US1508681A - Sound-reproducing machine - Google Patents

Description

an. IVA,

Sept. 16 1924.

WITNE SS 1,508,681 L. F. DOUGLASS SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Original Filed April 24, 1916 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A TTORN E Y;

Sept. 16, 1924. 1,508,681

L. F. DOUGLASS SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Original Filed April 24, 1916 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR zeaizFflolg/aag y A T TQRN E Y5 "ran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H F. DOUGLASS, OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR '10 VICTOR TALKING -MACHINE COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

- SOUND-REPRODUCING MACHINE.

Application filed April 24, 1918, Serial No. 93,275. Renewed April 27, 1922. serial No. 557,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, LEON F. DOUGLABS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Rafael, county of Marin, and State of means to receive and amplify the sound waves created thereby and discharge them. to the atmosphere, and my inv'entedimprovements have for their primary object the utilization of. such sound waves to cause 1 variations corresponding to sound waves in an electric circuit and transform said vibrations in said electric circuit back into secondary sound vibrations, whereby the primary vibrations (produced by such diaphragm are cause reproduction of recorded sound vibrations and through amplifying passages as desired; and additionally whereby the secondary vibrations may be varied, that is to say, the volume of the sound ultimately delivered can be made greater or less, as desired. Both sets of vibrations are rovidedfor by mechanism which isenclosed within a single cabinet so that the manipulation of the secondary vibrations for the urpose of enhancin the primary vibrations is readily control ed.

To these ends my invention, while it does.

not broadly comprehend the reception upon a telephone circuit, of the sound vibra-1 tions emanating from a talking machine, as that is not new, it involves that basic principle, exemplified in mechanism so combining, in a novel manner, the diaphragm holder or sound box of a sound reproducing machine, its tone arm, and, if deslred, its horn or other mechanical am l'ifier of sound waves, with telephonic recelvin and discharging apparatus, whereby eac or ,all of the desired results, above stated, are produced. The term secondary reproduction, in the sense in which I use it, means the electrically-created sound pulsations of the diaphragm of the telephone apparatus, as distinguished from the diaphragm of the to produce a secondary sound box of the talking machine which produces the sound waves constituting what I refer to as the primary vibrations.

The defect in the known method and means of exemplifying the basic principle referred to, is largely due to connecting the telephone circuit directly to the stylus of the diaphragm holder forming part of the usual sound box of the talkin machine or to the diaphragm thereof, wh1ch results in weighing the stylus or diaphragm, or otherwise decreasing the effectiveness of such diaphragm, by noticeably lessening the volume of the sound produced thereby and he quently varyingits tone and timbre. This defect is entirely overcome in my device wherein the dia hra is free from such connection and t e e ectiveness of the mary vibrations is retained, the resultant secondary vibrations conveyed to relatively distant points, and wherein moreover the secondary vibrations are or may be augmented in yolume by the means hereinafter described. a

In the. accompanyin "drawings illustrating the best form in w ich I have embodied my invention: i

Figure 1 is a vertical section, part1 in elevation, through the vertical center 0 the apparatus shown mounted in a'duplex containmg casing;

Fi 2 is a plan view, partly in section,

of'a own form of tone arm construction, with sound box. or diaphragm holder, and showing the telephone transmitter and circuit connections mounted upon the articulated extremity of the tone arm roper;

Fig. 3 is a central section, part y in elevaprition, of the receiver of a telephonic apparatus mounted dependingly on the inlet-end of da vertically disposed amplifying device; an

Fig. 4'is a section on line 44 of Fig. 2 of a perforated plug through which primary sound vibrations pass from the tone arm of the machine to the transmitter of the telephone circuit.

Referring now to said drawings, 1 and 21 indicate, respectively, the two members of a duplex containing cabinet, of which 1 is of known form and character, w thin which are operative] mounted, in a known way, the horizontal y swinging tone arm 3 of a sound reproducing apparatus. with a known character of sound box or diaphragm and stylus holder 2 mounted on the free end of the tone arm; a rotatable record holder 23 and a motor 24 to operate it. Extending downwardly through a lower chamber in the cabi: net member 1 is a tubular conduit 25 operatively connected with the open swivelled end of the tone arm 3, and serving as a passage way and conduit for the primary sound vibrations created by the diaphragm of the sound box 2.

