US3387848A - Handpiece controls for dictating machines - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1968 R. K. WALKER HANDPIECE CONTROLS FOR DICTATING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1966 FIG.

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United States Patent 3,387,848 HANDPIECE CGNTROLS FUR DICTATKNG MACHINES Richard K. Walker, (Ionvcnt, Ni, assignor to McGraw- Edison Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 531,419 7 Claims. (Cl. 274-1) This invention relates to a dictating machine which can be selectively operated to record dictation, to listen back to any desired portion of ones previously recorded dictation and to then resume recordation, or to edit during a listening back operation by re-recording any portion of the previously recorded dictation. More particulaly, the invention relates to a novel handpiece having thereon all of the manual controls for performing selectively the above operations of the dictating machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a handpiece having thereon a set of manual controls conveniently arranged to enable the machine to be controlled easily and with the least conscious effort by the thumb of the hand holding the handpiece.

Another object is to provide a control system for a dictating machine including a handpiece having thereon two manual controls selectively operable to record dictation, to backscan and start playback at any desired point, to stop and restart the machine in playback at will, to forward scan from a backspaced position and return to record condition at the prior position of farthest advance, or to edit any last portion of ones previously recorded dictation.

Another object is to provide such improved hand control device for a dictating machine having thereon one rocker control operable in one direction to record and in the other direction to backscan and start playback, and having thereon a second rocker control operable in one direction to stop the machine in playback and in the other direction to shift the machine into record condition while in a backspaced position.

Another object is to bias the second rocker control in a center run position but to detent the second rocker control when moved to stop position.

Another object is to release the aforesaid detent on the second rocker control so that the rocker control will return automatically to run position when the first rocker control is moved in either direction.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a fractional top plan view of a preferred form of dictating machine embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fractional sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of the present dictating machine;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of the handpiece mechanism, showing this mechanism with the housing cover removed;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation from the line 55 of FIGURE 4 but showing the handpiece housing broken away;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 66 of FIGURE 4',

FIGURE 7 is a section on the line 77 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a fractional view from the line 8--8 of FIGURE 4, showing parts broken away.

The drive system includes an A.C. drive motor 10 coupled through a shiftable drive transmission 11 to a shaft 12 connected through a universal joint 13 to a "ice drive roller 15 for a magnetic belt record 16. The shiftable drive transmission may be of the type described in the pending Walker application Ser. No. 489,603, filed Sept. 23, 1965, for Dictating Machine and to which reference may be had for mechanical details. Suifice to say for the present application that the drive transmission 11 is controlled by three clutch solenoids 17, 18 and 19 in a manner such that the shaft 14 is driven at normal forward speed when the solenoid 17 is de-energized, the solenoid 18 is de-energized and the solenoid 19 is energized; in a fast forward direction when the solenoid 17 is de-energized, the solenoid 18 is energized and the solenoid 19 is tie-energized; and in a fast reverse direction when the solenoid 17 is energized, the solenoid 18 is energized and the solenoid 19 is de-energized.

The shaft 12 is coupled through a gear train 20, differential gear transmission 21, shaft 22 and universal joint 23 to a feed screw 24. The belt record 16 is trained around the drive roller 15 and a take-up roller 25 journaled in spaced parallel relation thereto. In the space between the two rollers there is a head carriage 26 for a recordreproduce magnetic head 27. This head carriage is slidably mounted on a cross rod 28 and is driven by the feed screw 24.

Journaled on the shaft 22 at the outer end of the differential gear mechanism 21 is a sleeve 29. When the sleeve is held stationary, drive power is transmitted from the motor 10 to the feed screw 24 to move the head carriage with a forward or reverse traveling movement in fixed relation to the forward or reverse drive of the belt record 16. However, when the drive motor 10 is at standstill the head carriage 26 can be moved in forward and reverse directions at a fast speed-herein referred to as a scan movement-by a reversible scan motor 30 coupled to the sleeve 29 through a gear train 31. Movements of the head carriage by the scan motor 31) are cross-track because of the belt record being then at standstill. By means of a single-tooth latch 31b on the gear 31a of the gear train 31, described in detail in the aforesaid Walker application, the pulley is stopped always in the same posi tion when power to the scan motor is cut off. Each revolution of the gear 31:: produces a singe-track pitch distance on the belt record with the result that the head carriage is stopped always in an in-track position at the end of each scan operation.

