US2611042A - Combined hand microphone and control means - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR 2,511,042

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROL MEANS Original Filed April 28, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l //v VEN TOR ANTHONY C. pE/VAPOLI, JR.

J WQW Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR 2,611,042

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE 'AND CONTROL MEANS Original Filed April 28, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANTI- 0N? C. DEA/APOLI, JR.

Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROL MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed April 28, 1949 /NVN7'0R ANTHONY C. DE/VAPOLI, JR.

anew-0 Patented Sept. 16, 1952 I COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROL MEANS Anthony De Napoli, Jr., Windsor, Conn., as

signorto The Soundscriber Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut 7 Original application April 28, 1949, Serial No.

90,176. Divided and this application September 19, 1950, Serial No. 185,549

7 Claims.

This invention relates to phonographic apparatus, and more particularly to portable hand microphone instrument which is adapted to serve also as a sound reproducer, and which has means for controlling the operation of a dictating machine to which it is connected.

One object of this invention is to provide an Y apparatus of the above nature wherein a single lever is adapted to operate both a switch for controlling a turntable motor, and a switch for controlling the selective operation of a recording and playback apparatus in the dictating machine.

' Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above naturewhich will permit portions of a recording to be played back as desired during the course of a recording operation, without requiring' that the operator direct his attention to the dictating machine.

Another object is to provide an instrument of the above nature having a lamp which is so connected as to indicate whether the dictating machine is in condition to record dictation.

Another object isto provide a dictating machine having recording and playback apparatus in combination with a portable microphone instrument having means for controlling said apparatus. 7

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may be embodied in practice.

In the drawin Fig. lis a front view of the improved hand microphoneinstrument.

, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on a plane at right angles to Fig. 1,

showing the actuating lever in its ofi position,

and showing the indicator lamp, the transducer unit, the selector switch, and the motor switch. I Fig. 3 is-a front view of the same with the actuating lever, the microphone cap, and the re' tinge.

2 r Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly to an unlatched recording position. n

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly and slid upwardly to latched recording position.

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, simila'rto Fig. 2, but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly and slid downwardly to playback position. P

Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram showing how the microphone instrument would be connected to a dictating machine having two amplifiers.

Fig. 13 is a circuit. diagram showin how the internal circuits of the microphone instrument would be modified with the use of a dictating machine having a single recording and playback 7 reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the improved hand microphone instrument is indicated generally by the numeral Ill, and comprises a body member II having an elongated channel-shaped handle portion I2, and a rounded head l3 at one end of said handle portion. The interior of the handle portion I2 is divided into a lower cavity I4, a middle cavity I5, and an upper cavity I6 by means of lower and upper transverse partitions l1, I8, respectively, and is provided with an apertured wall I9. at its lower end.

The outer edges of the lower partition II, the

upperpartition I8, and the end wall I9. lie in a common plane which is disposed at an intermediate point in the depth of the channel-shaped portion I2, and support a flat retaininglplate 28 which is secured to the lower and upperltransverse partitions II, I8 by means ofscrews 2 L22.

A rectangular turntable motor switch 23 is retained in the middle cavity I5 by means of the plate 20, and is provided with an outwardly-extending operating button 24, which is disposed in an opening in said plate.

Provision is also made of .a circular selector switch 25, which has an upwardly-extending operating button 26 and which is held in the lower portion of the upper cavity I6 and upon the lower end 29 which is movably engaged with a hooked lower end 38 of the retaining plate 28 in such a manner as to retain the lower portion of the lever 28 in the handle portion I2, while permitting limited horizontal swinging and vertical sliding movement of the actuating lever 28. The lever 28 is normally urged upwardly to a neutral position by means of an angular spring 3! which is supported in a pair of slots 32 in the edges of the retaining plate 28 (Fig. 5) and which engages the lower surface of a lug 33 integrally formed upon the inner side of the lever 28.

In order to facilitate operation of the'actuating lever 28, the outer side thereof is provided with a serrated concave surface portion 33a which is adapted to be engaged by the users thumb.

