Improvements in Phonographs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug., 1890--Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Phonographs.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison of Llewellyn Park, in the
County of Essex and State of New Jersey in the United States of America, Inventor,
to be as follows:-
The invention relates inore especially to reproducing phonographs of simple
construction designed for use in dolls and other toys but the same features of
construction are applicable to phonographs generally. The novel construction
embodies a driving shaft having motion of rotation only; upon the shaft is
mounted the drum or cylinder carrying the record or phonogram, the hub of the
phonogram cylinder is adapted to slide longitudinally on the driving shaft, a suit-
able connection being made to rotate the cylinder with the shaft. The hub of the
phonogram-cylinder has a feed-screw with which a stationary feed-block engages;
as the shaft is turned the feed-block moves the cylinder longitudinally thereon
against the pressure of a spring which returns the cylinder to its initial position
when the feed-block is raised off the screw thread. The feed-block is raised by a
pivotted thumb-piece which at the same time raises the reproducin-gpoint off the
record so that the return movement can be made without injuring the record.
A countershaft with a balance-wheel is coupled with the driving-shaft to permit
the reproducing-point to be raised off the record and also to accommodate it. to
eccentricities of the record, it is connected with the stationary diaphragm by a
swing weight which permits of a retarded movement of the reproducing-point
independent of the diaphragm but forms practically a rigid fulcrum for the trans-
Inission of the sound-waves of the record from the reproducing-point of the
diaphragm.
Dated December 10th 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Phonographs.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison, of Llewellyn Park,
in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, in the United States of America,
Inventor, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon :-
The invention relates more especially to reproducing phonographs of simple
construction designed for use in dolls and other toys, but the same features of
construction are applicable to phonographs generally. The novel construction
embodies a driving shaft having motion of rotation only. Upon the shaft is
mounted the drum or cylinder carrying the record or phonogram. The hub of
the phonogram cylinder is adapted to slide longitudinally on the driving shaft, a
suitable connection being made to rotate the cylinder with the shaft. The hub of
the phonogram cylinder has a feed screw, with which a stationary feed block
As the shaft is turned the feed block moves the cylinder longitudinally
Price 8d1—
engages.

page_text: thereon. against the pressure of a spring, which returns the cylinder to its initial
position when the feed block is raised off of the screw thread. The feed block is
raised by a pivotted thumb piece which at the same time raises the reproducing point
off of the record so that the return movement can be made without injuring the
record. A counter-shaft with a balance wheel is coupled with, the driving shaft.
To permit the reproducing point to be raised off of the record and also to accom-
modate it to eccentricities of the record it is connected with the stationary
diaphragm by a swinging weight which permits of a retarded movement of the
reproducing point independent of the diaphragm, but forms practically a. rigid
fulcrum for the transmission of the sound waves of the record from the reproducing.
point to the diaphragm.
In the accompanying drawing;
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the phonograph, and Figure 2 is a side elevation.
A is a frame, which may be a metal strap bent to form a rectangle and open
on its upper side where it is connected by the reproducer frame which rests upon
it. The principal part of the reproducer frame is a pressed or spun metal ring a,
having its upper edge extended into a horizontal flange b, which rests upon the
ends of the frame A and is secured thereto by screws a¹. The ring a has its
upper edge turned outwardly into a flange resting, upon the ends of the frame A
as stated, while its lower edge is turned inwardly to form a flange upon which
rests the diaphragm B of the reproducer. This diaphragm B is held between two
rings of india rubber at its edge and upon the upper ring rests a metal cover c,
from the centre of which rises a funnel C. Four springs c¹ are secured under
the heads of the screws a¹ and project inwardly, their inner ends pressing upon
the top of the cover c, and forcing the same downwardly so as to clamp the diaphragm
at its edge..
By this exceedingly simple construction, the diaphragm is held in position by
simple stamped or spun parts, and without screw rings or other closely fitted parts.
The reproducing point D is connected with the diaphragm so as to be capable of
a retarded movement independent of the diaphragm. This is accomplished by:
securing the point D to the end of a lever which is pivotted at its centre to a
swinging weight d, such lever being secured at one end to the post d¹, depending
from the centre of the diaphragm.