In the normal forward drive of the machine the belt record is revolved at a normal speed in a forward direction and the head carriage is advanced at a proportionate speed by the feed screw 24 to cause the magnetic head to define a helical track on the belt record. This operation is called a normal forward in-track drive. If the drive system is merely reversed both as to the belt record and the head carriage the magnetic head traverses the track in a reverse direction by what is called a backspace movement. If the speed of each of these in-track drive movements is increased there is produced fast forward in-track drive and fast backspace respectively.

When a dictator listens back to a selected portion of his previously recorded dictation and then returns the magnetic head to its prior position of farthest advance to resume the recording operation, each of the different types of drive movements abovementioned are employed except backspace. As is later described, a backspace operation is performed by a secretary when dictation is transcribed. As a means of restoring the machine automatically to record condition at the end of a listeningback operation, there is employed an advance marker mechanism 32 preferably of the type described in the Walker Patent No. 3,222,074, dated Dec. 7, 1965. Suffice to say for the purposes of the present invention that the advance marker mechanism 32 includes a stationary shaft 33 mounted as on a U-bracket 34 and provided with a threaded portion 33a at its far end. A pulley 35 journaled on the inner end of the shaft 33 is driven by a belt 36 from the shaft 22. The pulley 35 is mounted on a sleeve 37 which extends along the shaft into a cylindrical shell 38. This shell has an internal web 38a by which it is independently rotatably mounted on the shaft 33. Between the sleeve 37 and the cylinder 33 there is a one-way clutch MC. This clutch is normally engaged but can be disengaged by the action of cam elements 39 between the clutch and a trip collar 40 when the collar is moved inwardly along the sleeve by an edit solenoid 41 coupled to the collar through an arm 42. Extending from the shell along the threaded shaft portion 33a is a finger 43 which passes slidably through a slotted radial measuring member 44. When the edit solenoid 41 is activated to disengage the clutch MC 21 clock spring 45 between the shell 38 and shaft 33 propels the shell counterclockwise as it would appear from the left end of the shaft 33 to hold the measuring member in a home position. In this home position a side finger 44a of the measuring member bears against an arm 46 of an advance clutch switch 47 to hold the clutch switch in operated position. This advance clutch switch has a first set of contacts 47a (FIG- URE 2) which is held normally closed and a second set of contacts 47b which is held normally open by the clock spring 45. When the feed screw 24 is driven in a reverse direction to backspace the head carriage from a position of farthest advance the measuring member 44 is turned clockwise to open immediately the contacts 47a. When the head carriage has been moved through the distance of one track pitch on the belt record the second set of contacts 47!; is closed. In the continuing backspace movement of the head carriage the measuring member is turned on the threaded shaft 33a with the side finger 44a clearing the switch arm 46 in the first revolution of movement thereof. When the head carriage is returned to within one track pitch distance of its position of farthest advance the switch 47b is opened and when it reaches its prior position of farthest advance the switch 47a is closed. Alternatively, if the edit solenoid 41 is activated while the head carriage is in a backspaced position, the advance clutch MC is disengaged to enable the clock spring 45 to return the measuring member quickly to home posi tion causing the switch 47b to be opened and the switch 470 to be closed in the sequence named.

A dietators handpiece H has a head portion provided with a transducer MS usable as a microphone for recording dictation and as a speaker during reproducing. A handle extending from the head portion is provided with the dictators controls comprising a centrally located rocker button B depressiblc at one end to record and at the other end to listen back, a rocker knob K shiftable lengthwise of the handle in one direction from a central run position to a stop position for stopping the machine when it is in reproducing condition and in the other direction from run position to an edit position to return the machine to recording condition while the head carriage is in a backspaced position, and a second rocker knob LC for making length and correction marks. The handpiece is connected by a cord C to a switch box S which in turn is connected to an amplifier A and to the record-reproduce head 27.. Switch box S is adapted to connect the transducer MS operating as a microphone to the input of the amplifier A and the output of the amplifier to the head 27 operating as a recorder to condition the machine for recording, and is adapted to connect the head 27 operating as a reproducer to the input of the amplifier and the output of the amplifier to the transducer operating as a speaker to condition the machine for reproducing.

