Improvements in connection with Phonographs, Grammaphones, Graphophones, and similar Sound Recording and Reproducing Instruments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
Improvements in connection with Phonographs, Grammaphones,
Graphophones, and similar Sound Recording and Reproducing
Instruments.
I, JONATHAN LEWIS YOUNG of 52 Fore Street, Moorgate Street, London E.C.
Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My present invention relates to a method of, and means for reproducing any
number of duplicates or counterparts of sound records that have been engraved
indented or otherwise produced upon the rotund or cylindrical recording surfaces of
phonographs, grammaphones, graphophones and similar or other sound recording
and reproducing instruments.
In the most approved or latest type of instrument of the kind referred to, a
surface of prepared wax has been found the most suitable upon which to record
sound vibrations, and hitherto no better means has been adopted or known for
reproducing such sound vibrations than employing the self same wax surface,
upon which the record has been taken, for operating the recording diaphragm, and
it is a well known fact that whilst the said prepared wax is (so far as at present
known) the most suitable material for such records, the same has but a short life
when used for the purpose of reproduction, and that the resonant sharpness of
each reproduction is perceptibly less than those preceding it, this arising from the
fact, that the very nature and qualification of the material rendering it so adaptable
for the former purpose, is unsuited to stand against the constant friction of the
reproducing stylus when used for the latter purpose, hence its short duration,
and although the latest and most perfected machines of the kind referred to, are
provided with a tool for shaving off the worn out record in order that the same
wax cylinder may be again used for recording purposes, the production of such
records are, in some cases, very costly, and thus, naturally, materially adds to the
costs of the maintenance of the machine, but according to my invention as
hereinafter set forth, I am enabled to produce from the record first taken, any
number of duplicates or counterparts upon material capable of withstanding for
a lengthy period, the friction arising from contact with the reproducing stylus,
and at a cost of about 90% less than that of the first record, hence the object of
my invention.
I carry my invention into effect by first producing a record upon a wax cylinder
by means of a recording stylus in the usual way, and this I carefully coat with
plumbago or other suitable material, capable of rendering the said wax surface of
good electrical conductivity, and if the said wax cylinder be mounted upon a metallic
base such parts of this as would be exposed I coat with some suitable insulating
material, and then suspend the whole (or such part thereof as may be necessary) in
an electrical plating bath, and electrically connect the said prepared surface of the

page_text: record to the negative pole of a suitable primary, secondary or other battery,
and I may use a plate or plates of copper, nickel, precious or other suitable
metal as an anode, connected to the positive pole in the usual way, according to the
nature of the bath and the deposit required, and by this means I coat the record
with a metallic surface, and when a sufficient deposit has been obtained, I remove
the whole from the bath and expose the same to a gentle heat, until the whole of
the wax has been melted and drained away, leaving behind a hollow metallic
cylinder bearing upon its inner face an exact reproduction of the original record,
but of course in reverse order, and when this has been thoroughly cleansed of such
portions of wax as may be left behind, I fix the same rigidly within and upon a
cylindrical or other shaped case, of metal or other material capable of maintaining
the stability of the electro, and when the said electro and its case has been slightly
heated or warmed, I place within the former a very thin hollow cylinder, of the
same size externally as that of the original wax cylinder upon which the record was
first taken. The said thin cylinder may be of any suitable material capable of
being rendered plastic by the application of a gentle heat, such for instance as
celluloid, xylonite, vulcanite or the like, and having a highly polished or perfectly
smooth external surface, and when this has been rendered pliable by a gentle heat
(which may be that given off from the heated electro and its casing) I press the
same gently and evenly up to and against the face of the electro, and take an exact
impression therefrom, and when the said plastic cylinder has cooled, I am enabled,
by slightly collapsing this inwardly, to cleanly and easily remove it from the
electro, when I am in possession of an exact duplicate of the original record, and
all its delicate details, which I then mount upon the same or a like base as that
from which the original record was removed, and the same may then be placed
upon the machine and used for reproducing in the same manner as could and would
have been the original wax record.
It must be borne in mind that, notwithstanding the duplicate thus produced, I
am still in possession of the electro, which has not suffered in any way by the
impression having been taken therefrom, and from which I am enabled to take in
like manner, any number of further impressions, each of which would possess the
same sharpness of detail as the first, and these when cold and mounted as stated,
being considerably harder and more durable than wax, may be used for reproducing
for an almost indefinite period, with any appreciable difference being observed
in the clearness and distinctness of the reproduction.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in connection with Phonographs, Grammaphones,
Graphophones, and similar Sound Recording and Reproducing
Instruments.
I, JONATHAN LEWIS YOUNG, of 67 (late 52) Fore Street, Moorgate Street,
London E.C. Electrical 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:--
My present invention relates to a method of and means for reproducing any
number of duplicates or counterparts of sound records that have been engraved
indented or otherwise produced upon the rotund or cylindrical recording surfaces of
phonographs, grammaphones, graphophones and similar or other sound recording
and reproducing instruments."

