US1461334A - Phonograph - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1923- W. M. VENABLE PHONOGRAPH Original Filed April 1, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ti -Ill] llllll July 10, 1923- M. VENABLE PHONOGRAPH Original Filed April 1, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 10, 1923.

' UN TED 1 ing at Pittsburgh,' in the'co'unty ,gheny and .State of accomplish the,

but little, if anyv To all it"mg comm. Be it known that VLQWITJLIAMY ML'VENA- BLE, a citizen Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and-useful Improvelowing is a specification; V This invention relates to 'phonog'raph apparatus which maybe used: eithenfor'repurposes and This particularly applicable to phonogfa fi f the disc type. v 1

The present application is adivi'sion 'of l e s #3 0 521;- il

in its correct position with respect to the record without abandoning the use of the fixed pivotal sup'portfor the soundbox which has provenso advantageous 1 in practice as to have become almost un1-' versal'ly applied.,' "It "is the furthenintention of this invention to' p'rovide means to be readilyapplied tofthe various types of phonographs already: v

fitting or change." together with ,uch' otherflobjects as are Imor which may 'appear hereinafter, Lobtain by I J 1 construction whichI haveillustrated in pre- {erred form in the accompanying draw ngs,

.wherein:

Fig. 1 isva plan view of anlapparatus em- I bodyingmy mprevements showing parts of the phonograph broken away; Fig 2' 1s a side elevation Fig. 1 Fig.

, proved apparatus illustrating the invention as it might conveniently be applied to that i type ofphonograph known ,on the market as the Victrola; Fig, 4 isa side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fi -p 7 In Figs; paratus which is which can also beused for purposes of re? production although for the latter purpose" I prefer .to use the constructionsillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. By means of -a su table secure to some portion [of the of the Unitedstates, resid-f I 'Of' Alleforegoing object which "can on V the market with Th means of a of the apparatus illustrated in} 3 is a plan view ofmyim 1 and 2 I have llustrated an ap- I particularly useful con-1' nection with the recording of records but conne threaded "to the upwardly projecting" stand-" 5 and '6 which isj'p'referably formed mtegrjal fto thej phonograph"cabinet at any fdesired I I g v elevation within rasonable"li mits.- *"Inplace ments' in Phonographs, of which the folof the clamp 1; may provide-other means th' 'nuts 4? and 5 st a" point directly above I B v p gaxiseef the turn-table 10. i-Thispivot'is 9,

The principal object ofthe invention toprovide a simple means for maintaining'the soundbox stylus vertical pivot and permits; swinging-{movemam of the guide" bar '7 while still maintainingfiit'at all timesjratlially disposed with respect ito'the disc or turn-t'ablei v end of the jframe' 3: The connectionbetween: the soundbox '11 and the carrien arm" 12 "embodies aho'ri'zontal" pivot 16- which 'Qpermits" vertical {movement ofithestylus 17 in order'to take" care pfany irregularities there may be in the record 'surfacefl8prin the mountihgfof-E the turn=table =10 on its -axis 9; "The interior of "the" soundbox 11 communicates with the trumpet 19 which, as before stated, is particularly ide's gned forfrecording purposes: "Thesameappa ratus could, however, "be used for: repnoduc-' ing purposes' without' change. f

In order to obtainth'e most satisfactory results it is advisablethatthat point or-portion of the soundbox" stylus which iscutting the sound groove;if recording, or following it, if reproducing,- '1 should be 'consta'ntly "niaintainedin aplane which "is tangent to the groove-at the point of Contact. In order to accomplish this result without 'abandon ing the swinging support for the soundboi which is. used practically universally in reproducing machines 1' providewhe; pivotal ction -13 between the soundbox 'and the swinging guide "arm? 14. "iAs"the"gu-ide arm, moves inwardly toward the center ofthe rec 0rd from the position indicated' 'in'dotted lines inyFig. 1, it"isnecessaryto' move the soundbox and its carrier a short distance in ev s d nw9 s fih r ff a of apparatus could The point of the stylus 17 should follow substantially the dotted line 20. The connection 21 between the guide bar 7 and the soundbox carrier arm 12 must, therefore, be such as to permit relative radial movement between the two, but at the same time maintain a fixed relation between the two with respect to rotative movement about the pivots 8 and 13.

