US1034014A - Sound-reproducer. - Google Patents

Description

' D. HIGHAM. SOUND REPRODUGER. I APPLICATION FILED DEO.15, 1909.

. Patented July 30, 1-912.

lllllllllllllllll ll lllllllllllllllllllll IL STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL HIGHAM, OF NEW YOBK, N. Y.

J scour-animations.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

' Application filed December 15, 1909. -Seria1 No. 583,265.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAumL HIGHAM, a citizen of the United Statesfand a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNe'w York, have invented cerance with the sound wa' es as by connection,

with a reproducing stylus tracking a record groove. The objects of m invention-are the construction of a soun reproducer whose tones will be characterized by more-perfect qualitv than those of reproducers j ordinarily used,

-. and which willcause undulations corre- I 'ple by which-the movement imparted to the spending tothe original sound 'waves, but greatly amplified thereover, to beimpressed upon the current ofair or other moving fluid passing through the reproducer with the result that tones of much greater volume may be reproduced than is commonly possible indevices of this character.

My invention operates upon a new princi-' valve member-by connection wlth the stylus lever is greatly ampli'fied in the vibration of the valve member. This is accomplished by, forming a valve of flexible material ,which is seated u on a port connecting two communicating 'c ambers, or is otherwise suspended. across the path taken by-the mov- "ing fluidi i i'ts passagethrou'gh the sound box, this valve normally being bent in an arc of slight curvature. The-valve member is ,fixed atone end and is connected to the reproducing stylus at its other or free end in. such a manner that the reciprocating motionderived from the movement of thestylus in-traveling oven the record roove is com 'j '-"municat;ed to the free end oft e valve membergby alternate pushes and PIIHS IGHgihWISG ofthe valve member or substantially paral- I lel totlievalve plate-upon which it seated. The ;longi'tudinalmovements thus imparted the tres end ofth'e valve, member result aficorisponding, "butKgreatly amplified,

ff movement. oij use portion of member .it vibrates at right angles to its length may form of a pipe of smaller diameter than the whichis seated upon the port toward and away from the port asthe curvature of the member increases and decreases. The movement of the center of the flexible member as easily amount to seven or ei ht times the movement imparted longitudlnally of the valve member b conne 'tion with the stylus where the arco the flexible member is quite flat. I have also constructed the-sound box in a novel manner, one chamber being within the other chamber, somewhat in the first named chambenthis member or pi e bein provided with a port upon which tiie flexi le.val.ve is seated. This construction need not;., nec'essarily be used, however, in

formed within a member which extends connection with the valve connections just described. 1

In view of the foregoing, my invention consists in the features hereinafter described and claimed;

Reference is hereby made to'the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification and embed ing one form of-myin-x vent-ion, and in WillOll- Figure 1 represents a vertical cross section through a-rep'roducer embodying my inv tion, certain parts being 'shownin side 5 e- .vation. Fig. 2 is a view of my improvedvalve and the member containing the port u on which it is seated taken on line" 2 2 0 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectioned taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. v-Fig.*4 is a bot-tom plan view, of the deviceshown in I F i 1. I

The'same'reierence numerals, will be used. a a

spending parts. v Referring to the drawings, the'sound box 1 is provided as is commoh with two inte.

in all of theabove figures v to. denote correrior chambers 2 and 3. I prefnhoweve'r,

to form these chambers in a novel manner, although itis not eses'fitial to my main invention that they be so formed. As shown in the drawings, the chamber 3 isformedlongitudinally .in the elongated member 4-; which is secured withinsound box L so that it extends. through the whole interior of chamber'2 of sound box 1. Member 4 may convenientl be in the form of a cylinder I having a attened portion 5 on joneside thereof to constitute a valve seat. The lower end of this cylinder 4' may conveniently be secured to the bottom}; of sound box 1- y a member 4 secure 1 of the upper cylindrical portion otmember 4 above top member 8 to secure the parts firmly in position.

