Improvements in Phonographs.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
Improvements in Phonographs.
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
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in the general construction of phonographs
and like instruments for the reproduction of sound vibrations, and has for its object to
produce an effective instrument, of few parts, each of simple construction, and at a cost
considerably below that of like machines as hitherto made and used.
My invention is adapted for the reproduction of sound vibrations that have been
previously indented, engraved or otherwise cut or traced upon a wax, lac, hydrocarbon,
metal, celluloid or other surface, of cylindrical or other formation, by the means of the
recording stylus of a phonograph or similar instrument, and I wish it understood that
my said invention does not relate to the production of such records nor to the material
upon which the said records are made, but of an improved instrument for the
reproduction of sound vibrations from such records, after the manner of a phonograph
or like instrument.
In order that the general construction of my invention and the manner of its
operation may be fully understood I have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings,
in which I have chosen to illustrate its application to the reproduction of sound
vibrations from records of cylindrical formation.
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a side elevation of my improved phonograph according to my
invention, while Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are end elevations as they would appear when viewed from right to
left and left to right respectively of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 Sheet 2 is an enlarged view of the vibrating arm and the pillar and its
connections upon which the same is mounted, a portion of the latter and the stationery
end of the former being partly in section.
Fig. 6 is a further enlarged vertical section of the upper end of the said pillar and
its connections.
Fig. 7 is an under plan view of the lower or bottom plate of the connections or
device fixed upon the upper end of the said pillar, while Fig. 8 is an under plan view
of the tubular portion of the said device as hereinafter explained.
My invention consists of a wooden or other stand or base A, mounted upon rubber
or other resilient feet B to prevent vibration. Upon the said stand or base is screwed
or otherwise fixed an angular metallic or other plate C, preferably of the shape or
configuration shewn, the vertical portion of which is adapted to carry a train of
wheels D, actuated by a spring or springs adapted to be placed in tension by a key in
the usual way, or an electric, gas, oil or other motor may be employed in lieu of the
said train or for operating the same.
The high speed shaft or spindle E of the said train or its equivalent motor, is
extended in length and journalled in a bearing formed in the upper end of a standard F
fixed upon the horizontal portion of the plate Cor the base A or both, and upon the
said shaft is mounted a pair of circular discs G and G³, the former being fixed, and
the latter adapted to slide thereon, and to these are fixed two or more (preferably
four) thin plate springs H, to the outer surface of each of which is connected, centrally
of their lengths, a weight a, and as the said shaft E gains in speed the said weights,
by the action of centrifugal force, cause the springs to bow outwardly or recede from

page_text: a
the said shaft, and the disc G¹ to approach the disc G as indicated by dotted outline
in Fig. 2 thus serving as a speed governor for the shaft E, but in order that such
bowing out of the plates H, or in other words in order that the speed of the shaft E
may be regulated' at will, I provide and fix upon the standard F à suitable spring J,
carrying a rubber or other resilient block b, which normally presses upon the inner
face of the disc G¹ by the tension of the said spring and so acts as a brake for the
said governor, the tension of the said spring and the force of the pressure of b upon G¹
being regulated by a set screw c.
The vertical portion of the plate C is adapted at d to form a bearing for one end of
a shaft or spindle K, the said bearing being arranged in any suitable manner so as to
carry the said shaft or spindle K without the need of a bearing at its opposite end
the reason for and object of this being hereinafter explained. Upon the said shaft or
spindle K is mounted and fixed a hollow mandrel I, preferably consisting of a casing
of vulcanite or other suitable material mounted upon like or metallic end discs M, and
preferably retained in position by the means of a screw e engaging with the outer disc J
and screwed into the free end of K. The outer surface of L may be either perfectly
parallel as at Fig. 2 or slightly tapered as at Fig. 4, according to the internal
formation of the cylindrical record to be mounted thereon, the said record being
preferably retained thereon by frictional contact alone, the position of this being
indicated by dotted outline N in Figs. 1 2, 3 and 4, and in order that the said
record may be quickly and easily placed upon and removed from L, and with a view
to lessen the cost of the apparatus, is the object of the absence of a bearing for the
outer end of the shaft K.
Upon the borne end of the shaft K is mounted and fixed a grooved wheel or
pulley which, and consequently the shaft K, receives motion from a preferably larger
wheel or pulley P, mounted and fixed upon the high speed shaft E, by the means of
a cord or band R.
Upon the opposite end of the base or stand A is mounted a wood, vulcanite or other
pillar S, which may be retained in position by the means of a screw f, and preferably
with intervening rubber or other resilient discs or washers g to prevent or minimize
vibration. The said standard has a preferably spherical head h, flattened at the top,
and upon this portion is screwed or otherwise fixed horizontally a flat wood, vulcanite
or other plate m, having in its centre a circular or other shaped hole n which coincides
with a like shaped angled aperture n' passing through the head h, the outer end of
which said aperture is adapted to receive the junction end p of a pair of flexible
hearing tubes P of the usual formation (Fig. 1). Upon the top of the plate m is
laid a short length of rubber, rubber composition or other elastic tubing R', having in
its under surface an elliptical or other shaped hole r arranged to coincide with the
hole n in m, and upon the top of R' is mounted a thin flat wood, vulcanite or other
plate s,
the two said plates s and m being bound together at their ends preferably by
the means of cords or wires t, but I may employ screws, clamps or the like for this
purpose, such binding together of these serving to close the ends of the tubing R'
while the elasticity or flexibility of the thin upper plate s permits the centre portion
of R¹ to be parted as shewn, more particularly by Fig. 6.
The plates has mounted and fixed upon its upper surface a tapered plug T, which
serves as a pivot for the curved hollow end of a solid or hollow glass, wood (such as
ash or acacia) vulcanite, bone or other rod or tube V, the opposite end of which is
provided with a depending fixed pin or stylus having a globular or otherwise
stunted end; the length of the said rod or tube V being such that its said stud
or stylus may rest in the record w of the cylinder N (Fig. 2) when in use, a
transverse rod W fixed to the vertical side of C being provided, upon which
the rod or tube V may rest when not in use, or when removing or placing in
position the record cylinder N. In order that the point when in use may
remain in the groove of the record and be guided thereby from the commencement
to the finish thereof without jumping out. "I provide in the under surface of V
a loop, to which is connected the upper end of a spiral spring X, the lower
end of which has attached thereto a fine thread or cord y, which is connected to