The motor switch is adapted to be operated by means of a lug 34 which is integrally formed upon a central portion of the inner surface of the actuating lever 28, and which is engageable with the switch operating button 24. It will be noted that the lug 34 is of a sufiicient longitudinal extent as to be engageable with the operating button 24 at any point in the vertical sliding movement of the actuating lever 28, so that th motor switch 23 may always be operated by pressing the lever 28 inwardly without regard to the longitudinal position of s'aid'lever.

In order to operate the selector'switch 25, the upper end of the actuating lever 28 is provided with an inwardly-extending nose 35 which overhangs 'the'operating button '26. The actuating lever 28 is so proportioned that when said lever 28 is slid to its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 11, the switch-operating button 26 will be depressed, while in all other positions of the actuating lever 28 the nose 35 will be raised so as to release the button 26.

Thus, it will be seen that while the operator presses the actuating lever 28 inwardly to maintain the motor switch operating button 24 depressed, the selector switch operating button 26 may be selectively pressed or'released depending upon the longitudinal position of the lever 28.

In order to limit outward movement of the actuating lever 28, and thus prevent its separation from the handle portion I2, provision is made of ai downwardly-extending lip 35 which is interallyformed upon a. hollow microphone cap 31 secured to the head' l3 by means of a pair of screws The lip 36 is adapted to engage the outer face of the inwardly-extending nose 35 when the ac- Provision is also made of an outwardly-offset shoulder 36a at the upper end of the lever 28, which may be engaged under the lip 36 by slidin said lever upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 10, so that the motor switch operating button 24 will be held depressed without further'attention on the part of the operator.

The head l3 of the body member I l is provided with acircular cavity 39 (Figs. 2 and 8). which joins the upper cavity l6 and contains a microphone unit 48 of a dynamic type which is adapted to servealso as -a sound reproducer, and will be referred to hereinafter as a transducer unit. The transducer unit 48 is provided with an outer peripheral flange 4| which is disposed within the hollow microphone cap 31 and is seated upon a raised edge 42 'of the head I3 (Fig. 8).

The microphone cap 31 has a slotted central grille portion 43 to facilitate the passage of sound to and from the transducer unit 48, and is also provided with an upper 'window 44 to permit'observation of an indicator lamp 45 which is disposedin a transverse cavity 46 in the cap 31 above the transducer unit 48.

If desired, the microphone instrument [8 may also be provided with an a'nti-click"-motor switch condenser 41 which is disposed in the upper cavity l6 above the selector switch 25. The instrument I8 is also provided with a cable 48, which enters the instrument through astrainrelief device 48'secured in the apertured end wall [8, and which has six conductors 58, 5!, 52, 53. 54, and 55, which will be'furth'er described hereinafter in connection with Fig. 12.

The edges of the lower and upper transverse partitions l7, (8 are notched in order to permit theconductors to extend upwardly to the motor switch 23, the selector switch 25, the condenser 41, the transducer unit 48, and the indicator lamp 455, as shownin Fig. 3. Bottom and side channels 56, 5'! (Fig.2) are also provided in the head 13 in order to permit a pair of the conductors to extend to the indicator lamp 45.

As shown in Fig. 12, the selector switch 25 is provided with a pair of movable switch arms 58. 59 which are urged against respective contacts 68, 6 I, by means of a spring 62 and are adapted to be disengaged from said contacts when the operating button 26 is depressed. I

The selector switch 25 is also provided with a contact 63 which is connected to the wire 52 and which is adapted to be engaged by the switch arm 58 when the operating button 26 is depressed. The transducer unit 48 is connected to the wire 5| and is also connected to the movable switch arm 58 by means of a wire 64, whereby the transducer unit 48 may be switched selectively between the wire 58 and the Wire 52.

The contact 6| of the selector switch 25 is'connected to the indicator lamp '45 by means of a "wire 65, said lamp being connected also to the wire 53 of the cable '48. The switch arm 59 is connected to the wire 54 by means of a wire 66, whereby a circuit may-be completed from the wire 53 through the indicator lamp 45 't the wire The motor switch 23 comprises 'a m'ovable switch arm 61' which is adapted to engage a contact 68 when the operating button 24 is depressed, but is normally urged away from said contact by means of a spring 69.

The switch arm-'61 and the contact 68 are connected respectively to the wires 54, 5545f the cable 48 and thecondenser 41 is connected'across the wires 54, 55 by means of wires 18, H.

