arrests the motion of the train, suitable means
being provided for releasing the coin and depositing the same into a suitable
receptacle, which said release would again lock the winding up handle until released
by the deposit of another coin when the same operations would be repeated.
=
It sometimes happens that the sound tracings do not occupy the whole length of
the cylinder, and in order that the motion of the apparatus may cease as stated at
the finish of the record and commence with the beginning of same, I provide means
for adjusting the normal position of the sleeve, and the position of the before
mentioned spring governed rod for this purpose.
Dated this Oth do Ta
1007
I, THEODORE VAN HEEMSTEDE OBELT of 140 Rokin, Amsterdam in the Kingdom
of Holland, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what 30
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved phonograph, so constructed, mounted, and
arranged as to be set in motion for the reproduction of sound vibrations, by the
winding up of a clock-work train, the operation of the means for effecting the said 36
winding being possible only after the insertion of a coin of predetermined value, in a
suitable slot and chute provided for its reception.
In order that my said invention and the manner of its operation may be clearly
understood, I have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings in which:-
Fig 1 sheet 1 is an elevation of one side of the apparatus, with the side of the 40
case or stand broken away, in order to show more clearly the internal mechanism.
Fig 2 is an end elevation of the same, as it would appear when viewed from right
to left, also with a portion of the case broken away.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation opposite to that of Fig 1 while Fig 4, is an end elevation
opposite to that of Fig. 2.
Figs 5 and 6 are enlarged views of a portion of the mechanism hereinafter
explained.
Fig 7 Sheet 2 is a coction takon A
DT
46

page_text: Fig 8 is a much enlarged perspective view of the carrier for the recording and
reproducing diaphragms, and its connections, hereinafter explained.
Figs. 9 and 10, are part sectional views of parts of Fig 8.
Fig. 11 is a slightly exaggerated view of the coin freed mechanism forming part
of this invention.
Figs. 12 and 13, are side and end elevations respectively of the mechanism which
regulates the duration of the working of the apparatus upon the insertion of the
coin, the views illustrating the position of the said mechanism in its normal
condition, or when the apparatus is idle. Figs 14 and 15 being like views of the
same parts when the phonograph is at work.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide of any kind of wood a box or case A,
upon which is mounted and fixed a metallic plate B, to the under surface of which,
and the cover of the case A, is screwed or otherwise fixed a metallic frame C, having
depending portious a, b, c, d, e, and f which form bearings for a train of wheels
arranged in the following.manner.
The bearing f carries three wheels a¹, a², and a³, the former in connection with
a handle at, and the latter mounted upon one end of a shaft b¹, carried by the
bearings f, e, d, and C, and upon the said shaft behind the bearing f is mounted
a ratchet wheel c¹ and a pinion c², while between e and d the same shaft has
connected thereto the inner end of a coil spring d¹, the outer end of which engages
with a rod d² commected to e and d, (Fig 1) and between d and c, the said shaft
carries a sleeve upon which is mounted a wheel e¹, and a second sleeve carrying
a pinion e, the wheel e¹ being provided with a ratchet wheel and pawl (not shewn).
The bearings a, c, d, carry on one side (Fig 1) a shaft g, upon which is mounted
between and c a wheel g¹, and a pinion g², the latter of which gears with the
wheel e³, while between c and d-the same shaft carries a wheel 93, in gear with the
pinion e, and a pinion gt in gear with the wheel e¹. The bearings b and a at one
side of the machine, (Fig 3) carry a shaft h, upon which is mounted a pinion h¹,
which gears with the spur wheel g¹, while upon the end of h, beyond the bearing a,
is mounted a grooved wheel or pulley h². The bearings e and ƒ also carry between
them a toothed wheel j, in gear with the pinion e2 upon the shaft b¹.
The metallic plate B carries a metallic frame C¹, arranged at one end (C2.) to form
a bearing for one end of the spindle k, of a tapered or parallel mandrel C³, adapted to
carry a wax or other cylinder D, upon which sound records have been indented, cut,
or otherwise traced in the usual way. The opposite end of the spindle k. is carried
in a standard C. hinged or otherwise pivotally mounted upon the frame C¹ at
points k¹, upon which it may be lowered to permit a cylinder D to be placed upon the
imandrel or removed therefrom as required, a suitable catch or lock such as k² being
provided to retain C+ in its vertical position. The said mandrel C³ carries a pulley m,
connected by a band, strap or cord, such as m¹, with the pulley h² of the clock work
train, and receives motion therefrom.
