US1386040A - Cabinet for tympanum-phonographs - Google Patents

Description

E. A. WIDMANN.

CABINET FOR TYMPANUM PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLlcAnoN FILED JAN. 2|. |919.

W ESSES n (f 24 /NVENTOH TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE A. WIDMANN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CABINET FOB TYMPANUM-PHONOGBAPHS.

vApplication led January 21, 1919. Serial No. 272,338.

-New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cabinets for Tympanum-Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cabinet vphonographs of the tympanum type. Phonographs of this type, in which sound reproduction is accomplished by means of a tympanum or diaphragm of large diameter, without the customary means for directing the sound waves, y such as horns, megaphones and the like, give best results when the tympanum is exposed to unconfined air and there is freedom for propagation of the sound waves in substantially all directions. A cabinet for such apparatus should preferably be adapted for being opened up in such manner as not to interfere with or produce undesirable modification ofthe eX- cellent character of reproduction obtained with phonographs of this type.

As the reproduction apparatus of the tympanum type is preferably directly associated with and usually located substantially adjacent to the recordtablet, it becomes possible to locate both the record tablet and the sound reproducing apparatus in the same chamber or compartment, and in this way it results that' opening such compartment serves both to permit the free propagation and travel of sound Waves and to afford access to the sound tablet, as for operating the phonograph, changing the records, etc. If desired, the same doors, shutters or the like which serve for giving access to the cabinet compartment containing the sound tablet may be used also for modifying or controlling the volume, etc., of the sound reproduction obtained.

A phonograph cabinet in accordance with the present invention may also comprise, in addition to the compartment for receiving the phonograph and reproducing means, a receptacle or receptacles for holding phonograph records and the like. `When so provided with a record holding receptacle or receptacles it becomes possible to very considerably increase the storage space of such cabinet as compared with ordinary cabinet phonographs, in which some portion of the space below the compartment for containing the record tablet is usually devoted to vthe accommodation of the customary horn and megaphone, since in the phonograph of the tympanum type theordinary horn and megaphone is entirely dispensed with and the tympanum reproduction apparatus is preferably inclosed in the same chamber or compartment with-the sound record tablet and turntable.

With the foregoing and related objects in View, my invention consists in the combinations and. features of construction hereinafter pointedout and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a partof this specification and wherein the same-reference numerals are applied to designate the same parts uniformly throughout, -Fifgure 1 is a perspective view of one form o apparatus embodying my invention, with the combined sound`reproduction and record tablet compartment shown closed.4

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but with such compartment shown opened. Fig. 3 is a frontiperspective View of the phonograph cabinet of Figs. 1 and 2 with the compartment just referred to closed and the record compartment opened. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form with the cover removed for clearness of illustration. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a modification, and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the doors, shown in Fig. 5 in their closed position, in their opened position.

The vcabinet is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. 11 designatesl the chamber or compartment containing the record tablet 12 mounted on the turntable 13, and also the tympanum reproducer apparatus, which includes a large, preferably conical, diaphragm14 mounted in an annular frame 15 and connected with means for tracking the record groove through a tubular member 16. When the turntable 13 is elevated within the compartment 11 in substantially the position shown, the vmotor for imparting rotation to the turntable may also be contained in the compartment 11 along with the turntable and record and sound reproducing devices, which include only the tympanum diaphragm and its mounting and the means forftracking the record groove, and do not include any horn,

megaphone or similar sound amplifying or` directing devices. It will be understood that such tympanum sound reproducing apparatus is not of my inventionpwl se, and that bination with other elements as claimed herein.

The compartment 11 may be constructed with a solid or permanent back and end, as

designated at 17 and 18, Fig. 2, respectively. Inwcase a solid or permanent end 18 is provided, the same is preferably at that end of the compartment remote from the diaphragm or tympanum 14. The compartment 11 is provided with a cover 19 which may be hinged to the permanent back of of the cabinet, if provided, and opens upwardly. Means for giving Wide opening and ready access to the compartment from the front are provided, as a pair 4of doors 20 and 21, and that end of the compartment adjacent to the diaphragm or tympanum 14 is also preferably provided with means for giving access to the interior ,andy for open- ,",nkg up such portion of the compartment,

and such means may have the form of a door such as shown at 22. If desired, the

opposite end of the compartment 11 may be provided with opening and closing means, as, for example, the door 23 shown in Fig. 4.

