US1435095A - Sound-reproducing machine - Google Patents

Description

G. D. ADAiI/Is.

SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IIILY I, 1919.

SQ., Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

//////////////// www? .enemies New. 7, ieee. lmdtidltiti UNITED FAITES PATENT @FFIQE GEORGE D. ADAMS, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA. ASSIGNUR TOUE ROTH 0F OMAHA,

' v NEBRASKA.

sonnnnnrnonuorne MACHINE.

Application letl: July 1,*1919. Serial No. 307,879.

To all whom t may concern.' sound groove-are substantially diminished Be it know'nthat I, GEORGE D. ADAMS, and, in many instances, entirely eliminated a citizen of the United States of America, without undesirable modulation of the tone residing at Omaha, in the county ofDougor sound being reproduced.v

las and State of Nebraska, have invented With these and other objects in view, the 56W certain new and useful Improvements in invention involves the employment of the Sound-Reproducing Machines, of which the instrumentalities, means, members and elefollowing is a specification', reference being ments, and the operative aggroupment of' had therein to the accompanying drawing. these, as hereinafter specified and described.

This invention relates-to sound reproduc- However, I wish it to be understood that 66 ing machines, and has more especial referthe invention is not restricted to the three ence to a, scratch-muiiiing or absorbing deembodiments herein disclosed, since it is susvice to be attached thereto. ceptible of varied embodiment and, thus,

The object of the invention is to provide the'exemplified structures herein illustrated a simple, comparatively inexpensive, and are capable of'a wide range of modiiication 7@ eiective device to be associated with the and variation without departing from the. sound reproducing structure of the machine spirit of the invention or sacrificing any et for muii'ling or absorbing the scratching the salient features, advantages, and underand grinding neises resulting from the conlying principles thereof. y

tact of the needle with the record as the In the accompanying drawings, which are 75 former traverses the groove in' the latter; intended to be merely illustrative of possible this result being eiected without seriously embodiments of the invention: or undesirably affecting the tones or sounds Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in elevabeing reproduced. tion of a portion of a tone arm, its asso- A further object of the invention is to ciated reproducer, and my attachment ap- 8@ provide a device of the kind-specified which plied thereto;

is adapted to eiect a substantial diminu- `i 2 is a view in perspectiveo the tion, if not the absolute elimination, of the attachment, scratching noise which usually prevails in Figu is a view in central vertical section p -sound reproducing machines while the nee-l t ereo'f; 85 die is traveling in the groove of the record- Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a modidisk, and, at the same time, to appreciably lied type of structure; purify the tone or sound being reproduced. Fig. 5 isa view in central vertical sec- A. still further object within the contemtion thereof;

plation of the invention is to provide an at- Fig. 6 is a view, partly -in elevatiortand 90 tachment for sound reproducing machines partly .in central vertical section, of a third having as its primary function the reproducembodiment of the invention. attached to tion of the tones in their natural form; this the reproducer of a talking machine; being achieved by eliminating the metallic Fig. 7 is a view in 'perspective of this t@ ring and sound and by vrounding out the third embodiment; and v 't @5 tones. Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a needle A still further object'within the contemsupporting arm forming a component ofthe plation of the invention is to provide an atattachment ofthis third embodiment. Y l V tachment of the kind specified which may Reierringto the drawings, and to Figs. I,

be mounted in the usual needle socket of 2 and 3, the reference numerall designates 10@ the sound-reproducer and which attachment -the usual record disk or plate, upon which is so constructed vand arranged as to supis mounted la record 2 in the usual manner. port the needle in a manner thateliminates Overlying the record 2 is a tone arm 3 ci] undesirable vibration of the structure; this usual construction for supporting a sound to result being accomplished by insulating the boX or reproducer 4 also of usual construen 105 needle from the reproduce'r by one orI more tion. and which includes the usual needle ref scratch-absorbing or cushioning elements, ceiving device 5 'having a 'thumb screw .ti

whereby the grinding and scratching noises threaded thereinto.

usually heard 1n talking machines-by reason My scratch mumer is adapted to be assoof the traveling contact of the needle in the ciated with the needle receiving device .5, and 11@ absorbing element 12, preferably made of resilient material, such as rubber,l cork` fiber or the like. The element 12 is held in position by -a confining member 13, preferably of some rigid material, such as metal. Embraced by this confinind member is another resilient, scratch absorbln element 14, made of a material similar to t at of the element- 12. Embraced by the resilient member 14 is a reproducer-connecting member 15, preferably of metal, and adapted to be inserted in the usual needle holder socket of the device 5, and rigidly7 held therein by the screw 6.

