Improvements in Phonographs, Grammophones, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Phonographs, Grammophones, and the like.
A communication to me from LOUIS HERMANN LUDWIG, of Mariannenstrasse 85,
Leipzig-Volkmarsdorf, in the Empire of Germany, Mechanician, and EDUARD
PFEFFERKORN, of Bayerschestrasse 7, Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany,
Merchant.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Chartered Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, 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, and accompanying drawings, that is to say:-
The present invention has for its object improvements in phonographs, grammo-
phones, and the like, by which speeches or sentences, or sounds of much greater
length than usual can be produced in such instruments. This object is attained
by the use of a record strip of great length-say 60-70 metres, instead of the
cylinder or disc ordinarily used.
An especially useful form of arrangement of a grammophone (or speaking
machine) provided with the present improvements, is illustrated in side view in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, and in Figure 2 in plan.
One end of the record strip a is attached to a drum b and the other to a drum c
and is passed and guided over a guide roller d situated between these two drums,
and having arranged above it two sounding diaphragms in supports at e and f
which are provided with points or pieces acting upon the strip which is firmly
supported by the roller d as it moves along. One of the points and diaphragms
is operated by the record strip running in one direction, and the other by its
moving in the opposite direction. The record strip a is alternately wound off one
drum and on to the other; after the completion of each unwinding, the recording
point coming into operation being moved a short distance across the direction
of movement of the strip, the indentations upon the strip being in rows close
to each other. In this way each row operates in the opposite direction to the
one immediately preceding it.
The movement of the strip in one or the other direction depends upon the
drum upon which it is wound. For each of the drums a driving arrangement
is, therefore, provided, which at the right moment is set in action by the intro-
duction of a coin, or by hand.
In Figures 3 and 4 this driving arrangement for the drums is shown separately,
in Figure 3 in side view, in Figure 4 in plan. In this form of arrangement, the
release and setting in operation of the driving gear, is supposed to be effected
by the introduction of a coin.
This coin passes through a slot g on to the free end of the releasing lever h, i, k.
This last forms an angle at its centre which turns upon a stud i fixed to the case
of the apparatus, and its arm k carries a stud / upon which turns freely a chain
wheel n to which is attached a toothed wheel m. The chain wheel is driven
by a chain o which passes round a corresponding chain wheel p which is set in
motion by a spring motor 9 (Figure 1), or other equivalent suitable power.
Ordinarily the toothed wheel m is out of gear with an intermediate toothed

page_text: wheel r which gears with a corresponding toothed wheel z fixed upon the axle
of the drum; but if the lever h, i, k is operated by the introduction of a suitable
coin it causes the upwardly pointing arm k to move in the direction of the arrow,
so that the wheel m comes into gear with the wheel r. At the same time the
spring motor is released, and this is effected by means of an arms upon the
horizontal arm h of the releasing lever h, i, k, Figure 1, which or linarily stands
in the path of the "fly" of the spring motor, but is removed from it when the
releasing lever is moved.
The arm h of the latter is also provided with a tooth u which can enter a corre-
sponding notch in the edge of a disc v, which is fixed, as well as another toothed
disc w, upon a spindle a.
As the two winding-up arrangements are completely distinct from each other,
and are only required to act separately, a suitable releasing device is necessary
for each.
In Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, this releasing arrangement for each of the
two winding drums is shown operated by the introduction of a suitable coin. It
is evident that any of the well-known devices for this purpose can be used.
The release of one or other of the drums may also be effected by hand. Figures
8 and 9 show two separate arrangements for this purpose.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 8 the releasing lever his pressed down
by a cam g', which is fixed upon a spindle passing through one of the sides of
the case of the apparatus, its outer end being provided with a handle or the like,
by which the cam g¹ can be pressed down from outside.
In Figure 9 a spring spindle g² is shown projecting through the case, and
capable of being moved in the direction of its length, so that when pressed in its
end acts upon the wedge-shaped end of the releasing lever h, and forces it down.
In order to show which of the winding drums is unwound, an arrangement may
be used by which the releasing device for such drum cannot be used.
A very
simple way of doing this, where a coin-freed arrangement is used, is to have
an arrangement by which the coin slot is automatically closed, until the position
is reached when the winding drum to which it refers can be released.
An arrangement for this purpose is shown in Figures 10 and 11, which show
both coin chutes, the right-hand one being shown open and the left-hand one
closed in Figure 10, and vice versa in Figure 11. Figure 12 shows a vertical
section of the closing mechanism on a larger scale. Figure 13 is a section on the
line a Figure 12.
The sliding shutters 5, which serve to close the chutes g into which the coins
are introduced, are pivotted, by connecting links, to the free ends of a double-
armed lever 6. This lever carries near each of its ends an angular projection 7,
these projections entering openings in the bottom of horizontal prolongations gl
of the coin passages or chutes. One of these projections is depressed by the coin
when the latter is pushed forward by the spring pusher 8, so that the lever 6 is
moved from the position shown in Figure 10 to that shown in Figure 11, the
first shutter 5 being closed and the other one opened.
The coin then releases, by means of the releasing lever h, the toothed gear of
the corresponding winding drum, the end of the lever having a lateral projection
which enters the part g¹ of the coin chute (Figure 13), and is depressed by the
coin which is pushed over it.
Upon the opposite side of the apparatus the corresponding angular projection 7
is simultaneously brought into its operating position by the movement of the
lever 6, and the opposite sliding shutter 5 is opened so as to leave the chute free
for the introduction of the coin.
When the releasing device is operated by hand, an automatically operated
locking bolt may be used for the same purpose.
The locking arrangement for the releasing device of one winding drum is
first released whilst simultaneously the locking of the second takes place, the
two locking arrangements being, alternately released and engaged.