The bottom of the compartment, in the neighborhood of the diaphragm or tympanum 14 is also preferably opened, as, for example, it may be cut out, as shown at 24, Fig. 4, Apermitting passage of sound in'a downward direction, and when a record storage compartment 11 is provided beneath the phonograph compartment 11, and its doors 25 and 2 6, as shown in Fig. 3, are opened, free and unconiined propagation of sound waves is afforded through the openin 24 and the open record compartments.

The back of the compartmentll may be so constructed as to be readily opened and closed. In Fig. 4 I have shown doors 23a and 23b at the back. In Fig. 5 I have shown the sides and ends provided with a series of slots 28, and adjacent thereto are slidable members 29, 30 and 31 which are provided with slots 32. In the position shown in Fig. 5 the slidable members 29, 30 and 31 have been moved to such position as to close the openings in the ends and rear of the compartment, but such slots may be entirely opened and the ends and rear of the .compartment may be substantially completely opened up by sliding the slidable' members 29, 30 and 31 so that the openings therein are in register, as Will be readily understood.

In the modification of Fig. 6 the ends and rear of the compartment 11 are shown provided with pivoted slats 33 of the ordinary shutter type, which lmay readily be opened or closed by turning same on their pivots.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing. When the phonograph is out of use the cabinet is entirely closed. When the phonograph is to be used the compartment 11 is opened, exposing the tympanum 14 substantially to unconned air, whereby the vsound Waves produced by its vibration are conveyed -in substantially all directions without interference, and at the same 'time complete access to the turntable and record tablet and operating means, as starting and stopping levers, etc., is provided. The sounds can, of course, be modified or dampened to any desired extent by closing or partially closing the doors, slots, shutters or other devices provided, and, as already stated, the cabinet may comprise only the compartment 11, providing a phonograph of the ordinary type which is'suited to be placed on a table or other support, or the cabinet may be constructed to embody both the phonograph compartment 11 and the record compartment 11, in which' case the doors of the record compartment are preferably left open While the instrument is playing, thus permitting free communication with outside air through the opening in the instrument board or bottom of the compartment 11. It will be noted that with the construction shown in Fig. 2 the inclosing phonograph cabinet comprises a separate upstanding post 34 at one corner thereof toward one side thereof, While in the form shown in Fig. 4 the cabinet comprises separate posts 35, 35 at each'end of its forward side with doors opening away therefrom on either side thereof, so that when all the provisions made for opening up the phonograph cabinet arev completely utilized, the tympanum is freely exposed to unoonfined air, Whereby the best results in sound reproduction are secured with this type of reproducing device. I claim:

1. A cabinet for a tympanum phonograph, having a compartment at its upper end for the reception of the tympanum sound reproducing apparatus, said compartment being of substantially the height of said tympanum apparatus, and at least two of the Vertical vvalls of said compartment being made up of members adapted to be opened and closed, and a hinged lid for the top of the compartment, whereby the tympanum sound reproducing apparatus may be entirely inclosed within the compartment, or the comf v having a compartment at its upper end for the reception of the tympanum sound reproducing apparatus, said compartment being of substantially the height of said tympanum apparatus and substantially all the vertical walls of said compartment being made up of members adapted to be opened and closed, and a hinged lid for the top of the compartment` whereby the tympanum sound reproducing apparatus may be entirely inclosed within said compartment, or the compartment may be opened up so that the tympanum is substantially freely exposed in substantially all directions to unconfned air during sound reproduction.

3. A cabinet for a tympanum phonograph, having a compartment at its upper end for the reception of the tympanum sound reproduc-ing apparatus, said compartment being of substantially the height Of said tympanum apparatus, and a hinged lid for the top of the compartment, the front and both of the side walls of said compartment being substantially entirely made up of doors eX- tending to meet the lid When closed, Whereby the tympanum sound reproducinr apparatus may be entirely inclosed within the compartment, or the compartment may be opened up so that the tympanum is substantally freely exposed in substantially all drections to unconfined air during sound reproduction.

In testimony that I claim the fore oing, I have hereto set my hand, this 3rd dzay of January, 1919.

EUGENE A. VVIDMANN.

Images