US788790A - Phonographic apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 788,790. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

P. O. PEDERSEN.

PHONOGRAPHIO APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-13, 1901;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig. 1.

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\ WITNESSES:

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PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

P. 0. PEDERSEN.

PHONOGRAPHIG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG; 13, 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 788,790. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

P. 0. PBDERSEN.

PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i 11/07/97/2/7/2/27/1/1/1/1/077/277/77/7'i III/I/l/l/A INVENTOR f NiTED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PEDER OLUF PEDERSEN, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

PHONOGRAPHIO APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,7 90, dated May 2, 1905. Application filed August 13, 1901. Serial No. 71,910.

T0 at whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, Penna OLUF Pnnnnsnn, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to phonographic apparatus, and has special reference to electro magnetic phonographs of the character described in United States Letters Patent No. 661,619, issued November 13, 1900, to Valdemar Poulsen.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby a phonograph can be conveniently used for dictation purposes. It is well known that all forms of mechanical phonographs are impracticable for dictation purposes because of the impossibility of making corrections in the record or of quickly reproducing the dictated matter in order to ascertain at any time what has been said previously, and thus obtain the train of thought at any point where the dictation was interrupted. The Poulsen invention, which is popularly known as the telegraphone, furnishes a ready means of obliterating the record, and as the recording-electromagnet is also used for reproducing it is only necessary to provide means for shifting the recording-magnet back or forth with respect to the record-sun face in order to listen to what has been said or continue the dictation. The obliteration being such a simple process and also'inv0lv ing the use of the same electromagnet, it is evident that by moving the magnet to any desired point on the record and then allowing it to traversea portion of the record which it is desired to obliterate while the obliterating-circuit is closed this operation also becomes very simple.

This invention therefore contemplates the construction of a carriage for the electromagnet, a source of electricity, transmitting and receiving telephones, and an electrical switch so constructed and interconnected by circuits that by simple manipulation a person can dietate to the instrument at any speed. He can go back over any part of the already-made record and listen to what he has said, and if he wishes to make any change in the dictated matter he can obliterate any part thereof and insert, if he pleases, new matter in its place. The speech being transmitted to and from the telegraphone over electric circuits, the instrument itself may be located at any remote place from the person utilizing it, and all that such person needs at hand for the control and operation of the instrument is the telephone transmitting and receiving instruments and a switch of the character hereinafter described.

The details of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a telegraphone fitted with a portion of my improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line ,1; :u of Fig. 1, showing the end of the telegraphone in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of the carriage. Fig. 4: is a transverse section of the carriage. Fig. 5 is a section of a detail of the carriage. Fig. 6 is a plan of the controlling-switch. Fig. 7 is a section thereof, and Fig. 8 is a diagram of the circuits.

The type of telegraphone here shown is known as a cylinder-machine, in which the recording body or device is in the form of a wire wound spirally upon the surface of a cylinder, the ends of the wire being mechanically secured at each end to the heads of the cylinder.

In the drawings, A indicates the cylinder, and a the steel wire wound upon its surface from end to end in a single layer. This cylinder is adapted to be driven by a motor, clock-t-ain, or other suitable motive device through a belt a, which passes around a pulley e on the cylinder-shaft. The movement of the cylinder is constant and uniform when the motor is once started. The bearings of the shaft of the cylinder are located in two another small pulley, o on the axle of the cylinder. This belt is crossed, so that the direction of rotation of the shaft is opposite to that of the cylinder. There is also mounted in the brackets 7) two guide rods or tracks (Z and (Z, placed above and on each side of the rod 0. The three rods 0, (Z, and (Z' together constitute a guide for a carriage intended to carry the recording, reproducing, and oblitcrating electromagnet. This carriage is now to be described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5. On the rod 0 is a loose sleeve 0, having an arm e extending rearward under and beyond the shaft 0. At its extreme end this arm carries on its under side a tooth or wedge 0 adapted to rest in the space between two adjacent turns of the record-wire a. On the upper side of the arm and immediately beneath the shaft 0 is a lug or tooth 6 adapted when the arm is lifted to pass between the threads on the shaft 0, but normally being out of engagement and some distance below the same. Between the lug and the sleeve arm 6 carries an upright bracket 6*, which supports two electromagnetsf and 9, respectively. The magnet f is rigidly attached to the bracket 6*, while the magnet g has a certain free motion with respect thereto, it being attached to a short rod g, which passes through a bearing 6 on the bracket and projects beyond the rear thereof a short distance to receive a cross-pin The rod can reciprocate in the sleeve 6 to an extent limited by the pin 9 at one end and the back yoke of the magnet at the other. The poles of both magnets are presented forward to a block of soft iron '11, forming a stationary armature, so that when the magnets are vitalized the attractive force will tend to move the magnets f and 9 toward the armature. The distance of movement of the magnetsfand g when vitalized is such that when the magnet f is vitalized it will move toward the armature until the lug engages with the threads on the rod 0', and when the magnet g is vitalized the first movement thereof toward the armature will simply draw the rod through the sleeve, leaving the bracket stationary until the pin comes against it. The further movement of the magnet and until it is stopped by contact with the armature is accompanied by the bracket 6* and arm 6: but this movement serves only to lift the wedge 6 out of engagement with the wire a without bringing the lug 6 into engagement with the threaded rod 0', the arm a being therefore in a mid-position. The armature is supported by the rod or tracks (Z (Z, and for this purpose to the upper side of the armature is attached a block j of insulating material, such as hard rubber, in which two axles a have their bearings. On the extremities of the axles are placed grooved wheels (0 which rest on top of the said rods (Z (Z. Thus the armature can be moved in either direction, the wheels rolling upon the rods.

