US1489494A - Sound-reproducing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Apri! s, 1924. 3,48%,494

E. u. IWWERKS SOUND REPRODUGING MECHANISM Filed June 5, 1922 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 8, 392 4.

UNETE star s EER'I. u. rwwnnx's, o'rfxeu sss CITY, mssoum.

soonn-nnrnonutnno icnozsnmsis.

1 Application filed June 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Plain U. Iwwnnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, new and useful Improvements in Sound-Reproducing hlechanisni; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de soription of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it up pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to sound reproducingmachines, and particularly to a machine in which the undulations in a phonographic record transmit vibrations to a sounding ele-' ment through the medium of a stylus, a vibrator barconnected to a plurality of strings, and the said strings connected longitudinal- 1y to a resonator. a body about the size and shape of a cello, which, through the oombination above given, audibly delivers sounds of great volume and clear and mellow tone, and achieves thiswith perfect instrumental balance, eliminating that peculiarly characteristic phonographic tone, anchiurthermore. reproducing sounds without any extra adjustable device from both vertical and horizontal undulations on phonographic records with like accuracy.

The novel construction of the invention will be apparent by reference to the follow ing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sound reproducing mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional View through the sound box, the strings being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the. st rings and part, of the stylus bar, and means for connecting the stylus bar to the strings.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of theadjusting nuts For the strings.

Fig. 5 is a detail view ot'oncolthe bridges, part of the sound box and the strings being shown in section, and

, Fig. (i is a View partly in elevation showing the anchor plate connected to a. flexible finger at right angles to the vibrating bar forming' a fulcrum for the vibrating bar, the bar being shown in section.

have invented certain 1922. Serial 1*:0. E i-35,946.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference:

1 designates cabmetcontaming suitable mechanism for rotating the turntable 2.

Upon the turntable may be located a disk 3 provided with the usual. grooves having undulations corresponding to the recorded vibrations of the particular selection transmitted thereto.

The sound reproducing mechanism is shown as consisting of a standard 4 on which is a sleeve 5 adapted to be adjusted with respect to the standard through the medium of a collar 6 and a setscrew 7. The sleeve 5 carries an arm 8 having a lateral supporting member S, to which is secured by an articulated jointlO a sound box 11. The sound box is shown as conforming structurslly'to a stringed instrument body, for

example, a violin.

At the respective 6Ild5 '0f the body are posts 12 and 13, which may be secured to j the body in any suitable manner. The ends of the posts or anchor bars 12 and 13 project beyond the face of the sound box body and have perforations to receive a plurality of strings, for example. such as is designated by the reference numerals 4.15 and 16. Each of the strings has one end fastened. to one of the posts 12 or 18 and the other end provided with a. thread to receive an ad'usting nut whereby tension can be provide for the strings. In the illustration the Strings and 16 are fastened to the post l3'and project through the post 12 so that their threaded ends may receive adjusting nuts 1? and 18. The string 15is fastened to the post 12 and it projects through the post'13 and is provided with an ad'justing nut 19 A section of one of the adjusting nuts, for example, 18, is shown in Fig. 2; as provided with ,a square recessed end 20 to receive the end of a clock key so that the nut can be turned on its string and thereby cause the end of the nut to bear against one of the Bill) numher of vibrations co.

spect to one another so that, eaehl 4 ports only one string and since he s are positioned on different iou parts of the sound box, it will be a parent that each string will be pitchcl difieicntly. The string? a; connected to a vibrating our 24, having a bifurcated end to arc-yids a slot 26 in which the strings may be received, the bifurcated portion of the vibrating haibeing fastened to the strinqs by connecting and spaeingscrews 27, 28 and '29 which maintain the strings in spaced relzmm and also assist in clamping the bifurcated portion of the vibrating bar 24 to them. T he free end of the vibrating bar is rigidly iastoned to a finger 30 on a plate 3L ri idly connected to the sound box, the linger pro viding for the torque of the vibrating bar 2% and allowing relative vibration thereof as it not only constitutes a support but also a slight fulcruiuing medium for the bar, i i it h the construction shown herein, the device is adapted for remu'ds having vertical or horirontal unduiations, Eat the lower end of the car may be secured a stylus 32 to be received in the groovesof the 112.0 95.

(3n the cabinet 1 I may pro ide a sounc hos rest-1., which may he of any preferred constructionadapted to receive the body of the violin-shaped sound box when it is titted on its fulcrum 10.to raise the si'iylus needle off the record 3.

tunedhy the adjusting nuts l7, l8 and all the strings were of the sa pitch, and s a the stylus Were vibrated in the umlulation oondings to tie pitch vibrations of the string-:5, then there would be tone exceeding in volume the normal. -Honever, normalization maint eiucd by providi'hg; the strings of varying pitches, whereby all the viii ations neutralized because ihe rihra har will never be in ahsolute Vibratory synchronism with one string,- practice l. find this arrangement presides a very clear tonal rcpro election of the selection transcribed on the "record.

connected to the sound ioox, the strings being of different pitches, and a stylus arm rigidly connectedto all of. the strings, the stylus nrrn having a bifurcated end clamped to the strings.

53. A sound reproducing mechanism comprising a sound box, a plurality of strings supported by and in spaced. relation with (he soi'ind box, a separate bridge for each strir the bridges being in spaced longii .al alignment a stylus bar connected to r )l' the strings, and means for yieldingly conn cting the stylus bar other sound. box.

4. ii sound reproducing (leyice comprising a stylus for engaging: undulations of a l'fi"71 (l. a vibrating bar, to the lower end of which the stylus is secured, said vibrating har Peeing bifurcated at its upper end, a piuralitv of strings clamped in the bifurcated portion of the bar and means for audihly repniducingthe vibrations of said strings, caused by engagement of the stylus with the undulations of a sound reproducing record.

5'. A soundreproducing; device comprising a stylus for engaging undulations of a sound i'c tumliuring record, a vibrating bar. to the lower end of which the stylus is secured, said vibrating har being hi'lt'ureatedat its upper end. a plurality of strings securely clamped in the hiiurated portion of the bar, a sound hos, means for supporting the strings. in sneer-d relation on the sound box and separate hridues for each string; said bridges, transmitting the sound by vibration to the sound hoard of'the sound box when the stylus vibrated by the undulations of a sound reproducing record. in testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

Images