US934600A

US934600A - Method of recording sound-vibrations.

Info

Publication number: US934600A
Application number: US43045108A
Authority: US
Inventors: Percy W Fuller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1908-05-02
Filing date: 1908-05-02
Publication date: 1909-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1926-09-21

Description

P. W. FULLER. METHOD OF RECORDING $OUND VIBRATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1908.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

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UNITED sTAr srA T orruon.

PEBCY W." FULLER, OF BOST='ON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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tion with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel method of recording magnetically sound vibrations so that they may at any time thereafter be reroduced.

It is a fact that when a ody containing or coated with magnetiz' able material is magnetized, the intensity of the magnetism at any point on the body depends 011 the amount of magnetizable material at this point. I make use of this fact in practicing my improved method, which consists broadly in depositing on a wire, disk or other body, which is preferably of non-magnetiza-ble material, a layer of magnetizable material which varies in thickness'at different points along the wire or disk in accordance with the variations of the sound vibrations to be recorded, and then subsequently subjecting said wire or disk to the influence of a magnetic field strong enough to magnetize the magnetizable material to saturation point.

Since said wire or disk has a layer of varying thickness of the magnetizable material thereon, the result of thus magnetizing it will be that said wire or disk will have at different points along its length magnetism of different strengths, (this being so because the magnetic strength at any point has a definite relation to the thickness of the magnetizable material on the body at this point,) and the completely magnetized wire or disk will represent a magnetic sound record. IVhen a sound record thus made is passed over the poles of a telegraphone-reproducing apparatus, the sound vibrations thus mag netically recorded on the wire or disk will be reproduced in a well known manner.

While it is possible to carry out my method in a great variety of ways, I have shown in the drawings more or less diagrammatically one simple apparatus for accomplishing the desired result, it being understood, however,

that I have not gone into detail of the construction of such an apparatus.

,Figure 1 shows diagrammatically one apparatus for carrying out my improved mania filed May 2,1908. Ser'ialNo.430,45 1. I

- Specification drums-mm; Patente l-bjept 21-,1909

method; Fig. 2' is a detail of a magnet'for material has been de osited thereon; Fig. 3 are detail of the shield for protecting'the wire from electrolytic action except at the point Where the magnetizable material is to be deposited; Fig. 4 is a section through the electro-plating apparatus on the line w-w, Fig. 1.

1n the drawings I have shown mymethod as it would be applied inrecording sound vibrations on a wire, but I wish it understood that the method herein dmcribed can be carried out in recording sound vibrations on a plate, disk, cylinder or other body. I deem it preferable to use a body of non-magnetizable material, though my invention is not limited to the use of such a material.

For convenience sake I will hereinafter refer to the body on which the sound record is made as the wire, but I wish it distinctly understood that by using this term herein I do not limit myself to the use of a wire for carrying out my method.

In carrying out my method in the preferred way, I pass the wire on which the record is to be made through an apparatus adapted to electro-plate the wire with magnetizable material, .such, for instance, as nickel, and I cause an amount of magnetizable material to be thus deposited on the wire at different points along its length which varies as the sound vibrations to be recorded vary.

In electro-plating an article, the amount of plating deposited thereon in a given time varies with the strength of the current used in the electro-plating bath, and I use this principle in securing the desired end by providing means whereby the strength of the current employed varies in accordance with the sound vibrations to be recorded. When this is done, the thickness of the coating deposited on the wire at different points (which thickness depends upon the strength of the current passing through the bath while those particular points of the wire are also passing therethrough) will vary in accordance with the variations in the sound 1 magnetizing the wire afterthe magnetizable I vibrations to be recorded. While it is pos- I which is connected with the transmitter which receives the sound vibrations to be recorded. The osci-llograph is arranged to reflect a beam of light from a umform'source of light, such as a Nernst lamp, onto a tone chart, photographic wedge, or other screen of varying transparency, and associated with said screen is a; selenium cell adapted to receive the light transmitted through the screen. The amount of light which is thus received by the selenium cell at any instant depends u on the position on the screen into which the am of light isreflected, and this in turn depends upon the sound vibrations. The selenium cell is in the circuit of the electro-plating bath and the resistance of this circuit is therefore varied in accordance with the variations of the resistance of the selenium cell and the latter in turn varies in accordance with the amount of light thrown thereon by the oscillogra h. In this.

