Year: 1887

page_text: I GEORGE LEE ANDERS, of 90 Worship Street, in the City of London, Electrician
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the preparation of surfaces for the reception of a phono-
graphic record, and I also make such surfaces act as guides for the recording and
reproducing diaphragms. The actions of the diaphragm,style, and yielding or recording
surface in a Phonograph are well known, and I need not here describe them in
detail. I prefer, however, to use for a diaphragm materials lighter and more
sonorous than the iron plate usually employed in phonographs, such as thin layers of
wood placed on each other with the grain crossed, and cemented together, preferably
with celluloid, and also protected from moisture etc. by coatings of celluloid or
varnish. I also employ celluloid alone or in combination with woven or membranous
material, such as muslin or parchment. Ebonite or vulcanite also makes a good
diaphragm.
The style employed with my invention is preferably flat, and in the recording
instrument has a cutting or shaving edge.
The recording material is preferably hard wax or equivalent material, such as wax-
like substances and lead or soft alloys of metal, either employed alone or on a
support of other material such as paper, cloth, or metal. The recording material
has a continuous projection or thread, preferably of a shape, raised upon it, the
apex of which is more or less sharp. This sharp edge is designed to come into
contact with the style or cutter attached to the diaphragm, and is more or less
removed or compressed according to the movement of the diaphragm.
The most
convenient shape for the recording material is a cylinder of suitable length and
diameter, the projection taking the form of a spiral thread cast or cut on its surface.
The thread will then answer a two-fold purpose, firstly it offers a section easily
removed or indented by the style, and secondly, its contour of surface can be utilised
to automatically and accurately present the apex of the thread to the style while

page_text: the cylinder is being rotated. For this purpose a toothed or threaded guide (or
guides) is fixed to the frame carrying or connected with the diaphragm, the teeth
or thread of the guide fitting into the spiral groove on the cylinder.
The guide
being fixed, the rotation of the cylinder must thus produce a slow forward motion
such as constantly to bring the apex of the thread under the style attached to the
diaphragm. Conversely, the cylinder may be fixed, while the guide causes the diaphragm
to move forward.
I may also make the recording cylinder with ridges forming parallel flutings, either
straight or spiral, each ridge being fed forward against the style from end to end, new
ridges being afterwards presented in turn. Or the cylinder may be made of polygonal
section with straight faces, the angle made by the junction of each pair of faces serving
the same purpose as the ridges above mentioned.
I may also make the recording material in the form of a strip of suitable length
having a ridge or a number of parallel ridges to receive the style. Such strips may
be flexible and may be rolled upon a cylinder in such a manner as to form a continuous
spiral or spirals, or flutings.
A part of my invention consists in a method of cutting or forming the necessary
groove, ridge, or fluting on the recording material while in the phonograph itself.
This may be done by forcing the material against the toothed guide before referred to,
or a similar device, the material in this case being placed on an arbor of suitably
shaped section, or on a plane, on which it is capable of freely sliding in the required
direction. Or this device may be utilised for cleaning of correcting the grooves or
ridges before presenting them to the action of the style.
In making electrotype copies of the phonograms, the electric action is materially
facilitated by winding a bare conducting wire in the hollow of the spiral or other
grooves, after the usual treatment with plumbago.
” . .
201
T
1
1984

page_text: Improvements in Phonographic Apparatus for Recording and
Reproducing Vocal and other Sounds
I, GEORGE LEE ANDERS, of 90 Worship Street in the City of London, Electrician,
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 the preparation of surfaces for the reception of a phono-
graphic record, and I also make such surfaces act as guides for the recording and
reproducing diaphragms. The actions of the diaphragm, style, and yielding or
recording surface in a Phonograph are well known and I need not here describe them
in detail. I prefer, however, to use for a diaphragm materials lighter and more
sonorous than the iron plate usually employed in phonographs, such as thin wood
layers placed on each other with the grain crossed, and cemented together preferably
with celluloid, and also protected from moisture etc. by coatings of celluloid or
varnish. I also employ celluloid alone or in combination with woven or membranous
material, such as muslin or parchment. Ebonite or vulcanite also makes a good
diaphragm.
The style employed with my invention is preferably flat, like a chisel or broad
pointed pen, and in the recording instrument has a cutting or shaving edge.
The recording material is preferably hard wax or equivalent material such as wax-
like substances and lead or soft alloys of metal, either employed alone or on a support
of other material such as paper cloth or metal. The recording material has a
continuous projection or thread, preferably of a A shape, raised upon it, the apex of
which is more or less sharp. This sharp edge is designed to come into contact with
the style or cutter attached to the diaphragm, and is more or less removed or
compressed according to the movement of the diaphragm. The most convenient
shape for the recording material is a cylinder of suitable length and diameter, the
projection taking the form of a spiral thread cast or cut on its surface. The thread
will then answer a twofold purpose, firstly, it offers a section easily removed or
indented by the style, and secondly, its contour of surface can be utilised to
automatically and accurately present the apex of the thread to the style while the
cylinder is being rotated. For this purpose a toothed or threaded guide (or guides)
is fixed to the frame carrying or connected with the diaphragm, the teeth or thread of
the guide fitting into the spiral groove on the cylinder. The guide being fixed, the
rotation of the cylinder must thus produce a slow forward motion such as constantly
to bring the apex of the thread under the style attached to the diaphragm.
Conversely, the cylinder may be fixed (so far as regards forward or backward
motion) while the guide causes the diaphragm to move forward. It is obvious
that the guide may have one tooth or several, as may be found desirable.
I may also make the recording cylinder with ridges forming parallel flutings,
either straight or spiral, each ridge being fed forward against the style from end

page_text: to end, new ridges being afterwards presented in turn. Or the cylinder may be made
of polygonal section with straight faces or sides, the angle made by the junction of
each pair of faces serving the same purpose as the ridges above mentioned.
I may also make the recording material in the form of a strip of suitable length,
having a ridge or a number of parallel ridges to receive the style. Such strips may
be flexible and may be rolled upon a cylinder in such a manner as to form a continuous
spiral or spirals or flutings.
A part of my invention consists in a method of cutting or forming the necessary
groove, ridge, or fluting on the recording material while in the phonograph itself.
This may be done by forcing the material against the toothed guide before referred
to, or a similar device, the material in this case being placed on an arbor of
Buitably shaped section, or on a plane, on which it is capable of freely sliding in
the required direction. Or this device may be utilised for cleaning or correcting the
grooves or ridges before presenting them to the action of the style.
In making electrotype copies of the phonograms, the electric action is materially
facilitated by winding a bare conducting wire in the hollow of the spiral or other
grooves, after the usual treatment with plumbago.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is—
1. In phonographic apparatus the combination of a flat or chisel edged cutting or
recording style with a raised thread or ridge such as may be cut, scraped, or
indented by said style so as to form a phonographic record substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth.
2. In phonographic apparatus the use of the toothed or threaded guide as described
or equivalent device for the purpose of guiding the recording material or record
against the style, or vice versa.
3. In a phonographic recorder the use of the toothed or threaded guide substantially
as described or equivalent device for cutting or preparing the surface of the recording
material before the latter is presented to the recording style substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth.
1000