US2086130A - Telegraphone - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1937. c. N. HlcKMAN ET AL TELEGRAPHONE Filed Oct. 7, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l ,aA/.H/c/MAN NVENTORS-REMALL/NA ATTORNEY July 6, 1937.

C. N. HICKMAN ET AL TELEGRAPHONE Filed Oct. '7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SMM ATTORNEY m NVENTOR' REMALL/NA Jima@ MQ v No n@ ma E n Mm.

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c, N. HICKMAN ET A1.

TELEGRAPHONE Filed Oct. '7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 c. N. H/CKMAN NVENTO'RFMALL/NA A TTORNEV Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-"1ct:

TELEGRAPHONE Application October 7,

14 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to sound recording and reproducing apparatus and particularly to apparatus of the magnetic type commonly referred to as the telegraphone, that is, apparatus in which the record is impressed into a magnetic wire or tape as variations in the magnetization thereof.

It is the object of this invention to provide a compact, readily operable and rugged telegraphone which may be used for dictation, message recording and other purposes.

A feature of this invention is a means for rapidly threading a magnetic wire or tape through the machine.

Another feature isa push-button control system for a telegraphone by means of which the various operations normally required to be performed are initiated and terminated.

In its preferred form this invention comprises a small box or container, comparable in size to the average dictation machine, containing electromagnets for recording, reproducing and erasing sound controlled electrical currents in a magnetic tape. Supply and take-up reels are provided for the-tape, and the reels are driven by means of clutches which in turn are driven from a continuously operating electric motor. A mechanical, tape-operated indicator is used to indicate the quantity of tape on a reel and means, operated by the indicator, are provided for stopping the machine when a reel is full. 'I'he recording system used is preferably that disclosed' in Hickman Patent 1,944,238, dated January 23, i934, and comprises in general transversely magnetizing a thin ribbon or tape of magnetic material which has previously been conditioned by an erasing and polarizing magnet. The magnets are preferably made with removable pole-pieces between which the tape is passed. The polepieces are separated during the threading and rewinding operation. Guides are provided for the tape which automatically direct the tape upon the take-up reel, and automatic means are provided on the take-up reel for gripping the tape and pulling it through the machine. The operations performed by the machine are record, reproduce, rewind, thread and stop, and each of these operations is controlled by a single button. By the term button is meant any mechanical device capable of rectilinear or curvilinear motion. Thus, pull rods and levers may be used as well as push-buttons.

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed de- 1 936, Serial No. 104,384

scription which follows taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of themachine;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine with the front panel removed;

Fig. 3 is an elevation in section taken through the center ofthe take-up reel;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation in section taken likewise through the center of the take-up reel; Fig. 5 is a section taken through the wipers for the tape;

Fig. 6 shows the means for separating the polepieces.

Figure 7 is a section taken through some of the operating control members.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the circuit connections. I

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, I0 is a housing or container, preferably made of metal, across the top of which is a panel II upon which the apparatus is mounted. The supply reel is shown at I2 and the take-up reel at I3. The supply reel I2 may take the form of a double reel, that is, one reel mounted within another, the inner reel being freeto rotate with respect to the outer. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer reel I4 is provided with a number of pins I5 around the periphery thereof and connecting side walls I1 and I8. The purpose of thisconstruction is to provide a retaining means for the end of the tape when the reel is removed from the machine. Without a retaining means the end of the tape has a tendency to unwind from the reel and leave a' loose end which may become snarled and occasion a loss of time when next the tape is used.

Take-up reel I3 is preferably formed Without a solid core around which to wind the tape, but is supplied instead with a number of pins I9 forming in effect a squirrel cage.. This construction is used to assist the end of the tape in binding upon the reel so that sufficient tractive force may be developed by the reel to pull the tape continuously through the magnets. When the tape is inserted into the reel it passes between two or more of the pins, and as the reel is rotated, the end is bent in two places as at 20 and 2| and carried around with the reel until the second layer pinches the first and firmly secures it to the reel. This type of reel eliminates hunting for a catch such as is generally used and also offers no resistance to the removal of the end of the tape from the reel in rewinding.