The chamber or passageway 3 extends downwardly through member 4 a considerable distance within the intt'ricr of the sound box, and this chamber3 communicates throu'gh member 9 with any suitable horn. or sound amplifying means. The pipe connection 11 is provided with an opening into chamber 2 of sound box 1, preferably at right angles to the surface 5.0f

member 4 for the introduction of a continuouscurrent ofair or other suitable fluidinto the sound box. A port 12 preferably in the form of an elongated vertical slit is pro- ,vided in the surface 5 of member 4, this port thus connecting chambers 2 and 3. The valve 13 formed ofany suitable thin elastic material is seated upon port 12 and is secured to member 4 by any suitable means as of the port.

plurality of such ports and provided if desired.

screws 14 immediately above the upper end It is, of course, obvious that a By forming chamber 3 ina member asdescribed, a simple and compact device is pro- Ivided which also'has the advantage that chamber 2 surrounding member 4 in which chamber 3 is situated, constitutes a reservoir or-equalizing means for the pressure of the air or other moving fluid entering through pipe 11.

Valve member 13 is seated upon port 12 and is curved or bent inwardly therefrom in an 'arc of slight curvature, so that the lower end of thvalye member below the port 12 -cipro'c'ate"in a vertical plane through .an'

' juts forwardly a slight distance from surface 5 of member 4. Floating weight'15 is pivoted at 16 to block 17 which is pivoted within bottom member 6 of sound box 1 in the well known manner, as indicated by screw 18. Stylus lever 19 bearing stylus 20 is pivotally connected to floating weight 15 in any convenient manner as indicated at 21.

Link 22 extends upwardly from the tail of stylus lever 19 through a suitable opening in floating weight 15 and is connected at its upper end to a link or rod 23 vertically in line therewith, which link is adapted to re- "opening 24" in'bott oinplateti of thefsound box-'1, in" which opening link 23 is closely fitted to-slide. The upper end of rod 23 j is'provided with a holethrethrough through which is passed a hook 25 which is securedto the lower end of valvemember 13 as shown.

' ()0, link 24 may be connected to yalve 13 in any other suitable manner. Horizontal sprin g valves might be ent is as follows:'

the upper sur' cc of bottom plate 6 of the sound box as this spring regulate the amount of curvature of valve 13 and the tension under which itis held. As stylus 20 rises and falls in following the vertical undulations of the sound groove of the record being reproduced, link 22 and rod 23 reciprocate in a plane substantially parallelto the face 5 of'the valve seat, or in a plane which may be considered as being 26 is preferably provided, beinglhounted on tangential to the curvature of valve 13 at the port opening. The alternate up and down movement thus communicated to the lower end of valve 13 flexes the latter, the downward movement of rod straightening out valve 13 or decreasing the curvature thereof, while upward movement of member 23 increases the curvature of the valve. Thus, the downward movement of rod 23 moves the valve member from its port, while upward movement of rod 23 causes the valve to be seated more firmly upon its port, thus reducing the port opening. \Vhere the valve member is curved in avery slight are, as shown in the drawings, the movement lengthwise of the valve member communicated from the stylus results in a movement of the center of'the are at right angles to the movement of link 23 much greater than the movement of link 23. In a construction such, as that shown in the drawings, the movement of the valve toward and away from the port resulting in a decrease and increase of the extent of port opening, easily amounts to seven or eight times the amount of movement parallel .to the valve causing such movement of the valve: The result of this construction is that sound undulations corresponding to the vibrations of the stylus in reproducing, but very greatly amplified by screws 27, the "free end of being connected to r d 23 to in character are impressed upon the current of air or other fluid passing through the sound box with consequent amplification of the sound reproduced.

It is obvious that my invention is not limited to the exact construction shown, but is as bread as is indicated by the appended claims. My invention is based upon a principle of amplification which is apparently broadly new in the art.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect-by Letters Pat- 1. In a sound rcproducei', the combination with a plate having a port there- 'through, of a flexible member seated upon said port and secured at one end to Sll'ltl platendjacent the end of said port, the end of said member being curved away from the surface of said plate, and means. for causing said free end to move lengthwise approximately parallel to said plate in accordance with sound vibrations to vary the extent of openingof said port correspondingly, substantially as described.

