Improvements in and relating to Scientific Toys.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 28th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Scientific Toys.
JOHN ROBERT HUGHES Horological Mechanic 10, Bartholomew Close
London, E.C. DAVID DAVIS REES Bronprys, Towyn Merionethshire Solicitor
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct in the simplist and most inexpensive
manner, a scientific toy talking machine, and is only intended for reproducing
sounds from phonautographic records, and consists of an insulated sonorous-medium
of a known size thickness & shape in combination with a stylus and phonautographic
record plate.
In order to carry this invention into effect I first provide myself with a phono-
gram or phonautograptic record preferably in resisting material. I next employ a
drum or table adapted to carry the said record plates arranged between two
standards by means of a spindle passing through its centre terminating at one end
in the form of a pivot, and at the other end in the form of a crank or handle, by
means of which the drum or table carrying the record plates are caused to revolve,
thus obviating the otherwise necessary expence of gear-wheels, pulleys and bands
common in the phonograph, gramaphone, and graphophone as my invention is
intended for reproducing only. I dispense with a diaphram, and use in its stend,
a novel sound producer of my own invention made of wood of conical shape not
less than one inch in length and not more than one inch in breadth, having its
interior bored out to within three eigths or half an inch of the bottom terminating
in a spherical or conical shaped hole, about half an inch to three quarters in
diameter. At the bottom from the outside I fix a stylus, by means of a screw or
friction tight, which consists of a piece of hard steel wire about an inch long and
about one sixteenth of an inch thick pointed at its free end.
In order that my sound intensifier should not be effected by foreign sounds, or
loose any of the impacts of sound given to it by means of the stylus and record
plate. cover it with rubber or such like non-conductor of sound and join it on
to the trumpet or earpiece which can be done by the flexibility of the rubber
without any other special contrivance.
It is a well known, law in acoustics that soporous rods of the same material the
numbers of vibrations are in the inverse ratio of the lengths, whatever be their
form and diametor, but I find from experience to get the most perfect reproduction
by having my sound intensifier of wood about one and a half to two inches long
and about half an inch to three quarters in diameter.
My object in having the sound intensifier hollowed out in the form described, is
to increase the sound upon the same principle as the whispering gallery at
St. Pauls which is due to the coincidence at the hearing point of several rays of
sound reaching it at the same time by different paths so that a double effect is
produced on the hearer. In order to reproduce the sounds imprinted upon the
record-plate, first place the phonautographic record plate upon the drum or table
provided for the purpose, and arrange it for rotation between the standards then
hold with one hand the sound intensifier in a vertical position immediately over
and above the record plate and. in such a position that the point of the stylus lays
in the commencement of the convolutions containing the hieroglyptics of sound
waves, then by means of the handle or crank rotate the record plate at an uniform
speed, meanwhile hold the sound intensifier as described inclining it at each revo-
lution towards the line of vibration the record plate is traveling on, by varying ·

page_text: the speed of rotating the record-plates it will enable the pitch of the sounds produced
to be raised or lowered.
Deted his 20th day of Lun 1802
J. R. HUGHES.
D. DAVIS REES.
Improvements in and relating to Scientific Toys.
We JOHN ROBERT HUGHES of 10 Bartholomew Close, in the City and County
of London, Horológical Mechanic, and David DaVIS REES of Bronprys Towyn,
Merionethshire, Solicitor, 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 this invention is to construct in the simplest and most inexpensive
manner, a scientific toy talking machine, which is intended only for reproducing
sounds from phonautographic records. The invention consists of a sound producer
of novel construction which is sound insulated from the rest of the apparatus, in
combination with a stylus and phonautographic record, with mechanical means for
causing the phonautographic record to travel under the stylus.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a scientific toy for
reproducing sound, constructed in accordance with this invention, and Figure 2 is
a detail view.
For the reproduction of sound in the manner described in this Specification we
prefer to use phonautographic records or phonautograms which are fixed upon some
hard non-yielding material such as metal, and in the form of spiral lines on a flat
circular plate. The drawings shew the invention as applied for reproducing sound
from flat plates or discs of this kind, and the modifications necessary to adapt the
invention to other forms of phonautograms will be readily understood by those
acquainted with apparatus of this description.
A is the circular phonautogram which is secured by the tightening screw B to
the table C on the underside of which is secured a spindle D rotating in
bearings E E in the standard F. G is a friction wheel which bears on the
underside of the table C, and is secured to a spindle, on the other end of which is a
crank handle H. When the latter is rotated, the friction wheel G causes the
rotation of the table C, and with it, the phonautograin A secured thereto. JJ is
a cramp by means of which the frame F may be secured to a table or other fixed
place when so desired. K is a lever arm carrying the sound producer L to which
the stylus M is secured.
As the sound producer L and the manner in which it is attached to the lever
arm form the essential features of this invention, we have shewn the details of
these detached in Figure 2, and in the same figure have also shewn the scale to
which they are drawn, so that the relative sizes of the various parts may be
measured off by the scale. Figure 2 shows the size and dimensions of a sound
producer made of brass but it may be made of any other sonorous material, and the
sizes and dimensions adapted for other materials than brass will vary from those
shewn in Figure 2 according to the sonorousness of the material used.
The sound producer, in which there is no vibrating membrane or diaphragm, is
made in the shape of a tube open at the top and pinched together at its lower end,
until it is formed into a double level or chisel shape and its side caused to flare
outwards at the bottom into the shape shewn in Figure 2. The metal used is
about one thirty second of an inch in thickness. At about the parts marked a a
where the tube is laterally distended the most, and from thence downwards to the
bottom the opposite sides are in contact with each other. Through this lower
closed part we bore two holes in the lower of which we fix a standard N having a