The angulated portion 11 is adapted to embrace a scratch absorbing or cushioning element 16, made of some. resilient material, such as that described with reference to the resilient element 12. This element 16 encompasses a needle holding member 17 in which is threaded a needle holding screw 18 adapted to secure a needle 19 in the holder 17.

vFrom the foregoing, it will be observed that the needle holder 17 is insulated and cushioned from the metallic portion 11 of the frame 8; and that, likewise, the reproducer connecting member 15 is insulated and cushioned from the element-confinin member 13 by the resilient element 14, w ile the member 13 is, itself'n insulated and cushioned from the metallic portion 10 of the frame 8. In' consequence, the needle 19 is. by a series of cushioning elements, insulated from the needle holding device 5, such that mechanical vibrations produced on the needle 19 by the record 2 are absorbed and prevented from being transferred to or translated into the sound box 4. As a result, the scratching and grinding noises incident to the travel of the needle 19 in a groove in the record 2 are effectivelyl absorbed by the resilient elements 16, 12 and 14 and are thereby substantially if not entirely eliminated, in consequence of whichlnothing but the true and purified-toneel' 'sound Vbeing reproduced is transferred into the sound boxand thereby reproduced, and this without undesirable modulation of the tone lor the loss of tone qualities.

As shown in Fig. 1, for instance, the attachment is so supported in the reproducer that it shall always be maintained in a defined relationto the axis of the record; hence, it arches the record from the outside portion thereof all the way into its axis. This is in order that the needle carried by the attachment shall travel at the proper angle with reference to the record-groove and in proper operating relation to the diaphragm of the reproducer.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of structure: This includes a frame or supporting instrumentality 20 of a -construction somewhat like that of the preferred embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, except that the reproducer connecting element 21, in this instance, is integral. with the frame, in consequence of which` I interpose a block 22 of resilient material between the angulated element-holding portion 23 of the frame and the body portion 24 thereof. sitely-formed, angulated element holding portion 25 of the frame 420, in this instance, embraces alayer of resilient material 26 and this in turn is held by a confining member 27, of angular construction to encompass a second layer 28 of resilient material, within which is seated a needle holder 29 into which a needle holding screwv30 is threaded. In this particular exemplification of the invention, a plurality of cushioning or scratch absorbing elements are disposed in the part of the supporting frame which sustains the needle holder; whereas, in the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and v3, the plurality of cushioning elements is disposed in the part of the supporting instrumentality in which the reproducer connecting member is secured. In practice, I have found in some instances that it is advantageous to insulate the reproducer connecting member from the frame 8 ina larger measure than is the insulation of the needleholder from the fra-me; but, in both of these instances, the needle 19 is, by a series of the insulating elements, effectively cushioned from the needle holder 5.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, .I have shown'a third embodiment: This includes a reproducer connecting member 31 which, preferably and as shown, is angulated to provide a stem 32 connected to project into a casing 0r housing 33 and being adapted therein to confining washers 34V and 35, between which are disposed resilient elements 36 and 37. Interposed between the resilient elements 36 and 37 is an arm 38 provided with an aperture 39 of larger diametral dimensions than 'those of the stem 32 so that said arm is maintained out of contact 'with the stem at all times. This arm projects from the housing 33 and is angulated to' provide a support 40 in which a layer of scratch absorbing material 41 is disposed and which embraces a needle holding member i 42n'carrying a needle holding screw 43. In this .third embodiment of the invention, the housmg 33 and the arm 38 constitute a frame 8 of Fig. 1 and of the frame 20 of' Fig. 4. In this instance, the arm 38 will have a certain amount vof vibratory movement relative to the casing 33, but such movement will be more or less absorbed by the cushioning elements 36 and 37 so that onlythe purified' tone is transmitted from the needle 44 to the needle holding device 5. Encompassing' the arm 38, at a point t-hereon adjacent to the end of the casing 33, is an insulating element 38, the purpose of which is to insulate the arm 38 froml the casing and thereby prevent the arm, during its vibration, from contacting with the casing. The iiexibility also provided by the resilient elements in the action of the needle on the record tends to preclude wear of the record and, thus, prolongs the life thereof.

.F rom the foregoing, it will be observed that I havel provided an efficient device for completely removing metallic grind and scratch developed by the direct contact of the metal needle with the record, and with incidental cushioning members provided by the resilient elements described,the tendency of the. device is to purify the tones. By reason of the manner of operatively relating the needle .to the sound box, it is found that a record having either the laterallycut groove, or one with the hill-and-dale groove may be used without necessitating the changing of the position of the reproducer arm of the machine.

In practice, I have found that copper tends to clarify vibrations more than other metals; in consequence', I prefer to make the attachment, in most of its parts, of that metal. The needle holder may, however, be made of Soft brass. 'Ihe resilient elements, as already explained, may be made of' various materials; but comparatively soft rubber has been found in practice to produce the best' results. In thus specifying these materials, I do not, however, wish to limit myself thereto except in so far as such limitations may' be expressed in the appended claims.

