Improvements in Sound Recording and Reproducing Instruments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sound Recording and Reproducing
Instruments.
We GEORGE GROSVENOR CROSBY of 6 Wall Street, Broker and HERBERT
KNIGHT of 121 Nassau Street, Lawyer, both of the City, County and State of
New York in the United States of America do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as folows:-
:-
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby gravity, or a like
constantly acting force may co-act with a centrifugal motion to enable the recording
of musical or articulate sounds and the reproducing of the same.
In practice, our invention has taken the form of a mechanical toy, to wit, a
talking or singing top.
Heretofore the recording stylus of phonographic machines have produced a line
of record of two different types; in one there is formed on a continuous line, a
series of dots or depressions caused by instantaneous stabbing action of the stylus
under the influence of the vibrations of the diaphragm. These depressions have
not differed in diameter except in an infinitesimal degree due to the slight taper of
the stylus. In another form the stylus has a cutting action substantially like that
above described so far as the practically constant width of the record is concerned.
Our record is distinguished from either of these. If the peg of a top, during the
rapid rotation of the top, be given a vibratory motion vertical to the plane of the
surface on which the top moves, the top will bear upon the surface with varying
force and its peg would, if the supporting surface were of soft impressible material
ream out a series of oblong depressions, united by narrow passages, each oblong
showing that the top has made a partial rotation or certain number of rotations
during a vibration, varying with the relative speed of vibration and the top
vibration. The result would be a record and we have devised means whereby, the
wave sounds produced by music or the voice may produce such a record on a
suitable surface.
The apparatus consists essentially of a top, bearing means for imparting vertical
vibrations to its point or peg and a recording surface so arranged that the top
while spinning may be impelled along the surface by gravity or other constant
force.
The main body of the top is made hollow and provided with a converging mouth
piece or horn.
A diaphragm is mounted in any suitable manner in the top body and arranged
either horizontally or vertically.
Rigid with said diaphragm is a stylus which projects loosely through a bearing
in the bottom of the top and may either itself form the peg of the top or may
project through a hollow peg. In the first instance, the whole weight of the top
rests on the stylus and has to be moved with the sound vibrations while in the
second, the stylus and diaphragm alone are concerned in the vibration, the weight
of the top resting on the tubular peg.
There is a flattened cone having formed on its upper surface a spiral groove.
In this groove is laid a suitable material adapted to receive in any known or
preferred way a record of vibration.
In one form of carrying the invention into effect the combined stylus and peg
rests entirely on the recording surface while in another form the tubular peg may,
if preferred, run on hardened side ledges of the groove not adapted to record
vibrations while the stylus travels on the softer impressible surface.

page_text: Rotation may be imparted to the top either by means of a sprocket and hand
rack, or, by means of a cord and sheave.
At the top of the cone is a circular depression in which the top is placed peg
downward and the rapid rotation is then imparted to the top. It will find its way
out of this depression into the spiral groove and gradually under the action of
gravity and still maintaining its vertical position, travel down the said groove
around the cone until it reaches the end of the spiral where it runs into a clamp
which arrests and holds it in vertical position.
As soon as the top leaves the starting point, the operator bending over the
mouth piece talks into it or sound waves are otherwise forced through said mouth
picce and thus the stylus is caused to produce on a recording surface a record
having a series of wave-like enlargements whose elongation will depend on the
number or fraction of number of times which the top revolves for each sound
vibration. The record having been so produced, the top can be placed again at
the summit of the cone and on rotary motion being given it, it will follow the
groove as before re-producing in sound waves the irregularities of the record on
the cone.
DATEN August 10 100
G. G. CROSBY.
HERBERT KNIGHT.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sound Recording and Reproducing
Instruments.
We, GEORGE GROSVENOR CROSBY of Wall Street, Broker and HERBERT
KNIGHT of 121 Nassau Street, Lawyer, both of the City County and State of
New York in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention and in what manuer the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby gravity or a like
constantly acting force may coact with a centrifugal motion to enable the recording
of musical or articulate sounds and the reproducing of the same.
In practice, our invention has taken the form of a mechanical toy, to wit, a
talking or singing top.
