US1362919A - Variable sound-conveyer or horn for talking-machines or the like - Google Patents

Description

G. W. BEADLE.

VARIABLE SOUND CONVEYER 0R HORN FOR TALKING MACHINES OR THE LIKE,

APPLICATION FILED NOV 21.19IZ.

jlfifigfll Q Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

e.-vv. BEADLE VARIABLE SOUND CONVEYER 0R HORN FOR TALKING MACHINES OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 19W.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

G. W. BEADLE.

VARIABLE SOUND CONVEYER 0R HORN FOR TALKING MACHINES OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2I I917.

Patented Dec. 21., I920.

b SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

I nuanfoz G. W. BEADLE VARIABLE SOUND CONVEYER OR HORN FOR TALKING MACHINES OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1917.

1,86%91 9,, v Patented Dec. 2L 119%..

5 SHEETS-SHEEI 4v al fozne q S .G. w. BEADLE.

VARIABLE SOUND CONVEYER 0R HORN FOR TALKING MACHINES OR THE LIKE.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV-21,1917.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BEADLE, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR, BY MESI\TE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGE- PORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VARIABLE SOUND-CONVEYER OR HORN FOR TALKING-MACHINES OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed. November 21, 1917. Serial No. 203,120.

' tion is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention is intended primarily for talking-machines of the concealed-horn type, but may be employed with other talking-machines, and indeed as a sound-conveyer for other purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a variable horn,-that is, a horn whose discharge area and inclosed space can be varied at will. This object is accomplished by providing means for varying the geometrical volume of the born from its discharge end toward its sound-receiving end. The construction preferably, though not necessarily, includes a horn that is substantially rectangular in cross-section, with two opposite sides stationary and the other two sides mounted movably, as by being hinged at their rear ends; and, preferably, the two stationary walls flare outwardly, while the movable walls are of a similar flare in shape.

The invention also comprises means for swinging the movable walls into the different desired adjustments, preferably simultaneously, for contracting or expanding the mouth of the horn; means for hinging the.

movable walls slidingly, so that their front edges can be moved rectilinearly; means for producing a snug fit against the stationary walls in the different positions of the movable walls; and, when installed into a talking-machine cabinet, means for concealing the open spaces at the rear or outside of the movable walls.

The invention likewise comprises the combinations of some or all of the foregoing features, and also the additional features hereinafter recited in the appended claims.

The invention is susceptible of expression in various physical embodiments, but will be best understood by the following description which, with the accompanying drawings, sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention installed in the cabinet of a throat 12, whose wall is extended to drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a machine containlng the invention, showing the partlyexpanded mouth of the horn.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, from front to rear, through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the same, but showing the horn with its mouth completely contracted.

Fig. 4 shows an elevation of the outer side or rear of one of the two adjustable sidewalls of the horn, and a perspective of the adjacent flexible shield for concealing the exterior opening.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of an anchorage I for the actuating-cable.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a detail, showing the connectlon between the outer edge of one of the adjustable side-walls and the adjacent actuating-means.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section, indicating, by broken lines, different positions of the adjustable side-walls.

Referring to the drawings, in the lower part of the cabinet 1 may be the usual storagespace 2. 3 is the upper platform or deck, beneath which is located the motor (not shown), whose upright main shaft 4. .protrudes through said deck, and carries the turntable 5, for a disk record 6. The tone arm 7 carries at its outer end the sound-box 8, and at its inner end is swiveled (to pivot vertically) upon the elbow. 9, which latter is swiveled upon the ferrule 10 (to permit the tone-arm to swing horizontally across the face of the record-disk). The ferrule 10 connects the tone-arm with the soundconveying elbow 11, from whose lower member extends the horizontal outwardly-flaring ugiwardly-flaring upper the cabinet to constitute the stationary'roof 13 ofvthe horn; while its lower wall is similarly extended downward to constitute the stationary floor 14. of the horn. The two side-walls of the throat diverge forwardly,

- and are extended, as at 15;.fand, if desired,

they may even'extend all the way to the front of the cabinet. All the foregoing is a well-known structure.