Rearward of the cabinet member 1 is mounted a second cabinet. member 21, with coinciding apertures 26 and 27 between the contiguous'walls of the two cabinet members. Through the lower of these apertures,

26, extends the aforesaid sound wave conduit 25 which, when it enters the cabinet member 21 is reversely curved to extend upwardly as at 25 for a short distance, preferably in conical formation, and thereafter may extenddntegrally to the open top of the cabinet member, operating in the usual manner as an amplifying tube or horn, or it may support mounted therein, as shown in Fig. 1, a conical or flaring rectangular amplifying chamber 21*, containing, if desired, one or a series of partitioning and vertically disposed sounding boards 21". A hinged lid 22 may be supplied for the supplemental cabinet. member 21, or for both. A duplicate amplifying chamber 20 or its equivalent referred to, is also mounted in the cabinet member 21, the basal or inlet end of the member 20 being operatively connected to the larger end of a preferably tapered sound tube 20 mounted on standards 20"; the lower end of the sound tube 20 supporting the connected discharge end of ,a telephone receiver 17 containing the usual diaphragm 24 and operating mechanism. At the rear of the cabinet member 21 is a door 30 whereby easy access to the enclosed parts is provlded.

The receiver 17 as shown in Fig. 3, consists of an outer casing 18 which has screwed upon the upper end a cap 32 so formed as to receive the casing 18 by a screw joint or similar connection. The 0 ap is formed with an opening at the top, and is spaced from the diaphragm 24. The vertical tapered sound tube 20 isformed to closely contact with the cap and by means of bolts 29 disposed about the edges of the sound tube the cap is fastened thereto and maintains the casing 17 and connected parts in position. Within the space between the cap 32 and the casing 17 an inner casing 19 is disposed which contains within'itself the end of the magnet 'well known in such receivers. The diaphragm and the outer end of the magnet are disposed so that the diaphragm ordinarily does not contact with the end of the magnet. The peripheral portions of the diaphragm are closely seated upon the contacting portions of the casing 19. To avoid the detrimental effect of working the diawith openings so that no air pocketshall' be below the diaphragm. Four of such open:

ings are shown in the drawings and are denoted by 18 which are in the outer casing and 19 which are in the. inner casing. By this construction I have made it possible for the diaphragm 24 to act against equal resistance on each of its sides, namely, that of the atmosphere.

The casing 17 except as referred to above has the re lar form used in telephone receivers an has attached'thereto' thewires 17 which convey the current to and from the magnet to function the diaphragm when the impulses are present in the circuit.

The circuit which conducts the impulses to the receiver 17 and its diaphragm 24 consists of wiring and apparatus as follows:

The wires 17 run to the induction. coil 14 of usual fabrication. A, wire 17* leads from said coil 14 to several cells 15 convenientl located inthe bottom of the cabinet mem r 21 as sources'of electric energy, and a wire 17 c connects the coil 14 tothe transmitter 13 later described in detail. From the transmitter 13 the wire 17 leads to the resistance switch 16 and thence to the battery 15. This switch possesses the characteristics of resistance switches as now used where the position of the swinging member thereof varies the amount of resistance interposed in the circuit and thus with the variation of the position of the swinging member the effective amount of current in the circuit may be altered as desired.

In Fig. 2 are shown the transmitter 13 and its connections to and with the tone sound record. At 9 there is a screw connection between portion 5 of t e goose neck 4 which is of cylindrical formation and fits within the outer sleeve 6 on the end of the tone arm pro er 3, which is at right angles thereto. At is formed an enlargement or shoulder upon the gooseneck 4. The plug 8, outside 0 the inner sleeve 5, is also provided with a shoulder 10, similar to the shoulder 7, both being of the same exterior diameter as the outer sleeve 6. By reason of the two shoulders at each end of the inner sleeve 5 the gooseneck and the parts carried thereby inlug 8 and the inner sleeve cluding the sound box oscillate in vertical planes to and from the sound record 31.

In Fig. 4, is shown a section through the plug 8, taken on the plane 44 of Fig. 2. On the outside is seen the sleeve 6, next the sleeve 5 of gooseneck 4, and at the inside the lug 8 with six apertures 12 therethrough. 'ome of the' sound waves passing through the gooseneck 4 to tone arm proper 3 will pass through the a ertures 12 and impinge upon and actuate t e diaphragm 28 of the transmitter 13.

The apertures 12 are so arranged and are of such size and number, as to soften or reduce the intensity of the vibrations received from the conduits whereby such vibrations may act with modifiediorce best suited to the limits of mot-ion of a microphone diaphragm such as 28 in a telephonic circuit.

By the construction and arrangement of parts above set forth the sound vibrations oft-he reproduced soundsare transmitted to the diaphragm 28 and to the telephonic circuit leading to the receiver 17 without afi'ecting or modifying in the sli htest manner the normally free action oft e diaphragm or stylus bar of the sound box 2.

