Improvements relating to Phonographs and similar Sound Repro- ducing
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1899 —Accepted, 24th June, 1899
Improvements relating to Phonographs and similar Sound Repro-
ducing Apparatus,
I, GUSTAV KORYTOWSKI, of Leipzig-Neuschönefeld, in the Empire of Germany,
Manager, 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:-
-
Phonographs, graphophones, gramophones or the like sound producing apparatus
use vibrations of a sounding body, mostly a membrane, which by means of a
stylus, attached to it, causes the sound waves to be engraved on a suitable surface,
such for example as a wax cylinder, or a wax covered disc, which I in short call
the sound carrier. The engraving forms the sound record. The sound carrier
revolves during the recording period and at the same time exccutes a side wise
movement in front of the stylus so that the record tracing describes a spiral line.
On afterwards moving the engraved carrier in the same way in front of the
stylus this latter will be caused to move in accordance with the engraved wavy
lines and by communicating the motion to the membrane reproduce the original
sounds.
The motion may be given to the carrier by manual or other means. If however
automatic action is required that is to say if it is intended to obtain the motion
either by depressing a lever or by inserting a coin, mechanism has to be provided
for returning the stylus from the end of the wave line to the beginning of the
same. This may be affected by means of a spring, a screw spindle, an inclined
plane, the action of gravity of the parts, and such like means, while recovering
the stylus from contact with the carrier. The action is obtained by means of a so
called automatic disc, being a disc rotating with the driving mechanism and
timed to make a revolution during the reproduction of the recorded time. This
dise is provided with a recess and catch or other suitable means for automatically
checking the working.
If the time were the same for all cases of reproduction, such as it is in Swiss
musical clocks or boxes, the ordinary arrangement of mechanism would be quite
sufficient. This however is not sufficient as regards the apparatus here under
consideration in which the sounds spoken, sung, or instrumental music and sounds
or noises of any description are reproduced. The engraved records for repro-
duction contain sometimes long instrumental concerts, sometimes only a few
words, and as the time of rotation of the automatic disc must naturally suit the
longest performances, the result is that the carrier, after reproducing a short
speech or performance, runs idle until the revolution of the automatic disc has
been completed. During the period of idle running the stylus slides over the
carrier and thereby causes an unpleasant, grating and creaking noise.
This invention relates to an arrangement by means of which the stylus after
the reproduction of the sound waves is at once removed from the carrier and is
placed in its initial position independently of the automatic disc.

page_text: :-
The arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:
Figures 1 and 2 show the same applied to phonographs and similar apparatus
having a cylindrical carrier,
Figure 3 shows it supplied to a gramaphone or similar apparatus having a carrier
in the form of a disc.
Figure 4 shows the disc in plan and with its surface engraved and,
Figure 5 illustrates a detail hereinafter reforred to.
In Figures 1 to 3 A is the carrier,
the driving mechanism. B is the
automatic disc, the membrane or sound; producer with stylus h. k is the sound-
ing tube or trumpet. In Figures 1 and 2 the cylindrical sound carriers A shown
in section, rotate in a horizontal shaft a a, while the one, shown in section Figure 3
rotates on a vertical shaft a. eece represent the engraved sound line in which
the stylus & slides by following the spiral line from left to right. This movement
causes the spring y to be in tension and to return the stylus h to its initial position
at the left directly it arrives at the end of the wave line of the recorder.
The removal of the stylus h from the carrier is affected as follows: At the end
of the line ex Figure 4 is a slot or recess f, seen also in Figures 1 to 3 in
section. Into this slot or recess f the stylus h with its sound producer i enters
after leaving the wave line. This movement of the sound producer i causes &
lever, or other suitable mechanism to disengage a stop which allows a device to :
come into action and lift the sound producer i off the carrier.
The device shown in the accompanying drawing consists of a two armed lever np
fulcrumed at o and which the falling movement of the sound producer i operates.
The lower extremity of the arm ? rests at s against the spring controlled slide
bar fulcrumed at and pressed upward by the spring t, which bar on being
released acts against the roller m of the rod and thereby lifts the sound pro-
ducer up.
Figures 1 to 3 also show the so called automaton lever avw. fulcrumed at vand
engaging by its catch in the notch c of the automaton wheel or disc B so stopping
the same, the other end to of the said lever terminating in a plate or bucket, for s
the reception of a coin G. The wheel B is provided with a tappet d serving to
depress the bar 7 so as to enable the point s of the arm p to retain it and thus
freeing the rod Z.
The action of this automatic device is as follows:-
The automaton wheel B is at first retained by the catch u resting in the notch ca
in such a position as to keep the tappet d just free of the slide bar q. This latter is
pressed upwards by the spring t and through the intervention of the rod carries
the sound producer i in such a position as to bring the stylus h above the first wave
line. Directly a coin G is placed on the plate or bucket the catch retires
from the notch in the wheel B and the latter is thereupon revolved by the driving 4
mechanism in the direction indicated by the arrow, the tappet & on the
wheel being at once brought to bear upon the bar q and depressing the same until
engaged by the arm p.
C
Meanwhile the stylus has been allowed to drop into the engraved sound line e
of the cylinder which latter receives rotary motion from the driving mech- 4
anism b, position shown in Figure 1. The stylus now follows the
engraved line ece towards the right so causing the engraved sound lines to repro-
duce the sounds which can be heard in the tube or trumpet . The rotation of
the wheel B is so timed that one complete revolution has been made at the moment
the stylus has travelled over a sound line extending over the full length of the 5
cylinder A. As however such line in this case only extends so far as the recess f
it will be evident that, without the aid of the improvements now adopted, the
stylus would travel on the smooth surface of the cylinder until the catch u
again enters the notch e in the wheel B. This however does not occur with the
improved arrangement because the stylus h and with it the sound producer i falls
into the recess or slot f of the carrier A whereby the lever np is caused to swing
on its fulcrum o by depressing its arm n; position shown in Figure 2.

page_text: This causes the lever to disengage the slide-bar q which at once under the
pressure of the spring is forced upwards and then through the intervention
of the rod raises the sound producer i with its stylush out of the recess, where-
upon the spring y acts to return it to the original position by the roller m of the
rod running over the slide bar q. The driving mechanism
continues
to revolve the cylinder A until the wheel B is stopped by the catch u re-entering
the notch c, ready for a new cycle of operations.
The arrangement shown in Figure 3 comprises a disc shaped carrier A instead
of a cylinder, its action being clearly understood from the foregoing description.
The position of parts corresponds to that of Figure 2. The recorded engraved
line shown on the carrier in Figure 4 forms a spiral, starting near the periphery
and following in the direction towards the centre of the disc and ending in a
slot f. Instead of a recess, or slot, a projection could in both cases be used for
raising the stylus h and sound producer i.
In this case when the projection comes against the pencil Figure 5 the sound
producer is also lifted, which latter lifts the lever p which thereupon disengages
from the piece z thus setting free the sound line y and allowing it to swing
upwards.
The particular arrangement of the several levers must of course depend in each
case on the space left in the casing and must be suited to various circumstances.
The means for returning the stylus to its initial position, instead of consisting as
hereinabove set forth of the slide bar q and spring y, may be of any suitable nature.
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
Automatic releasing or starting device for sound reproducing apparatus of the
kind known as phonographs, gramophones and the like, characterized by having
a recess or slot for a projection at the rear end of the wave or sound line ce in
the sound carrier A by means of which the position of the sound producer i
relatively with the sound carrier A is altered, producing by means of suitable
mechanism automatically and independently of the driving mechanism the return
of the sound producer and stylus to its initial position.
Dated this 15th day of March 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.