IMPROVEMENTS IN MICROPHONIC TRANSMITTERS
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of N° 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MICROPHONIC TRANSMITTERS (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Monsieur Alphonso Dejongh, of Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium Civil Engineer) to be as follows:-
A plate is provided that is able to vibrate and which will be hereafter called the
vibrating plate, and at one side thereof (being the reverse side to that against which
words are to be spoken) are fixed two carbon pieces connected by a carbon cylin.ler
in such a manner, that the electric current entering, at one of the carbon pieces
shall traverse the contact between it and the carbon cylinder then the said cylinder,
the contact between it and the other carbon piece, and lastly flow out through the
last mentioned carbon piece.
A plate is arranged parallel to the vibrating plate and two pins are fixed upon
the former. The above-mentioned carbon cylinder rests simultaneously upon the
said two pins and upon the carbon pieces.
Suitable pius or stops are provided in order to prevent the carbon cylinder from
shifting in the direction of its axis.
The microphonic transmitter comprises moreover a battery, an induction coil and
one or several contacts similar to that above described; the number of such contacts
being limited only by the size of the vibrating plate, and being joined in tension or
in quantity, whichever may be found desirable according to the battery employed.
The apparatus is enclosed in a box.
The above described telephonic transmitter may be modified in several ways, for
instance, the vibrating plate may be either made to carry the above mentioned
supporting pins aforesaid, or the supporting pins may be replaced by a surface such
as, for instance, an inclined plate which may be fixed either to the vibrating plate
or the other plate; Or the two plates instead of being inclined may be vertical.
When so inclined that the vibrating plate is the upper one the carbon pieces
which in the contrary case are fixed to the vibrating plate should be so arranged

page_text: as to allow for the insertion of the carbon cylinder between them and the said
vibrating plate.
The supporting pins which would generally be made of metal may be in the form
of carbon cylinders. In this case the number of microphonic contacts will be
increased and the current will be capable of following a different course, for
instance, it may then enter through one of the cylindrical pins, traverse the carbon
cylinder first mentioned and leave through the other cylindrical pin.
There may likewise be substituted for the first above mentioned carbon cylinder,
a carbon device having a different shape such as for instance that of a sphere or
ball.
Transmitters according to this invention present several advantages :—
(1.) The microphonic contact is light, a necessary condition in order to obtain a
powerful sound. (2) A large number of contacts may be arranged upon the same
plate. (3) The vibrating plate is vertical or has but a slight inclination to a vertical
plane. (4) The apparatus is of simple construction, and does not contain mechanism
requiring regulation.

page_text: improvements in micгopпonic Transmitters.
"
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MICROPHONIC TRANSMITTERS (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Monsieur A. Dejongh, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
A plate is provided that is able to vibrate and which will be hereafter called the
vibrating plate, and at one side thereof (being the reverse side to that against which
words are to be spoken) are fixed two carbon pieces connected by a carbon cylinder
in such a manner, that the electric current entering at one of the carbon pieces,
shall traverse the contact between it and the carbon cylinder then the said cylinder,
the contact between it and the other carbon piece, and lastly flow out through the
last mentioned carbon piece.
A plate is arranged parallel to the vibrating plate and two pins are fixed upon
the former. The above-mentioned carbon cylinder rests simultaneously upon the
said two pins and upon the carbon pieces.
Suitable pins or stops are provided in order to prevent the carbon cylinder from
shifting in the direction of its axis.
The michrophonic transmitter comprises moreover a battery, an induction coil, and
one or several contacts similar to that above described; the number of such contacts
being limited only by the size of the vibrating plate, and being joined in tension or
in quantity, whichever may be found desirable according to the battery employed.
The apparatus is enclosed in a box.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of a
michrophonic transmitter according to this invention, one of the plates being removed
to shew the interior; Fig. 2 is a vertical section in line X. Y. or U. V of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in line S. T. of the same figure.
a. a is a vibrating plate upon which are mounted the two carbon contact pieces
b, b, b, b'. These are placed at the opposite side of the plate to that presented to
the speaker. A cylinder of carbon c. c¹ rests upon these contact pieces, and forms
an electrical connection between them, the path of the current being from one
contact piece (say b) to the cylinder, thence along the cylinder to the second contact
piece, and away by a metallic conductor. Parallel to the vibrating plate is a second
plate &, carrying two pins p, p against which the cylinder c. c also rests. Its
weight is thus partly borne by the carbon contacts, and partly by the said pins.
Two other pins p p prevent the carbon shifting in the direction of its axis
(Fig. 3).
The above described Telephonic Transmitter may be modified in several ways,
For instance the vibrating plate a. a may be either made to carry the above
mentioned supporting pins or the supporting pins may be replaced by a surface
such as for instance an inclined plate which may be fixed either to the vibrating
plate or the other plate. Or the two plates instead of being inclined may be

page_text: vertical. When so inclined that the vibrating plate is the upper one the carbon
pieces b. 6¹ which in the contrary case are fixed to the vibrating plate should be so
arranged as to allow for the insertion of the carbon cylinder between them and the
said vibrating plate.
The supporting pins p. p' which would generally be made of metal may be in
the form of carbon cylinders. In this case the number of michrophonic contacts
will be increased and the current will be capable of following a different course, for
instance it may then enter through one of the cylindrical pins, traverse the carbon
cylinder first mentioned and leave through the other cylindrical pin.
There may likewise be substituted for the first above mentioned carbon cylinder 1
a carbon device having a different shape such as for instance that of a sphere or
ball.
Transmitters according to this invention present several advantages:
1. The microphonic contact is light, a necessary condition in order to obtain a
powerful sound. 2. A large number of contacts may be arranged upon the same
plate. 3. The vibrating plate is vertical or has but a slight inclination to a vertical
plane. 4. The apparatus is of simple construction, and does not contain mechanism
requiring regulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed in
a michrophonic transmitter is
1. The use in combination with a vibrating plate of two carbon contact pieces
connected by a third piece, carried partly by the said carbon contact pieces and
partly by one or more other supports in such wise that the michrophonic contacts
are the result of a portion only of the weight of the third carbon, substantially as
described and illustrated.
2. The microphonic transmitter constructed, arranged and operating substantially
as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this fifth day of September 1885.