The reproducing point is preferably a ball.
By connecting the reproducing point with the diaphragm so that it is capable
of a retarded movement independent of the diaphragm, the reproducing point will
not only accommodate itself to eccentricities in the revolving record, which are
liable to be present, more especially in cheaply constructed apparatus, but by lifting
the weight d, the reproducing point can be raised off of the record without dis-
turbing the diaphragm and while enabling a fixed frame for the reproducer to be
employed, thus adding a very important element to the device, since in these toy
phonographs some simple arrangement must be provided for disengaging the
reproducing point from the record, while the record is moved back to the position
of starting.
E is the operating shaft setting against the centreing point e, passing through
one side of the frame A and having a reduced end which passes through the other
side of the frame A for the reception of a handle, the shoulder formed on the
shaft E resting against the inner side of the frame A and preventing the longi-
tudinal movement of the shaft. This is an efficient construction while it is
exceedingly simple, since by the operation of turning the shaft by hand, it is given
an inward thrust against the centreing point e, so that the friction at the shoulder
is relieved. The handle F is a crank, which may be formed of a piece of wire
bent into a spiral where it surrounds the end of the shaft. A pin e¹ on the shaft
catches the end of the spiral, so that the shaft can be turned in one direction,
but if it is attempted to turn it in the other direction, the handle will turn back on 5
the shaft and the pin e¹ will be released from the spiral, so that the device can be
turned only in one direction. Upon the shaft E is mounted a sleeve ƒ, a portion ·

page_text: of which, shown at g, is screw,threaded.
A drum G is secured by, soldering: to
one end of this sleeve and 'may be stamped or spun from sheet metal.. The
drum presents a plane face with a flange at one end. and, upon the face, of the
drum is pushed a ring. H which, carries the sound record, and may be of any suit-
able composition. With a spherical reproducing point which wears the surface..but
little, it has been found that a sound record made in a hard wax like composition.
is quite effective for this purpose. The ring. H is removeable from the drum, it
being held thereon simply by friction.. due to a slight taper of the engaging
surfaces, so that when the sound record is entirely worn out, the device is capable of,
being repaired by the substitution of a new ring, and indeed a number of rings may
be provided with the device so that the rings may be changed by the user and thus
a variety in the reproduced matter be secured.
The sleeve with its screw threaded extension g is not as long as the shaft E, but it
is capable of a longitudinal movement thereon against the pressure of a spiral spring I,
which forces the sleeve against the side piece of the frame A at the handle end of
the shaft. At the centred end of the shaft is a drum J, which may be stamped or
spun from sheet metal and is soldered to a suitable hub, which is secured by a set
screw to the end of the shaft. A pin h projects from the drum J and enters a hole i
in the cylinder G. The drum J, being secured to the shaft E, while the cylinder G is
loose thereon, the cylinder G will be turned with the shaft through the pin .h. At
the same time the pin will permit of the free longitudinal movement of the
sleeve upon the shaft.
A counter shaft K extends across between the side pieces of the frame A beneath
the main shaft E. It is journalled directly in the frame on one side and.at. its other
end is carried by a slotted stirrup j. The shaft K carries a balance wheel. L on. one
end, while near its other end directly below the druin J.it has a small spool k, around
which a belt 1 passes, which also encircles the drum J, thus connecting the. shafts E.
and K together, so that the balance wheel L will steady the revolving movement of
the main shaft. A U shaped wire spring m is secured at one end to the screw which
holds the stirrup ; to the side piece of the frame, and at its other end it rests above the
shaft K, exerting thereon a downward pressure so as to keep a definite tension upon
the belt 1, which will be sufficient to take up the stretch of the belt 1 and insure the
continued driving of the balance wheel when the main. shaft is turned. The feed
block M which engages with the screw thread g upon its upper side, is secured
to the end of a plate spring n, which is attached to and projects from a lever N.