The 0 ration of the device is as folloygz A soun record 31 is placed upon the tu table 23 of the motor mechanism and the turntable caused to rotate; i-the sound box 2 with stylus positioned therein is placed upon the record and the recorded sounds are 1 thereby reproduced and conducted throu h the conduit 4 to the tone arm 3, through t e k sound conduit member 25 to the continuation 25 thereof and to the amplifier 21. After amplification the reproduced sound may pass to the atmosphere as usual. The apparatus described is of course a well known form of sound re reducing apparatus and has to do with t 0 development of the primary vibrations. I

The secondary vibrations are those which result from the transmission of the aforesaid primary sound waves from the conduit 4, through the lug 8 to the microphone diaphragm 28 o? the transmitter 13. The switch 16 is manually thrown to close the electric circuit whenever it is desired to en plement the primary vibrations with t e secondary vibrations.

With current in the telephonic circuit the vibration of the diaphragm 28 of the micro hone-13ers transformed throu h the action of the microphone into imp s in the electric circuit which are transmitted to the ma etof the receiver 17.

Throu the action of the magnet 33and the diap ragm 24 in 17 the electric im s are again changed the sound vibra ons which, proceeding from the upper side of the diap ragm 24 pass to the tapered sound conduit 20 and from thence to the amplifier 2th The co-acting amplifier adjacent tion or oudness is alone desired.

mvention, however, a double volume of re-' to amplifier 20 is seen to be capable of transmitting vibrations similar to the amplifier 20 and these vibrations of the amplifiers which are enclosed in the same cabinet pass therefrom to the atmosphere.

By varying the current strength throu h the switch control the amplitude of t e secondary vibrations is or may be modified and of course by the breaking of the circuit by the switch the production of secondary sound vibrations may be entirely stopped.

By suitably manipulating the apparatus to produce or not produce secondary vibrations in conjunction with the primary vibrations of sound at least three desirable and advantageous results are produced; the first of which is that by cutting out the secondary vibrations a talking machine may be operated in the usual manner; secondly, when the'apparatus is to be used for a larger room or when greater volume is essentlal, the introduction of the secondary vibrations, in conjunction with the primary vibrations, supplies the needed volume with a ran e of regulation such as ma adapt the mac ine, first used essentially or reproduction in a small space, to one capable of filling a large room and capable of being heard over extraneous noises such as those produced by the motion of dancers and by conversation;

and thirdly, the advantage of having both simultaneously from both amplifiers to a" listener. appears to him to be but one sound coming from one source and having pleas- .ing and desirable qualities or pro erties-all of which cannot be obtained by t e use of either type of amplifier alone. This is so on account of the following reasons: The secondary sound vibrations produced by the telephonic circuit have tonal characteristics which are eculiar thereto and quite different from t ose of the mechanically reproduced sounds; and it has been observed that as the volume of such electrically produced sound is increased these peculiar characteristics are augmented and emphasized so that alone and in great volume telephonically produced sounds may be objectionable from an artistic standpoint although entirely satisfacto when merely increased enetraith my produced sound may be easily obtained without forcing either kind of amplification and without making it necessa to emphasize or exaggerate the undesirab e characteristics of eit er t pe of amplification, so that the loud am lilied sound produced by my a paratus, a ove described, will have init a l the pleasing qualities of both types of sound amplification, free from those undesirable qualities usuall present in the reproduction of sound 0 great volume *Having thus described my invention, I

'. phragm of the transmitter'is actuated by diaphragm is actuated solel said primary vibrations on their passage through said tubular arm, an electric circuit, a telephonic receiver, and an amplify.- ing chamber into which said receiver discharges, and means thereon for deflecting the amplified sound. 2. In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with reproducing means adapted to produce primary vibrations from a record tablet, and a conduit for such vibrations, of a telephonic circuit whose transmitter is mounted on said conduit and out of contact with the sound box and stylus of the reproducer, and whose diaphragm is actuated solely by said primary vibrations, an amplifying chamber into which said conduit discharges the primary vibrations, a second amplifying chamber operatively communieating with the receiver of the telephonic circuit, a cabinetfor said amplifying chambers, and'means thereon for commingling and deflecting the amplified primary and secondary sound vibrations,