:ilThe'microphone instrument l8 is'adapted to .be used in connection with a dictating machine 12 having a recording head 13 connected to'the output of a recording amplifier 14, a playback head connected to the input of av playback amplifier l6, and a motor 11 for driving a tumtable or otherrecord operating means .The input of the recording amplifier i4 is connected to the wire 58, 5| by, wires 18,719, respectively, while the output of the playback amplifier 16 is connected to the wires 5|, 52, by vWires .80, 8|, respectively.

., .Thus, it will be seenthat the transducer unit 48 may beselectively connected either to the input of the recording amplifier so as to serve as a microphone, or to the. output of the playback amplifier 16 so as to serve as a sound re- .producer, depending upon the position of, the

.contact 6|, the transducer unit being connected to the recording amplifier I4 at the same time. f

The circuit of the indicator lamp is completed by means of a wire 84 connecting the wire 53 to a switch arm 85 adapted to engage a contact 88 which is connected to the wire, 83,by means of a wire 8l, A mechanical connection 88 is provided between the switch arm 85 and the recording head 13,; said connection being so arranged as to engage the switch arm 85 with the contact 85 when the. recordinghead i3 is placed in operating position upon the surface of .a record, and to disengage said switch arm from said contact when the recording head is disengagedrfrom the record. vIn normal practice, the switch arm 85 may be actuatedinconjunction with recording head operating mechanism such as is shownin the patent to Lincoln Thomp4- son, No. 2,250,242, issued July 22, 1941, entitled Disk Dictating Machines? h I In' order to provide power for the turntable motor 11, the dictating machine 12 is provided with a pairof wires 89, 98 which are supplied with alternating current from any suitable source, the wire 89 being connetced directly to one side of the motor 11. The circuit is adapted to be completed through the motor 11 by means of ,a relay 9| having a contact 92 which is connected to the motor 11 by means of a wire; 93,

.and a swingable relay arm 94 which is connected to the, wire 90.

The relay 91 also includes a coil 95 for operating the relay arm 94, said coil being connected When the microphone instrumentifl and the dictating machine 12 are incondition for operaen aged with-a recom member, whereupon the -mechanical connection .88 will close the switch arm 85 against the contact 85 sothat the indicator lamp 45 will be controlled j by movements of the switch arm 61in the selector switch; 25. When' the operator wishes to dictate, he will merely press the actuating lever 28 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 9, in which the operating button 24 of the motor switch 23 is depressed so as to close the switch arm 61 against the, contact 68; and thus energize the relay- 9] and operate the turntable motor TI.

In this position of the actuating lever 28 (Fig. 9),..the button 26 of the selector switch 25 will, of course, be in a released position so that. the spring 62 Will hold the switch arms 58 and 59 against the-contacts 60, and 6i, respectively. Thus the transducer unit 48 will be operatively connected as a microphone to the recording amplifier I4, and will cause the recording head 13 to produce a suitable sound track upona driven by the motor 11. I

The indicator lamp 45 will also be illuminated, thus showing the operator that the dictating machine is in condition circuit-wise to receive dictation. The dictating machine 12 will, of course, continue to operate as a-recorder as long as the operator holds the actuating lever 28 inwardly, in the position shown in Fig. 9.

However, if the operator should wish to be relieved of the necessity of holding the actuating lever 28 inwardly during the recording operation, as for example during a prolonged period of dic tation, or if he should desire to lay the instrument lildown while dictating, he will merely record slide the actuating lever 28 upwardly into, the

position shown in Fig, 10. d

In this position, the shoulder 36a of the lever 28 will be engaged under the lip 36, thus holding the operating button 24 in and maintaining the switch-arm 61 of the motor switch 23 in engagement with the contact 68, It will be understood that the various elementsof the apparatus will be in the same operating condition when, the

actuating lever 28 is in the position shown in Fig. 10, as when said lever is in the position shown in Fig. 9, excepting only thatFig. 9 shows the actuating lever 28 as it would be manually held in recording position, whileQFig. 10 shows said leverlatched in recording position, r

If the, operator should desire to play backany portion of the recorded material, he will hold the actuating lever 28 inwardly while sliding it "60 to the contact 53, and connecting the trans- .a reproducer, the switch arm 59 will of course be tion,- the recording head 13" will be-operatively '75 ducer unit 48 as a reproducer to the outputof the playback amplifier 16. V

When the transducer unit 40 is connected. as

M odified form -The hand instrument In maybe adapted for use-with a dictating machine 81 having a single again-wan '7 recommend playback amplifier 8'8 m'ereiyby inodifying the electrical circuitswithin said in- 'strument asshown in-Fi'g. v13.