The machine is connected to a 115 volt, 60 cycle, power source through an on-off switch 49 to the drive motor 10. The coils of the motor are utilized as a power transformer through which connection is made to a rectifier 50 and thence through a regulator 51 to a pair of plus and minus terminals 52. When the machine is to be used for recording dictation, a dictate-transcribe switch DT is placed in dictate position wherein its two pole members 1 and 2 are in their upper positions as shown. This completes a power circuit from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 and upper contact of a scan relay 54, pole 1 and upper contact of the dictate-transcribe switch DT, advance clutch switch 47a, and coil of an RR relay 55 back to the plus terminal 52. The RR relay 55 is thus held operated causing its pole members 1 and 2 to be retained in their downmost positions. To start the machine in recording the operator presses the rocker button B at its record end allowing a record switch 57 to close with its upper contact a responsive to its own biasing. This establishes a circuit from the minus terminal 52 through the record end switch RE, pole 1 and upper contact of the scan relay 54, pole 2 and lower contact of the RR relay 55, switch of the intrack solenoid 18, slow forward solenoid 19 and back to plus terminal 52. The resultant energization of the slow forward solenoid 19 starts the machine running in the forward direction at normal speed. The dietator can now speak into the microphone MS to record on the record 16 in the normal way.

#If the dictator wants to listen back to some prior portion of his recorded dictation and then to resume his further recording of dictation he presses the start button B at its back end to close the switch 57 with its lower contact [1. A circuit is then completed from the minus terminal 52 through the back scan switch 5712, backscan limit switch BS, diode D2, and coil of scan relay 54 to plus terminal 52. Also, a circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52 through the backscan switch 5711, the backscan limit switch BS, diode D3, and reverse relay 58 to plus terminal 52. This completes a connection from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 lower contact of scan relay '54, and pole 1 lower contact of reverse relay 58 to bottom terminal of the scan motor. Since the reverse relay 53 is now operated the upper terminal of the scan motor SM is conected through pole 2 lower contact of the relay 58 to the plus terminals 52. The scan motor is therefore driven in a reverse direction to move the head carriage rearwardly in a cross-track relationship to the stationary record 16. In the initial backScan movement the advance clutch switch 47a is opened and upon a rearward movement of the head carriage through a one track pitch interval onthe record the early advance clutch switch 47b is closed. The opening of the switch 47a drops the RR solenoid 55 to return the machine to playback condition. The closing of the early advance clutch switch 471) has no immediate effect.

Upon release of the backscan switch 57b the scan relay 54 is dropped to return the drive system to normal forward drive and the advance clutch switch 47a remains open leaving the machine still in playback condition to play back the recorded dictation. The circuit for the drive system now runs from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 upper contact of scan relay 54, pole .1 upper contact of RR relay '55, diode D5, switch 18a of the in-track solenoid 18, coil of slow forward solenoid 19 and back to plus terminal 52. The machine will thus continue in normal playback of the recorded dictation either until the dictator presses the start button to close the switch 57a and place the machine into a forward scan conditionor until the prior position of farthest advance is reached. However, the dictator can stop and restart the machine during playback at will as is herein next described.

To stop the machine in playback the dictator presses a rocker knob K forwardly from run to stop position. The rocker knob extends from a hub 60 journaled at 6011. Pivotally connected to the hub at 60b is a link 61 having a depending cam ridge 62 thereon. As the rocker knob K is moved forwardly to stop position the link 61 is shifted rearwardly causing the cam ridge 62 to move against a stationary lug 63a whereby to shift the link 61 upwardly to open the run switch 53. As is later described, the rocker knob K becomes detented in its stop position but can be shifted back to run position at will. The resultant opening of the run switch 53 drops the slow forward solenoid 19 to stop the forward drive. When the rocker knob K is returned from stop to run position the run switch 53 is reclosed to activate again the slow forward solenoid 191 and start the normal forward operation of the drive system.