page_text: small aperture O through which the stylus is passed and secured by means of the
set screw P. The set screw may however be dispensed with and the aperture O
lined with some soft yielding material or otherwise so that the stylus will be held
friction tight in its place. The standard N is preferably made of the same
material as the sound producer L, but it may be made of any sound couducting
material.
To prevent the vibrations of the lever arm K from passing to the sound
producer L or vice versa, and thus interfering with the vibrations produced by the
moving stylus, we insulate the sound producer L from the lever arm K by means
of vulcanite, ebonite, or other sound non-conducting material. Q is a collar of
vulcanite which fits over the screw S and lines the hole R, and W is a washer of
the same material which is placed between the sound produceer L and the lever
arm K
When the parts are fixed in position the vibrations of the sound
producer L are not transmitted to the lower arm K or vice versa.
We also find it advisable to similarly insulate the fixed arm T to which the lever
arm Kis pivotted from the frame F, so that the vibrations of the moving
mechanical parts shall not be transmitted to the lever arm. This we effect by
fixing a piece or block of vulcanite or other sound non-conducting material U
between the frame F and the arm T.
To prevent the sound producer L from being affected by exterior sounds and to
prevent the sound waves generated in its interior from passing through its sides and
becoming dissipated or lost in the circumambient atmosphere, we cover it with an
envelope or casing of india rubber or such like sound non-conductor, and join it on
to an ear trumpet or resonance box of ordinary construction which can be done by
the flexibility of the rubber without any special contrivance.
When the sound producer L is made from wood, it is bored out and shaped as
shewn in Figure 2. For size and dimensions, the best results are found by
experience to be produced when the wooden sound producer is from one and a half
to two inches long and from a half to three quarters of an inch in diameter at the
top or cylindrical part.
After numerous experiments it is found that by the peculiar shape of the sound
producer as herein described with reference to Figure 2, the air therein is agitated
by the vibrations set up by the moving stylus and that the sound waves so produced
are reflected from the sides of the sound producer, and the sound thereby augmented
or intensified.
In order to reproduce the sounds imprinted upon the recording plate, first secure
the phonautographic record plate to the drum or table provided for the purpose
and arranged between the standards, then place the sound producer immediately
over and above the record plate and in such a position that the point of the stylus
lays in the commencement of the convolutions of sound waves on the record plate;
then by means of the handle or crank rotate the table to which the record plate is
secured at an uniform speed. By varying the speed of rotation of the record plates,
the pitch of the sounds produced can be raised or lowered as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In scientific toys for reproducing sound from phonautographic records, a
sound producer carrying a stylus with which it vibrates in unison, and having its
interior so constructed as to reflect the sound waves generated by the disturbance
of the air particles within it by the vibrations set up by the stylus when the.
phonautographic record is rotated, substantially as described with reference to
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In scientific toys for reproducing sound from phonautographic records,
wherein a sound producer, such as is described in the preceding claim, is secured
to a lever arm, preventing the vibrations of the sound producer from passing to, or
from being interfered with by the vibrations of the lever arm, by interposing some

page_text: sound non-conducting material between the said sound producer and the said lever
arm substantially as described.
3. In scientific toys for reproducing sound from phonautographic records, having
a sound producer such as is described in Claim 1 hereof. Enveloping said producer
is a casing of india rubber or such like sound non-producing material to prevent
the sound producer box from being affected by exterior noises, or to prevent the
sound waves generated in its interior from passing through its sides and becoming
dissipated or lost in the circumambient atmosphere.
1
4. The combination of the various parts forming our improvements in scientific
toys for the reproduction of sound all arranged so as to operate substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
way
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.