For recording purposes it is necessary to provide a feeding mechanism for the soundbox which I may accomplish by threading the guide bar 7 and by correspondingly threading the point of connection with the soundbox carrier arm 12. By slowly rotating the guide bar the soundbox may be swung inwardly from the outside of the record toward the center. I provide for rotation of the guide bar by projecting it beyond the pivot 8 a short distance and connecting to this projection a pulley 22 which is driven b means of a suitable flexible connection 23 etween it and the shaft 24 fixed to which is a friction wheel 25 positioned so as to contact with the periphery of the turntable 10. The supporting housing 26 for the shaft 24 and the wheel 25 may be made integral with the frame 3 or detachable, as may be suitable or desirable. In this way I combine a feeding mechanism with a guiding mechanism; but it is obvious that I may employ a feed mechanism similar to that described, and yet dispose it with reference to the-disc in a relation other than radial provided I do not make the guide mechanism depend upon it, employing instead an independent guide mechanism such as is illustrated, for example, in Figs. 3 and 4 to be described hereinafter.

For reproducing urposes the same kind be used without change although when so used it is unnecessary to provide the threaded connection between the guide bar 7 and the carrier arm 12. A sliding connection might be substituted with equally good results inasmuch as in reproducing the soundbox is carried from the outer edge of the record to the inner edge by the needle following the sound groove. It is also possible in a reproducing machine to fix the carrier arm 12 to the outer end of the guide bar 7 and to provide a sliding connection in the pivot 8.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated two embodiments of the invention which are specifically useful in connection with machines which are designed for reproducing purposes only. I have illustrated it as it could be conveniently applied to that type of phonograph known as the Victrola which is designed for playing lateral cut records.

In these figures; namely Figs. 3 and 4, the swinging guide arm is represented by the tone arm 14. Its pivotal support 15' corresponds to the pivot 15 of Figs. 1 and 2. The

soundbox 11' carried by the arm 12 is connected to the guide or tone arm by means of the vertical pivot 13 corresponding to the vertical pivot 13 in Figs. 1 and 2. At this vertical pivot 13' there is fixed to the carrier arm 12' the supplemental arm 27 to the outer end of which is pivoted one end of the guide bar 7 by means of the pivot 21'. The other end of the guide bar is connected to a fixed support by means of the pivot 8 which corresponds to the pivot 8 of F i s. 1 and 2. By this simple con struction t e point of the stylus 17 can be maintained at all positions of the guide arm 14 in its correct position with respect to the groove in the record 18 in which it is traveling. To this end the proportion of the various parts are geometrically worked out and the various points of pivotal support properly located. When the soundbox is placed upon the outer edge of a record the parts will assume the positions indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, and when the record has been played the parts will assume the positions indicated in full lines in the same figures. As the guide arm 14' swings inwardly toward the center of the record the soundbox carrier arm 12 will be moved in the opposite direction on its pivot 13 in a manner similar to that which occurs in the construction illustrated in Figs 1 and 2. It will be readily seen that this arrangement of the parts 14 and 7 is preferable to that of the parts 14 and 7 of Figs. 1 and 2 because it requires much less accurate fitting and insures a steadier motion at the pivot 13. In practice I prefer it for that reason as well as because it leaves the space above the turn-table unobstructed for placing and for removing records and record blanks.

The arrangements shown in Figs. 3 and 4 do not require that the pivot 8 be located directly above the axis of the turn-table as in Figs. 1 and 2. This guide arm feature of my invention can be applied to the Victrola without other modifications than those necessary to provide the vertical pivot at 13 and the parts 7 and 27 ivoted as described. In talking machines as itherto made there has been but one vertical pivot provided and that is the one at 15 around which the guide or tone arm 14 swings. Consequently the stylus 44, as it moves inwardly over the surface of the record, makes a continually changing angle with respect to the groove in which it is traveling, the total amount of variation ranging anywhere from 10 to 20.