The said frame C', carries a fixed hollow shaft E having for the major portion of its
length a slot or opening E3 in its side, facing the mandrel C³, the said shaft while,
shewn in position in Fig 1, is, with its connections hereinafter explained, shewn in
detail more fully in Figs 7, 8 and 9, and within the said hollow shaft revolves
a threaded shaft F, carried in bearings m², and receives motion from a suitable set
of toothed wheels mounted and revolving upon studs contained within the standard C²,
and enclosed by a covering plate C5, the said train of wheels receiving motion from
a toothed wheel, mounted upon the end of the mandrel shaft k, and may be arranged
in any suitable manner by means of which the said threaded shaft F may rotate at
the desired rate of speed relatively to the said mandrel, an example of such a train of
wheels being shewn by dotted outlines at x, x, x, in Fig 4.
The said hollow shaft E carries a loose hollow sleeve E¹, in fixed connection with a
hollow carrier G, within a slot in which is pivotally mounted at none end of a tubular
portion G¹, adapted to receive and carry the arm n of the speaker or reproducing
diaphragm G2. The carrier G has also a short tubular projection n², (Fig 7) upon
which is mounted an elbow ³, arranged to freely rotate thereon, and to this is

page_text: a
connected one end of a flexible tube H, the opposite end of which is connected to a
hollow crown or bonnet H', mounted upon a hollow standard H2., (fixed upon the plate
B) and adapted to rotate upon a ridge H³ formed thereon, the upper end of H² being
arranged to receive a duplex, flexible hearing tube, or a resonator in the usual
way.
The said carrier has a projecting arm J extending across the frame C'
beneath the mandrel C³, the free end of which is adapted to slide upon
web o, (as shewn in Fig 7) upon the frame C¹. which serves to steady
the said carrier when sliding along the hollow shaft E as hereinafter explained.
The upper end of the said arm is formed substantially as at Figs 8 and 10, and is
connected to the carrier G, as shewn in the former figure, and is hollowed out to
receive a threaded half or part nut o¹ (of the same pitch as the shaft F) the heel o²
of which slides up and down in a recess o³ in J, and is thereat provided with a spring p,
the tension of which operates to push outwardly the said part-nut o¹, and cause this
to make contact with the threaded shaft F. The said carrier G, carries internally
upon its sleeve E¹, and adapted to partly rotate thereon, a cam K, so formed as to
engage with a recess p₁, in the part nut o, the said cam being provided with a
lever K¹, the raising of which would place the flat portion K* of the periphery of the
said cam, facing the part-nut o¹, and thereby allow this to make contact with the
threaded shaft F, by the tension of its spring p, but when the said lever is lowered,
the wider portion Ks of the cam is brought in contact with the part nut-o¹, and
forces this away from, and out of contact with F as illustrated at Fig 10.
The said carrier G has also an internal recess in which may slide a pin p² (Fig. 8)
the upper end of which is always in contact with the under surface of the tubular
portion G, while its lower end is always in contact with the cam K, the latter being
so formed at p3,that where the flat portion K of this is in contact with the part nut-o¹
and allows this to make contact with the threaded shaft F, as previously explained,
the said hollow portion p³ is in the position shewn by Fig 9, and allows p² to fall and
the tubular portion G¹ to lower, so that the stylus of the reproducing diaphragm G²
may rest upon the cylinder D as shewn in Figs 2, 4, and 7, but when the cam K is
moved to the position shewn in Fig 8, the portion p' would come beneath the pin p²,
and by raising this would raise the stylus of the diaphragm G2 out of contact with,
and clear of the cylinder D, so that the carrier may slide idly along the hollow
shaft E.
2°
The bearings m² also pivotally carry the rectangular ends and r¹ of a semitubular
rod L, the internal formation of which is such as to engage with the spherically
formed end of the lever K¹ Fig 5, so that the raising and lowering of L upon its
pivots m², would effect the necessary and previously explained raising and lowering of
the said lever. The said end of L is formed substantially as shewn in Figs 12, 13,
14, and 15, and has a depending rod or lever L' which passes down through a slot in
the plate B, and is thereat adapted to make contact (under certain conditions
hereinafter explained) with a pin 2 upon one side of the toothed wheel j, while the
upper portion of L, above the plate B, is connected to one end of a suitable spring L²
(Fig 2) the tension of which operates to place L in the position shewn in Figs 12
and 13.
Upon the plate C¹, and immediately behind the end r¹ of L, is fixed a plate M, to
the upper end of which is fixed at one side a short length of tubing M¹, and above
this, and adapted to fit and slide upon the upper end of the plate M, is a plate 8, to
one end of which is fixed a depending lug 8', and to the opposite end a like but wider
lug 83, each of the said lugs having a central hole through which, and the said
tube M¹, freely passes a rod M³, having a pointed end 82 adapted to make contact
with a hole t in one side of the carrier G, (Fig 8) when the latter arrives at the
position shewn by dotted outline in Fig 1. The said rod M³, between 81 and M³, is
surrounded by a spiral spring tabutting against these, the tension of which operates to
force the lug 8' from the tube M¹, and brings the lug close up to the plate M. as at
Fig. 14, and by reason of the said rod M³ being in fixed connection with the lug 8³,
by the means of a thumb screw t2, it follows that the movements of 81 and 8 in the
direction of the arrow Fig. 12, would impart a like movement to the rod M³, while a

page_text: movement of the rod in the opposite direction would carry with it the lugs 8*
and 83.