If the dictator presses the start button B at the record end while the head carriage is in a backspaced position to place the machine into a forward scan condition a circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52 through the start switch 57a, record end switch RE, early advance clutch 47b, and scan relay 54 to plus terminal 52. As a result of operating the scan relay 54, a circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 lower contact of the scan relay 54, and pole 2 upper contact of the reverse relay 58 to the upper terminal of the scan motor SM. At the same time the lower terminal of the scan motor is connected through pole 1 upper contact of the reverse relay 58 to the plus terminal 52. The scan motor therefore runs in its normal forward direction. During this time the record 16 is at standstill and the machine remains in playback condition because the advance clutch switch 47a is still open.

When the carriage is returned from a backspaced position to within one track pitch distance from its prior position of farthest advance the early advance clutch switch 47b is opened. This drops the scan relay 54 and returns the machine -to fast forward in-track drive by the circuit running from minus terminal 52 through the start switch 57a, record end switch RE, pole 1 upper contact of scan relay 54, pole 2 upper contact of RR relay 55, and in-track solenoid .18 to plus terminal 52. The energization of the in-track solenoid 18 opens the switch 18a. to prevent slow forward relay 19 from being operated and conditions the drive transmission 11 for fast forward in-track operation.

When the head carriage reaches its prior position of farthest advance the advance clutch switch 47a is closed. This completes a circuit from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 upper contact of scan relay 5'4, pole 1 upper contact of dictate-transcribe switch DT, advance clutch switch 47a, RI relay 55 and back to plus terminal 52. This operates the RR relay to put the machine back into record condition. The operation of the RR relay opens the circuit to the in-track solenoid 18 at its pole 2 upper contact to stop the fast forward drive and activates the slow forward solenoid .19 at its pole 2 lower contact to put the drive back into normal forward operation. The machine is now ready to resume recording whenever the start button B is pressed at its record end.

If after the head carriage has been backspaced from a position of farthest advance the dictator should want to re-record all or a portion of the recorded dictation in advance of the head carriage he will press the rocker knob K rearwardly to edit position and will .then press the start button B at its record end to continue his dictation. Upon pressing the rocker knob K rearwardly the link 61 is shifted forwardly and tilted upwardly by the action of the cam bridge 62 against a stationary lug 63b to open the run switch 53. At the same time an edit switch 65 is closed by a finger 64 on the hub 60. The effect of closing the edit switch 65 is to activate an edit solenoid 66 from plus terminal 52 via the edit switch 65 and minus terminal of rectifier 5G. The operation of the edit solenoid disengages the advance clutch MC to cause the measuring member 44 to be returned to home position responsive to the clock spring 4 5. The resultant closing of the advance clutch switch 47a activates the RR relay 55 to record position and prepares the circuit through the start switch 57a to activate .the slow forward solenoid 19 via pole 1 upper contact of RR relay 55 and switch 18a so that the machine will operate in normal record condition when the start switch 57a is next closed.

If the machine is to be used by a secretary for transcribing dictation the dictate-transcribe switch DT is thrown to its lower transcribe position to drop the RR relay 55 into play-back position. When the machine is then started by closing the start switch 57a it will run forward at normal speed as above-described to operate only as a reproducer.

If the transcriber should want to backspace iii-track at any time to replay any portion of the recorded dictation she will press the backspace switch 58 into closed. position. This completes a circuit from the minus terminal 52 through the switch 58 and the backspace solenoid 17 to plus terminal 52. Also, another circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52 through the backspace switch 53, diode D, and iii-track solenoid 18 to plus terminal 52. Operation of the iii-track solenoid 18 opens the switch 18a to disable the slow forward solenoid 19. This energization of backspace solenoid 17 and of in-track solenoid 18 together with the concurrent de-energization of the slow forward solenoid 19 places the drive in a fast reverse in-track operation. During such backspace operation the pole 2 of the dictate-transcribe switch DT is closed with its lower contact to short cut the early advance clutch switch 47b. Upon releasing the backspace switch 58 the fast reverse drive is stopped and the switch 18awhich was opened by the backspace solenoid 18is again closed to restart the drive mechanism in normal forward operation to play back the recorded dictation.