. -In the modifiedi'orm, thetransducer unit '40 is connected directly toa 'pair of Wires, 99, I00, leading from the:microphdneinstrument I in theca'ble '48; and the switch arm 58 and the contact 83' in the selector "switch 25 are respectively connected to wires IOI, I02 in said cable. The contacts 60, BI and the switch arm-59 "of the sel'ector switch 25 are not 'used in the modified form, and it will be understood that the switch 25 may, if desired, be replaced with a switch having a single-pole single throw "struc- -'-ture.

I h'e switch arm 61 of 'themotor switch 23 is connected to the wire I02 by means of "a wire I03withinthe instrument I0, while the contact 68 is connected to a 'Wire I04 of thecable 48. 0n'o'side of the indicator lamp 45 is connected to the wire I03 by means of a'wire I05, while the otherside of said lamp is connected to a wife I08 of the cable 43.

The anti-click condenser 41 is connected across the motor switch 23 by means of wires 10,

are connected to a suitable source of rectified altcrn'ating current by means of a pair of wires III, IIO, respectively, thus placing the relay I01 under the control of the selector switch 25.

The relay I01 is provided with a pair of mov- -ab1e relay arms II2, I I3, which are adapted to "be opera-ted in unison by means of the actuating coil I08, and which are connected respec- -tively, "by means of wires H8, M1, to an input transformer II4 and to an output transformer I I5 of the amplifier 98.

'When the relay coil I08 is inactive, the relay arm II2 will engage a relay contact II8 which is connected to the microphone wire 99 by means of a wire II9, thus'connecting the transducer unit 40 as a microphone to the input'trans 'iormer II4. At the same time, the relay arm II 3 will engage a relay contact I20, which is connected 'to a recording head I2I by means of a wire I22, thus connecting said recording head to the output transformer I I5.

The circuit through the transducer unit 40 and the input transformer H4 is completed through a conductor I23,which is connected'to -the -microphone wire I00, and which has a branch I24 connected to the input transformer 'II4, while the circuit through the output transformer H5 and the recording head I2I is com- "pleted through-the conductor I23 and branches I25, I26.

In order to energize the indicator lamp 45 when the transducer unit 40 is'connecte'd for operation as a microphone, the relay I01"is'pr0- yided with a third movable relay arm I21, which 'is disposed in engagement with .a relay contact I28 when the relay actuating coil I08 is in- 1 active. The relay arm I21 is adapted to be connected to the wire III through a wire I 21a, a switch arm 85, a contact 86, and a wire I29, while-therelay-contact I28 is connected to the Jump wire-I06 by meansot a wire I30, whereby 'ithe :indicator lamp 45 may be :connected with the source 'of rectified alternating current through the'wires I10, III. A-mechanical'co'nnection 88 is provided between the switch arm 85"-an"d the recording head I2I, and it will understood that said connection 88 will operate to hold the indicator lampcircuit open when the recording-head I2I is "not operatively engaged with the record.

The relay I01 also includes a pair of relay contacts I3I, I32 which are adapted 'to be engaged by the relay arms H2, H3, respectively, when the relay coil I08 is energized by means'of the #slector'switchfi. The relayicontacts I31, I32 areconnected respectively to a playback head I33 by 'me'an's of 'awire I34, and to the wire III! by means of 'a branch wire I35.

A circuit isadapted'to be completed through the playback head I33 by rneans of a. branch wire 136 connecting said playback head to the conductor I23. Thus, when the relay coil I00 energized, the transducer unit 40 will be connected as a 'reproducer to the output trans- .io'rme'r 'III5, while 'the playback head I33 will be connected to th'e input transformer H4.