way an amount of magnet1zab e material may be deposited on the wire which varies in accordance with the variations in-the sound vibrations.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, 3 designates the wire on which the record is to be made. This wire is shown 'as passing through a bath 4 of an electro-plat mg a paratus 5. The anode or anodes 6 of the e ectro-plating apparatus are of some magnetizable materia ,such, for instance, as nickel, and the wire 3 which is preferably of non-magnetizable material .of good electrlcal conductlvity, such, for instance, as copper,

constitutes the cathode of the apparatus;

The wire 3 is shown as passing over a guide 7 roll 7 situated below the eleetro-plating apparatus and over another guide roll 8 above the'same, said wire passing up through the bottom of the vessel contaming the bath 4. The wire'is drawn through the vessel by any suitable means (not shown), and as it 1passes throu h the bath 4 it willbecome e ectroplateifi The current for the electrolating apparatus is generated from suitab e batterms or other current-producing means 9 i which are connected by a wire 10 with the anode 6. Said-batteries or current-producing means are also connected by a wire 11 with the 'de roll 7 over which the wlre 3 passes so t at the complete circuit for the apparatus comprises the batteries 9, wire 10,

'- selenium ce 16 0 any. suitable or usual construction which is preferably situated at the focal point of a condensing lens 17.- Associated with-this lens 17 is a screen 18, the transparency of which varies- )rogressivel from one point to nnother, sai( screen pre erably being least trans arent at the central portion thereof, but iaving the reatest transparency at the edges therco This screen is situated to receive a beam ofli ht reflected from the mirror 19 of an osci logra 11 200i any suitable construction. This osci lograph is shown diagrammatically only in Fig. 1, and it comprises the usual mirror 19 carried by the wires 21 which extend between the poles of a magnet 22, said wires being shown as passing over knife-edge bearings 23.. The wires 21 are in a loop forming part of a circuit 24.

25 designates a constant sourceof illumi-.

nation such as a Nernst lamp, and 260 is a condensing lens arranged to' focus the beam of li ht from the lamp 25 onto the mirror 19. Whenever the current in the circuit 24 varies the wires 21 and the mirror 19 will be deflected more or less according to the variations in the current and since the mirror is situated to receive the beam of light from the lamp 25 and reflect said light onto the screen 1.8 any deflection of the mirror will cause a displacement on the screen of the reflected beam of light. The current in the circuit 24 is arranged to be varied in accordance with variations in the sound vibrations of the sound to be recorded, and for this purpose the circuit 24 is connected with a telephone transmitter 29, this preferably being done through the primary 27 and secondary 26 of a transformer,the secondary 26 of the transformer being in the circuit 24, and the primary 27 of the transformer being in the telephone circuit 28 that includes the transmitter 29. Any sound vibrations received by the sound transmitter 29 will cause variations in the current in the telephone circuit 28, and such variations operate through the transformer 26, '27 to cause corresponding variations in the current in the circuit 24.

These variations in the circuit 24 cause a cor responding vibration of the mirror 19 and thus the reflected beam of light is displaced on the screen 18, the displacement varying from one side to the other of the center in accordance with the sound vibrations received by the transmitter. The light which is transmitted through the screen 18 is re ceived by the condensing lens 17 and focused onto the selenium-cell l6 and the arrangemetal deposited on the wire 3 as thelatter is eeaeoe drawn throu h the bath 4: will vary in accordance wit the variations in the sound vibrations received by the transmitter 29. After the wire 3 has been drawn through the bath 4, therefore, it will have on it a coating of nickel or other magnetizable material the thickness of which at difi'erent points along the wire varies in accordance with the variations in sound vibrations received by the transmitter 29. v

After the wire has been drawn through the electro-platin apparatus it is magnetized by a magnet'c field of suiiicient strength to magnetize the coating of magnetizable material to saturation. This may be done conveniently by passing it betweem the

oles

30 and 31 of a magnet 32 having a uni 'orm magnetic field. The extent to which the wire is magnetized at any point is determined by the amount of magnetizable mate-' rial on the wire at this point and therefore when the wire has been completely magnetized it will have extended along its length amounts of magnetism which vary in accordance with the variations in the thickness of the magnetizable material, or, in other words, it will have along its len th magnetism which varies in intensity at different points in accordance with variations in the sound vibrations received by the transmitter. In this way a magnetic sound record is produced which can be used in an ordinary telegraphone-reproducing apparatus for the purpose of reproducing the sounds received by the transmitter.

