Year: 1899

page_text: 1, CHARLES GERARD CONN, of Elkhart, County of Elkhart, State of Indiana,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 that class of graphophones commonly called " gramo-
phones," being designed more particularly for the purpose of producing or
reproducing from sound-records upon flat rotary disks or platens; and my invention
consists in certain novel features of construction which will hereinafter be fully
described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
1.1
One object of my invention is to improve the driving mechanism, whereby it!
is better adapted to impart a constant speed to the rotating platen and permitting
said plate to be regulated at will and to simulaneously impart to the recording or
reproducing instrument a movement across the record corresponding accurately
with the revolution of the platen in a manner that will retain the stylus in the
proper position to form the spiral groove in recording, or to retain the stylus
in the grooves of the record when reproducing.
A further object is to provide a sound-box communicating with and delivering
vibrations simultaneously from both sides of the diaphragm, whereby the quality
and quantity of the produced tones are magnified twofold.
A further object is to provide a special form of amplifying-bell, whereby the
sound is deliverd from the opposite sides of the diaphragm to the best advantage,
this object being attained by employing either a double or single bell, through
which the sound is blended and delivered in a combined or unitary volume.
A further object relates to the use of the discharging-bell as an arm or mounting
by which to support the sound-box over the mounting, by which it is fed across
the record, and to provide simple and effective means for mounting these parts
in their proper relations, whereby the stylus is properly fed during the operation
of the machine, but may nevertheless be moved manually backward and forward
over the record at will, or lifted away from the record when it is desired to remove
the platen.
A further object is to improve the means for recording vibrations of the
diaphragm, or for reproducing in the diaphragm the record of such vibrations
that is to say, to provide an improved mounting for the stylus, whereby it is
held in position with sufficient rigidity to insure its accurate retention in the
groove of the record, but at the same time to allow it à vibration lateral to the
line of feed and directly transverse to the diaphragm to be vibrated; or, in other
words, in the direction of the vibration to be produced without the necessity of
using intermediate levers or connections. This object is accomplished in the main

page_text: by employing a torsion-spring before the stylus-bar, the same being preferably
in the form of a plate projecting transversely from tlie stylus-bar and having a
reduced portion to which the stylus-bar is connected, whereby the necessary
resiliency is obtained.
The several objects of my invention, as well as the various novel features of
construction instrumental to the carrying out of the several objects, will be fully
understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete machine constructed in accordance
with my present invention, the parts being in the positions assumed during opera-
tion of the machine, the side of the inclosing box being removed to disclose the
.driving mechanism..
Figure 2 is a similar view from the opposite side, showing the mounting of
the amplifying-bell, whereby it is permitted to fold up out of the way when it is
desired to wind the machine or to exchange the platen.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the amplifying-bell detached:
Figure 4 is a plan view of the driving mechanism employed for imparting rotary
movement to the platen and feeding the stylus across the record.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the reproducing mechanism:
Figure 6 is a vertical axial section of the sound-box and the stylus.
Figure 7 is a perspective view. showing the parts of the sound-box, stylus, and
stylus-spring segregated.
Figure 8. shows a construction of single bell; and Figs. 9 and 10 are detail
_views.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, 1 represents a suitable base or bed upon which
the machine is mounted, and 2 an inclosing case or housing for the machine.
These parts may be of any suitable construction and arrangement, or even omitted
without affecting my invention. 3 is a bed-plate upon which the driving
mechanism is mounted. Said mechanism consists of a driving-spring 4, carrying
an upper driving-wheel b, which is geared to the pinion 6.on the main spindle 7,
which receives a plate 8 for the platen. The platen is represented at 9, and
it may be secured in place by a bur or nut 10 on the upper end of spindle 7.,
The spindle is preferably provided with a ball-bearing 11, with an adjustable
cone 12, (see Fig. 9) whereby the accuracy of the spindle may be maintained for
the obvious purpose of improving the quality of the work of the machine. At
its lower end the spindle 7 carries a multiplying-wheel 13, which meshes with a
pinion 14 on a governor-shaft 15. The governor-weights 16 have their spring 17
suitably connected with the hub 18 of friction disk 19, while beneath the disk 19.
