Improvements in Phonographs, Graphophones, and like Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES DICKINSON, of 1107, Michigan Avenue,
in the City of Evanston, County of Cook, State of Illinois, United States of
America, Manufacturer].
Improvements in Phonographs, Graphophones, and like Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:
This invention relates to improvements in talking machines.
--
In talking machines, phonographs or graphophones heretofore in use wherein
the sound is recorded upon and reproduced from a blank or cylinder of wax-like
composition, of about two inches in diameter, rotating at a speed of about 100
or 120 revolutions per minute, the speech, vocal music, instrumental music or
other sounds recorded and reproduced have been faint and defective and lacking
in volume, loudness, clearness, distinctness and naturalness, being generally
accompanied with a harsh and disagreeable frying noise. And many attempts have
heretofore been made to remedy such defects.
I have discovered and demonstrated by my experiments, and herein my inven
tion consists, that by the very simple expedient of combining with the ordinary
talking machine reproducer, consisting essentially of a diaphragm and a con-
nected stylus or reproducing point, a sound record cylinder of large size, pre-
ferably of about from four to six inches in diameter, or two or three times the
size heretofore commonly used, while rotating at practically the same speed as
heretofore, say from one hundred to one hundred and twenty revolutions per
minute, a very marked and astonishing result or improvement is produced in
respect to the volume, clearness, distinctness and naturalness of the speech,
vocal music, instrumental music, or other sounds recorded and reproduced; and
that by combining with such rotating sound record two or more reproducers
with the reproducing point or stylus of the one following or tracking in the
same sound record groove or thread of the rotating sound record cylinder, the
volume, loudness, clearness, distinctness and naturalness of the sound recorded
and reproduced is still further very greatly improved or multiplied, so much
so that they can be distinctly heard at a distance of from one hundred to three
hundred feet. That is to say my invention consists in the combination with
a sound record cylinder of large diameter rotating at high speed, of a multipli-
city of reproducers arranged tandem, or one after another, with their reproducing
points or styli following or tracking in the same sound record groove, and
operating to reproduce simultaneously, or substantially so, the same sounds.
By reason of the large size or diameter of the sound record cylinder I am enabled
to arrange three or more reproducers in cooperative position about the upper
half of the sound record cylinder, while the greatly increased surface speed of
the cylinder due to its large diameter and high speed of rotation, causes the

page_text: several styli of the sound reproducers to be operated by the same portion of the
sound record at such very short intervals of time between as to be wholly
inappreciable to the ear, thus giving the effect of a single stylus or reproducer
in respect to simultaneousness, while securing the effect of the several repro-
ducers in respect to volume, etc., and at the same time also accomplishing the
result due to the large size of the cylinder and its rapid speed upon each
reproducer.
The accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification is an end
elevation, partly in vertical section, of a talking machine or apparatus'embodying
my invention.
In said drawing A represents the frame of the machine, B is the sound record
cylinder of a wax-like composition, the same as those heretofore in use on
graphophones or phonographs, excepting that it is of a large size, of from two
to three times the diameter of those heretofore commonly in use, that is to say it
is from four to six inches in diameter.
D, D, D are a series of reproducers, arranged tandem or one after another,
so that their reproducing points or styli d, d follow or track one after another in
the same sound record groove and are separated from each other by only a short
distance of space. F is the feed slide or carriage upon which the several repro-
ducers D, D, D are mounted, and by which they are all fed or moved together
simultaneously from one end of the sound record cylinder to the other by the
feed screw G said feed slide having a curved hinged arm H by which the repro-
ducers D, D, D may be raised or lifted out of contact with the sound record
cylinders B by the lifting lever H³.
K is a spring or other motor by which the sound record cylinder B or its shaft
or mandrel B₁ is rotated at a uniform high speed of about one hundred or one
hundred and twenty revolutions per minute. M, M, M are horns or sound convey-
ing devices or tubes connecting with the several reproducers. Their inner
ends m, m, m are preferably curved or bent so that the horns may all have the
same general direction notwithstanding the curvature of the arm H upon which
the reproducers are carried.
The reproducers D may be of any suitable construction familiar to those skilled
in the art; each however preferably comprises a reproducing point or stylus d
and diaphragm d¹ with suitable connections between the stylus and diaphragm.
By removing all the reproducers but one from the machine, the improved
result due to the large diameter of the sound record cylinder, and the conse-
quent doubling or thribling of the surface speed at which the sound record
groove engages the reproducing point or stylus and so increasing the force or
intensity of the blows exerted upon the diaphragm of the reproducer, and the
consequent increase in the volume, loudness, clearness and distinctness of the
sounds reproduced is secured, but not the further improvement due to the
multiplicity of the reproducers, the machine however may be used with one, two,
three or more reproducers.
In forming the sound record on the sound record blank or cylinder the several
reproducers are removed, and a single recorder is substituted for one of the
reproducers. The recorder may be of any suitable construction now commonly
in use on talking machines, it is preferably an instrument substantially identical
with the reproducer illustrated in the drawing, excepting that it has a cutting
or engraving point or stylus instead of a reproducing point, which is a rounded
or rubbing point or stylus.
In practicing my invention the surface speed at which the sound record
cylinder or blank engages the recording or reproducing stylus, should be about
one hundred and fifty feet per minute.
The cutting stylus in forming the sound record on the sound record cylinder
or tablet is caused to vibrate by the sound vibration in the air in a plane approxi-
imately perpendicular to the surface of the tablet or cylinder, while the surface of
the tablet or cylinder is moving at a speed of about one hundred and fifty feet