If desired, the rectangular space between h l concealed-horn talking-machine. In these or near) the front of the front edges of the roof and floor restitute the horn.

spectively may be partly or entirely con- 'cealed, as by a stationary grid or fabric or by a series of pivoted shutters; but, in the tensions 15. Preferably these two movable side-walls are so connected together that they,can be moved simultaneously, but in opposite directions, whereby they can be simultaneously swung together or swung apart (to contract or enlarge the mouth of the horn).

Preferably these movable side-walls are so hinged as to be longitudinally slidable, in

- order -to.,permit their front edges being moved in rectilinear direction, and to ac commodate themselves to the varying height of the vertical space occupied in their different positionsof adjustment. In the preferred form, this slidable hinging consists of a strap-hinge, one of whose members 18 is rigidly secured to the rear face of the side-wall, while the other hinge-member is slidably connected to the extension 15, as

' by a single headed-screw 19 passed through the slot 20. By this arrangement, the front edge of each side-wall can be moved recti-l linearly across the front of the cabinet,while the pivot-pintle 21 slides in and out, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7 (instead of said front edge traveling on the arc of a circle, with a fixed pivot).

Preferably, means are provided for producing a snug fit between the upper and lower edges of-the movable side-walls and the fioor,and roofof the horn. In the particularstructure shown, this consists of a vertically-slidable plate 22, located in a 1011- gitudinal rabbet in the rear of the upper portion of the side-wall, the outer end of said plate being preferably pivoted -to the front upper corner of the side-wall, as by a pivot.23, while a spring 24 tends to elevate the rear end of said slide. The upright strip 25 may be secured to the rear of the side-wall, to guide the rear end of this slideplate in vertical alinement..

If it be desired to actuate the two sidewalls simultaneously, a convenient arrange- "ment for that purpose comprises the two pulleys 26-26, mounted on vertical axes at opposite sides of the cabinet, preferably near the top. of the rectangular opening.

An endless cable passes around these two pulleys, its two members crossing over as indicated in Fig. 3; and one cable-1I @mber 27 is suitably secured to the front of the movable side-wall 16, while the other member 27 is similarly secured to the other movable side-wall 17. Any suitable device or handle, as 28, can then be employed for swinging either onerof said walls (or for moving the cable), whereupon the two sidewalls will swing simultaneously toward or away from each other, to contract or expand the mouth of the horn.

Preferably, suitable means will be provided for concealing the open spaces at the outer sides or rear of the two movable sidewalls when partly (or completely) contracted. In 'the particular form shown, a part of said concealing-means constitutes likewise a part of the means for actuating the side-walls. More specifically, said convcealing-means comprises two flexible shields,

one on either side of the mouth of the horn (as defined by the positions'then occupied by its movable walls 169-17 consisting of a series of vertical splints mounted upon cloth (like the roll-top of a desk),'with suitable upper and lower runways located rectilinearly across the front of the cabinet and extending back behind the rear of the sidewalls of the cabinet. y Each of the two ad jacent forward shield- members 29 and 30 is connected loosely to the front edge of their respective movable side-wall. The particular .connection shown comprises (see Fig. 6) a V-nosed projection 31 secured rigidly to the front of each side-wall, and extending into a somewhat more obtuse V-seat in or carried by the member 29 (30), where it is yieldingly secured, as by a coiled spring 32, whose two ends are secured respectively to the member 29 (30) and to the nose 31.

The mechanical actuation is obvious. For instance, by moving handle 28 to the right (of Fig. 3), this movement'directly swings side-wall 16 to the right, and simultaneously draws cable-member 27 in the same direction; this latter simultaneously draws the other cable-member 27' and the other. sidewall 17 to the left, thereby symmetrically expanding the mouth, of the horn,- while simultaneously the two flexible shields are retracted into their race-ways. Of course the mouth of the horn could thereafter be contracted by moving the handle 28 in the opposite direction.

