US1601425A - Portable electrical transmitter unit for phonographs - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2s,192 e. 1,601,425

H. H. BRISTOL PORTABLE ELECTRICAL TRANSMITTER UNIT FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed' May 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR.

' HOWARD HLBR'ISTOL.

BY 1' I I A 'TTORNEY Sept. 28 192s. 1,601,425

H. H. BRISTOL PORTABLE ELECTRICAL TRANSMITTER UNIT FDR PHONOGRAPHS Filed May 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TINVENTOR. HOWARD H. BRISTOL 'A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED j STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD H. BRISTOL, F. NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A SSIGNOR TO THE BRISTOL COMPANY, OF WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION .OF CONNECTICUT,

roaTaB n ELECTRICAL TRANSMITTER UNIT FOR rnonoe'imrns. I

Application filed m 1, 1926. Serial No. 105,993.

The invention relates to apparatus for 'reproducing sound, more particularly to apparatus of the. phonographic or talking machine type utilizing a rotating record member and a stylus adapted to move .in the grooves thereof. It has for its object the .provision of electrical transmitter apparatus of the microphone type and carrying the said stylus, more especially in the nature 1 of a self-contained unit which ma readily be associated with the record rotating member of a phonograph'and having a movable arm carrying the transmitter member which is actuated by said stylus. A further object of the invention conslsts in means embodied in said unit whereby, when the transmitter is not in use, it may be suitably supported and the actuating current for transmitting the sound vibration at the same time auto- 2 matically cut off. 7 v

A, still further object of the invention resides in a portable unit of the aforesaid type which is compact and so constructed that it will be. stable without permanent attachment and will form a substantial support for the movable transmitter carrying arm. This obviates the necessity of providing attaching means which would mar to a greater or. less degree the phonograph with which it is desired-to associate the unit.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whic hv Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a phonograph turntable and the associated unit, together with a loud speaker device operated thereby.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the unit with portions broken away; and Fig. 3 is a frag- 'mentary front elevation of the unit with transmitter arm cut oil.

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary plan of a turntable and record and a horizontal section thru the unit associated therewith, and illustrates the transmitter arm in operative position for playing the record.

Fig. 5"is a fragmentary plan view of the unit with portion of top broken away and with transmitter arm in its inoperative position.

Referring to the drawings, 1b designates a supporting table or base upon. which'is mounted a phonograph turntable 11 as a suitable means for rotating a phonographic record-12 and operated in any suitable and well-known manner for imparting the proper speed thereto, which record may be of the usual disk type shown; With this turntable and record is adapted to be associated the novel and portable transmitter unit heremafter more fully describedand contained with a casing 13 mounted upon a weighted base 14. The underface of the base may be provided with a suitable covering as of felt to insure against scratching or otherwise marring of the upper surface of the support 10. Said base is provided also with a plurality of sockets 15 for plugging in, for example, the battery 16 for operating the transmitter and a loud speaker device or the like 17. It is understood, of course,

that'usual amplifying means (not shown) may also be included, if desired, in the cuit to the speaker device 17 In the cas1ng'13 is suitably mounted to swing in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane an arm 20 carrying at its outer end an electrical transmitter 21 of the microphone type. The latter is designed to carry cira stylus 22 adapted to fit in the grooves of the record 12 to actuate thereby the diaphragm of the microphone in manner well understood to produce variations in the electrical current, but forms no particular part of the present invention.

The invention relates more particularlyin the provision of the self-contained port-' able unit comprising the arm 20 with microphone 21 attached thereto, the base 14 and casing 13 containing mechanism hereinafter described. For example, the casing 13 will contain a suitable transformer 23, condenser 24 and potentiometer 25, the latter having a shaft 26 projecting thru the top of the casing with knob 27 thereon for conveniently manipulating same to vary the resistance of the outgoingcircuit to the speaker device,

the volume of reproduced sound thereof being accordingly varied thereby. A substantial weight 28 is also provided in the bottom of the casing to prevent overbalancing of the same by the arm 20 and attached microphone 21 and assures a satisfactory support therefor.

