Improvements in Apparatus for Recording and Reproducing Articulate Speech and other Sounds.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Recording and Reproducing
Articulate Speech and other Sounds.
CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL Mattapoisett," No. 3 Woodstock Road Bedford
Park W. London, Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is, generally, to provide a new simple, convenient
and efficient apparatus for recording and reproducing articulate speech, having
also especially in view the making of two or more records simultaneously in a
cheap and reliable manner, that the apparatus may be better adapted to use
commercially, in which application it becomes desirable to have a simple and
OF more records at the same
cheap apparatus and to be able to obtain two
time that one may be retained for reference, similarly as with usual business
letters.
The invention consists generally in the employment of suitable material upon
which the vibrations are recorded such as waxed paper, tin foil, or a proper
base material such as paper or waxed paper having a crimp or groove one or
more, made therein and then faced with highly burnished tin foil; the material
arranged in a roll or ribbon upon a suitable reel; means for moving or carrying
the material through the apparatus, a governor for automatically regulating the
speed of the apparatus and the movement of the paper or material, suitable
apparatus applied to the reel carrying the material, acting automatically as a
brake to prevent the too rapid unwinding of the same; means for rewinding the
recorded material into a proper roll for convenient transmission by post, together
with suitable recording and reproducing devices, and means for recording in
duplicate. To this end the invention consists mainly
Firstly. In the employment of a main drum, wheel or roller, having suitable
friction rollers bearing thereon, by which the strip or ribbon of material is moved
along uniformly upon the rotation of the main drum or roller. Means actuated
manually, mechanically or electrically for rotating the main drum, and a centrifugal
frictional, adjustable governor for automatically regulating and controlling the
speed of the apparatus.
Secondly. Of the combination in one apparatus of two or more main drums
actuated from a common source, together with suitable recording material and
recording devices; for the purposes of making a duplicate record or more than one
record at a time.
Thirdly. Of an automatic brake acting upon the reel or material holder, to
control the unwinding of the material to prevent the same from unduly unwinding.
Fourthly. Of simple attachable rewinding devices readily applied to and operated
by the main motor for conveniently and quickly rewinding the material after the
record has been made thereon.
Fifthly. Duplicate recording devices actuated from one main conducting tube or
mouthpiece each being adjustable as to position, and adapted to be thrown into or
out of use, independently of the other.
Dated this 17th day of June 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Recording and Reproducing
Articulate Speech and other Sounds.
I, CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL, "Mattapoisett," No. 3, Woodstock Road, Bedford
Park, W. London, Electrical and Mechanical 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 :-
The object of my invention is generally to provide an improved, simple, con-
venient and efficient apparatus for recording and reproducing articulate speech,
having also more especially in view the construction of the apparatus so that two
or more similar records may be obtained simultaneously in a cheap and reliable
manner. The apparatus thus constructed is better adapted for commercial use
than those whereby only a single record can be obtained, and it is well known that,
for commercial purposes, it is desirable to have a simple and cheap apparatus
which will produce two or more records or copies at the same time, so that
one or more may be retained for reference, as is usual with ordinary business
letters.
6
"7
To adapt the apparatus for the simultaneous production of two or more records
of the same message, I employ one or more drums, roller's or wheels arranged to
be rotated about a suitable axis, and one or more recording strips which are passed
over the said drums, rollers or wheels and between the latter and suitable friction-
rollers held against the same by springs; and I provide either a corresponding
number of separate diaphragms or tympans each provided with a ucedle or stylus
and all actuated through a single speaking tube or mouthpiece, or a single diaphragm
or tympan having attached to it a corresponding number of needles arranged to
operate respectively upon the recording strips.
I provide for regulating the speed of rotation of the roller or rollers so that the
recording strip or strips will be fed through the machine at a uniform velocity.
For this purpose, I combine, with the said roller or rollers, a centrifugal, frictional
adjustable governor which operates automatically.
I also provide an automatic brake in combination with the reel for holding
the recording strip, for the purpose of regulating or controlling the speed of
rotation of the said reel and thus preventing the too rapid unwinding of the strip
therefrom.
My said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan,
Figure 2 a side elevation, partly in vertical section, and
Figure 3 a transverse section on the line a, a, Figure 2, illustrating one form of
my improved apparatus.
Figure 4 is a plan of a portion of the said apparatus, the top or cover of the
casing being removed and the diaphragm and its supporting arm being turned
back.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a speed-governor hereinafter described.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the same, the cover of its casing being removed.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation illustrating another form or modification of my
improved apparatus.
