US1494019A - Cantaphone - Google Patents

Description

May 13 1924. 1,494,019

s. RAsMussEN CANTAPHONE Filed April 22 1922 5 carre Raksvmssen Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES SVERRE RASMUSSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CANTAPHONE.

Application led April 22, 1922. Serial No. 556,088.

To all whom 'it may concem.'

Be it known that I, Svnnnn RAsMUssEN, a subject of the King of Norway. residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cantaphones, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for aiding vocal students, public singers and speakers and dramatists, in the development and placement of the voice. in diction and enunciation, and also in restoring to normal con ditions an overworked and strained voice.

I have found that by transmitting. the sounds of the voice from a transmitting member,` the strong, sharp sound in vocal production and also the sound developed in the transmitting horn, have been eliminated, leaving a clear, soft tone to be received in the ears. By thus transmitting the tone it makes it very easy to distinguish any faults in vocal production and in speech.

When speaking into the device, which l term a cantaphone, the slightest errors or mistakes in pronunciation or enunciation are clearly heard and easily corrected.

The device is simple in its nature, no diaphragm or sound magnifying means are employed, and it embodies essentially a hollow member. ear pieces, and rubber tubes connecting said hollow member with the ear pieces, suitable means being provided for supporting the device, preferably adjustably, from the floor, or from a wall or other support.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a face view of my improved device.

Figure 2 is a view at right angles thereto, with the lower portion of the support in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direc* tion of the arrows.' i

Figure '5 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of one of the tube attaching members.

Figure 6 is an elevation, showing a modilied form of supporting means;

' Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the diiferent views.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates a conical shaped hollow member or transmitter, .of hard rubber, fibre, or any other suitable material of requisite dimensions, inthe smaller end of which are two holes 2, in which are screwed or otherwise affixed the short tubular members 3 of hard rubber, fibre or other material the same as the transmitter 1, the inner ends of themembers 3 being flush with and following' and forming a continuity of the inner wall of the member 1, as seen in Figure 4. To these short tubes 3 are connected the rubber tubes 4, the other end of each of which is connected with the center of a disk 5 of hard rubber or other suitable'material forming a part of the ear pieces 6 which are adapted to cover the ears and to support and hold the two transmitting tubes 4 in position. These ear pieces are supported by an arched spring member 7, which is adapted to go over the top of the head and support the ear pieces in position.

The device thus constructed may be supported in any desired position in any suitable manner. It may be hung upon the wall or any1 other support in any convenient way. It may be supported from the oor as, for instance. as shown in Figures 1 and 2. wherein 8 is a base member supporting the tubular member 9 in which is received telescopically the member 10 which is pivotally connected with the member 1, as by a screw bolt 11 passed through the bifurcated portion 12 at the upper end of the member 10 and the depending lug 13 rigid with the member 1, as seen clearly in Figure 3. By this means the member 1 may be moved upon the pivot 11 to any desired position, while by means of the set screw 14' the device mav be adjusted vertically.

In Figure 6 l have shown another way of supporting the device which consists of a plate 15 adapted to be affixed to a wall or other support, and connected with the upright 9 bv means of the lazy tongs, as shown. This provides for adjustment of the member 1 as .may be desired. These are only some of the various Ways of supporting the. device-;

In use; the` ear -pie'ces are placed'againsti the ears, the member l being properly adjusted so that When the person using the same sings or speaks int'o the`s'aid"'rember the sound is conveyed through the tubes el to the ears and thus any faults in vocal production or enunciation are atonce ,reads4 ily detected and easily corrected; thus furnishing.:y ay simple meansof enablingSv the singer orf speaker to notonly readily detect,

any l*defects in diction, 'pronunciation or enunciatioinnbut. enables him to readily correct Vthe same. v lliefsound conveyed tor the ears is exactly the same as that received: in-

the 'membera It is to be noted that by .theuseoff my device the; sound 4isenot amplilied,butI just .the oppositeeffectJ`k results.` The tones are not: amplified; .butlthe vibrations areconcentrated in theirfrelative space. andv when re-A ceived. by. the. ear have been diminished and. the p overstones produced in, `the conical, shapedy body havefbeen eliminated by reason.

of thev passingfof the f sound` through the iezlziblefnubber. tubes, Thev tone, vvl 1en4 receivedV by f the ear, islexactly'as -before ity ena ters.,the devce,except thatit is diminished;

the strongest tones will not be too loud for theear to receive. A

Whatis claimed as new is l. A device of the character described,

embodying a hollow member, means for sup-A porting' the 'same 'with its open end toward the speaker, ear pieces, and ieXible tubes connecting the closed end of said member with saidl ear pieces to convey to the ears, Without ampliication the sound exactly as it is enuncated by the speaker.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a conical tubular member closed at Aits smaller end7 ear pieces, and rubber tubes connecting the latter with the smaller end .of said member to convey to the ears, Without amplilication the sound exactly as it is enunciated by the speaker.

3. A4 device constructed to aid in the development and placement of the voice, the

same comprising a sound receiver closed at one end, outletsfrom thel closed end, ear pieces, andmeans connecting said outlets with the ear pieces to convey the sound without amplification, from the mouth o the speaker through said receiver, outlets and means to the earsof the speaker.

In testimony Whereofl aiix` my signature.

SVERRE RASMUS-SEN..

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