WhatI claim is l. A muiiler-device for talking machines, including a supporting-instrumentality, a needle-holder member associated therewith, a reproducer-connecting member sustained by the supporting-instrumentality, and a resilient member associated with the supporting instrumentality and with one of said members and insulating one from the other, the axes of the holder and the connectingmember normally occupying relatively different spaced-apart planes.

2. A muiiier-device for talking machines including a reproducer-connecting member, a supporting instrumentality associated therewith and sustained thereby, a needleholding member associated with and sustained by the instrumentality ,and having its axis disposed in a relatively. dierent plane from that of the connecting-member, and an insulating element interposed between the exterior wall of one of said members and the interior wall of the instrumentality whereby that member is insulated from the instrumentality.

3. A muiiler-device for sound-reproducing machines` including a suporting-instrumentality comprising a body-portion and a plurality of' oppositely-disposed element-.holding portions, each angulated tothe bodyportion, a reproducer-connecting member associated with one of the angulated portions', a needle-holder associated with another of the angulated portions, the angulated p0rtions constituting a plurality of supports for maintaining the connecting-member and holder in spaced-apart relation, and a resilient element mounted in one of the angulated portions and in association with said holder and connecting-member for absorbing vibrations transmitted from said holder and through said member.

4. A muflier-device for sound-reproducing machines including a supporting-instrumentality comprising a body-portion and a plurality of angulated element-holding port-ions, a reproducer-connecting member associated with one of the element-holding portions, a needle-holding member associated with lanother of the angulated portions, and vibration-cushioning means disposed against the wall of the supporting-instrumentality and in associationwith at least one of said members.

5. scratch-muing device for sound-reproducing machines including an angulated supporting-instrumentality comprising two element-holding portions, a reproducer-connecting member associated with one of said portions, a. needle-holding member associated with the other portion, .and a muiiiingelement in insulating association with the holding-member and sustained by the supporting-instrumentality.

6. A scratch-muing device for soundreproducing machines including an angulatedI supporting-instrumentality comprising a plurality of element-holding portions, a reproducer-connecting member associated with oneof said portions, a needle-holding member'associated with another portion, a cushioning element associated with the holding-member and confined between it and the supporting-instrumentality.

7. A scratch-muing device for sound-re` producing machines including an angulated supporting-'instrumentality comprising two element-holdingfportions, a reproducer-connecting member associated with one of said portions, av needle-holding member associated withthe other ortion, the connecting member and holder eiug sustained by the instrumentality in spaced-apart relation, -a muiiiing-element associated with the holdingmember and contined between it and the supporting-instrumentality, and a needle selcured in the holding member and extending in a direction approximately opposite to that of the connecting member.

8. A scratch-muling device for sound-reproducing machines includin a supportingdevice having angulated portlons in substan tial parallelism with each other, a reproducer-connectin member associated with one of said portions, a needle-holding member associated with yanother of said angulated portions, a muHing-element sustained by the device and associated with one of said members, and an element-separating member in contact with said muliiing-element.

9. A scratch-mufliing device for soundreproducing machines including a supporting instrumentality having a. plurality of angulated element-holding portions extending therefrom in vopposite directions, muffling means sustained by the instrumentality, an element-confining device associated with the muiiling means', a reproducing connecting member also associated with the supporting instrumentality and mufiiing means, a needle holder associated with and sustained by the supporting instrumentality, and a needle-engaging screw threaded into the holder.

10. The combination with a sound-reproducing machine of an attachment associable therewith and comprisinga supporting instrumentality including a plurality of element-holding portions occupying relatively different spaced-apart planes, a connectormember associated with one of said holdingelements, a needle holder associated with another of said holding-elements, and a resilient element in engagement with the instrumentality and cushioning the .holder from t-he supporting instrumentality.

11. .A scratch-muiiiing device for soundreproducing machines including an approximately S-shaped supporting instrumentality, a connector-member associated with one portion thereof, a needle-holder associated with another portion of the instrumentality, and a mutiling-element associated with and sustained by the instrumentality; said holder and connector-member no rmally' occupying a spaced-apart rela-tion.

12. A scratch-muiiling device for soundreproducing machines including a needleholding member, a connector-member, a supporting instrumentality having a plurality of angulated portions for sustaining said members' in spaced-apart relation and in relatively different planes and a cushioning element disposed between the supporting instrumentality and one of said angulated portions and` functioning to absorb vibrations transmitted from the holding member.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

FRANCES JoHNsoN, W. R. Scorri.

Images