US1108208A

US1108208A - Phonograph.

Info

Publication number: US1108208A
Application number: US65597711A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter H Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-10-21
Filing date: 1911-10-21
Publication date: 1914-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1931-08-25

Description

' w. H. MILLER.

PHONGGRAPH.

APPLIGATION FILED' 00T. 21, 1911.

Patented Aug.25,1914.

WALTER H. MILLER, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PHONO GRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led Gctober 21, 1911.

Patented Aug. 25,1914.

Serial No. 655,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new `and useful Improvement in Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to phonographs, and particularly to the provision of means for adapting a phonograph to reproduce sound from records of diierent types.

My said invention is preferably embodied in an attachment to a phonograph of well known form which is in common use and which is normally equipped with a reproducer adapted for reproducing from a sound record the record groove of which is of conf stantdepth and laterally. undulating. The

reproducer point for playing such records is ordinarily known in the art as a needle and such needle. and the re-producer or sound-box of which it forms a part are not adapted for playing records of other types, as for instance, the type of record in which the sound -roove is vertically undulating. Records o? the character last. referred to, however, could be reproduced upon the phonograph to which I have referred without any change Atherein other than the substitution of a reproducer adapted for such records in place of that with which the machine is normally'equipped and which carries a reproducing stylus of the needle type. In accordance with my invent-ion a second reproducer is provided for this pur ose. It is desirable that the attachment o such second 0r additional reproducer for vthe purpose of adapting the phonograph to play a dierent type 'of' record shall be made as simply as possible and in particular that there be no necessity of doing machine work upon the phonograph to adapt it for the attachment of the additional reproducer, as there are large numbers of such machines of the type to which I have referred in the hands 'of users, who are not equipped to.

may befurnished with the additional reproducer.

Among the objects or" my invention vare the provision of novel means whereby a phonograph may be adapted for the reproduction of records of diiierent types, the making of an attachment for the purpose named in such form that it can be -readily attached to the phonograph without. derangement of the arts thereof and without the necessity of oing machine or similar work upon the phonograph, the provision of means whereby the sound-may be conveyed either from the reproducerwith which the machine was originally equipped or from the reproducer of my attachment Without loss or interference, and the provision of means for supporting theadditional reproducer of my attachment in inoperative position where it will be out of the way when not in use.

4With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists oi the parts. improvements and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this speciiication, and wherein the same reference numerals are uniformly applied to designate the same parts throughout, Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view -of a phonograph of the type with which my attachment is adapted to be used, equipped 'with a second reproducer and embodying myJinvention; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in horizontal cross section, of the parts illustrated in Fig. l, the sectional portion being taken on the broken line 2-2, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side-view similar to Fig. l, but showin the two reproducers arranged in reverse re ation from that shown in Fig. l.

The reference numeral l indicates the cabinet of the machine, and 2 the rotating table on which the record is carried during reproduction; 3 the disk record from which the soundA is to be reproduced; 4 indicates a bracket attached. to the cabinet for -carrying the sound conveying and amplifying means; 5 represents aportion of the sound conveying means Whichgis ordinarily known as a tone arm and which is pivoted at 6 on the bracket 4, so as to rotate on a vertical axis. The amplifying portion of the horn is denotedfby'the reference numeral-7` The phonograph which I lhave illustrated is of well known' type and the reproducer .with which it is normally equipped is shown at 8, the reproducing point itself, which is of what is known as the needle type, being indicated at 9. This reproducer is adapted to reproduce sound from sound records having horizontally undulating grooves of even depth. This reproducer 8 is attached to the tone arm 5 by means of a curved connecting tube 10, which is rotatably received in the bore of the hollow crosshead 11 formed on the free end of the tone arm 5. The reproducer 8 being mounted in this manner, is swiveled to the tone arm 5 upon a horizontal airis and may be swung downward to rest upon the record, which position it occupies during lthe reproduction of the record, or it may be swung back to rest upon the top of the tone arm in which position it is left when not in use. In the known type of phonograph to which I have referred, the curved connection tube 10 is provided with shoulder 412 and with a straight portion 13 which fits within the transversely extending aperture in the cross-head 11 of the tone arm 5 and swivels therein, the connecting tube 10 being cut away where it communicates with the interior of the tone arm to permit the passage of sound. Ordinarily the end of the straight portion 13 of the connecting tube opposite the shoulder 12 receives a nut whichis screwed within the threaded interior of said connecitng tube and serves to provide an; end bearing for the connecting tube. I take advantage of this construction in order to facilitate the attachment of my additional reproducer by removing the nut to which I have referred, and attaching additional parts of my own provision which I shall now proceed to describe. The nut itself is replaced by the member 1a which has the shoulder 15 bearing against the adjacent'end of the cross-head 11,

(and which therefore serves all the functions of the nut which it replaces, as well as additional functions. This unember 14 is cut away, as shown at 16, to receive the shouldered end 17 of a reproducer tube 18 which is swiveled therein; the plate 19 secured by screws 20 or equivalent devices retaining the shouldered portion 17 of the reproducer tube 18 in place within the member 18- and permitting it to swivel therein, as will be readily understood. The reproducer which forms a part of my attachment, is' shown at 21. In the type illustratedythis--reproducer Garriesfa permanent reproducing point 22 which has a rounded end orig otherwise adapted for the reproduction ofsound from grooves varying in depth instead of undulating transversely .as -is the case of the record grooves which are adapted to cooperatewiththe reproducer 8 and-the needle. 9., I also providemeans for throwing the interior of the sound conveyer which comprises the tapering tone arm 5 and the amplifier 7 intoA A communication with the reproducer which is being used for the playing of records. In the device I have illustrated, this means for controlling the passage consists of a cork or other valve 23 which is secured to the stem '24, as by being placed between the plates 25,

25 and held thereon by the nut 26. Other forms of valve may of course be used for this purpose. The stem 24 extends through an opening 2T in the sound conveyor tube 18 which is in line with the axis of the swivel and is provided with a perfectly knurled knob 29. It will readily be understood that' by pulling or pushing on the knob 29 either the reproducer tube 10 or the reproducer tube 18 may be thrown into communication with the interior of the sound conveyingand amplifying mechanism.