.:
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a box or case enclosing parts of the mechanism and supported upon a
suitable base A¹. B is the driving-shaft which is supported in suitable bearings
in the said case. In the apparatus shown in the drawings, this shaft is provided

page_text: with a crank-handle B₁ for rotating it by hand; the said shaft may, however, be
arranged to be rotated mechanically, electrically, or in any other convenient
manner.
}
C is a shaft which is supported in suitable bearings in the case A, and on which
is fixed the feed drum or roller. The shaft B has fixed thereon a wheel or
pulley B2 which is in frictional contact with a wheel or pulley C' on the shaft C,
the periphery of these wheels being by preference covered with india-rubber,
leather or similar material. E is a drum or roller which is fixed upon the shaft C,
and which serves as a support for the two recording strips F, and also, in con-
junction with rollers G held against the said drum by springs G', for feeding the
said strips through the machine.
H is the diaphragm or tympan, to which are attached two needles I, and
which is secured to the underside of a box or case H' to be connected with a
suitable mouth-piece or speaking-tube. This box or case H is secured to 'an
arm J, which is pivoted at J' to another arm K pivoted at K' to a bracket attached
to the casing A. A spring K2 is secured to the arm K and presses downward upon
the arm J. The free end of the arm K is supported upon an adjusting-screw L,
and the free end of the arm J is supported by means of an adjusting-screw L'
passed through this arm and resting upon the arm K. Spring pads K³ are attached
to the underside of the arm K so that they press downward upon the recording
strips F and assist in steadying the same.
The recording strips F are wound upon rollers or reels M mounted upon a
shaft M' which is supported in bearings in a bracket M² secured to the base A'.
The said strips are conducted from the said rollers or reels around a guide-roller N
on the driving-shaft B and then over the roller or drum E and between the latter
and the friction-rollers G.
To prevent the too rapid unwinding of the recording strips from the rollers or
reels M, a brake-lever Pis pivoted at P₁ to the bracket M² and is acted upon by
a spring P2 which tends to turn the said lever about its pivot so as to apply the
brake P³, at one end of this lever, to the flanges M³ of the rollers or reels M.
The other end of the lever P is provided with a roller P, beneath which the
recording strips F are passed. By these means, when the driving-shaft Bis
rotated to feed the recording strips through the machine, the roller P* will be
raised by reason of the tension upon the said strips, and the lever P will thus be
slightly turned about its pivot so as to remove the brake from the flanges M³ or
diminish its pressure thereon. Should the reels M, however, have any tendency
to rotate too rapidly and thus slacken or reduce the tension upon the recording
strips, the spring 12 will, by its reaction, again apply the brake or increase its
pressure on the flanges M³.
Qis a shaft which is supported in suitable bearings in the casing A, and on
which is mounted a speed-governor comprising a stationary cylindrical casing a
in which is arranged a rotary disc fixed upon the shaft Q and carrying arms c, c²
which are pivoted at c², c³ respectively to the said disc b. These arms are pro-
vided with pieces or pads d of leather or other suitable material, which, when the
dise and arms are rotated, will be pressed by centrifugal force against the interior
of the casing a.
The said arms may be provided with weights as at c to increase
the effect of the centrifugal force. I sometimes connect each pair of arms c, c¹ by
means of adjustable spiral springs which have a tendency to keep the friction-
pieces away from the inside of the casing a, so that the speed necessary to force
the arms out will vary according to the tension of the said springs. A pulley Q
is fixed upon the shaft' Q and is in frictional contact with the pulley B², so that,
when the driving-shaft B is turned, rotary motion will be imparted to the said
shaft Q and to the disc band arms, c¹. It is evident that the greater the speed
of this rotation, the greater will be the friction produced by the centrifugal force
between the pieces or pads d and the interior of the stationary casing a.
This improved form of governor acts very efficiently for regulating or con-
trolling the speed of rotation of the driving-shaft, so that the recording strips will

page_text: be fed through the machine at an approximately constant or uniform. velocity. It
is obvious, however, that I can, if desired, use governors of other suitable
construction for this purpose.
I find it advantageous to form in the main roller or drum E, circumferential
grooves e one for each recording strip, so that, while the latter is efficiently
supported during the operation of recording the voice-vibrations thereon, there
will be no undue resistance to indentation of the said strip by the corresponding
needle or stylus I attached to the diaphragm or tympan H. A band of soft india-
rubber, leather, felt or similar material may be secured to the roller or drum to
afford a slightly yielding support to the recording material, and the circumferential
groove may, in such case, be dispensed with.
