US1055525A - Art of and apparatus for recording and reproducing sound. - Google Patents

Description

'V. H. EMERSON & G A. MANWARING.

ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND REPRODUOING SOUND.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1908.

1,055,525, Patented Mar.11,1913.

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having a spiral blank space, or succession of spaces, (where no ink has been deposited). This. blank space 30 corresponds to the superficial shape of the record-groove of the printing-plate (and of the original sound-record). The paper may be any ordlnary paper; or it may be treated before ent No. 30,278, dated June 17, 1890 (Fig.

9 thereof) and it differs from the tracing shown in Fig. 5 of Berliner Patent No.- 732,786, dated Nov. 8, 1887, in that the line y of the latter is not of varying width,

nor is it described as translucent.

Referring now to Fig. 2, 11 is a table or frame-plate, beneath which is indicated a battery 12 having the circuit 13-13. At 14 is the core, and at 15 the windings, of an electro-magnet in the circuit 13, in front of which magnet is a suitably-supported diaphragm 16, from which extends a soundduct 17, leading to the horn 17. The'sele nium cell included in the circuit. 13, is indicated at 18. Broadly stated, we provide in the electric circuit'a selenium cell and a telephone. In front of the selenium cell, we rovide a revoluble and laterally-progress- 1ng carrier 19, which may be a sort of spider or ring (or a disk of glass or other transparent material) u on which our stencil record 20 is detacha ly secured by any convenient device (not shown). On the front side of the record 20, we locate a lamp or other source of-light 21; and, between the record 20 and the selenium cell is an opaque shield 22 having a narrow transverse slit 23 (see Fig. 3.). The selenium cell will further be protected from light by a removable o aque housing 24. Suitable means (not s own) are provided for rotating the carrier 19 and the record 20, while causing them to progress laterally in front of slit 23.

The operation is now obvious: When the apparatus is started, the stencil record 20 is caused to revolve and to progress in front of the slit'23, the rate of progression being correlatedto the pitch of the spiral recordpath 30; so that this blank space 30 will, in

' its successive convolutions, be passing continuously in front of the slit. The stencil record 20 acts as sort of shutter in admitting more or less light through the slit 23 and upon the selenium cell 18; the wider the blank space 30, the more light will be admitted to the selenium cell; and the longer each particular lake or enlargement in the blank space, the longer will be the period of time in which light is being admitted to the selenium cell. In short, the quantity of light admitted to the cell, and the duration of the admission of light, correspond exactly to the intensity and duration of the original sound-waves. From this it follows fromthe principle of the selenium cell, that its electrical conductivity is increased and diminished precisely in accordance with the sound-waves; consequently the electro-mag net let-15 has its energy increased and diminished in precise accordance with the sound-waves; and the diaphragm 16 is vibrated accordingly, and gives forth sounds corresponding precisely to the original sounds whose waves had'been recorded and then copied graphically upon the stencil record 20.

It will be understood of course that the apparatus just described is merely one embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out our invention, and for utilizing a stencil record obtained as heretofore described or otherwise.

While we have described our record as in the form of a disk having the translucent spaces arranged in a spiral, it is manifest that a tape, or an endless belt, might be employed; and the translucent spaces might extend in a continuous straight line or otherwise. Furthermore, the terms opaque and translucent are relative, the gist-of this part of our invention consisting in the sound-record having variations of translucency corresponding to sound-waves. For instance, the path indicating the soundwaves might be the opaque portion .while the field of the record would be translucent; and the wholev article might be more or less translucent, but the part corresponding to path 30 markedly more so and with its translucency varying in accordance with sound-waves. Such articles would still be within the spirit ofour invention. Again, since the two sides of the record-path 30 are similar, only one side of such record might be employed for obtaining audible reproductions. Therefore, the employment, in modulating the admission of light to the selenium cell, of a zig-zag record-path of uniform width, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of mentioned), by using only one-half of such record, would be within the spirit of our invention. It will also be understood that our stencil record may be obtained by other means or processes than above set forth. And other changes may be made in the construction and arrangement, and in details, without in any case departing from the spirit of our invention, which broadly consists,.first; of a sound-record presenting variations of translucency corresponding to sound-waves; and, second, in reproducing sounds by mod;

the Berliner Patent No. 7 32,786 (heretofore of varying Width corresponding to sound- Waves, and then producing therefrom upon a sheet of suitable material a sound-record ulating (in accordance with sound-Waves) the amount of light admitted upon a selenium cell, and thereby correspondingly actuating the diaphragm of the talking-machine.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. The process of record, Which consists ferent from that of the rest of the sheet, the Widths of said areas varying in accordance With the sound-Waves.

The process of producing a soundof first producing in producing a sounda tablet of suitable material a record-groove record, Which consists of first producing in of varying Width corresponding to sounda tablet of suitable material arecord-groove Waves, obtaining therefrom in hard mateof varying Width corresponding to soundrial an exact duplicate of said original record-groove, and finally printing the surface of the latter upon a translucent sheet. I

' 2. The process of producing a soundrecord, which consists of producing in suitable material a record-groove of varying Width corresponding to sound-Waves, and printing 7 therefrom upon a translucent Waves, and then producing therefrom an opaque sheet having a translucent path of waves.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

vIoToR 'H. EMERSON.

sheet. v GEORGE A. MANWARING..

3. The process of producing a sound-. Witnesses:

record, Which consists of first producing in RALPH L. SCOTT,

a tablet of suitable material a record-groove W. H. HARTING.

consisting of areas having translucency difvarying Width corresponding to sound-

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