As heretofore mentioned, all of those controls which are utilized for recording dictation are placed on the handpiece H together with the combination microphonespeaker MS. The backspace switch 58, being a control element to be used only by a transcriber, is connected se arately to the machine and operated as by a foot-operable control or by a hand-operable control mounted on or adjacent to the secretarys typewriter. The remaining controls utilized by the dictator are located on the handle of the dictators handpiece H in a facile arrangement to permit the dictator to start-stop the machine in recording, listen back to selected portions of the recorded dictation, and either return to the prior position of farthest advance to resume his recording of dictation where he last left off or instead edit portions of the recorded dictation by rerecording thereover all in a very simple manner requiring only natural manipulations of the thumb and fingers of the hand holding the handpiece.

As shown by the detailed drawings of the handpiece mechanism in FIGURES 4 to 8, the handpiece housing H comprises front and back trough-like sections HF and HB which are joined at an intermediate plane P. The bottom wall of the front section HP has suitable openings through which project the control knobs K and LC and the rocker button E. The rocker button B is pivoted at 67 between a pair of apertured lugs 68 turned up from a slide plate 69. The slide plate is mounted through three pin-slot connections 70 (FIGURES 4 and 6) onto a frame plate 71 which faces the back housing section HB and which is mounted on two posts '72 and 73 extending from the bottom wall of the front housing section HP. The slide plate has an L-shaped tail piece 74 to which a thin plate 75 is secured by a screw 76. The plate 75 is apertured to clear the rocker button B and is secured to a bracket 77 at its forward end. On the front end of the slide plate there is a similar confronting bracket 78 in a spaced relationship to the bracket 77. These two brackets are joined by a central pin 79. Secured by screws 80 to the bottom side of the rocker button B (FIGURE 8) is a leaf spring 81 having a bifurcated end portion which is anchored between the spaced brackets 77 and 78. This spring holds the rocker button yieldably in a centered off position.

When the button B is pressed at its forward (record) end a finger 82 at the back. end thereof is withdrawn from the pole member of switch 57 allowing the switch to close with its a contact. Reversely, when the button is pressed at its rearward (backscan) end the finger 82 depresses the pole member of switch 57 closing it with its 12 contact. The leaf members of switch 57 are clamped in an insulating stack. secured by screws 33 to the inner side of a lug 84 turned up from the frame plate 71.

When the button B is depressed at its record end it can at the same time be pushed rearwardly towards the end of the handle by movement of the slide 69 on the frame 71 to cause a lug 85 on the under side of the button to become engaged with a catch 86 on the frame 71 (FIG- URE 8) whereby to latch the button in record position. To unlatch the button the same is pushed forwardly to move the slide until the lug is disengaged from the catch.

Each of the rocker knobs K and LC are provided with inverted V-shaped cam surfaces 87 shown in FIGURE 6. Below these rocker knobs is a cross pin 88 guided in slotted side arms of a U-bracket 89 secured to the frame plate 71. A tension spring 90 between the central portion of the cross pin and the shaft 60a for the rockers (FIG- URE 8) draws the cross pin upwardly against the cam surfaces 87 to detent both rockers K and LC in their centered positions. The center position of the rocker K is its run position and that of the rocker LC is its neutral position.

As the rocker knob K is pushed forwardly to stop position it is detented therein against the centering action of the camming pin 88 by engagement of an end portion of the pivot pin 60b (FIGURES 4, 6 and 7) with a pawl 91. This pawl extends rearwardly past the rocker button B at the under side thereof and is pivoted at 92 to a lug 93 turned up from the frame plate 71. The pawl is biased upwardly into an effective detenting position by a cantilever spring 94 secured to the slide 69 (FIGURE 6). If the rocker button B is depressed at its record end when the knob K is detented in stop position the button is moved against a pin 95 on the pawl 91 (FIGURE 6) to release the knob K so that it will return to run position by the cam action of the pin 88 against the cam surfaces 87. Alternatively, if the button B is depressed at its backscan end when the knob K is detented in stop position a depending pin 96 (FIGURE 6) on the button is moved down against the pawl 91 again to release the knob to return it to run position.