This lever is pivotted in the side of the frame by a strap, held by a screw at the
handle end of the shaft. It passes through the frame and at. its inner. end is slotted
to form a fork n¹, which embraces the plate spring n. A wire spring, o.throws the
inner end of the lever N downwardly.. The outer end of the lever N, where it
projects through the frame, forms a finger piece by which it can be depressed, and it
has a projection o¹ which limits its movement by striking against the frame or a
projection therefrom. From the lever N, within the frame, rises a wire pwhich is
bent laterally at its upper end and projects under the swinging weight d of the
reproducer. The effect of depressing, the outer end of the lever N. is to first raise the
weight d through the rod p, disengaging the reproducing point from the sound record,
and then when the lower side of the fork n' strikes the underside of the plate spring n
to disengage the feed block M from the screw g and allow the spring I to throw: the
sleeve f, and with it the cylinder G of the sound record H, back upon the shaft.
To operate the instrument, the parts being in the position shown in Figure 1, the
handle F is turned, revolving the sound record beneath the reproducing point, and at
the same time advancing the sound record by reason of the contact of the stationary
feed block M with the screw g. This advancing movement will continue until the
screwg runs entirely out from beneath the block M, when the entire record will have
been reproduced. In this travelling movement of the cylinder along the shaft, the
spring I is compressed. To carry the sound record back to the point of starting so
that it can be again reproduced, the lever N is depressed, first lifting the weight d
through the rod p, disengaging the reproducing point from the record, and then
+

page_text: lifting the block M off of the screw g, whereupon the spring i forces the cylinder G
back upon the shaft until the sleeve f strikes the side piece of the frame, when the
parts are again in the position shown in Figure 1.
To provide for the removal of the shaft from the frame, the side piece of the
frame A, through which the reduced end of the shaft passes, is slotted on one side, as
shown in Figure 2 at r, and the shaft is swung laterally into this slot, it being held by
a pivotted locking plate P which is pivotted at the point & to the side piece of the
frame and is locked in position by the screw t. By loosening the screw t, the plate P
can be swung over into a horizontal position and the shaft E moved laterally out of
the frame. This not only permits the device, to be readily taken apart for putting a
new ring on the cylinder, but provides for the easy and cheap assembling of the
machine in the first instance.
It is evident that many of the features of construction involved in this instrument
may be employed with a recorder in place of a reproducer, or with either a recorder
or reproducer, the one being substituted for the other in its position in the frame.
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, the combination with a stationary reproducer and a driving
shaft without longitudinal movement, of a phonogram cylinder sleeved upon the
driving shaft and rotating therewith, a stationary feed block engaging a screw thread
on the cylinder sleeve for advancing the cylinder on the shaft, the said feed block
being adapted to be disengaged from said screw thread to permit the reverse movement
of the cylinder on the shaft, substantially as set forth.
2. In a phonograph, the combination with the stationary reproducer and a driving
shaft without longitudinal movement, of a phonogram cylinder sleeved on the shaft
and revolving therewith and having an advancing movement on said shaft, a driving
drum secured to the shaft, a counter balance wheel shaft with which the driving drum
is connected, and a pin on the driving drum passing through a hole in the phonogram
cylinder for turning the latter with the shaft, substantially as set forth.
3. In a phonograph, the combination with the stationary reproducer having a
reproducing point capable of a retarded movement independent of the diaphragm, of
a lever acting to lift the reproducing point to disengage it from the sound record
without moving the reproducer diaphragm, substantially as set forth.
4. In a phonograph, the combination with the stationary reproducer having a
reproducing point capable of a retarded movement independent of the diaphragm, of
a revolving and advancing phonogram cylinder carrying a sound record, a feed block
for advancing the phonogram cylinder and adapted to be disengaged from the feeding
screw, and a lever acting both upon the reproducing point and upon said feed block,
disengaging the former from the sound record without moving the diaphragm and
disengaging the latter from the feed screw, substantially as set forth.
5. In a phonograph, the combination with a stationary reproducer, of a main
driving shaft without longitudinal movement, a phonogram cylinder mounted on said
shaft and revolving therewith and also having an advancing movement thereon, said
shaft being centred at one end and held in a slot in the frame at the other end, so
that by swinging it laterally, it can be removed from the frame, substantially as
set forth.
Dated thin Dow1