page_text: The movement of the sounding diaphragms with the points across the moving
record strip so as to bring the point to the required row of indentations upon the
strip, may be conveniently effected by the simple means shown in Figures 6 and 7
of the drawings.
The sounding diaphragms e and f are shown carried upon bars e¹ and f¹, not
connected with each other, but moveable across the moving record strip, the bars
sliding in guides in the sides of the case. These bars e and f' are, from one of
their ends to nearly the middle of their length, provided with transverse notches
c3, f, the distance between which is exactly the same as between the rows of
indentations on the moving strip. Upon the case of the apparatus palls e³, f³,
are pivotted, which engage with these notches (as shown in Figure 7) and so
hold the bars el or f', as well as the sounding diaphragms e and f exactly in their
proper position in relation to the rows of indentations.
By handles or knobs at the ends of the bars e, f, either of the sounding
diaphragms can be moved into the exact position required, and changed from
one row of indentations to another.
The intermediate toothed wheel r already described carries a pin y which gears
in the teeth of the disc w, and at each revolution of the wheel r turns the wheel w
round one tooth, until the tooth u upon the lever h, i, k which slides over the
smooth edge of the disc v, again enters into the corresponding notch.
The toothed wheel m is thereby brought out of gear and the free end of the
arms upon the releasing lever moves into the path of the fly t of the spring-
motor, and stops the movement of the latter.
Whilst one of the drums is moved round in order that the strip a may be
unwound from the other one, the latter, which is provided with similar gear,
must be allowed to turn in the other direction.
To allow this, the drums are connected with the driving gear by a moveable
coupling, which, when the gear is thrown out of action, automatically released.
The arrangement shown for this purpose consists in dividing the drum axle
transversely, and making angular teeth upon the adjoining ends. These ends
are kept in position by a central guiding pin, Figure 5, and the outer moveable
part of the axle which carries the toothed wheel is constantly pressed towards
the other part by a spring 1. The toothed wheel z is provided upon its 'side
opposite the disc e, with a pin or projection 2 which is acted upon by a cam 3
upon the corresponding side of the disc v.
The toothed wheel z, therefore, and with it the axially moveable part of the
axle on which it is fixed, is forced back so that the coupling between the ends
of the axle is opened or released (Figure 2, right-hand side).
The sounding diaphragms at e, f, with their actuating points, must, during
the time when they are not in action, be raised from the strip a.
For this purpose
a pin 4 is arranged at their side, which rests upon the oblique end of the pro-
longed arm k of the releasing lever h, i, k, and so holds the diaphragm instrument
in a raised position. When the releasing lever h, i, k is operated, the pin 4 moves
down the inclined end of the arm k and the point comes in contact with the
strip a, and produces the corresponding sounds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1.The improvements in phonographs, grammophones, and the like, consisting
in the arrangement of a flexible record strip a, which passes over and is supported
by a roller d, and is wound upon one and unwound from the other of two drums b
and c, alternately, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In apparatus of the kind described and claimed in Claim 1, the two winding
drums and for the strip a, each drum having a special driving device, which
is in connection with it by a coupling, and is set in operation by means of a

page_text: releasing lever h, i, k, moved by hand or by the introduction of a determined
coin, the said lever in its movement releasing the arms from the fly t of the
motor, at the same time a pin which holds back the moveable part of the
coupling being released, so that at the commencement of the revolution of the
driving gear the coupling between the said gear and the drum is effected, and
the corresponding one of the two sounding diaphragms e and f, is set in action,
substantially as described and illustrated.
this 11th day of Apri
EDWARDS AND Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.