page_text: In the most approved or latest type of instrument of the kind referred to, a
surface of prepared wax has been found the most suitable upon which to record
sound vibrations, and hitherto no better means has been adopted or known for
reproducing such sound vibrations than by employing the self same wax surface,
upon which the record has been taken, for operating the recording diaphragm and
it is a well known fact that whilst the said prepared wax is (so far as at present
known) the most suitable material upon which to produce such records, the same
has but a short life when used for the purpose of reproduction, and that the
resonant sharpness of each reproduction is perceptably less than those preceding it,
this arising from the fact, that the very nature and qualification of the material
rendering it so adaptable for the former purpose, is unsuited to stand against the
constant friction of the reproducing stylus when used for the latter purpose hence
its short duration, and although the latest and most perfected machines of the kind
referred to, are provided with a tool for shaving off the worn out record in order
that the same cylinder may be again used for recording purposes, the production
of such records are, in some cases very expensive, and this naturally, materially
adds to the costs of the maintenance of the machine, but according to my invention
as hereinafter set forth, I am enabled to produce from the record first taken, any
number of duplicates or counterparts thereof upon material capable of withstand-
ing for a lengthy period, the friction arising from contact with the reproducing
stylus, and at a cost of about 90% less than that of the first record, hence the
objects of my invention.
I carry my invention into effect by first producing a record upon a wax cylinder
by means of a recording stylus in the usual way, and this I carefully coat with
plumbago or other suitable material, capable of rendering the said wax surface of
good electrical conductivity, and if the said wax cylinder be mounted upon a
metallic base, such parts of this as would be exposed, I coat with some suitable
insulating material, and then suspend the whole (or such part thereof as may be
necessary) in an electrical plating bath, and electrically connect the said prepared
surface of the record, to the negative pole of a suitable primary, secondary, or
other battery, so that this may constitute the cathode, and I may use a plate or
plates of copper, nickel, precious or other suitable metal as an anode, connected
to the positive pole in the usual way, according to the nature of the bath, and the
metallic deposit required, and by this means, I coat the record with a metallic
surface, and when a sufficient deposit has been obtained, I remove the whole from
the bath, and expose the same to a gentle heat, until the whole of the wax has been
melted and drained away, leaving behind a hollow metallic cylinder, bearing upon
its inner surface, an exact reproduction of the original record, but of course in
reverse order, and when the said inner surface, has been thoroughly cleansed (by
any of the well known methods,) of such portions of wax as may be left upon it, I
fix the said cylinder rigidly within, and upon an outer cylindrical or other shaped
case, of metal, or other material capable of maintaining the stability of the electro,
and I may find it convenient to effect this, by casting the said outer case, around
the cylindrical electro, which may be, before the wax has been dissolved there-
from, the heat from such casting (if metallic) being alone sufficient to effect the
said melting of the wax, afterwards cleansed in the manner stated.
To produce a working record from the said electro, this and its case would be
warmed or slightly heated by any convenient means, and within the said electro
would then be placed a very thin hollow cylinder, of the same size externally as
that of the original wax cylinder upon which the record was first taken. The said
thin cylinder may be of any suitable material capable of being rendered plastic by
the application of a gentle heat, such for instance as celluloid, xylonite, vulcanite
or the like, and having a highly polished or perfectly smooth external surface, and
when this has been rendered pliable, by a gentle heat (which may be that given off
from the heated electro and its casing) I press the same gently and evenly up to
and against the face of the electro, and take an exact impression therefrom, and
when the said plastic cylinder has cooled, I am enabled, by slightly collapsing this

page_text: inwardly, to cleanly and casily remove it from the electro, when I am in posses-
sion of an exact duplicate of the original record and all its delicate details, which
I then mount upon the same or a like base as that from which the original record
was removed, and the same may then be placed upon the machine and used for
reproducing in the same manner as could and would have been the original wax
.record.
It must be bourne in mind that notwithstanding the duplicate thus produced,
I am still in possession of the electro, which has not suffered in any way by the
impression having been taken therefrom, and from which I am enabled to take in
like manner, any number of further impressions, each of which would possess the
same sharpness of detail as the first, and these when cold and mounted as stated,
being considerably harder and more durable than wax, may be used for repro-
ducing for an almost indefinite period, without any appreciable difference being
observed in the clearness and distinctness of the reproduction
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 I am
aware of the Specification of Liorets Patent No. 23366 of A.1). 1893, and I wish
it to be understood that I do not claim anything described and claimed therein,
.but what I do claim is;-
-
1st. In combination with a wax cylinder as used upon phonographs and the
like and upon which sound vibrations have been recorded, the employment of the
method and means of producing any number of duplicates or counterparts of such
cylinders and the records thereon, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
2nd. In the production of duplicates or counterparts of the records of sound
vibrations, the employment of the combination of a wax cylinder upon which
sound vibrations have been recorded, an electrical plating bath for taking an
electro from the said wax cylinder, a cylinder of celluloid, vulcanite, xylonite or
any material of a like nature for taking an imprint of the said electro and the
application of said cylindrical imprint to a phonograph or similar instrument for
reproducing the said sound vibrations, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 27th day of September 1894.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.