I also preferably provide means for support-ing my additional reproducer when not in use, as in the form illustrated it is evident that when swung back upon its swiveled mounting it will not be supported by .the tone arm 5. Any form of support may7 be used within my invention. I" refer, however, to provide a form of'support which may be readily supplied and which will not interfere in any way with the functions of the device and which may be attached without the necessity of any machine work being done on the phonograph. Such supporting means is illustrated in the. drawing and comprises a collar 30 attached by screws or equivalent means 31 to the exterior of the cross-head 11 of the tone arm 5, and having attached thereto a wire or other arm 32 of convenient form to support the reproducer 21 when not in use. It will be seen that in .the assembling of the parts, after the nut which is usually used in this form of phonograph has been dispensed with, the first 0peration is to place the collar 31 over the cross-head and secure it in place, after which the member 14 with the reproducer 21 attached is secured in place in lieu of the nut which is no longer required. In F ig. 1 the reproducer 8 is shown as supported on the tone arm and the reproducer 21 is in operative position in contact with the record. In Fig. 3 the reproduccr.formingpart of my attachment is shown as supported on the arm 32 and in this position it is inoperative. In this view the reproducer 8 is depressed and is 1n operative contact with the record for the reproduction of sound.

IjIaving now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a phonograph, the combination with a hollow sound conveyor, of a plurality of reproducers secured thereto, and a hand operated push valve1 for throwing any one of said reproducers into communication with the interior of said sound conveyer,

Asubstantially as set forth.

. 2. In a phonograph, the combination with a hollow sound vconveyer, of a plurality of reproducers secured thereto, and a push valve in said sound conveyer and provided with=an exteriorly projecting handle for throwing any one of said reproducers into communication with said sound converyer, substantially as set forth.

\ 3. In a phonograph, the combination with a `hollow sound conveyer, of a reproducer swiveled thereto on one side, a second reproducer swiveled thereto on the other side, and a push valve in said sound conveyer for causingeither of said reproducers to communicate with the interior of said sound conveyer at will, substantially as set forth.

4. In a. phonograph, the combination with a hollow sound conveyer, of.. two reproducers adapted for reproduction from records of diierentv'types rotatably secured thereto, and a push valve in said sound conveyer for throwing either of said reproducers into communication with the interior of said sound cOnVeyer, substantially as set forth.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with a hollow sound conveyor, of two separate reproducers swiveled thereto, and a single hand operated means forA throwing either of said reproducers yinto communication with the interior of said sound conveyer, substantially as set forth.

6. In a phonograph, a sound conveyer, a pair of reproducers swiveled thereto at opposite points, a valve for throwing either `of said reproducers into communication with the yinterior of said sound conveyer, and means locatedin the common axisl of the swivels for operating said valve, substantially as set forth. y

7. In a phonograph, the combination with a sound conveyer comprising a horizontally movable tone arm, of a reproducer, a connectingtube for said reproducer swiveled in the tone arm, a push valve in said con` nect'ing tube, a second reproducer, a-connecting tube therefor, means for connecting said last named connecting tube with the first named connecting tube, said means also providing an end bearing for the first named connecting tube and an exterlorly project- 8. In a phonograph, the combination with I a sound conveyer comprisin a horizontally rotatable tone arm provide with an apertured crosshead at itsA free end, of a reproducer a curved sound conveying tube connected to said reproducer and rotatively received within said cross head and provided with a shoulder limiting the extent of its entry into said cross head and a'lso provided at its end with an internal screw thread, 'a second reproducer, a connecting tube communicating with said second reproducer, a member in which the last named connecting tube is swiveled to rotate, said member being provided with an external screw thread to fit within the internal screw thread in the end of the first named connecting tube said -member also being provided with a shoulder which prevents endwise movement of the first named connecting tube when the parts are assembled, and means for supporting the last named reproducer when not in use, substantially as set forth.

9. As a new article of manufacture, an attachment for a phonograph, which phonograph comprises a tone arm, a reproducer anda' connecting tube swiveled to saidtone arm, said attachment comprising a curved connecting tube, 'a sound reproducer attached to one end thereof, said connecting tube being adapted to be swiveled at its opposite en d to said tone arm opposite the connecting tube thereof and in line therewith,v a Valve adapted to close either of said connecting tubes and leave the remaining connecting tube in communicationwith said tone army, and means extending throu h the wall of the attachment connecting tu e for operating said valve, substantially as set forth.

It is hereby certified that in Letters PatentNo. 1,108,208, granted August 25, 1914, upon the application of Walter H. Miller, of Grange, New Jersey, for an improvement in Phonographsf7 errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 32, for the Word connecitng read 00nnectz'ng; same page, line 77,fo1' the Word perfectly reed preferably; page 3,

line 6, for the Word converyer read omweg/er; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the seme may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofice.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of September, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] n. r. Wurrnrmw,

Actvhzg Commissioner of Patents.