page_text: and passes around a threaded stud or key z carried by the pillar S, so that the
turning of z may serve (after the manner of a violin key) to tighten or slacken
the thread, or cord y and so regulate the tension of the spring X. The manner
of operation is as follows.
Given that a sound record bearing cylinder N is in position upon the mandrel L,
and the point of the rod or tube V is placed in the commencement of the record, and
that the tension of the spring X has been properly adjusted, the screw c would be
screwed in until the plug b releases the disc G', when the clockwork train or its
equivalent motor would impart motion to the mandrel L and the cylinder N thereon,
and by reason of the spiral formation of the record w, the point of the rod V by
being kept continually therein, the undulations or other formations in the said record
would impart corresponding vibrations to the point v and the rod V, and these passing
through or along the latter would impart such vibrations to the plate s, and the elastic
tube R¹, the air vibrations set up in the latter causing sound vibrations to exude
through the holes r and n and the aperture n', which could be heard by a listener
through the ear tubes P or by the means of a suitable resonator in lieu of the said ear
tubes, placed in the aperture n'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In an improved phonograph or machine for the reproduction of sound vibrations,
and in combination with a cylindrical or other surface upon which sound vibrations
have been recorded, the construction use and application of the herein described
apparatus and the methods and means of carrying the same into effect for the
purposes stated, substantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In an improved phonograph for the reproduction of sound vibrations, the
combination of a stand or base A, carrying an angular plate such as C, adapted to
carry a clockwork train such as D, or an electric, gas, oil or other motor in lieu of the
said clockwork train, for imparting motion to a mandrel such as L M, fixed upon
a shaft or spindle K supported at one end only, the said mandrel being adapted to
carry a cylinder such as N upon which sound vibrations have been recorded, with rod
or tube such as V, baving a point or stylus such as v kept in contact with the said
record by the tension of an adjustable spring such as X, one end of the said rod or
tube being in pivotal connection with a stud or pin T upon a plate s, bound or clamped
to a plate m, and embracing between them a flexible tube R', the said plate m being
mounted upon a pillar such as S, having an aperture such as n¹, communicating with
holes nin m, and in R, and adapted to carry a resonator, or hearing tubes such as P,
the whole connected, combined and operating in combination with a suitable speed
governor and brake, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn
by the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In an improved phonograph for the reproduction of sound vibrations as
characterized by the preceding claims, the combination therewith of a solid or hollow
rod or tube such as V, having a point or stylus such as v adapted to make contact by
the tension of an adjustable spring such as X with a cylindrical or other surface
carrying a record of sound vibrations, and conveying such vibrations mechanically to
a device adapted to convert such mechanical vibrations phonographically into sound
vibrations, substantially as herein described and shewn by the appended drawings.
4th. In an improved phonograph for the reproduction of sound vibrations
characterized by the preceding claims, the combination therewith of a device for
converting the mechanical vibrations conveyed by the said rod or tube V into sound
vibrations, the said device consisting of a pair of plates such as m and s clamped or
bound together at their ends, and embracing a length of elastic tubing R¹ having a
hole such as r coinciding with a hole n in m, and both coinciding with an aperture n¹
in the head of a pillar such as S, adapted to receive a resonator or a pair of hearing
tubes P, substantially as herein described and shewn.

page_text: 5th. In a phonograph for reproducing sound vibrations as characterized by the
preceding claims, the combination therewith of a speed governor consisting of fast and
loose discs G and G', mounted upon the high speed shaft E of the clockwork train or
equivalent motor D, and connected by weighted plate springs H, and having a padded
spring such as J adapted to make contact with the disc G₁, and act as a brake for the
said train or motor, and regulator for the said governor, by the means of a thumb
screw c, substantially as herein described and shewn.
Dated this 30th day of April 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.