What I claim is:

1. In disc phonograph apparatus, the combination of a soundbox with a stylus, a vertically pivoted guide arm therefor, a vertical pivot connecting the soundbox to the guide arm, and a feeding mechanism for the soundbox, said feeding mechanism also operating to move the soundbox on its pivot to maintain the stylus axis in a plane substantially tangential to the direction of rotation of the disc at the point of stylus contact with said disc.

2. In disc phono raph apparatus, the combination of a SOIIDC lbOX, a vertically pivoted guide arm therefor, a vertical pivot connecting the soundbox to the guide arm, a feeding mechanism for the soundbox disposed transversely of the disc, and a vertically pivoted support for the feeding mechanism.

3. In disc phonograph apparatus, the combination of a soundbox, a guide arm therefor pivoted to provide swinging movement across the disc for the soundbox, a pivotal connection between the soundbox and the guide arm for providing the box with swinging movement with relation thereto similar to that of the arm, a feed screw for moving the guide arm and box across the disc, pivoted to swing like the guide arm, and means for revolving the screw.

4;. In disc phonograph apparatus the combination of a soundbox, a carrier for the box vertically pivoted to a swinging arm, a guide bar for the carrier, a fixed support for said bar to which it, is pivotally connected, and a threaded connection between the carrier and the guide bar.

5. In disc phonograph apparatus the combination of a sound box, a carrier for the box vertically pivoted to a swinging arm, a guide bar for the carrier, a fixed support for said bar to which it is pivotally connected, and a connection between the carrier and said bar which maintains a fixed alignment between said members but permits movement of the carrier toward or away fromthe pivotal connection for the guide bar.

6. In disc phonograph apparatus, the combination of a sound box, a vertically pivoted guide arm therefor, a vertical pivot connecting the sound box to the guide arm, a feeding mechanism for the sound box disposed transversely of the disc, a vertically pivoted support for the feeding mechanism, a stylus, and means cooperating with the vertical pivot connecting the sound box to the guide arm for maintaining the axis of said stylus in a plane substantially tangential to the direction of rotation of the disc at the point of stylus contact with said disc.

7. In disc phonograph apparatus the comb-ination of a swinging arm, a soundbox pivoted thereto for similar swinging movement. and a radially disposed guide bar for the soundbox pivoted to a fixed support, said guide bar pivot being directly above the center of the disc and permitting swinging movement of the bar in a plane substantially parallel to the disc.

8. A unitary feeding and recording mechanism for a disc phonograph sound box comprising in combination a supporting member detachably mounted on the phonograph cabinet, a guide arm vertically pivoted to the supporting member, a carrier for the sound box vertically pivoted to the guide arm, a guide bar for the carrier vertically pivoted to the supporting member, a threaded connection between the guide bar and the carrier, and means for turning the guide bar in said threaded connection ghereby to move the sound box across the isc.

9. A unitary feeding and recording mechanism fora sound box onadisctype machine having a turntable, comprising in combina tion a supporting member mounted on the phonograph cabinet, a guide arm for the sound box pivoted to the supporting member, a feeding mechanism for the sound box carried by the supporting member, and means actuated by the turn-table for oper ating the feeding mechanism, said means glso being carried by the supporting mem- 10. A unitary feeding and recording attachment for a discphonograph sound box comprising in combination a supporting member mounted on the phonograph cabinet, a carrier for the box pivotally mounted on the supporting member to swing above the disc, a sound receiving trumpet secured to the carrier, and a feed'ingmechanism for moving the carrier also secured to the detachable supporting member, said box being horizontally pivoted to said carrier at the terminus of the trumpet.

11. A unitary recording mechanism for a disc type phonograph having a turntable, comprising in combination an attaching member mounted on the phonograph cabinet, a guide arm pivoted to the attaching member to swing horizontally over the turntable, a recording sound box and sound receiving trumpet sustained on said guide arm, a feed screw pivoted to the attaching member to swing horizontally over the turntable, a threaded member engaging said screw to cause swinging ofthe sound box and guide arm when the screw is rotated, and means driven by the turntable for revolving the screw, said means being carried by the attaching member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM M. VENABLE.

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