The soundtranslating units are located between supply reel I2 and take-up reel I3 and are encased in a housing 22, the greater portion of which is shown removed in order to disclose the electromagnets. The polarizing or erasing unit is shown at 22 and the recording and reproducing unit at 24. 'Ihese units are similar in appearance and each is comprised of coils 25 and 28 and retractile pole-pieces 21 and 28 the axes o'f which lie on the same straight line.

'I'he driving mechanism for the reels is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A motor 23, preferably electric, drives a pulley 28 which'` is connectedby means of belt 2| to a second pulley 22. Supply reel l2 is secured to drivey shaft 22 about which pulley 22 is free to revolve. The inner face 24 of pulley 32 is fashioned into a conical surface to form the driving member of a cone clutch. The driven member of the clutch is comprised of a wheel 25 likewise free to rotate about shaft 23 and containing a conical surface 38 into which a conical.

ring 21 of frictional material is set. The driving action is transmitted to shaft 22 through a spring 28 which contacts the side of clutch member 25 frictionally and is rigidly secured to shaft 22. The clutch is operated by lowering pulley 22.

Take-up reel I3 is likewise mounted on a shaft 29 which is driven through a spring 424 from driven member 4I of a coneclutch, the driving member of which 42 is a pulley driven by a belt 43 from a smaller pulley 44 secured to or forming an integral part of pulley 22. A brake'45 is provided for the driven member 4| of clutch 42 to prevent the momentum of driven member 4| and its associated parts from continuing to rotate the reel after a rewinding operation and thereby cause a pile-up of tape between the supply and take-up reels. 'I'he brake is operated by the release of push-buttons to be described later.

Each driving pulley is provided with a sleeve 48, 41 respectively carrying a flange 4 8, 49 respectively upon the upper end thereof. Against each flange is placed a collar 50, 5I which is separated from a second collar 52, 52 by means of ball bearings. An operating lever 54 is adapted to bear against collar 52 and thereby raise pulley 22 to dlsengage it from driven member 25 of the clutch. In a similar manner a lever; 55 is adapted to bear against collar 53 to raise pulley 42 `from driven member 4I of the clutch.

'Ihe driving mechanism for the reel, therefore, is comprised of a continuously rotating drive system, the power from which isderived by means of friction clutches. 'I'he springs 38 and 42 serve to absorb excess torque in the drive and thereby protect the tape from undue stress. Each clutch is operated by simply raising or lowering one member of the clutch.

'I'he details of the magnets are shown in Fig. 6. Coils 25 and 25 are mounted on a bakelite or other non-magnetic support 55 and are apertured to receive close fitting cores 21. and 28, respectively..

The tape, or the magnetic material upon which the magnetic record is to be made, passes between pole-pieces 2 1 and 28 through an aperture 59 in support 58. For ease in threading tape 51 through the machine pole-pieces 21 and 28 are made retractile, that is, they are separable to increase the spacing therebetween. Their outer ends, however, are connected by means of a U-shaped spring 80 which normally presses the two together, but which when iiexed in the center as at 5I increases the distance between its outer ends and thereby withdraws pole-pieces 21 and 28. The flexing is accomplished by a lever 52 pivoted at 53 and operated through a system of levers from control buttons to be described hereinafter.

Before the tape reaches the electromagnet, it is cleaned by a pair of wipers. These wipers are shown in Fig. 5 and are comprised of a pair of. felt, or other soft material. pads 84 and 85 mounted on spring members 88 and 81, respectively. A pin 88 having a conical tip 89 may be made to bear against projections 10 and 1| on spring members 88 and 51, respectively and thereby separate pads 84 and 55. A spring 12 normally biases pin 88 away from projections 18 and 1| and a lever 13 may be used to push tip 59 against projections 18 and 1I to separate the pads.