R is a flanged roller or reel upon which either of the recording strips may be
wound for transmission by post or otherwise, the other recording strip being
wound, if desired, on a similar roller or reel to be placed in a box or other suitable
receptacle for future use if necessary. To facilitate the rewinding of the strips,
a reel-bolder S is fixed upon a prolongation of the shaft B outside the casing A,
and the rollers or reels R are split so that, when fitted upon the said holder, they
will grip the same tightly enough to ensure their rotating with the shaft B.
When fresh recording strips are to be arranged in the machine, the arms J, K
and the parts supported thereby are turned about the pivot K₁ into the position
shown in Figure 4. The said strips can then be readily passed over the roller or
drum E and between the same and the friction-rollers G.
I sometimes provide for the use of interchangeable diaphragms or tympans as
follows, viz. I mount the pivots J₁ of the arm J in U-shaped bearings in the
arm K, in which bearings the said pivots are held by the spring K. This spring
is secured to the arm K by means of a screw K*, about which the said spring can
be turned so as to move it clear of the arm J. This arm with the diaphragm H
and other parts carried thereby can then be readily removed, and a similar arm
carrying a more sensitive diaphragm can be inserted in its place when the machine
is to be used for reproducing the recorded sounds or messages. For this purpose,
the strip on which such sounds or messages have been recorded, is placed in the
machine and fed through the same as above described.
Instead of using a single diaphragm H having two needles I attached thereto, I
sometimes employ two diaphragms H the boxes or cases H¹ of which communicate
with a single mouth-piece or speaking-tube, as in the modification of my invention
shewn in Figure 7. In this case, each of the diaphragms H is provided with a
single needle I, and two rollers or drums E are mounted upon the shaft C.
The strip or ribbon on which the vibrations are recorded may consist of waxed
paper, tin-foil or the like. I find it more advantageous, however, to make the
recording strips with a suitable base consisting of paper, silk or similar material
coated with wax, with or without one or more longitudinal crimps or grooves formed
therein, and faced with highly burnished tin-foil. This strip of metal combined
with waxed paper or other fibrous material, is very useful for the purpose of my
invention, the tin-foil, at the parts above the said crimps or grooves, being very
readily indented by the needle or stylus, while the paper or other base serves
to strengthen and support the tin-foil and thus diminish the liability to folding
or breaking of the same. The groove or grooves may, if desired, be formed in
the coating of wax on the strip of paper or other material. Or the base may be
made smooth or without any crimps or grooves.
It is obvious that my improved machine, instead of being constructed as shown,
may, if desired, be adapted for use with only a single recording strip. Or it may
be adapted for producing more than two records simultaneously.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of my improvements herein described, an
apparatus in which provision is made for recording articulate speech and other

page_text: sounds upon a strip of material and reproducing such sounds by means of the said
strip; but I claim :-
-
First. An apparatus for recording and reproducing articulate speech and other
sounds, constructed for use with two or more flexible strips or ribbons upon which
the vibrations are recorded by needles operated by the same diaphragm or tympan
or by separate diaphragms or tympans actuated through a single speaking-tube
or mouth-piece, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose
specified.
Second. The employment, in an apparatus for recording and reproducing
articulate speech and other sounds, of metallic recording strips or ribbons in
combination with devices for simultaneously feeding the same through the machine
and recording the sounds thereon, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third. The combination, in an apparatus for recording and reproducing
articulate speech and other sounds, of one or more rotating drums or rollers
over which the recording material in ribbon form is fed by the aid of one or
more friction-rollers, means for holding and guiding the said material, and means
for recording the sounds thereon in duplicate or otherwise as the said material
travels over such druns or rollers, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The combination, with the driving-shaft and the means for feeding the
recording strip or strips through the machine, of the improved centrifugal frictional
governor constructed substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The combination, with the reel or holder for the recording strip or strips
of an automatic brake for controlling the unwinding of such strip or strips there-
from, substantially as herein before described.
Sixth. The combination, with the driving-shaft and the means for feeding the
recording strip or strips through the machine, of the re-winding device, substan-
tially as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Seventh. A recording strip for the purpose above specified, consisting of a base
of waxed material, either smooth or provided with one or more longitudinal
grooves, faced with tin-foil or similar material, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Eighth. The modification of my invention wherein I provide for the use of
interchangeable diaphragms or tympans, for the purpose above specified.
Ninth. The improved apparatus constructed with the automatic brake and the
governor, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
and operating as above specified.
Dated this 14th dow of Anril 1009
CHARLES
ADAMS-RANDALL.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.