Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Receiving and Recording Vibrations Produced by Sounds, and Reproducing
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Receiving and
Recording Vibrations Produced by Sounds, and Reproducing
I, ARTHUR FRENCH ST. GEORGE, of Redhill, in the County of Surrey, Electrician
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND RECORDING VIBRATIONS PRODUCED BY SOUNDS,
AND REPRODUCING SUCH SOUNDS THROUGH ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS, AT A DISTANCE
to be as follows:-
"
My invention has for its object novel means and apparatus for obtaining a
permanent record of sounds produced by the human voice or otherwise and the
application of the record so obtained to the electrical transmission and reproduction
of the sounds to and at a distant point.
In order to put my invention in operation I take a disc or diaphragm of wood
or other suitable material provided with a suitable mouthpiece into which sounds
such as the human voice can be collected and made to impinge upon the disc and
cause the latter to vibrate sufficiently.
For
To the centre of the disc I firmly secure a short pencil of plumbago or other
suitable material capable of conducting electricity and I arrange this pencil so that
its outer end or point presses against a surface of paper or other material made to
travel evenly and uniformly in front of it so that as the surface moves forward a
pencil line of plumbago is described upon it. The paper may be moved forward, so
that a continuous line is drawn upon it as described by any convenient means.
instance a cylinder may be employed arranged so as to revolve at a uniform speed
by clockwork or other power and at the same time to progress slowly in a direction
parallel to its axis of rotation, so that the pencil point touching the cylinder whilst
the latter revolves and advances, describes upon its surface a continuous helical line
of pencil mark. Sounds made to impinge upon the acoustic disc agitate it in such
manner as to cause the pencil to press upon the moving surface with force varying
with the agitations or vibrations and the line of pencil mark is consequently
described with proportionately varying distinctness. That is to say, the pencil mark
is sometimes of a deeply impressed and distinct character by reason of increased
pressure of the pencil,-diminutions of pressure giving a faint or less distinct marking

page_text: of the cylinder and at times giving an intermittent and broken line. The varying
pencil line of plumbago deposited in the way described upon the cylinder I employ
as a permanent record of the sounds which have impressed the pencil markings.
In order to reproduce in electric telephones on electric circuits the sounds
represented by the varying pencil mark, I take two fine needle points of metal or
other sufficiently good conductor of electricity placed as near as possible to but
electrically insulated from each other. I connect each needle to the electric
telephone circuit in which a constant current of electricity from a battery or other
source is maintained, the needle points being adjusted in such position as to touch
the deposit of plumbago of the pencil mark line and the electrical circuit being
completed from point to point by reason of the electrical conduction of the plumbago.
The needles in this position and carefully adjusted so that both points always touch
the line of plumbago marking, the cylinder is made to revolve as before. The
variations in character of the pencil mark result in corresponding variations in the
conduction of the electrical current between the needle points and throughout the
circuit. These variations produce proportionate variations of electric current
passing through the telephone hearing instruments in which consequently an exact
and distinctly audible reproduction of the original sounds is heard.
I do not confine myself to the exact details described in carrying out my
invention which may be varied more or less to suit varying circumstances. For
instance the moving surface may be of conducting material, and the pencil may be
of nonconducting material.
Or, two pencils may be used impressing two parallel marks side by side but at a
short distance from each other, a connecting strip sufficiently broad to touch_both
marks being made to pass over the latter, instead of the needle points, in order to
reproduce the sounds.

page_text: Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Receiving and
Recording Vibrations Produced by Sounds, and Reproducing
I, ARTHUR FRENCH ST. GEORGE, of Redhill, in the County of Surrey, Electrician,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND
"
APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND RECORDING VIBRATIONS PRODUCED BY SOUNDS,
AND REPRODUCING SUCH SOUNDS THROUGH ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS, AT A DISTANCE
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described.
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object novel means and apparatus for obtaining a
permanent record of sounds produced by the human voice or otherwise and tho
application of the record so obtained to the electrical transmission and reproduction
of the sounds to and at a distant point.
In order to put my invention in operation I take a disc or diaphragm of wood or
other suitable material provided with a suitable mouthpiece into which sounds such
as the human voice can be collected and made to impinge upon the disc and cause
the latter to vibrate sufficiently.
To the centre of the disc I firmly secure a short pencil of plumbago or other
suitable material capable of conducting electricity and I arrango this pencil so that
its outer end or point presses against a surface of paper or other material made to
travel evenly and uniformly in front of it, so that as the surfaco moves forward a.
pencil line of plumbago is described upon it.
The paper may be moved forward, so that a continuous line is drawn upon it as
described, by any convenient means. For instance a cylinder may be employed
arranged so as to revolve at a uniform speed by means of clockwork or other power,
and at the same time to progress slowly in a direction parallel to its axis of rotation,
so that the pencil point touching the cylinder whilst the latter revolves and
advances, describes upon its surface a continuous helical line of pencil mark.
Sounds made to impinge upon the acoustic disc agitate it in such manner as to
cause the pencil to press upon the moving surface with force varying with the
agitations or vibrations, and the line of pencil mark is consequently described with
proportionately varying distinctness. That is to say, the pencil mark is sometimes
of a deeply impressed and distinct character by reason of increased pressure of the
pencil, diminutions of pressure rendering the marking on the cylinder faint or less
distinct and at times giving an intermittent and broken line.
The varying line of plumbago deposited in the way described upon the cylinder
I employ as a permanent record of the sounds which have impressed the pencil
markings.
In order to reproduce in electric telephones on electric circuits the sounds
represented by the varying pencil mark, I take two fine needle points of metal or
other sufficiently good conductor of electricity placed as near as possible to but
electrically insulated from each other.
:

page_text: I connect each needle to the electric telephone circuit in which a constant current
of electricity from a battery or other source is maintained, the needle points being
adjusted in such position as to touch the deposit of plumbago of the pencil mark
line and the electrical circuit being completed from point to point by reason of the
electrical conduction of the plumbago. The needles being in this position and
carefully adjusted so that both points always touch the line of plumbago
marking, the cylinder is made to revolve as before. The variations in character of
the pencil mark result in corresponding variations in the conduction of the electrical
current between the needle points and throughout the circuit. These variations
produce proportionate variations of electrical current passing through the telephone
hearing instruments in which consequently an exact and distinctly audible repro-
duction of the original sounds is heard.
I do not confine myself to the exact details described in carrying out my invention,
which may be varied more or less to suit varying circumstances. For instance the
moving surface may be of conducting material, and the pencil may be of non-
conducting material. Or instead of the pencil a suitable ink may be used. Or, two
pencils may be used impressing two parallel marks side by side but at a short
distance from each other, a connecting strip sufficiently broad to touch both marks
being made to pass over the latter, instead of the needle points, in order to
reproduce the sounds.
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. The combination of the vibrating disc, the pencil, and the continuously
moving surface, for the purpose of recording audible sounds, substantially as
herein described.
2. In combination with the varying marks so recorded upon the moving surface,
the conducting needles or connecting strip through which an electric current is
made to pass, and the telephone or telephones, all arranged and operating sub-
stantially as herein described.