On top of the block j there are secured a number of metallic blocks 70, it, 71 it", and Z1, each of which has two binding-screws and furnishing a means to connect the various circuitwires hereinafter referred to. To each end of the armature is attached a fork i, which extends downward and embraces the rod 0, between which forks the sleeve 6 is confined, making a close tit therein. seen that when the sleeve is moved along the rod 0 the armature and its attachments, as well as the magnets, will move with it.

on indicates the cylindrical incasement of the small electromagnet by which the record is impressed upon the wire, reproduced there-- from, and obliterated. This magnet being of very small dimensions is embedded or incased in a cylindrical block of pitch or rubber, and only the very small pole-pieces (indicated at m) are visible. The whole device will, however, be referred to as the magnet, and it is supported at the end of an arm 0 in such a position that the two poles of the magnet will straddle or ride upon one of the convolutions of the wire a. The arm 0 is provided with two forks 0 and 0 which pass over the sleeve 6 and which are therefore confined between the forks on the armature. To the upper side of the arm 0 is attached a bracket 0 supporting another electromagnet, 70, having its pole-pieces also facing the armature z', but being normally some distance therefrom, so that when the magnet is vitalized it will be attracted toward the armature and the poles of the maghet m lifted out of contact with the wire a. It will now be seen that if during the rotation of the cylinder A the wedge e is in contact with the wire a the whole carriage will be moved along on its guide-rods by reason of the spiral arrangement of the wire a, and if the magnet m is also in contact with the wire it will also aid in this forward movement of the carriage by reason of the peculiar engagement between its poles and the wire, and the whole carriage will be fed along evenly and steadily because the force is applied on both sides of the guide-rod. This is the position of the parts for either recording, reproducing, or obliterating. When it is desired to stop the carriage while allowing the cylinder to eontinueits rotation, the magnet m must be lifted out of engagement with the wire by vitalizing the magnet ]t, and the arm 6' must be lifted to the midposition, where it will neither engage with the wire a nor the shaft 0, by vitalizing the magnet g. When it is desired to have the carriage retrace or travel backward along the guiderods, the magnet m must belifted out of contact with wire a, as before, and the arm e lifted until lug e" engages the shaft 0' by vitalizing the magnet f. Since shaft 0 is constantly rotating, the engagement with its threads will cause the carriage to travel backward or toward the starting-point. The switch It will thus be for'accomplishing these movements is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein 7) is a base, of insulating material, upon which is pivoted a double-ended metallic switch-lever q, one end of which is adapted to engage with live different circuit-terminals, whilethe other end ongages with two circuit-terminals. The switchlever itself is a terminal of one circuit, while the insulated button 1 carried by the lever, is the terminal of--a separate circuit, the wire to which leads through the hollow axis of the lever, as shown in Fig. 7.