The normal condition of the apparatus is illustrated in Figs 1, 2, 3 and 4, the
main spring d¹ of which is shewn run down or spent, and prevented fron being
rewound by the means of a lever N, pivotted at a point v upon the back face of the
bearing f, the weighted inner end v of the said lever, automatically engaging with
the teeth of the ratchet wheel c¹, the release of the said lever from the said wheel
being attained by the insertion of a coin in a slot or chute N¹ operating in the
following manner, reference being particularly directed to Fig 11.
The said weighted lever N is forked at its outer end N2, which embraces freely the
lower end of the coin chute N1, and upon the insertion of a predetermined coin in N',
this would fall upon and deflect the forked end of N into the position shewn by
dotted outline, further deflection at this moment being prevented by a pin v2 upon N
colliding with one end of a lever O, pivotted at a point vs upon the inner face of a
bearing f, a spring v operating to pull the said lever O in a downward direction until
arrested by a fixed pin v. The deflection of the lever N to the extent stated, would
raise the weighted end of this clear of the wheel c¹, when the handle a* with the
wheel a¹, may be rotated in the direction of the arrow (Fig 2), this by means of the
intermediate wheel a² operating to rotate the wheels a³, c², and c¹, and the spindle b¹
upon which they are fixed, thereby winding up the spring d¹. The rotation of the
pinion c² would rotate the wheel j in the direction of the arrow, (Fig 2) and when j
has nearly completed one rotation a pin 3 upon one side of this would pass idly under
a weighted pawl w upon the lever O, and at or about the same moment the pin 1-2
upon would collide with the arm L¹, as shewn in Fig 13, and by pushing this in
the direction of the arrow, against the tension of the spring L2, its upper end and
consequently the rod L would be raised, thereby lifting the lever K', when the cam K
would place the part nut o in contact with the threade. shaft F, and the stylus of the
diaphragm G2 in contact with the record on the cylinder D, as previously explained,
and the thus raising of I would place the upper point of its end 1 clear of the lug 83,
when the tension of the spring t would force 83 close up against the plate M,as shewn
at Fig 14, thereby locking the said point as shewn in Fig 15, and at this moment
a tongue w upon the back of the wheel as would make contact with a dead portion
of a stop wheel w² and so prevent over winding of the spring d¹.
The operator would now release the handle at when the wheel; would commence
to rotate in the opposite direction, or that shewn by the arrow in Fig 11 when the
pinthereon would collide with the pawl w and raise this sufficient to allow the said
pin to pass thereunder, such raising of the pawl serving to raise the lever O, and
permit the lever N to be further deflected by the weight of the coin, when the latter
would slip therefrom into a suitable receptacle provided therefor, when the tension of
the spring would lower the lever o, and the lever N would again make contact with
the teeth of the wheel c¹, and so prevent the re-winding of the spring until another
coin is inserted as described.
The rotation of the mandrel C³ (by means of the clock-work train in the case or box
A as previously described) would come by means of the train of wheels x, x, x, x, impart
motion to the threaded shaft F, the reproducing stylus being, as previously described,
in contact with the cylinder D, and by reason of the part-nut o being in contact
with F, the rotation of the latter would cause the carrier G to travel along the hollow
shaft E, and the stylus along the record of the cylinder D), and the sound waves
reproduced thereby would be carried along the flexible tube H into the hollow metallic
tube H2, and from there conveyed to the hearer, by the means of ear tubes fixed
upon the upper end of H2 in the usual way. The carrier G has a depending lug w',
to which is connected one end of a fixed spiral spring w', which becomes placed in
tension as the carrier G travels along E, and when G has arrived at the end of the
record, and assuming G to be then in the position shown by dotted outline in Fig 1,
the access t of G would at that moment have pushed the pin M³ in the opposite
direction of the arrow in Fig 12 a sufficient distance to place the lug 83 so far away
from the plate M as to allow the upper point of 1 to slip (by the tension of the

page_text: spring L2) between 83 and M and thus allow L to fall into its normal position as at
Fig 13, and such falling of L would lower the lever K¹, and partly rotate the cam K,
into the position shewn in Fig 8, thereby raising the stylus clear of the cylinder D,
and the part-nut o clear of the threaded shaft F, when the carrier would be
automatically slid along E into its first or normal position (by the tension of the
spring w,) shewn in Fig 1, a suitable adjustable rubber faced stop 132 being provided
upon the hollow shaft E to prevent damage by the sudden return of G, and also to
regulate, that when G so returns the stylus may be facing the commencement of the
record, and by a proper adjustment of the rod M3 by means of the thumb screw t2
the carrier would be released as stated at the moment of the finishing of the record.
