US1810883A - Phonograph - Google Patents

Description

PHONOGRAPH Filed Oct. 19, 1927 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Hull IN V EN TOR.

June 16, 1931. JOHNSON v r 1,810,883

PHONOGRAPH Filed Oct. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented June 16,1931

UNETE stares PATENT DFFI CE ARTHUR A. 3021313023, F BR'IDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DIGTAPHONE COR- ]?ORATION, 0F BRIDGEPQRT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK rnonoenarn Application filed October 19, 1927. Serial No. 227,123.

inoperative when that condition exists, so that the operator will not attempt to record matter on a record when the record rotating means 1s, for any reason, incapable of rotatmg the record, in which case, of course, no recording could be effected.

lfhile this failure of the machine is rare, yet it may result when the supply of electric current to the mandrel rotating motor is interrupted by the burning out of a fuse, the

': disconnection of an attachment plug, the

breaking of a wire, or the breaking of the motor circuit by a switch; when the motor itself is burnt-out or its armature is frozen in the bearing, or the brushes become inoperative; or when the drivingconnections for the motor are disconnected or inoperative. And when the machine does so fail to record, the operator, being unapprised of the fact, may dictate for a protracted period without recording, thus wasting his time and energy,

and necessitating. repetition of his statements with the same force and eifect which is a difficult and trying task, as is well known.

According to the present invention, the op erator is warned that the machine is not running when he attempts, as is the practice and custom, to start the mandrel rotating by pushinga button or pedal at the moment he desires to record. The operator may be warned. in several ways, within the scope of this invent-ion, for instance by the button being locked against operation, or by a signal rendered operative by operation of the button when the machine is not running.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form ofthe present invention- Figure 1 is a rear view, partly in section,

of a dictation machine, with the present invention applied thereto, with the parts in the positions they occupy when the machine is in running condition.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view, taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1, and shows parts in the positions they occupy when the machine is not running. 7 V Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the operating parts of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional'view of the switch operating lever locking device, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

The dictation machine shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a main frame 9, the lower portion of which is in the form of a flat plate which serves as a cover for the casing 10, and the upper section of which supports upper and lower guide rods 11 and 12 upon which a soundbox carriage 13 is adapted to slide to and fro longitudinally of the machine to carry a sound-box 14: over thesurface of the record.

15, mounted on a record-support 16 having a shaft 17 rotatably mounted in a housing 18 forming part of the main frame 10.

Longitudinal movement of the carriage 13 and sound-box la over the record surface is I accomplished by a rotating fecdscrew19 engaged with a feed-nut 20 carried by the carriage13. V

'The sound-box 14 is, as usual, provided with a recording stylus 21 and areproducing stylus 22, and is adapted to be conditioned for either recording or reproducing or neither recording nor reproducing, by operation of the control lever 23.

Sound is collected and transmitted to the sound-box 14 by means of a speaking tube 24 connected with a sound-box casing 25' at one end, and having at its other end a handle 26 provided with a'mouthpiece 27, as

shownin Fig. 2. Thus, when the operatordictates, sound is received by the mouthpiece 27 and passes through thetube 24 to the sound-box 1a where it-actuates the recording stylus 21 which, in turn, cuts helical sound grooves infthe record while the record-sup portjrotates and the carriage and sound-box moves over the record-surface.

In the construction shown, movement of the carriage 13 and rotation of the record support 16 is'effected by means of a driving device, such as a rotating pulley 28, which is loose on the mandrel shaft 17. but which can be operatively connected therewith by a clutch 29 actuated by means hereinafter described. This pulley 28 is driven through a connecting belt 30 by an electric motor 31 supported on the flat plate portion of the main frame 9 and concealed within the casing 10.

The electric motor is supplied with electric mrrent by a pair of wires 32 connected to a removable attachment plug 33 which fits in a socket 34 mounted on the dictation machine. From the socket 34, a lead wire 35 may be,

as shown, connected directly with the motor 31 and the other lead wire 36 connected with a switch 37, and from the switch a lead wire 38 carries the current to the motor to complete the circuit.

This switch is provided so that it may be made inoperative from a point on the machine without interrupting'the main source of supply, and may, of course, be of any suitable type; but, as shown in F ig. 1, comprises contacts 39 and 40 connected to the leads 6 and 38 respectively, and the circuit is closed by movement of a spring supported plunger 41 downwardly, until the bridge 41' closes the gap between the contacts 39 and 40.

As usual, in order thatthe motor will automatically be stopped when the mouthpiece is placed on a supporting lever 42, the lat ter, which is pivoted on the stud 43, is pivotally connected at 44 with a vertically movable lever 45 provided with an arm 46 which engages the switch plunger 41. The vertically movable lever 45 is also provided with an extension 47 which passes through an aperture in the main-frame where it is provided with a spring 48 which tends to force the lever 45 downwardly to operate the plunger 41, and connect the switch to start the motor when the mouthpiece is taken from the supporting.

lever 42, yet allows upward movement of the lever 45 and plunger to break the circuit in the switch, when the mouthpiece is again placed on the supporting lever.