The circuits will be described in connection with the operation, which is as follows: The person wishing to dictate to the instrument will have on his desk or other convenient place a telephone-transmitter T, a telephonereceiver R, and a switch such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 The telegraphone, with its carriage, may be locatedin another room or building and preferably at some place where it will not occupy valuable space, but will of course be connected with the telephone through electric circuits. With the switch in the position for speaking (on point 3) the motor is started in any convenient way and the dictation at once commenced. The voice-currents will traverse first the primary circuit leading from the transmitter by wire 8, through the primary winding of the induction-coil I to the switch-point 3, thence through the switchlever, battery 13, wire 9, wire 10, and wire 11 to the transmitter. The corresponding highertension currents induced in the secondary of the induction-coil will traverse the wire 12 and recording-magnet m wire 13, the insulated button in the switch, contact 6, and wire 14 to the induction-coil. The voice-currents will therefore affect the magnet on. The current impulses flowing through magnet on will be recorded on the wire, because the magnet is then in contact with the wire and the carriage is traveling along the guides by reason of the engagement of the magnet and the wedge with the wire, magnets f, g, and It being all dead. If now it is desired to stop in order to compose a sentence or for any reason, the switch is thrown to the point 2. This closes the circuit from the battery by wire 9, wire 10, wire 15, magnet it, wire 16, Wire 17, magnet g, point 2, switch-lever, and battery. Magnets It and 9 being vitalized, the recording-magnet is lifted and the arm a is thrown to the mid-position, thus stopping the carriage. When the operator is ready to proceed, he moves the switch back to point 3 and continues as before; but if he wishes to go back and listen to all or a portion of what he has already dictated he will move the switch to point 1. This will vitalize magnets f and it, as can be easily traced from the diagram, and the arm :3 will be carried upward until it engages the shaft 0, whereupon the whole carriage will be moved back as far as desired, the operator being able to stop it at any point by moving theswitch to point 2; but if he Wishes to hear what he has said he will at once move the switch to point 4 and apply the telephonereceiver to his ear. The listening-circuit will then be from the receiver by wire 10 to magnet m, thence by wire 13 to button 0, to contact 7, and wire 18 to the receiver. Since the magnet is then passing over a magnetized surface, current impulses will be produced in its coils and in the circuit just traced which will correspond to the current impulses which made the record, and in consequence the listener will hear what he has previously dictated. ltwill be understood, of course, that when the switch is not on either of the points 1 and 2 the carriage will travel forward. If now the operator wishes to erase what he has just listened to or any part thereof, he will again throw the switch to point 1, leaving it there until the carriage reaches the point where he began to listen or the part which he desires to erase, whereupon he will then throw the switchto point 5, which will allow a constant current from battery (Z to flow through the magnet on over the circuits 9, .10, and 13, and the obliteration will continue as long as the switch is held in this position. The operator can then again reverse to the same point and dictate new matter to the surface from which the erasure was made. The present invention does not include the indicating devices to show the position of the carriage with respect to the record; but it may be assumed that such devices can be used so that the operator may ascertain at any time how much of the wire remains unused and can de termine at what point along the guide the can riage is to be reversed.

Since a device for this purpose has never been used heretofore in connection with mechanical or electromagnetic phonographs, the invention is not limited to any specific form of receptive surface or body, and it is also obvious. that the same may be applied to a machine utilizing a band or tape of steel instead of a liat wire or to one using an extended surface of steel, such as a plain cylinder or disk. 7

Having described my invention, I claimv1. 111 a phon'ographic apparatus, the combination with a recording body or surface, of a carriage carrying recording, reproducing and obliterating devices, means for causing said carriage and. body or surface to move forward or backward with respect to each other, or stop, and means for throwing either of said devices on the carriage into action at will.

2. In a phonographic apparatus, the combination of a recording body or surface, recording, reproducing and obliterating devices and means whereby any one of said devices can be thrown into use when desired and the record ing body or surface simultaneously moved with respect thereto.

3. Ina phonographic apparatus, the combi nation of a recording body or surface, recording, reproducing and obliterating devices adapted to cooperate therewith and movable with respect thereto, an electric switch and circuits whereby the movement of the switch from point to point will determine which of said devices shall be in action and the relative motion of the active device and the recording body or surface.

4. In a phonographic apparatus, the combination of a recording body or surface, a carriage movable with respect thereto, an obliterating device on the carriage, electromagnetic devices also on the carriage and controlling its relative direction of movement and a switch adapted to control said electromagnetic devices.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with the recording-surface, a carriage adapted to traverse said surface, a screw-threaded shaft adapted to be engaged by-said carriage, a magnet carried by the carriage, an electric circuit including said magnet and means whereby the vitalizing of said magnet will cause the carriage to engage the threaded shaft.

6. In an electromagnetic phonograph, the combination with a spiral recording-surface, a screw threaded shaft arranged parallel thereto, means for rotating the surface and the shaft, a carriage carrying a recording and reproducing magnet, a device on the carriage for engaging the spiral recording-surface and another device for engaging the screw-threaded shaft, whereby the carriage is moved in either of two directions, and an electromagnet adapted to disengage the carriage from I and means whereby when said magnet is energized, the carriage will be thrown out of engagement of one of said spiral surfaces and into engagement with the other.

8. In a phonograph, the combination with a carriage adapted to-carry the recording or reproducing devices, two spiral surfaces arranged adjacent thereto, two electromagnets carried by the carriage, one of which is adapted to disengage the carriage from one of said spiral surfaces and engage it with the other, while the other magnet is adapted to disengage the carriage from one of said spiral surfaces and hold it out of engagement with both of said spiral surfaces, for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination with a phonograph and its recording and reproducing devices, of acarriage for said devices, speaking and listening instruments, and an electric switch and circuits whereby the speaking and listening instruments can be cut out and in, and the direction of movement of the carriage controlled at will.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

PEDER OLUF PEDERSEN.

WVitnesses:

E. S. HAGEMANN, V. POULSEN.

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