there is mounted a brake-shoe 20 in such position that when the governor-balls 16
expand by abnormal speed of the motor, the disk 19 will be drawn down upon
the shoe 20 and the motor will be retarded by the resulting friction, so that the
speed will be maintained at a uniform rate. The brake-shoe 20 is pivoted at 21
and receives at its outer end an adjusting screw 22 for the purpose of changing
the position of the shoe 20, and consequently the degree of expansion allowed in
the governor-weights before the frictional retardation will result. The set-
screw 22 thereby becomes the means of accurately adjusting the speed of the
machine. In order to better fix the shoe 20 to its adjusted position, a wedge 23
extends between the outer arm of the brake-shoe 20 and the upper plate 24 of
the motor, so that the arm of the brake-shoe may be clamped upon said wedge
and the parts held firmly to adjustment. A set-screw 25, shouldered against the
outer casing 2 of the machine and threaded into the wedge 23, affords a convenient
means for adjusting the latter beneath the arm of the brake-shoe. The upper
end of the governor-shaft 15 may be held in position by a pin-bearing 26 in a
bracket 26. (Figs. 2, 4 & 10).
By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the spring motor is wound by
an arbor 27, carrying a winding-wheel 28, which meshes with a driving-wheel 29
on the lower end of the winding-shaft 30, which carries the upper winding-wheel 5
already referred to. A dog and ratchet 31 may be provided between the spring.

page_text: shaft and its driving-wheels in the usual manner. The lower driving-wheel 29
of the spring-motor meshes with a reducing-gear 32, the pinion 33 of which meshes
with a second reducing-wheel 34, whose pinion 35 engages a segmental rack 36
upon a post 37. The gearing thus interposed between the spring-shaft 30 and
the post 37 is such that a rotary movement. less than a. revolution will be im-
parted to the post 37 at each time the motor is allowed to run: The
driving mechanism between the spring and the post 37 bears a fixed aud
constant relation to mechanism existing between said spring-motor and the rotary
spindle 7. Said spindle 7 and post 37 are thereby moved in a fixed ratio and
they are controlled by the same governor, so that the transverse or feeding move-
ment of the stylus will always bear the proper relation to the record upon the
platen at whatever rate the latter may be rotated. It will be also seen from the
construction described, that not only is the stylus fed across the record proportion-
ately to the revolution of the latter, but the post is always returned to the starting
position by the act of winding. the motor, so that the feed is always ready without
requiring special attention of the operator to this part of the mechanism. The
connection between the segment 36 and post 37 is made through the medium of
the hub 36 on the segment, in which the post 37 is inserted, and a binding-
screw 36b, which is threaded into the hub and impinges against the cylindrical
face of the spindle. By this means the above-described driving and return move-
ments may be imparted to the spindle through the segment; but at the same
time the connection is a frictional one and it provides for slipping between these
parts in the event that resistance is offered to the swinging movement of the stylus
such, for instance, as might arise from irregularities of the record. This slip
connection also enables me to return the stylus to the starting point for repeating
without stopping the motor of the machine and rewinding when it is desired to
repeat a record.
Having thus described means for producing a constant rotary movement to
a record-platen, as well as means for regulating the revolution thereof and simul-
taneously producing movement in the post which will swing the sound-record
or reproducing mechanism across the record at a rate bearing an unchangeable
relation to the rotation of the record, I will now proceed to describe the improved
mechanism for recording and reproducing sound and which is adapted to be
mounted upon the post.