To lock the supporting lever 42 against accidental displacement and thus hold the switch in ofl position when the machine is not in regular use, as at night, a plunger 49 is slidably mounted in a stationary bracket 50 and is adapted to be moved into an aperture 51 in the supporting lever 42 to hold it down.

In order to control the starting and stopping of the dictation machine, so that the ma- The clutch is usually operated from the handle 26, which is provided with a manually operable button 59. The latter may, as

shown herein,be connected to the relatively moving parts and 61 of the Bowden-wire 62' which passes through the speaking tube 24, and from the latter rearwardly and down- 'ward l y to a boss 63on'the housing 18 where the outer member 60 of the Bowden-wire 62 is anchored. At this point, the inner member 61 of the Bowden-wire is connected to a plunger 64 which is slidable in an aperture of the boss 63' and has its front end in en-' gagement with'a beil-crank65 pivoted at 66, and having an arm 67 adapted to engage an arm 68 on the clutch shifting yoke 53. Thus, when the manually operable button 59 is pushed inwardly in the form shown, the innermember 61 is moved relative to the outer member 62 of the Bowden-wire, and this movement causes the plunger 64 'torock the bell-crank 6'5 and this rocks the yoke 53 which shiftsthe clutch 29 to cause the mandrel and feed-screwto rotate. p y

" In the regular use of the machine, this manually operable button 59'is intermittently operated many times so as to save space on the record 15 during pauses in dictation, while the operator arranges data, or for other similar causes. lViththis construction, it is necessary forthe operator to'give some attention to the machine to ascertain that the driving means are operating (failure of which might result from motor break-down, belt breakage, locked switch lever, failure to supply electric current, or from other causes) for he might otherwise operate the button 59 and dictate, assuming that the driving means are operating. a 3

.Now, in order to accomplish one of the principal objects of this invention, namely that of preventing the operator from using the machine when the machine is not in operating condition, as would be the case if for any reason, such as stated above, the main pulley 28 or driving means is not rotating, the present invention provides, in the form shown, means for locking the button 59 of the stop-and-start control device against operation.

This locking of the control device is effected,in the specific embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, by providing a spider 69 mounted on the mandrel shaft 17 adapted to engage the pulley 28, and having an arm or extension 70 which passes through a slot 71 in the boss 63, so that a locking end 72 is in position to be moved into an annular groove 73 in the plunger 64 which forms a part of the inner member 61 of the Bciwdcnwire 62.

This spider 69 is provided with aiplurality ofresiliei'it legs 74 having feet 75 which fric-' a lock-screw 7 9. The spideris backed bya collar 69 on a sleeve 28 of the pulley 28.

With this arrangement, rotation of'the pulley 2S on the shaft 17 in the direction of thearrow, as shown in Fig. 2, causes the spider to'move clockwise against the pressure of a spring 80. Pressure of the spring 8O relative tothe spider 69' is regulated by having the side of the spider extension m angularly disposed relative to the plate portion of the main frame which supports the spring and by providing a slot (not shown) in the base portion 81 of the spring, sothat when the spring is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1', the pressure is decreased and when moved to the left it is increased When the desired pressureis' obtained,the"spring is held in place by a screw 82. r

"Clockwise movement ofthe spider caused by pulley rotation moves the armdownwardly, depressing the spring until the arm 70 engages the bottom of the slot 71, in which position it ismaintained' dueto the continued dragging of the spider 69 by the pulley disc 77. .Thus, wliilefthe' pulley re vnlves", thelock'ng end 72 of the extension is moved clear of the annular slot73 in the plunger 64, thereby permitting operation of the start-and-stop device through the" button '59. j p v V However, when the pulley 28 stops rotating, i. e., becomes stationary, the spider 69 is moved counterclockwise by action of the spring 80, the pressure of which is strong enough to rotate the spider, pulley and motor armature, and thus moves the spider extension 70 and its integral locking end 72 up wardly' into theannular groove 73 of the plunger 64, as shown'in Fig. 2, to render the clutch operating mechanism inoperable and to lock the plunger 64 ZigtllIlSl'flDOVElTlQlli] through the button 59.. The button 59, being thus rendered inoperable, serves as arpositive and effective signal to warn the operator that the machine is not running.

According to the present invention, the warning could be given the operator in any other way than that suggested. However, it is extremely advantageous to warn the operator that the machine is not functioning by locking the button 59 against operation at such time. This button, it should be remembered, is operated intermittently at frequent intervals during the course of dictation, and hence, should the machine fail while dictating, the button will .be locked against subsequent depression as soon as it has beenpermitted to return to stopping position which happens quite frequently. The groove 73 in the plunger is, of course, beyond the range of the locking portion 72 of the spider while the button is depressed. But, as soon as thebut ten 59 is released, the plunger 64 moves to the right as viewedinFigiQ, and that-allows the locking portion 72 of theplung'er-to move up into the locking groove under the impetus of the spring 80. r V r While an electric motor has been described herein, it should be understood that a spring motor, or other driving-means, may be used.