My method is adapted for making simultaneously a plurality of records of the same sound vibrations, for it is perfectly feasible to pass through the electro-plating apparatus a plurality of wires simultaneously,

' and if this is done, each wire will receive a similar coating of magnetizable material which varies in thickness in accordance with the variations in sound vibrations. To do this merely requires the placing in the bath of a plurality of the protecting

tubes

12 and 13, as shown in Fig. 4, and running a wire through each one of these tubes. All of these wires could then be simultaneously magnetized by means of a magnet having the shape shown in Fig. 2 wherein the

poles

30, 31 are of a suflicient length to permit a plurality of wires 3 to pass between them simultaneously.

It is not essential to my invention that the oscillograph method be employed for securing variations in the current throu h the electro-plating apparatus correspond mg to variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded, for since I believe I am'the first to provide any means for varying the amount of magnetizable material deposited on the wire by the variations in sound vibrations to be recorded, I desire to claim this feature broadly regardless of the apparatus em-- ployed for converting the energy of the sound vibrations into varying electrical energy adapted to vary the amount of material dcposited on the wire. The oscillograph method, however, constitutes a convenient way of securing this end. Nelther 1s it essential to my invention that the body on which the sound record is made should be in the form of a wire, although a wire has advantages over a disl-nplate or other shaped body in the ease with which it may be manipulated and in the length of the record which may be readily placed thereon.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is V 1. The step in the method of producing sound records which consists in' depositing ona body a layer of non-magnetized magnetizable material which varies in thickness at different points in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded.

2. The method of producing sound records which consists in depositing on a body a layer of magnetizable material which varies in thickness at different points in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded and then subjecting said body to a uniform magnetic influence to form a permanent magnetic record.

3. The steps in the method of producing a sound record which consist in depositing a layer of non-magnetized magnetizable material on a body and causing said layer ,.to have a thickness which varies at different points on the body in accordance with the variations of the sound vibrations to be recorded.

4;. The method of producing a sound record which consists in depositing a layer of magnetizable material on a body and causing said layer to have a thickness which varies at different points on the body in accordance with the variations of the sound vibrations to be recorded and then magnetizing said layer by means of a uniform magnetic field thereby to form a permanent magnetic record.

5. The steps in the process of producing a sound record which consist in passing a body through an electro-plating apparatus adapted to deposit thereon a layer of magnetizable material and causing the current through the apparatus to vary in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded.

6. The method of producing a sound record which consists in passing a body through an electro-plating apparatus adapted to deposit thereon a layer of magnetizable material and causing the current through the apparatus to vary in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded and then magnetizing said layer by vertin the sound vibrations to be recorded into elec trical ener y and causing said electrical energy to eposit a layer of magnetizable material on a body and then m'a netizing said body by subjecting it to the in uence of a uniform magnetic field thereby to' form a permanent magnetic record.

91 The method of producing sound records which consists in depositing on a non-magnetizable body a layer of magnetizable material which varies in thickness at diflerent points on the body in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded and then subjecting said body to the influence of a uniform magnetic field to form a magnetic record.

10. The step in the method of producing magnetic sound records which consists in passing a body through a liquid electrolyte I and decom osmg more or less of the electrolyte according to the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded.

11.' The step in the method of producing sound records which consists in passing a body through a liquid electrolyte and passa current through said electrolyte which varies in accordance with tions to be record-d.-

12. The method of producing magnetic sound records which consists in passing a body through a liquid electrolyte, causing an electric current to pass through said electrolyte which current varies in accordance with the sound vibrations to be recorded whereby a layer of varying thickness is depositedon said body and thensubjectin'g said body to a uniform magnetic influence.

J 13. The method of producin sound ords whichconsists in passing a 0d of non ma etizable material through an e ectrolyte an simultaneously passing a current through said electrolyte which varies in' accordance with the sound vibrations to be recorded and subsequentlysubjecting said body to a uniform magnetic influence.

. 14. The process of making sound records which consists in depositing on in body a layer of magnetizable material which varies in thickness at different points of the body in accordance with the variations in the sound vibrations to be recorded and then magnetizing said layer to saturation point.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

' PERCY W. FULLER.

Witnesses:

BERTHA F. I-lnUsnR, THOMAS J DRUMMOND.

the sound vibra-