page_text: per minute, so that sounds requiring one minute in their production from a
record are approximately one hundred and fifty feet in length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
-
1st. The combination with a large sound record cylinder of wax-like com-
position of substantially from four to six inches diameter, of a motor for rotating
said sound record cylinder at a high speed of substantially 100 to 150 revolutions
per minute, and two or more reproducers arranged tandem or one after another,
the stylus or reproducing point of one following another in the same sound
record groove, substantially as specified.
2nd. The combination with a large sound record cylinder of wax-like com-
position of substantially from four to six inches diameter, of a motor for rotating
said sound record cylinder at a high speed of substantially 100 to 120 revolutions
per minute, and two or more reproducers arranged tandem or one after another,
the stylus or reproducing point of one following another in the same sound
record groove, and a feed slide or carriage having a curved hinged arm encircling
the upper half of the sound record cylinder upon which said reproducers are
mounted, substantially as specified.
3rd. The combination with a series of reproducers arranged tandem or one
after an other, of a sound record cylinder of large diameter rotating at a high
speed sufficient in connection with the large diameter of the sound record
cylinder to cause the sound record groove to engage the stylus of each reproducer
at such high speed, substantially 150 feet per minute, as to individually reproduce
the sound recorded upon the record with great volume, clearness and distinctness,
and to engage the series of styli of the series of reproducers at such short intervals of
time as to produce the effect upon the ear of substantially simultaneousness,
substantially as specified.
4th. The combination with a series of reproducers arranged tandem or one
after another, of a sound record cylinder engaging the reproducing points or
styli of said reproducers at a surface speed at substantially of from 100 to 150
feet per minute, whereby the sounds are reproduced with great volume, loud-
ness, clearness of quality and distinctness, and with substantial simultaneousness
in respect to the operation of all the reproducers, substantially as specified.
5th. The combination with a large sound record blank or cylinder of a wax-
like composition of say substantially four to six inches in diameter, of a talking
instrument and a motor for rotating the large sound record cylinder or blank at
the usual or customary speed of one hundred or one hundred and twenty revolu-
tions per minute, whereby the volume, clearness, distinctness and naturalness of
the speech, vocal music, instrumental music or other sounds recorded or repro-
duced are greatly increased, substantially as specified.
6th. The improvement in the art of recording speech, vocal music, instrumental
music or other sounds, consisting in recording the same by cutting the record
thereof on a cylinder of large diameter substantially as specified, of wax-like
composition and rotating at a high speed of say one hundred to one hundred and
twenty revolutions per minute, that is to say by cutting the record at a surface
speed of substantially one hundred and fifty feet per minute, substantially as
specified.
7th. The improvement in the art of reproducing speech, vocal music, instru-
mental music or other sounds, consisting in reproducing the same by the co-
operative operation of a reproducer with a sound record or cylinder of large
diameter, substantially as specified, rotating at a high speed, thus causing the
sound record groove to engage the reproducing stylus at a surface speed of sub-
stantially one hundred and fifty feet per minute, whereby the volume, clearness,
distinctness and naturalness of the sound reproduction in greatly increased or
improved, substantially as specified,

page_text: :
8th. The combination with a reproducer of a sound record cylinder of sub-
stantially four to six inches in diameter rotating at a high speed, thus causing
the sound record groove to engage the reproducing stylus at a surface speed of
substantially one hundred and fifty feet per minute, whereby the volume, clear-
ness, distinctness and naturalness of the sound-reproduction is greatly increased
or improved, substantially as specified.
9th. The combination with a reproducer, of a sound record cylinder of large
diameter rotating at a high speed, sufficient in connection with the large
diameter of the record cylinder, to cause the sound record groove to engage the
stylus at a speed of substantially one hundred and fifty feet per minute, whereby
the sound recorded upon the record is reproduced with great volume, clearness
and distinctness, substantially as specified.
10th. The improvement in the art of recording speech, vocal music, instru-
mental music or other sounds, consisting in recording the same by cutting the
record thereof on a wax-like composition cylinder of large diameter rotating at
a high speed, the record cylinder or blank engaging the recording stylus at a
speed of substantially one hundred and fifty feet per minute, thus causing a
distinct and perfect record to be produced, substantially as specified.
11th. The method of forming a sound record which consists in placing a vibratory
cutting style in contact with a sound record tablet or cylinder, causing said style
to vibrate in a plane approximately perpendicular to the surface of said tablet
or cylinder by impressing sonorous vibrations thereon, and simultaneously
rotating said tablet or cylinder at a surface speed of approximately one hundred
and fifty feet per minute.
12th. The method of reproducing speech, vocal or instrumental music or other
sounds from sound records cut or engraved in sound record cylinders or tablets
of a wax-like composition, consisting in causing the reproducing stylus to be
vibrated in a plane approximately perpendicular to the surface of said cylinder
or tablet by engaging the sound record on said cylinder or tablet at a surface
speed of approximately 150 feet per minute substantially as specified.
13th. The combination with a reproducer having a stylus vibrating towards
and from the surface of the sound record, of a sound record tablet or cylinder of
a wax-like composition rotating at such speed in relation to its diameter as to
cause the sound record groove to engage the stylus of. the reproducer at a surface
speed of approximately 150 feet per minute, substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th day of Amonst An 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.