38 represents the sound-box, which is preferably of solid metal construction and
provided with a recess 39, forming a sound-chamber on one side of the diaphragm,
and with a ledge 40 that receives the diaphragm 41 with an interposed washer 42,
while the outer plate 43, with an interposed washer 44, clamps said diaphragm
upon the ledge 40 and forms a sound-chamber 39" on the other side of said
diaphragm. The diaphragm is thus held in the sound-box with sound-chambers
on both sides of it, which receive vibrations from the diaphragm alike in quality
and strength of tone. Communication with the respective sides of the diaphragm
is established through the tubes 46, 46ª, carried respectively by the box 38 and
cap 43. 47 represents the stylus-bar, the upper end of which is secured to the
diaphragm at 48 in a manner well known in machines of this character, while
said stylus-bar is supported by a peculiarly formed spring-plate 49, attached to
the lower side of the box 38 by screws 50. The construction of the spring-
plate 49 is shown more clearly in Fig. 7, wherein it will be seen it consists of a
main bar 51, which forms a torsional spring and is attached by a laterally pro-
truding lug 52 to the stylus-bar 47, also attaching cars 53 which receive the
screws 50, by means of which the spring-plate is secured to the box. By having
the intermediate portion of the plate 49 cut away or weakened, an effective tor-
sional stylus-spring is provided, said spring also having ample rigidity to hold
the stylus accurately as it is fed across the record-plate. I prefer to make the
stylus 54 removable, and for that reason it is secured in the stylus-bar 47 by a
set-screw 55, as shown. It will be seen that the stylus-bar and stylus extend
transversely through the torsional spring-bar 51, and the vibration produced upon

page_text: the end of the stylus 54 is transverse to the frame of the diaphragm, and con-
sequently directly corresponds to the vibrations to be produced by the diaphragm
without requiring the use of intermediate levers or connections involving joints,
where a large part of the vibratory movement would necessarily be lost.
To render the doubly-acting diaphragm most effective, I employ a peculiar
construction of double bell 56, 56, the small ends of which are attached to the
respective tubes 46, 46", leading from the respective sides of the diaphraguns. These
bells are preferably united or blended at their discharge ends or are otherwise
juxtapose, so as to make them discharge uniformly and in a single volume of
twofold force the vibrations produced by the opposite sides of the diaphragm.
This bell, however, need not necessarily be made double, as shown in Fig. 3.
The sound-waves from the two sides of the diaphragm can as well be conducted
into a single bell (shown in Fig. 8) by employing suitable connections, and the
result will be fully as satisfactory so far as the added volume of tone from the
use of the two sides of the diaphragm is concerned.
A further advantage of using a bell, either single or double, as a part of the
arm carrying the stylus, arises from the convenient support which it affords for
the sound-box. To adapt the bell to serve this purpose, it is provided with a
cross-brace 57, made up of sockets 58, swivel-pin 59, and supporting-arm 60,
swiveled upon said pin 59. The outer end of the arm 60 carries a socket G1,
hinged upon a pintle 62 to said arm, and provided with a lower split end 63 with
a clamping-screw 64. The socket 61 is constructed to fit over the post 37 of the
feeding mechanism, and it is clamped upon said post through means of the
screw 64, with sufficient pressure to cause the bell and the sound-box carried
by it to be fed transversely across the record as the post 37 turns. The friction
may, however, be insufficient to prevent manual adjustment of the bell and the
parts carried by it, when desirable, for the purpose of repeating a part of the
record or adjusting the stylus in starting the machine.
65 represents a stop or angle-brace carried by the arm 60 in a position to
engage the socket 61 and support the arm 60 at the proper angle, so as to offer
a fixed support at its outer end to the bell at the cross-brace 57. With the
arm 60 thus fixed, the bell then becomes hinged at a single point-namely, upon
the pin 59. The location of the cross-brace 57 is such as to bear any desirable
portion of the weight of the bell, and to impose upon the stylus 64 only the
necessary weight to cause it to take properly into the grooves of the record.