Thus it will be seen that if the pulley should fail to rotate atany time because of inadvertent failure-to supply electric current to the motor, breakage of the power trans mitting means or belt, breakdown of the electric motor, or for any other cause, the

present invention provides a very simple and efiicient means to prevent operation of the button for controlling the starting and stopping'of the machine, and effectively warns the operator that the machine lS'IlOt' 1n operating condition.

.. Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention, and pertions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it lS'ClGSlieCl to obtain Letters Patent, 1's:

1. In a dictation machine, the combination of machine driven means; rotating machine driving means; a start-and-stop device to intermittently connect thedriving and driven means; and means operatively related to the driving meansto permit operation of the to prevent operation of the manual opera in start and-stop device when the driving I means when'the driving means'is iiiopera-- tivc. I i I i. In a dictation nachine, the combination of drivlng means; dIlVCIlDJQfiIIS; a startandstop device to cause connection ofthe driving means with the driven. means; andineans coiitrolled by'the driving means .to lock said start-and-stop device against operation when the driving means is inoperat1ve.

"5..In a dictation machine, the combination of driving means driven means a control device remote from the machine comprising. a I hand-held part; manuallyl operable means supported by i said part; and means for preventing operation of the manually operable means on the hand-held partwhen V the driving means is'inoperative. l

6. In a dictation machine, the combination of driving means; driven means; a relatively remote control device .to connect and disconnect the driving means with the driven means; and means controlled by the driving means to prevent operation of the relatively remote control device when said driving means is inoperative. j In a dictationmachine, the'combination of driving means; driven means; a clutch to connect the driving means with the driven means; a co'ntroldevice to actuate the clutch comprising a Bo-wden-wire; and means controlled by the driving means for locking the Bowden-wire to prevent operation of the control device when the driving means is .inoperative. 5 7 8; In a dictation machine, the combination of driving means; driven means; a control device; and means frictionally engagingthe driving means for preventingoperation of thercontrol device when inoperative. g

'9. In a dictation machine,:the combination of machine driving means,fa driven means; a control device; means comprising a spider in frictional engagement with and controlled by the driving means; a spring, said spider and spring adapted. to prevent operationof the control device whenlthe driving means is inoperative; and means foradjusting the friction between the spider and the driving means; r 10. In a dictation machine, the rcombina tion of machine'driving means comprising a rotatablymounted pulley 1 driven means a control device; means .related'to'the control the driving-means is device comprising a spider'in engagement l with and controlled by said pulley for allowing. operation of the control device when the pulley is operative; and aspring for moving said spider and drivingmea-ns to prevent operation of the control device when the driving means is inoperative.

11. In a dictation machine, the combination of machinedriving means comprising a rotatablymounted pulley; driven means; a control device; means related to the control device comprising a spider in engagement with and controlledby said pulley for allowing operation ofthe controlidevice when the pulley is operative; a spring; formoving said spider and; driving means to prevent operationofrthe control device spider. 0' a i 12. In a dictation mach1ne,driv1ng means;

warn the operator that the machine is inoperative:

the motor is interrupted at'the source or by movement of the switch to ofi position-,or

'when the driving connections between the motor and the driven shaft are inoperative. 14. In a dictation machine, the combination of an electric motor; a driven shaft;

driving connections between the driven shaft and the motor comprising a manually ope'r: able ,clutch mechanism; and means for pre venting operation of saidmanually operable clutch mechanism when said motor is inoperative 1'5.v In a dictation machine, V-the combinaktion 'ofan electric motor; a' driven shaft;

driving'connections between the driven shaft and the motor comprising a manually oper- I able clutch mechanism; a ,motor switch; means for locking the motor switch 1noifl position; and meansvfor preventing opera= tion of said manually operable clutch mechanism when said motor switch is lOcked'in ofPposition, V

I 16. Ina dictation machine, the comloina tion of a motor a drivenshaft; driving connections between the driven shaft and: the motor'comprising a manually operableclutch mechanism and a driving belt ;1and means for preventing operation of, said manually operable clutch mechanism when said belt is inoperative.

'17. In a dictation machine, the combina' tion of driving means andmeanscomprising a friction clutch to warn the operator when the dri'vingmeans is inoperative.

18. In a dictatlonmachme, the combination of adriving wheel; and means frictions i .ally engaging said driving wheel and nor.-

.mally occupying a one position when the driv-- ing wheel isrotating; andanother position when the driving wheel is not rotating.

Signed a] Bridgeport, in the county-of Fai'rfi'eld and State of Connecticut, this 18th -dayofOctober,'1927.-

ARTHUR A. JoHNsoN.

when the driving means ls inoperatlve; and means for ad nst- 1mg the pressure of the springrelative-to the

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