The threading means for the tape comprises pressure rollers for urging the tape between the Isound translating electromagnets, suitable guides throughout the distance between reels. and the starting means on reel I2 previously described. As shown on Figs. 1 and 2 a relatively large roller 14 having a knurled knob 15 cooperates with roller 18 which is secured to a pivoted member 11. Roller 18 is biased against roller 14 by spring 18 secured to extremity 19 of pivoted member 11 and to a vertical portion of the pivoted member 88. An upper guide 8| and a lower guide 82 are provided to insure the entrance of the tape into the recording unit at the proper level. Lateral guide 82 assists the tape in entering the polarizing unit, guide 84 assists the tape in entering the recording and reproducing unit, guide 85 directs the tape out of housing 22 and guide 88 directs'the tape upon reel I3. An additional guide, such as a circular leaf spring, may be used to bend the tape around the reel.

v'I'he description thus far has been concerned chiey with the components of the machine and the details of their operation. 'I'he operation of each component, however, must be coordinated with the operation of every other component and to this end a system of interconnecting levers is used. 'I'he operation of these levers, however, is quite simple and may be controlled by a relatively small number of push-buttons. In the machine shown, five such buttons are used. 'Ihese buttons are conveniently mounted in one corner of the machine and perform not only mechanical operations, but electrical switching operations as well since they are likewise connected to prongs of electrical switches. in a housing 81 and are adapted to perform from left to right the operations of recording, reproducing, rewinding and stop. Button 88 is used to close rollers 18 and 14 and to separate wipers 54 and 85 and the pole-pieces of the polarizing and reproducing magnets. It does not perform any electrical functions.

To record, it is recalled that clutch 42 must be'operated to rotate reel I3. The record button is, therefore, provided with an extension 82 which bears against extension 98 of lever 55 which is pivoted at 9|, and since lever 55 is the one which raises and lowers pulley 42, the operation of the clutch is thus controlled by the record button. Since the same reel is operated for reproducing and recording, it is merely necessary to add an extension 92 to lever 55 so'that extension 93 of the reproducing push-button may cooperate therewith. A separate button must be used, howeverbecause of the difference in the electrical connections to be made when reproducing. To rewind, the power must be applied tothe supplyreel and removed from the take-up reel. It is also necessary to connect lever 54, which operates pulley 32 of the rewind clutch, tothe rewind button. These operations are performed by means of two levers 94 and The switches are encased Y ated by extension 91 of the rewind button. Thus,

depressing rewind button causes the opposite end of lever 94 to be raised, which in turn causes the opposite end, that is, the'operating end, of lever 54 to be depressed and-thereby engage clutch member 35 of the rewind pulley.

'I'he record, reproduce and rewind buttons are all connected by means of a latch bar 98 which is operated by the stop button. Since the clutches are disengaged when the record, re-

produce and rewind buttons are raised, and

since these buttons are biased to the raised po- A, sitions by means of suitable springs to stop the machine it is necessary merely to operate the latch to release whichever button is depressed. 'Ihe brake 45 is secured to a brake operating lever 99 which is pivoted at |00 andbiased upward by spring |0| (Fig. 4). Adjustable screws |02, |03 and |04 cause the lever to bear against levers 55 and 94, that is, the levers operated by the record, reproduce and rewind buttons. Thus when either the record, rewind or reproduce button is depressed, lever 99 is likewise depressed and the brake shoes 45 are removed from the clutch. When either of these buttons is released, however, lever 99 is raised and the friction brake is immediately applied.

In order to rewind, the pole-pieces, wipers and starting rollers must be separated so that the least possible friction is presented to the tape as it is being rewound. This is particularly desirable since the rewind speed is much greater than the record or reproduce speed. In order to thread the tape onto the take-up reel in starting, however, the pole-pieces and wipers must be separated and the starting rollers 14 and 16 must be pressed together. Accordingly, separate controls must be provided for threading and for rewinding. To this end, lever 94 operated by rewind button is provided with an extension |05 which cooperates with lever |06 pivoted at |01 and adapted at its opposite end 13 to operate pin -68 for separating wipers 84 and 65. Lever |06 is also provided with an arm |08 which cooperates with pivoted member |09, the opposite end of which is forked to provide a lever-arm 62 for. each pole-piece spring 60. A depending lug ||0 (Fig. 2) is adapted to cooperate with head of pull rod ||2 so that when rod ||2 is pulled to the right lug ||0 will have the same effect upon pivoted member |06 as the depressing of rewind button, but that when rewind button is depressed, lug ||0 will have no effect upon pull rod ||2 due to the sliding connection therebetween. When it is desired to operate the rollers as well as the pole-piece and wiper separating mechanism, button 88 is depressed. 'I'his causes bell crank ||3 to be rotated about its pivot ||4 to pull rod ||5 and thus rotate members 11 and 80 about their common pivot. Members 11 and 80 pull rod ||2 and operate the pole-piece and wiper separating mechanism and also force pulley 16 against pulley 14.