Heretofore the recording stylus of phonographic machines have produced a line
of record of two different types; in one there is formed on a continuous line, a
series of dots or depressions caused by instantaneous stabbing action of the stylus
under the influence of the vibrations of the diaphragm. These depressions have
not differed in diameter except in an. infinitesimal degree due to the slight taper
of the stylus. In another form the stylus has a cutting action substantially like
that above described so far as the practically constant width of the record is
concerned. Our record is distinguished from either of these. If the peg of a top,
during the rapid rotation of the top be given a vibratory motion vertical to the
plane of the surface on which the top moves, the top will bear upon the surface
with varying force and its peg would, if the supporting surface were of soft
impressible material ream out a series of oblong depressions, united by narrow
passages, each oblong showing that the top had made a partial rotation or certain
number of rotations during a vibration, varying with the relative speed of vibration
and the top vibration. The result would be a record such as we have shown at
Figure 1 and we have devised means whereby the wave sounds produced by music
or the voice may produce such a record on a suitable surface.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents, as above stated, a form of wave-like record produced by
our system.
Figure 1. is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus employed.
Figure 2. is a similar view of part of the apparatus illustrating a modification.
Figure 3. is a plan view of the recording surface.
Figure 4. is a detail showing the method of producing the centrifugal motion.
Figure 5. is a partial sectional view illustrating a modification of such machines.
Figure 6. is a sectional view illustrating one, and possibly the better, form of
recording surface and stylus.
The apparatus consists essentially of a top, bearing means for imparting vertical
vibrations to its point or peg and a recording surface so arranged that the top
while spinning may be impelled along the surface by gravity or other constant
force.
1, is the main body of the top made hollow and provided with a converging mouth
piece or horn 2.
3, is a diaphragm mounted in any suitable manner in the top body, 1, and
arranged either horizontally, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, or vertically as shown
in Figure 2.
Rigid with said diaphragm is a stylus 4, which projects loosely through a
bearing 5, in the bottom of the top and may either itself form the peg of the top,
as shown in Figures 1 and 5, or may project through the hollow peg 6, as shown
in Figure 6. In the first instance, the whole weight of the top rests on the stylus
and has to be moved with the sound vibrations while in the second, the stylus and
diaphragm alone are concerned in the vibration, the weight of the top resting on
the tubular peg 6. 7 is a flattened cone having formed on its upper surface a spiral
groove 7* as shown in Figures 1 and 3.
In this groove is laid a suitable material adapted to receive in any known or
preferred way a record of vibration. In the form of the invention shown in
Figure 1, the combined stylus and peg rests entirely on the recording surface while
in the form shown in Figure 6, the tubular peg may, if preferred, run on hardened
side ledges of the groove and adapted to record vibrations while the stylus, 5, travels
on the softer impressible surface, 7.
Rotation may be imparted to the top either by means of a sprocket, 8, and
hand rack, 9, (Figures 1 and 4), or by means of a cord and sheave 10, 11,
(Figure 5).
At the top of the cone 7 is a circular depression 12 in which the top is placed
peg downward and the rapid rotation is then imparted to the top. It will find its
way out of this depression into the spiral groove and gradually under the action of
gravity and still maintaining its vertical position, travel down the said groove
around the cone until it reaches the end of the spiral where it runs into a clamp 13
which arrests and holds it in vertical position.
As soon as the top leaves the starting point 12, the operator bending over the
mouthpiece 2, talks into it or sound waves are otherwise forced through said
mouthpiece and thus the stylus is caused to produce on a recording surface a
record having a series of wave-like enlargements whose elongation will depend on
the number or fraction of number of times which the top revolves for each sound
vibration. The record having been so produced, the top can be placed again at
the summit of the cone and on rotary motion being given it, it will follow the
groove as before re-producing in sound waves the irregularities of the record on
the cone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The method or art of recording and reproducing speech or other sound, which

page_text: consists in causing the air vibrations produced by sound to form a record on a
suitable surface and reproducing the sound by causing a stylus to travel over such
record under the continuous and combined action of centrifugal force and of gravity
or its equivalent.
2. The art or method of recording sound waves which consists in causing them
to form wave-like widenings and contractions on a continuous record varying in
length with the wave sound record, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a recording surface and a stylus adapted to travel over
the same and having means for compelling its rotation over said surface under the
action of centrifugal force.
4. A top adapted to form and reproduce a sound record having a recording and
reproducing stylus and diaphragm arranged and adapted to operate substantially as
set forth.
5. The combination of top, 1, having mouth piece, 2, diaphragm 3, stylus 5, and
cone shaped recording surface, 7, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of top 1, 2, diaphragm 3 stylus 5, tubular peg 6, and recording
surface 7, substantially as set forth.
7. The recording surface 7, spirally grooved as shown the groove having a central
impressible surface and side ledges adapted to support a tubular peg, substantially
as set forth.
8. The recording surface of cone shape having a spiral groove with a circular
starting depression at top and a suitable clamp at bottom substantially as set
forth.
G. G. CROSBY.
H. KNIGHT.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.