3. In asound reproducing machine, the

combination with means adapted to produce primary vibrations from a record tablet,'and a conduit for such vibrations, of a telephonic circuit whose transmitter is mounted on said conduit and out of contact with the sound box and stylus of the reproducer, and whose by said primary vibrations, an am li er into which said conduit dischar es t e primary vibrations, a second amp ifier operatively com municating with the receiver of the. telephonic-circuit, a cabinet containing both of said amplifiers, and means mounted on said cabinet and projecting over both amplifiers for directing the sound waves from said amplifiers in a common direction. I

4. In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with means to produce primary vibrations from a record tablet, and a con- .duit'forsuch vibrations, of a telephonic circuit whose transmitter is mounted on said conduit and out of contact with the sound box and stylus of the reproducer, and whose diaphragm is actuated solely by said primary vibrations; an am lifier into which said conduit discharges t e primaryvibra-v tions, a second amplifier operatively communicating with the receiver of the telephonic circuit,'a containin casing in which said amplifiers are mou-n'te adjacent to each other, and a hinged lid on said cabinet adapted to cause a commingling of said primary and secondary vibrations.

5. 'In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with a reproducer adapted to create primary vibrations from a record tablet, and a tubular movable conduit on which the reproducer is mounted, of a telephonic,

circuit whose transmitter is mounted on said conduit and out of contact with the reproducer, and whose diaphragm is actuated solely by saidpri-mary vibrations, an ampliiier operatively communicating with the receiver of the telephonic circuit, a resistance switch controlling said circuit, and an ad-'.

justably pivoted member cooperating with the resistance switch to vary the volume of the amplified sound.

6,- In -a sound reproducing apparatus, means to reproduce recorded sound vibrations from a rotatable tablet, comprising a sound box and stylus, a conduit for said sound vibrations, amplifying means into and through which said sound vibrations are discharged, a branch conduit from the conduit receiving said sound vibrations, a. microphone connected to said 'branch con duit, an electric circuit, a receiver therein, a: sound conduit from the reciver, an amplifying member communicating with the last mentioned sound conduit, and means to direct and commingle the amplified sound waves issuing from both of said amplifiers.

7. In a sound reproducing apparatus, a reproducer, a conduit for sound vibrations created thereby, said conduit having a P threaded flangedopening, a tele honic circuit whose transmitter is actuat solelyby said sound vibrations, a perforated plug which is threaded and adapted to register with the threaded opening of said conduit, and a transmitter mounted on the. opposite end of said plu 8. In a sounf reproducing machine, the

combination with sound reproducing means for producing primary sound vibrations from a sound record, a conduit for said primary vibrations, a telephonic circuit includot er chare primary vibrations and supplementfor producing sound vibrations from a sound record, a conduit for said primary vibrations, a telephonic circuit including a transmitter communicating with said conduit and adapted to be actuated by said primary vibratlons', and a receiver for producing secondarysound vibrations and ar ranged to discharge the same simultaneously with the discharge of the primary vibrations, the transmitting and discharging means being positioned within the same enclosing cabinet. 7

10. In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with sound reproducing means for producing primary sound vibrations from a sound record, said primary vibrations being mechanically reproduced, a conduit for said primary vibrations, and a telephonic circuit including a transmitter communicating with said conduit and adapted to be actuated by said primary mechanical vibrations, a receiver for producing secondary sound vibrations and an amplifier therefor, an amplifier for the primary vibrations, and means whereby the combined vibrations shall be discharged from the same integral machine.

11. The combination with a talking machine, of electrical means actuated by and without substantially detracting from the sound mechanically produced by the operation of said machine from a record thereon, to substantially augment to a listener to a reproduction of sound from said machine the volume of sound produced by said machine. Y

12. lhe combination with a talking machine, of electrical means mounted therein and actuated by the sound waves produced during the reproduction of sound by said machine from a record thereon to substantially augment to a listener the volume of sound emitted from said machine, and means.

1 3. The combination with a talking may chine cabinet and a talking machine mounted therein, of electrical means also mounted within said cabinet and actuated by the sound produced by said machine during the mechanical reproduction of sound thereby.

within said cabinet and actuated by the. I

sound produced by said machine during the reproduction of sound thereby, to substantially augment to a listener to said machine the volume of sound emitted from said machine, and means to vary the extent to which the said volume is so augmented.

16. The combination with a talking machine cabinet and a talking machine mounted therein, of-telephonic means arranged to be thrown into and out of operation at will mounted within said cabinet .and when thrown into operation actuated by the sound produced by said machine during the reproduction of sound thereby, to augment to a listener to the reproduction of sound from said machine the volume of sound emitted by said machine.

In witness wherof, I have hereunto setmy- 118.1143. and seal this 15 day of April, A. D., 19 6.

LEON F. DOUGLASS. [13.8.]

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