When the knob K is moved rearwardly to edit position the finger 64 (FIGURE 6) is moved against the pole member of switch 65 to close the same as before described. The switch 65 is mounted on an arm 97 turned up from the frame plate 71. Upon release of the knob K when it is in edit position the knob is returned to run position by the cam action of the pin 88 against the cam surface 87.

The knob LC is coupled through a lever 98 to the singlepole double-throw switch 99 to perform a control operation to make a length mark when the knob is pushed forwardly and to make a correction mark when the knob is pushed rearwardly, the mechanism for performing these operations being not herein necessary to describe. The switch 99 is mounted on a lug 100 turned up from the plate 71.

The embodiment of my invention herein particularly shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of my invention since the same is subject to changes and modifications without departure from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express according to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dictating machine: the combination of a dictators handpiece having an elongate housing including a head portion with an extending handle, said head portion being adapted to receive a transducer usable as a microphone during recording and as a speaker during reproducing, a rocker button on the front side of the handpiece along a central portion of said handle, said rocker button being pivotally mounted at a mid-point thereof to enable it to be depressed at either end, means responsive to pressing said rocker button at one end for starting the dictating machine running in record condition and for stopping the machine when the button is released, means responsive to depressing said button at the other end for back-scanning the dictating machine and upon release for starting the dictating machine running in reproduce condition, a projecting control knob at the upper end of said handle pivoted for movement lengthwise of the handle from a run position to a forward stop position, and means responsive to pressing said control knob to stop position when said machine is running in reproduce condition for stopping the machine.

2. The dictating machine set forth in claim 1 including means for detentin-g said control knob in stop position, and spring means for returning said control knob to run position when said detenting means is released.

3. The dictating machine set forth in claim 2 including means responsive to pressing said control button at either end while said control knob is detented in stop position for releasing said 'detenting means.

4. The dictating machine set forth in claim 2 wherein said control knob is shifta-ble rearwardly from run position to an edit position, including means responsive to moving said control knob to edit" position while said machine is in a backspaced reproduce condition for shifting said machine to record condition.

5. The dictating machine set forth in claim 4 wherein said spring means is operative also to bias said control knob from edit to run position.

6. In a dictating machine: the combination of a dictators handpiece having thereon a rocker button on the front side of the handpiece along the central portion of said handle, sa-id rocker button being pivotally mounted at a midpoint thereof to enable it to be depressed at either end, means responsive to pressing said rocker but-ton at one end for starting the dictating machine running in record condition and for stopping the machine when the rocker button is released, means responsive to depressing said rocker button at the other end for backspacing the dictating machine and upon release thereof for starting the dictating machine running in reproduce condition, a projecting control knob at the upper end of said handle pivoted for movement lengthwise of the handle from a run position to a forward stop position and from said run position to an edit position, means responsive to pressing said control knob to stop position when said machine is running in reproduce condition for stopping the machine, means for detenting said control knob in stop position, and means responsive to pressing said control button at either end While said control knob is detented in stop position for releasing said detenting means.

7. The dictating machine set forth in claim 6, including means responsive to moving said control knob to edit position while said machine is in a backspaced reproduce condition for shifting said machine into record condition, and a common spring means operative to return said control knob to run position when it is released from either stop or edit positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,203,000 8/1965 Dollenmayer 346-5O 3,056,606 10/1962 Schueler et al 274l7 2,951,127 8/1960 Pierson et al. 179-1002 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

F. I. DAMBROSIO, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A DICTATING MACHINE: THE COMBINATION OF A DICTATOR''S HANDPIECE HAVING AN ELONGATE HOUSING INCLUDING A HEAD PORTION WITH AN EXTENDING HANDLE, SAID HEAD PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TRANSDUCER USABLE AS A MICROPHONE DURING RECORDING AND AS A SPEAKER DURING REPRODUCING, A ROCKER BUTTON ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE HANDPIECE ALONG A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID HANDLE, SAID ROCKER BUTTON BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT A MID-POINT THEREOF TO ENABLE IT TO BE DEPRESSED AT EITHER END, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PRESSING SAID ROCKER BUTTON AT ONE END FOR STARTING THE DICTATING MACHINE RUNNING IN RECORD CONDITION AND FOR STOPPING THE MACHINE WHEN THE BUTTON IS RELEASED, MEANS RESPONSIVE

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