Year: 1878

EDISON'S INVENTIONS.


The Telephone, Phonosrnph and Aerophone


Talking a Hole Through n Board.


Thomas A. Edison, the wonderful in
ventor, recently appeared before the
Academy of Sciences at Washington, to
exhibit some of his marvellous creations,
and correspondent speaks OF them and
him as follows: The telephone, aero
phone and phonograph have absorbed
him for some time. He has made i'm
portant improvements in the first named
instrument. The phonograph for prac-
tical use he ,is now completing, and in
three or four months the practical ma
chine, which is to consist of fiat disk
instead of the cylinder now used, will be
put on the market. he anticipates that
it will be in demand among merchants
who have large correspondence; man
may read his mail, and as he reads
speak his replies to each letter at once
into the phonograph, which will work at
o set speed by clock arrangement.
When all is done the instrument will be
turned over to a clerk, who, setting the
cIockwork to go more slowly, will copy
from it's dictation. It is also suggested
that skilled readers will be employed to
read novels and other works into phon-
ograph, and the Impressions, being du-
plicated cheaply and made permanent,
may then be sold for the use OF the blind
or for persons who wish to spare their
eyes, and for whom the phonograph will
read aloud at the freside. It is said
that q clock company in Connecticut
has already bought Of Mr.. Edison the
right to use a form of phonograph
whsch is to be cheaply applied to clocks,
which will then call out the hours and
half hours instead of striking. There
can be no doubt that the phonograph
will be boon to the blind.


The aerophone is an instrument in
tended to increase very greatly the vol
unoe of the human voice. It is more in
genious than the phonograph. In o
steam whistle or an organ pipe is placed
delicate valve controlling the supply
of the steam or air. This valve is con-
nected with diaphragm, similar to that
used in the phonograph and telephone,
and the vibrations of the diaphragm
cause movements in the valve, which
opens and closes in exact accordance
with the vibrations of the human voice
communicated to the diaphragm; throws
the steam or air into similar vibrations.
and thus reproduces the words spoken.
In fact it gives the speaker additional
wind, and it would be very useful to
members of the House of Representa-
tives, whose hall is one of the most try
ing in the world to the voice and throat.
It is curious that the tin foil produced
in a phonograph may be applied and
used in an aerophone, and will cause the
steam whistle to give out the words
which the phonograph has recorded.
The possible abuses of this machine are
80 evident that Edison has already had
offers from eager advertisers who want
to use it to shout out the merits of their
wares to o whole county at time, and
if the inventor should let it fall into
reckless hands we may see special ses-
sions of State Legislatures called this
summer to put down what might easily
become an intolerable nuisance. Its
legitimate uses are for fog signals and
steamships, and possibly railroad trains.


It is said that the phonograph was
suggested to Edison by remark of
General Butler, who, examining a tele-
phone, said to the inventor


"Now you must make something to
record these sounds. )"


At the Smithsonian Institute the other
day Edison saw phonautograph, ma
chine used for delineating graphically
the form of the sound waves, and exam
lining it curiously moment he remarked
to friend:


"Wise men, these were, not to see
that they could put hard point and
piece of tinfoil in front of it and there
was the phonograph."


He was asked by Southern Senator
here whether he could not invent ma
chine to pick cotton, and replied that he
"thought so." Later, on the same day,
person watching the operation of the
photograph said:


"Edison, I wonder if you couldn't
talk hole through q board"


"Of course I could, was the reply;
and he took slip of paper and rapidly
stretched the point of the phonograph
in connection with a small ratchet
wheel, which in its turn by proper cogs
connected with a gimlet. Thus every
vibration of the membrane of the phon-
ograph, instead of propelling the point
against the tinfoil, would push the
ratchet wheel forward and turn the gim-
let, and man would actually be able to
talk hole through pine board.


His latest discovery of the peculiarly
delicate impressibility of compressed
carbon to heat has given him the belief
that he can detect and measure accurate
" the heat which reaches us from the
stars; and telescope is already under
way for his use for this purpose. He
remarked here to o friend that as the
action of the phonograph depends en-
tirely on the vibrations of the air he
thought he should be able to reproduce
any phenomenon which is due to vibra-
ton, and that if the received theory that
heat is only mode of motion and the
undulatory theory of light are correct,
he would be able to catch and transmit
both. His mind seems to be constantly
engaged on plans for the new and ingen-
ious application of natural forces and
laws, and he gave the impression here
to oil who saw him of being o man of
extraordinary genius in this direction,
from whom, if he lives, many wonderful
things may yet be expected.


They Shut Up.


About week ago there were two smart
young men got on Burlington and