The relay arm I21, is, of course, connected for'simultaneousmovement with the relay arms II2, I I3, so that whenthe transducer unit 40 is connected for operation as a reproducer, the indicator lamp will be extinguished, "thus warning the operator that the dictating machine 91 is not in condition for recording dictati'on.

The dictating machine91'is also providedwith a motor I31=for operating a turntable or other record-driving member, and a'rela'y I38 which is connected to the motor switch 23' for controlling said motor. The motor I31 is adapted to beisupplied with current from any suitable source by means or wires I39, I40, and i's connected in series 'with a movable relay arm MI and a relay contact I 42 in the'relay I38. The contact I42 isconn'ected to the motor by means of a Wire I43, while the relay arm MI is connected to the'wire I40. The "relay I38 also comprises an-actuatin'g 'c'o'il I44, which is connected atone side to the wire I, and at its other side to the wire I04 "bymeans of a Wire I45. Thus, when the motor switch '23 --isjopcrated to close the circuit through the relay 'coil I44, the relay'arm 'I4I will engage the contact I42 'so as to energ'ize'the turntable motor I31.

Operation When the instrument I'0 and the dictating machine 91 are in condition for operation, the 'operator may dictate after first pressing the actuating 'lever'28 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 9.

Theiinward movement of thelever 28 will, of course, depress the operating button '24 so'as to engage the motor switch arm 81 with the con- -manually-holdmg the actuating lever he will,

of course, slide said lever upwardly into the latched position shown in Fig. 10.

If the operator should now desire to play back any portion of the recorded material, he will slide the actuating lever 28 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 11, while holding it pressed inwardly, whereupon the selector switch bottom 26 will be depressed so as to engage the switch arm 58 with the contact 63 and thus energize the relay coil I08. This will result in a downward movement of the relay arms H2, H3, thus connecting the transducer unit 40 as a reproducer, and placing the playback head I33 in operation.

Simultaneously with the downward movement or the relay arms H2, H3, the relay arm I21 will be separated from the contact I28, thus extinguishing the indicator lamp 45 and warning the operator that the dictating machine is not in condition to receive dictation.

While there have been disclosedin this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having a microphone unit and a pair of switches therein, a slidable and swinga'ble actuating lever pivotally carried by said body member, said actuating lever comprising a nose at its upper end for operating one of said switches during sliding movement of said lever, and a centrally located lug for operating the other of said switches during swinging movement of said lever, whereby said switches may be controlled solely :by operation of said lever.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, including a lip secured to said body member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever for retaining said lever in said body member.

3. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having therein a microphone unit, a motor switch, a selector switch, said switches having depressable operating buttons, a longitudinally slidable and inwardly swingable actuating lever carried by said body member, said actuating lever comprising a nose at its upper end for depressing the operating buttonof said selector switch during downward sliding movement of said lever and a centrally located lug for depressing the operating button of said'motor switch during swinging movement of said lever, and a spring urging said lever upwardly away from said selector switch button.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3, including a lip secured to said body member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever for retainin said lever in said body member.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3, including a lip secured to said body member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever for retaining said lever in said body member, said actuating lever bein provided with a shoulder engageable under said lip for latching said lever in inward position.

6. The invention as defined in claim 3, wherein said switches are held by a retaining plate secured in said body member, the lower end of said retaining plate having a loose hook and slot fulcrum connection with said actuating lever for slidably and swingably holding said lever.

7. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having an upper hollow head portion, and a channel-shaped handle portion, which portions are open toward the front of said instrument, a microphone unit retained in said head portion by a cap, an actuating lever closing the front of said handle portion, means securing said actuating lever for longitudinally slidable and inwardly swingable movement with relation to said handle portion, a switch in said handle portion having an operating button in alignment with and adapted to be closed by said lever when said lever is swung inwardly, and said cap having means for latching said lever in inwardlyswung position when said lever is slid upwardly, whereby said switch may be held closed selectively by holding said actuating lever manually, or by latching said lever.

ANTHONY C. DE NAPOLI, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,432,370 Bayley Dec. 9, 1947 2,452,830 Braun Nov. 2, 1 948 2,464,184 Pearce Mar. 8, 1949

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