The indicator for the take-up reel is comprised of a graduated arc ||6, a pointer ||1 cooperating therewith and pivoted at ||8. The indicator ||1 carries a roller ||9 which coopcrates with the tape on the reel and moves the indicator in accordance with the quantity of tape on the reel. When reel I3 is completely lled, extension |20 of the indicator strikes pin |2| and releases the record or reproduce button as the case may be. In order that the tape may vup reel I3 a few inches.

be rewound, however, when the reel is'full, it is necessary to split release bar 98 so that the motion of pin |2| is confined to slot |22 without affecting the portion of the release bar cooperating with the rewind and stop buttons.

The electrical apparatus used lwith this machine comprises a microphone |21, a receiver |28, switches for effecting the various operations, a motor 29, an amplifler (shown as a block) and a suitable source of power supply, preferably 110 volt alternating current mains. The circuit is shown schematically in Fig. 8. For recording, microphone |21 is connected to the input of the amplier and the output of the amplifer is connected to the recording-reproducing or sound translating magnet coils |29. For reproducing, the output of the sound translating coils is connected to the input of the ampliiler, and theoutput of the amplifier is connected to the receiver |28. The rewind andstop buttons break the circuit to the sound translating magnets, and-a separate switch |32 turns the motor on and off. A volume control |30 regulates the output from the microphone and a second volume control |3| controls the output from the amplifier.

It has been found that the tape sometimes has decided'bends in it which cannot be removed by the pressure of the pole-pieces alone. As an added refinement, therefore, curved gates |23 and |24 are supplied for each electromagnet. These gates are curved oppositely to one another so that the impedance to the progress of the tape through the unit is increased by the reverse curvature and hence the addedpull on the tape occasioned thereby is relied upon to remove the bends. The gates are removable and are heldin place by spring clips |25 and |26.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A supply reel is placed upon shaft 33 and the end of vtape 51 is inserted between rollers 14 and 16. Button 88 is then depressed and knurled knob 15 rotated clockwise to cause the tape to pass' through the guides and electromagnets. The rotation of knurled knob 15 is continued until the end of the tape has passed through take- The record button is now depressed and the matter to be recorded is spoken into the microphone. At the end of the recording, or to repeat a portion of what has been spoken into the microphone, the stop button is depressed to release the record button, the rewind button is next depressed in order to back up the tape. When the desired amount of tape has been rewound the stop button is again depressed, followed by the reproduce button. After all or part of the recorded matter has been reproduced, the record button may again be depressed to ...continue the recording. At the end of. the recording the tape may be rewound by depressing the rewind button, or if desired, the take-up reel may be removed and the tape rewound on a separate machine. The stop button is used whenever there is a substantial pause between any of the other operations or after the record and reproduce operations. Motor switch |32 is operated at the beginning and the end of a complete set of operations, that is, at the time the operator begins to use the machine and at the time he'has finished with the machine. The operation of the motor is indicated by the lighting of a lamp |21 located on panel The quantity of tape on take-up reel |3 is continuously indicated by indicator ||1 and scale ||6 may be made removable so that markings may be made l graph may be used. Since magnetic material one and one-hait mils thick is now available. a small reel may contain enough tape for eight or ten minutes of operation. The tape may be used over and over again and hence there is no waste.

l5 The recording and reproducing is done electrically and can, therefore, be controlled much more closely than] in other types of phonographs. With the improved threading and button control systems the machine is very simple to operate.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of the invention, and thatthe scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, a series of push buttons for controlling the operation of the apparatus and a latch bar cooperating with said buttons to hold one of said buttons in operative position, said latch bar being comprised of two parts, one part containing a slot and the other a pin cooperating in the slot, whereby all of the buttons are released when certain ones are depressed, and only a portion of the buttons are released when others are depressed. ,Y

2. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, a rewind button, a record button, a reproduce button, a latch bar cooperating with said rewind, record and reproduce buttons, said latch bar having means for holding the record and reproduce buttons in released position while permitting the latching oi the rewind button.

3. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the ytype described, a magnetic tape, a series ot push buttons for controlling the operation of the apparatus including a rewind button, a latch bar cooperating with the buttons to hold one in operative position, said latch bar being comprised of two parts, one part cooperating with the rewind button and containing a slot andthe second part cooperating with one or more of the remaining buttons and including a pin cooperating with the'slot of the iirst part, and means operated by the tape for engaging the pin whereby the buttons controlled by the pin portion of the latch bar will be held in inoperative position, while the rewind button may be made effective.

4. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, a magnetic tape, push buttons for controlling the recording, reproducing and rewinding operations, a latch bar cooperating with the buttons to hold one in operative position, said latch bar being comprised of two parts, one part cooperating with the rewind button, the other part cooperating with the record and reproduce buttons, pin, and slot, connecting means between said bars such thatmovement oi' the pin operates to release the record and reproduce buttons but not the rewind buttons, and` means operated by a. predetermined condition of the tape for engaging the pin whereby the record and reproduce buttons are held in inoperative'position while the rewind button may be made eiIective.

5. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, 'a clutch, a brake mr the clutch, e1e tromagnets having retractile pole-pieces, and

unitary means for controlling the operation of magnets, and unitary means fior controlling the operation of the clutch, brake.' pole-pieces and switch.

'1. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, a magnetic tape, separable wipers for the tape, a clutcha brake for the clutch, electromagnets having retractile pole-pieces, a switch ior controlling the circuit through the electromagnets, and a plunger for controlling the operation of the wipers, clutch, brake and pole-pieces.

8. In a telegraphonic apparatus of the type described, a magnetic tape, indi'vidual push buttons for recording upon, reproducing from and rewinding the tape, a reel for the tape, a clutch-operated driving means for the reel, and a brake for theclutch. said brake being operable upon the release o! all of said push buttons.

9. A magnetic tape, electromagnets cooperating with the tape and means for insuring the re- Amoval of undesirable bends in the tape, said means comprising curved guides, the curvature of one guide being in a direction opposite to that oi' the other guide to increase the tension on the tape and thereby remove undesirable bends therein.

10. In a telegraphone, a magnetizable tape, electromagnets cooperating with the tape, each of said electromagnets including a coil and a pole-piece, and means for guiding the tape past the pole-pieces, said guiding means comprising removable blocks, the guiding face of each blockbeing curved in a direction opposite to that of the other to remove undesirable bends in the tape.

11. In a magnetic recording machine, a magnetizable tape, a supply reel for the tape, a takeup reel for the tape, electromagnets between the supply and take-up reels and means for threading the tape from the supply reel through the electromagnets and upon the take-up reel, said means comprising normally separated rollers, push button operated means for puttingpressure upon the rollers to pinch the tape therebetween, means simultaneously operablev with the rollers for removing obstructions from the path of the tape andguides for the tape to insure the entrance of the tape upon the reel. 12. In a magnetic recording machine, a magnetizable tape, a supply reel for the tape, a takeup reel for the tape, electromagnets cooperating with the tape, each electromagnet comprising opposed pole-pieces, separable wipers for the tape, and means for threading the tape from the supply reel to the take-up reel, said means comprising a pair of rollers for gripping the tape and feeding it toward the take-up reel, and a unitary controlfor separating the pole-pieces and wipers and for exerting operating pressure upon the feed rollers.

13. In a phonographic apparatus employing a ribbon as a record carrying medium, a supply reel for the ribbon, a take-up reel, means for feeding the ribbon toward the take-up reel and a core in the take-up reel comprised of spaced members which provide a plurality of openings through the core whereby the end of the ribbon is bent and carried around by the rotation of the reel and pinched under the succeeding layers of the ribbon.

forming a plurality of passageways through the core for the end of the tape whereby the tape is started upon the take-up reel by rotating the feed 'rollers until the end of the tape extends beyond the core of the take-up reeland then rotating the take-up reel until the 'end of the tape ispinched by the succeedingV layers.

CLARENCE N. HICKMAN. RUDOLBHAF. MALmNA.

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