Improvements in Phonographs or Speaking Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Phonographs or Speaking Machines.
I, EUSTACE OXLEY, of 4%, Congress Street, Boston, in the County of Suffolk
and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in phonographs or speaking machines
and it is carried out as follows reference being had to the accompanying drawings
where
Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the invention.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on the line X X shown in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 3 represents a cross section on the line Y Y shown in Figs. 1 & 2.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts
of the drawings.
A and A¹ are frames preferably made of metal and secured together at a proper
distance apart. B and B are reels secured to the respective shafts band & journalled
in the frames A. and A' as shown. C is a loosely journalled guide roller located on
a shaft c as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. D is a tape or ribbon which is guided and
carried around a portion of the guide roller C from the reel B to the reel B¹ or
vice versa during the operation of the phonograph. The said ribbon D is coated on
its upper side with wax or suitable composition, or other ductile material adapted to
receive impressions from the stylus when the latter is agitated.
Above the guide roller C is located the vibratory diaphragm E having secured
to its underside the usual stylus or needle e or equivalent recording device.
The said diaphragm is preferably secured within the case F by means of a screw
cap / to which the speaking tube G is connected as is common in phonographic
apparatus. In practice I prefer to make the case F and its diaphragm E adjustable
in a direction parallel with the guide roller shaft c so as to change the position of
the stylus or needle e laterally in relation to the tape or ribbon D after a record
has been made on the latter throughout its length by which a series of parallel
records may be made successively on the said ribbon thus causing its entire surface
to be utilized for receiving indentures or impressions from the stylus or needle
during the vibrating movement of the diaphragm caused by the operator speaking
against it.
In the drawings I have shown the case F as attached to the plate F1 which is
adapted to slide in and between guide ribs h h on the cover H which latter is
preferably hinged at h¹ to the frame A and provided in its opposite end with a
regulating screw H" screwed through said cover H and having its lower end "
adapted to rest upon the frame A' for the purpose of adjusting the position of the
stylus or needle properly in relation to the ribbon D where it passes over the
roller C as shown.
H³ is a feed screw for adjusting the position of the slide F¹ with its diaphragm
and stylus relative to the ribbon D for the purpose set forth.
The reels B and B' may be provided with suitable tension devices so as to cause
the ribbon or tape D to be held taut while passing around the guide roller C as it
is being wound off from one reel and wound onto the other, during the use of the
phonograph, such tension device is not however shown in the drawings. The
reels B and B may be set in motion by clockwork or other well known automatic
or other mechanism without departing from the essence of my invention such
mechanism being however not represented in the drawings.
The operation of the improved phonograph is as follows. We will suppose that

page_text: the ribbon D is fed from one reel to the other and around a portion of the guide or
guide roller C. If during such movement of the ribbon the diaphragm E should
be set in vibration by acoustic sound waves, the human voice or other sounds, the
vibratory movements of the stylus or needle will be recorded on the plastic or
ductile surface of the travelling ribbon D. After the entire length of the ribbon
has thus been indented I adjust the position of the diaphragm case its diaphragm
and stylus relative to the guide roller C so as to bring a fresh portion of said
ribbon below the said vibratory stylus and so on until the entire length and width
of the ribbon has been used for the purpose mentioned.
By feeding the indented ribbon in contact with the stylus e the diaphragm is
caused to vibrate and thereby to reproduce the original sound as is the case in
phonographs or speaking machines generally.
The advantages of a tape or ribbon as a recording medium over the usual
cylinders are as follows. The machine is very much simplified in its construction,
the capacity of the recording medium is materially increased; the recording medium
is much lighter, less bulky and fragile than the ordinary rolls and is therefore
preferable for transportation by mail or otherwise and said recording medium is
not affected by variations in temperature liable to make the ordinary rolls untrue
and more or less inoperative and defective.
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 a
phonograph or speaking machine a vibratory diaphragm and stylus or
needle, combined with a flexible tape or ribbon having a ductile surface adapted to
receive impressions from said stylus or needle substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. In a phonograph or speaking machine a vibratory diaphragm and stylus or
needle combined with a flexible tape or ribbon having a ductile surface adapted to
receive impressions from said stylus, and means for adjusting the latter laterally
in relation to said tape or ribbon substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a phonograph or speaking machine a vibratory diaphragm and stylus or
needle combined with a flexible tape or ribbon having a ductile surface adapted to
receive impressions from said stylus and a guide roller or support for said ribbon
directly below the end of the stylus substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a phonograph or speaking machine a vibratory diaphragm and stylus or
needle combined with a flexible tape or ribbon having a ductile surface adapted to
receive impressions from the stylus a pair of reels for holding said ribbon and a
guide roller or support for it directly below the end of the stylus substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a phonograph or speaking machine a vibratory diaphragm and stylus or
needle combined with a flexible tape or ribbon having a ductile surface adapted to
receive impressions from the stylus, and means for adjusting the point of the
stylus to and from the said tape or ribbon substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 19th day of December 1890
HERBERT & CO.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.