In order forthestylus 22 to readily follow the grooves of the record 12, it will be understood that arm' 20 must have a movement both in a horiontal plane and in a vertical plane; and to this end, said arm may be carried by a sleeve 30 fitting over a stud 31 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the casing, said sleeve being vertically positioned by a pin or screw 32'fitting into a groove 33 of the stud. The upper end of sleeve 30, moreover, is bifurcated and the inner end 34 of arm'QQ is pivotally connected thereto. The casing wall, furthermore, is cut away as at 35 to ermit arm 20 to swing over the desired arc n a horizontal plane. There extends also radially from said casing, as by being fixedly attached thereto in any suitable manner, a bracket member 36 in the plane of horizontal movement of the arm 20 and having a curved arm 37 extending laterally from its end toward arm 20, the same being adapted to receive the latter when it is at one of its extreme positions, to wit-just in advance of its starting position. When thus resting upon arm 37, said arm 20 is not intended to function nor the transmitter carried thereby; and, accordingly, provision is made for automatically cutting off the current to the said transmitter lead thereto thru conductors 38. One of these conductors is, therefore, to be opened when the arm 20 is in its inactive position as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawlngs; and to this end, there bears upon the periphery of sleeve 30 a brush member 40, whereby when the sleeve is rotated contact will be maintained and the microphone transmitter allowed to function. However, when sleeve 30 has moved to a position in which the arm 20 is substantially over the arm 37 of the bracket 36 so that it may rest thereon, an insula-- tion button. or projection 41 also movable with said sleeve enga es with the brush 40 to lift same from ma ing contact with the sleeve 30 and thus opens the circuit at this point. There is little danger, therefore, of leaving the apparatus when not in use in a position which would cause current to continue to be consumed and to the detriment of the microphone transmitter. As soon as arm 20 is a ain moved outwardly, the insulating pro ection 41 moving with sleeve 30 permits brushAO to again make contact with the said sleeve, rendering the. transmitter alive and ready for reproducing sound from the record 12.

eon425 ductors therefrom extending-into the casing for external connection, a stationary supporting bracket extending outwardly from the casing substantially in'the plane of horizontal movement of the microphone carrying arm and adapted to supportthe latter, and means moving with said microphone carrying arm to cut off the actuating current to its microphone transmitter when the said arm rests on the said stationary bracket;

2. An electrical transmitter unit for phonographs, comprising a casing, an arm extending therefrom and swingably mounted therein to oscillate in a horizontal plane and also in a vertical plane, a microphone carried at the outer end of said arm and conductors therefrom extending into the casing for external connection, a stationary supporting bracket' extending outwardly from the casing substantially in the plane of horizontal movement ofthe microphone carrying arm and adapted to supportv the latter, means moving with said microphone carrying arm to cut off the actuating current to its microphone transmitter when the said arm rests on the said stationary bracket, and a weight in the bottom of said casing to overbalance the moment of the microphone arm and microphone transmitter.

3. An electrical transmitter unit for phonographs, comprising a casing, a vertically disposed sleeve mounted for oscillation therein, an arm extending. from the casing and movable with the sleeve in a.horizontal plane and also in' a vertical plane, a stationary supporting bracket extending outwardly from the casing substantially in the plane of horizontal movement of the said movable arm, a microphone carried at the outer end of said movable arm, and conductors therefrom to said casing for external connection, a contact brush bearing against said vertically disposed sleeve and included in circuit with one of the said conductors, an insulation projection on said sleeve, movable therewith in the plane of said brush and adapted to engage and lift the brush off the sleeve to interrupt the cirand also in a vertical plane, a microphone carried at the outer end of said arm and conductors therefrom extending into the casing for external connection, a stationary supporting bracket extending outwardly from the casing substantially in the plane of horizontal movement of the. microphone carrying arm and having a laterally extending arm for receiving and supporting said microphone carrying arm against motion in the vertical plane, and means moving 10 with said microphone carrying arm to cut ofi the actuating current to its microphone transmitter when the said arm rests on the said laterally extending arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HOWARD H. BRISTOL.

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