In order that the speed of rotation of the whole of the moving parts operated upon
by the tension of the spring d' may be perfectly under control, I mount upon the
axle h a fixed disc Y, and a larger and sliding disc Y¹, connected to each other by
two or more (preferably four) plate springs y each of which carries, centrally of its
length, a lead or other weight y', and as the speed of the shaft increases the said
springs bow outwardly by the action of centrifugal force operating upon the
weights y', and such bowing out of the said springs, would bring the sliding disc Y¹
nearer to the fixed disc Y as shewn in Fig 3, and in order that the speed attained
may be governed at will, or in other words that the said outward bowing of the
springs may not be excessive, I provide upon the frame C suitable lugs y, which
carry a transverse rod R², upon one end of which is a horizontal lever R, and upon its
opposite end a depending arm R¹, carrying a resilient block S, adapted to press upon
the face of the disc Y1, when the lever R is lowered, the extent of such pressure
operating to regulate the speed of the whole, which is governed by a set screw T
adapted to press more or less upon the lever R. Beneath the before mentioned semi-
tubular rod L, 1 provide a wire frame V having two legs V1, V2, which pass
downwardly through the plate B, one of the said legs V₁, being arranged to impinge
upon the lever R, and when the said semi-tubular rod lowers at the end of the record,
as previously described, this would fall upon the upper surface of V causing the leg ví
to press down the lever R, and the plng S to press upon the disc ¹ with sufficient
force to stop the apparatus. The general construction of the device for regulating
the speed of the governor will be fully understood by reference to Fig 6, while
the manner in which the semi-circular rod E engages with the lever K¹ by reference
to Fig. 5.
A suitable glass case or cover (not shewn) would be provided for covering the whole
of the parts above the plate B, a suitable aperture being provided in the said cover
for the protrusion of the upper end of the tube H, and a slot for the insertion of a
coin to drop into the chute N¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A phonograph constructed and arranged to reproduce sound vibrations by the
winding up of a power spring operating upon a clock-work train, and other mechanism,
such winding up of the spring being possible only by the insertion of a coin, with
means for governing the speed of the said train and mechanism, and arresting the
motion thereof at a predetermined moment, the whole connected, combined,
and operating substantially as herein described and shewn, by the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In a phonograph adapted to be set in motion after the insertion of a coin,
the combination of a train of wheels actuated by a power spring such as d³, with
means such as wheels a¹, a², and a³, and a handle a, for placing the said spring in
tension, such means being normally held locked by a weighted lever such as N,
acting upon a ratchet wheel c', with chute such as N₁ for receiving a coin arranged
to fall upon the said lever and release the wheel c¹ substantially as herein described
and shewn.

page_text: 3rd. In a coin-freed phonograph characterized by the preceding claim, the
combination of a clockwork train operating to rotate a mandrel such as C³, carrying a
cylinder such as D, upon which sound vibrations have been recorded, with means for
conveying motion from the said mandrel to a threaded shaft F adapted to rotate
within a hollow shaft E, the said shaft E supporting a sliding carrier such as G,
constructed and arranged to carry a reproducing diaphragm such as G2, and a part-
nut such as o', with lever such as K', connected to a cam such as K, adapted to place
the said part-nut ol in and out of contact with the shaft F, and the stylus of the
diaphragm in and out of contact with the record upon the cylinder D, by the raising
and lowering of the said lever K¹ with semi-tubular rod such as L for effecting the
said movement of the said lever, and means for operating the raising of the rod L
during the winding up of the before mentioned mainspring d¹, with means such as
the device shewn in Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15, for automatically lowering the said
rod L, and lever K, at the finish of the travel of the carrier G, with spring such as w
for automatically returning G to its normal position at the finish of the said
reproduction, the whole connected, combined and operating substantially as herein
described and shewn by the appended drawings.
4th. In combination with રી.
spring-motor-driven coin-freed phonograph,
characterized by the preceding claims, the construction, use, and application of
a speed governor, consisting of a pair of fast and loose discs Y and Y¹, connected by
weighted plate springs y, and mounted upon the high-speed shaft h of the said
motor, with levers such as R, R1, R2, for regulating the speed of the said governor,
and thumb screw such as T for controlling the said lever, and frame such as V
operated upon by the lowering of a semi-tubular rod such as L, for arresting
the progress of the said clock-work train, substantially as herein set forth and shewn
by the accompanying drawings.
(November 1807
GEO. THO. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Bldgs, Liverpool Street London E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.