2. In a sound reproducer, the combination with a plate having a port therethrough,.of a flexible member seated upon said port and secured at one end to said plate adjacent the end of said port, the end of said member being curved away from the surface of said plate in an arc, and means for communicatmg movement in accordance with sound v1- brations to the free end of said member lengthwise of the same to vary the extent; of opening of said ort correspondingly, substanti as descri ed. 1

3. In a sound reproducer, the combination with a plate having a port therethrough, of a flexible member covering said port and secured at one end to said plate adjacent one end of said port, said member bein bent into the form of a fiat arc, and means orreciprocating the free end of said member in accordance with sound vibrations in the direction of a tangent to said. are touncreaseand decrease the amount of curvature of the member to vary the extent of .opening of said port correspondingly, substantially'as described.

4. In a sound reproducer, the combination of a hollow body having two chambers c'ommunicating through a'port, a flexible member seated upon'said port,- anchored at one end, and slightly curved away from the plane containing the mouth of said port at its other end, a'link secured'to the free end of said member and extending in a plane substantially parallel to that containing the mouth of said port, and means for reciprocating said link in accordance with' sound vibrations to vary the extent of openend of said member in. a diregtion to exertalternate pushes and pulls lengthwise of the same to increase and decrease the amount of curvature of the member correspondingly, substantially as described.

6. In a sound reproducer, .the combination of a hollow body having two chambers communicating through a port, a flexible member seated upon said port, anchored at one end, and slightly curved away from the I plane containing the mouth of'said port at its other end, a floating weight, a pivoted stylus lever carried thereby and connections between the tail.of said lever and the free end of said member substantially parallel tothe latter, substantially as described.

7. In a sound reproducer, the combination of a body containing a chamber, a pipe connection thereto, a hollow member secured within said body and extending throughsaid chamber'and outside said body at one side, saidmember ha'vi a port connec'ting the interior thereof wit sald chamber and an ppening from said interior outsidesaid body, a flexible valve anchored at one'end and seated upon said port, and means for communicating movement in accordance with sound vibrations to the free end of said valve lengthwise of thesame to vary the extent of opening of said port, substantially as described.

8. In a sound reproducer, the combine tion of a hollow body having two chambers,

- a substantially vertical wall separating said chambers and having a port therein connecting said chambers, a flexible valve -seated upon said port and secured at its upper end, a stylus lever pivoted below said body, and a link connecting said lever to the lower end of said valve and extending through the lower wall of said body in an ap roxi-. mately vertical direction, substantially as described. 7

- 9. In a sound reproducenthe combination with a hollow 'bo'd adapted to have a column of fluid un erpressure pass therethrough, of a flexible member normally bent in the form of. an are, of slight curvature suspended at one endacross the path of said fluid within said body, and. means for imparting reciprocating movement in accordance with sound vibrations to the free end of said member lengthwise of the same'to set said fluid nto corresponding amplified vibration, su t-antially as described.

10. In a sound reproducer, the combination with a flexible member normally bent in the form of an arc of slight curvature anchored at oneend, of means for impartin reciprocating movement in accordance wit sound vibrations to the free end of said member lengthwise of the same, substantially as described. I

This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of December 1909.

' DANIEL .HIGHAM.

' Witnesses:

Dyan SMITH, Joan M. Canrmnn,

Copies of this patent may be'obtalned'for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. 4 Washington, 1).0."

"a ogee ephlieation' of Daniel Higham, of New York N.

Cerrectibns in Lettere Patenf No. 1,034,014.

-Q certified that in Letters Petent N0. 1,034,1114,

in f Sound-Reproducers,errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 61, for the word threthrol gh read fliere t/wough, end same page, line 64, for the letters fOo Patent sho ld' be read with these corrections therein that the same may confomi to the record of thecase in the Patent Oflice. i

Signed andfs'ealed this 17th day of eptember, A.ID., 1912.

' 0. 0. BILLINGS,

IS EAL] I I I flbmmisaz'orier of Patents;

grhhted JuIy 3 0 1912,-

Y.; for an improvelhent read Or; and that the said Letters

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