The acoustical advantages of the variable horn will also be readily appreciated. By

contracting its mouth suitably, the horn becomes better adapted for playing softer tones; and by expanding its mouth, for louder tones. And, in contracting its mouth,

the converging side-walls do not act to choke the sound-waves or produce objectionable reflexes or echoes. The variations in the shape of the horn, and in the size of its mouth,

modulate the sounds emitted therefrom,

without impairing their quality,

It will be understood that the foregoing detailed description discloses merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement here disclosed, but might be embodied in various orms; and parts of the invention can be inverted or transposed with other parts, or even omitted, and modifications in the struc ture and arrangement could be employed, all within the spirit of the invention.

The invention having been thus described in detail, what is claimed is:

1. The combination -of a talking-machine cabinet having an opening at its front, a sound-conveyer or horn located in. said cabinet and discharging toward said opening, said horn being substantially rectangular in cross section and having two opposite walls stationary and diverging, the other two hornwalls being of similarly-flared shape but hinged attheir inner ends, and means movable with each hinged wall for concealing any space between the forward edge of said wall and the adjacent side of said opening.

2. A cabinet having an opening at its front, a variable horn locatedtherein and presenting its mouth toward said opening, said horn consisting of two opposlte stationary walls and two walls hinged at their inner edges, and means for concealing any space between the forward edge of each hinged wall and the adjacent side of said opening. 4

3. 'A sound-conveyer or horn substantially rectangular in cross-section, having two opposite'and diverging stationary walls, and havin ingl'yared shape and slidingly hinged at their inner edges, in combination with means for moving the outer edges of said hinged walls in rectilinear direction, and means for producing a snug fit with the stationary walls in the difi'erent positions of adjustment. 7

4. A sound-conveyer or horn substantially rectangular in cross-section, having two opposite and diverging stationary walls, and having the other two walls of correspondingly-flared shape and slidingly hinged at their inner edges, in combination with means for moving the outer edges of said movable walls in rectilinear path.

5. A sound-conveyer consisting of a rectangular horizontally-opening throat and a horn substantially rectangular in crosssection, having two opposite stationary walls as continuations of t e corresponding walls of said throat and the other two walls hinged the-Jother two walls of correspond respectively at their inner ends to the corresponding walls of said throat, in combination with means for simultaneously moving the outer edges of said hinged walls toward or away from each other.

6. A sound-conveyer consisting of a rectangular horizontally-opening throat and a horn substantially rectan lar in cross-section, having two opposite sides stationary and divergent as continuations of the corresponding walls of said throat, and having its other two sides of correspondingly-flared shape and hinged respectively at their inner ends to the corresponding walls of said throat.

7 A sound-conveyer or horn substantially rectangular in cross-section, and having two opposite sides stationary and divergent, and having the other two sides of correspondingly-flared shape and hinged at their inner edges so that their outer edges are movable.

8. The combination in a talking machine cabinet having an opening in one of its walls, a sound conveyer located in said cabinet and discharging toward said opening, a slidable closure member for said opening, and means comprising a portion of the sound conveyer wall connected to said closure member for varyin the cross sectional area of the conveyer discharge as the closure member is moved. 9. The combination in a talking machine cabinet having an opening in one of its walls, a sound conveyer located therein and discharging toward said opening, of means normally closing the cabinet opening and adjustable to Vary ,the area of said opening, and means operable by said means for varying the geometrical volume of said conveyor.

10. The combination in a talking machine cabinet having an opening in one of its walls, a sound conveyer located in said cabinet and discharging toward said opening, a pair of slidable doors for said opening, and means connected to the adjacent door edges for varying the, geometrical volume of. the conveyer as the doors are moved.

11. A sound conveyer comprising a conduit having at one end an opening for receiving sound and having a discharge, the area of which is variable by means of slidable mechanism, and means for varying the-cross sectional area of said conduit from said discharge toward the sound-receiving end as the discharge area is varied by the movement.

of the said slidable mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. A f

GEQRGE W. BEADLE,

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