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:
-
1. A reproducing mechanism for a gramophone, comprising a sound-box con-
taining a diaphragm, a stylus controlling the diaphragm and supported by and
having a flexible connection with the sound-box, a double-discharging-bell having
independent inner ends connected with the sound-box on opposite sides of the
diaphragm, said bell projecting outwardly with its axes on opposite sides of and
parallel to the vertical plane of the diaphragm, and a support for the reproducing
înechanism connected with the double bell at a point distant from the sound-box;
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a gramophone, a double bell, the parts of which have substantially
parallel axes, and independent inner ends and a sound-box carried by said bell
supported between its said inner ends and having a diaphragm dividing it into
two chambers, communicating with the respective ends of the bell; substantially
as described.
3. In a gramophone, the combination of a suitable motor, a platen-spindle
driven by said motor, an oscillating post frictionally driven from said motor and
receiving therefrom movement bearing a fixed relation to the platen and spindle
in one direction as the motor rotates the spindle in running down, and in the

page_text: opposite direction as the motor is wound up, a record-plate suitably mounted
upon said spindle and a sound-box and stylus suitably mounted upon said oscil-
lating post; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In combination with a motor, a spindle driven positively by said motor;
an oscillating post frictionally connected with a segmental rack, gear-wheels
positively connecting said segmental rack with the motor, and arranged to impart
a restricted movement thereto in opposite directions corresponding to the running
down and the winding up of the motor, a record-plate suitably mounted upon the
spindle, and a sound-producing or recording device mounted upon said post;
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a gramophone, the combination of suitable driving mechanism, a governor-
shaft connected with said driving mechanism, a friction-disk carried by said
governor-shaft, a pivoted brake-shoe secured adjacent to said friction-disk, an
adjusting-screw controlling said brake-shoe, a wedge interposed between the
brake-shoe and a fixed part to permit the brake-shoe to be clamped in position,
and an adjusting-screw for said wedge; substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
6. In a gramophone, the combination of the sound-box 38 formed with a
recess 39 and with a ledge 40, the diaphragm 41 mounted upon the ledge 40, the
cap-plate 43 secured over said diaphragm with an interposed packing 44, and the
oppositely projecting tubes 46, 46, carried respectively by the box 38 and plate 43';
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. In a gramophone, a double bell, a sound-box connected to and carried by
the inner onds of said bell.
8. In a gramophone, the combination with a double bell, of a sound-box entirely
supported and carried by the boil; thereby connecting the inner onds of said
bell.
9. In a gramophone, the combination with a double bell, a sound-box con-
necting the inner ends of the same, and a swivel-support for the bell adapted to
be attached to the motor of the machine; substantially as described.
10. In a gramophone, the combination of a sound-box carrying recording or
reproducing means, a double collecting or amplifying bell having independent
inner ends to which opposite sides of said sound-box are rigidly attached and by
which it is supported, and a pivotal mounting for said bell; substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
11. In a gramophone, the combination of a sound-box containing a diaphragm
dividing the same into two sound-chambers and a collecting or amplifying bell
formed in two parts having inner ends connected to and supporting the sound-
box and with blended or united outer ends; substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
12. In combination with the collecting or amplifying-bell, the supporting
arm 60 swiveled at one end to said bell and having hinged to its other end a
socket by which the arm and bell may be mounted in position; substantially as
set forth.
13. In combination with the two-part bell, the cross-brace 57 secured between
the parts of said bell, the supporting-arm 60 having swiveled connection with the
bell through said cross-brace, and the socket carried by the inner end of said
arm; substantially as herein explained.
14. In a gramophone-bell, the combination of the supporting-arm 60 connected
to said ball, the attaching socket 61 and the angle-brace 65 secured to one of said
parts and bearing against the other for the purpose of maintaining their angle
and offering rigid support for the one upon the other; substantially as herein
explained.
15. In combination with the post 37, the socket G1 having a split lower end
provided with a clamping-screw 64, the supporting-arm 60 attached to said socket
and supported through it, upon the post, and the bell supported by said arm 60;
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 16. In a gramophone, the combination of the sound-box containing a dia-
phragm, the stylus secured at one end to the diaphragm, and the herein described
torsion-spring 49 comprising a bar 51 having a lateral attaching-lug 52 which
receives the stylus, and having ears 53 by which it is secured in place; substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.