US1447215A - Phonograph or the like - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 6i, 1923". e

UNITED :STATES f LOUIS s. xunfrzivrnivm oFBUFFALoa-Nnw Yonxg'lnssIGNon, BY Masiva' ASSIGNMENTS,

To KURTZMANNPHQNOGRAPHcomrmyinc.;orfBUrFALofNEW'yoRK n PHONOGRPH OR THE LIKE..

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the countyof. Erieznanyd Stateiof New York, have ,invented anew and useful Improvement in Phonographs or the like,

of which the following is a specificati-on.

.This invention relates to ph.onolgraphsl,'4 gramophones -or analogous devices of the kind in which soundis produced bymeans 'of va yneedle or stylus and reproducing "mecha-nism, co-operating with a groove on a record.

It is well known that the materialusedv in the construction of musical instruments has an important bearing upon .the (sounds produced and in the construction of'phonographs a great improvement has been found in the quality of the tone produced, when the supporting base of the instrument and the turn-table or other support for the record are made of certain materials. I have found that the use of glass in a phonograph, for example the use of a glass base on which the driving and controlling mechanism is mounted, or a glass turn-table or support for the record, not only produces clearer and better reproduction of the record, but also greatly reduces the surface noise or scratching sounds usually produced in instruments 0f this kind.

The objects of this invention are t0 produce a phonograph of this kind in which certain parts of the instrument `are made of glass or the like to effect a better reproduction of the sound. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a phonograph or analogous device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof..

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central sectional elevation thereof.

The case or housing of the phonograph may be of any desired shape, that shown in the drawings have four legs A, on the upper portions of which the parts of the phonograph areJ arranged. l p

A base plate B is arranged at the upper portions of the legs and the parts of the phonograph are mounted on this base plate. It has been found that the best results can be obtained if this plate is made of glass. The plate may be secured tothe frame in any Suitable manner, for example a flanged which is secured 'to the upper ends of tlieflegs A byA sui-table means, such as metal. framed) SPlTOYded in lfheconstru-c'- y tion.l shown,

screwsbf ,andthe edges ofthe frame extend 7 upwardlylaround the sides'lofthe base plate l Band hold the' base in` place.

y I The plateB .I i preferably rests onfyfdisksror cushions b2 of felt or other yielding material. u

AC1 represents the turn-tabley cru-'supporti l for `t-he record. Thisl turn-table. is preferably alsomade of glass and therecord c ,of the usuallkind extendingv through the usual central holeinthe record yfor centering the same lon thejturn-table. The turntable maybe rotatably mountedon the glass base B inany suitable mannenw In the Constructies' Shen/111th@ gtes, plate C ffiiming the turn-table is suitably secured to a disk c by any suitable means, such as screws c2 extending through holes in the glass turn-table G. The disk c is provided with the usual post or bearing stud c3 which is suitably journaled in a plate c4 which is secured to the glass base B by any suitable means, such, for example, as screws or bolts c5 'extending through holes in the glass base. Suitable pads `c6 and c7 are preferably inserted betweenthe disk c vand the glass turn-table C and between the plate c4 and the base B.

The mechanism for rotating the turntable may be of any "suitable or desired conisuplaced on the upper face-thereof, Lapin struction, and is preferably mounted on the glass base B. In the construction shown, the turn-table is rotated by means of an electric motor D suitably mounted on the plate c4 secured to the lower face of the base and connected by any desirable driving means (not shown) with the pin or stud c3` of the turn-table. The operation of the motor is controlled by means of a switch d which is preferably mounted on the upper face of the base B. The speed at which the turn-table is rotated is preferably controlled by means of the usual speed controlling means E which are also mounted on thek glass base B. The motor D, the controlling constitute no part of this l The sound is reproduced from the record y by meansv ofthe usual reproducer F mounted on a tone arm f whichl is secured to the glass base B in any suitable manner, forexample by means of screws or bolts f extending through holes in the glass base. rlhe end of the tone arm connects With the usual horn G arranged below the base and suitably supported from a sounding board or the like H by means of a post h.

The horn and driving mechanism may be enclosed by suitable side Walls l, Which may be ot' any desired material, glass being employee in the construction shown.

I have found that by using a glass base as described, and by using a glass turntable C, the sounds produced by the-instru ment 'diiier greatly in quality 'from those produced in instruments in which the base B and the turn-table C is made of Wood, metal or other materials heretofore used. The instrument constructed as described produces a greater volume of tone and also a clearer tone than other instruments heretofore made and has the property ot ver7 materially reducing the surface noises or scratching sounds produced by the needle as the same passes over the record, so that a more nearly perfect reproduction o the sounds is effected than has heretofore been possible. The noises due to the operation of the mechanism for driving the turn-table, are 'also `very materially reduced by means of the glass base.

It will be understood that-it is not intended to limit the invention to the` forni or construction ot the housing or case oit' the phonograph nor to the reproducing or operating devices, since the glass base and the glass turn-'table be used in phonographs or analogous devices of any other desired construction or Shape, and in connection With other reproducing or operating devices.

I claim as my invention:

ln a phonograph 'or vthe like, the 'combination ot a rotatable recordsupporting' 'member, `driving mechranisn'i for rotating said record supporting member, a sound reproducing device, and a glass base on which said supporting member, Asaid driving mechanism and said reproducing vdevice are mounted.

Vitness my hand, this 29th day of October, 1918.

LOUlS S. KURTZMANN. litnessesz M. J. PITMAN, F. E. PRooHNoix'f.

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