US1382692A - Phonograph - Google Patents

Description

w. w. TH ORPE. PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 12. 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I at ented June 28, 1921'. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

WALTER w. THORPE, or PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRIC PHONOGRAPH CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PHONOGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d J 28 j 92 Application filed November 12, 1920. Serial No. 423,569.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER lV. THORPE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Belham, New York, have invented a new and useful Phonograph, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to talking machines or phonographs, the object being to provide various improvements in the mechanical construction thereof, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in a preferred form, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, part1 broken away, of my improved phonograp showing the doors in open position;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, looking down;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section; and r Figs. 4 and 5 are relatively enlarged views of detached details. I

1 represents a base of any suitable design, within which may be contained any suitable form of motor for driving a turntable 2 through the mediumof a central arbor 3. Projecting upwardly from the base is a suitable housing which surrounds the turntable, the sound box and associated parts. This housing may have suitable closures 4.-4:, which, in this instance, are hinged doors, which may be opened, as shown in Fig. 1, to afiord access to the interior of the housing to change records and needles. The upper part of the housing has a suitably contracted portion 5, which supports the horn or amplifier. This horn or amplifier is of trumpet form, the same being mounted intermediate its length, so that the bell-like mouth 6 of said horn will project upwardly from the center of the portion 5, whereas the lower or reduced end 7 of said horn will be hidden within the housing. The portion 7 of the horn is curved laterally, so that its lower end will terminate directly over the middle portion of the record groove in the disk record 21. The lower extremity of the horn is provided with an Opening in which is mounted for rotation a hollow knuckle 8. This knuckle has an opening at the top, which communicates with the horn 7 and has also a side opening in which is rotatably mounted a socket piece 9. 10 is a slot in the socket piece 9, into which projects the end of a pin or screw 11, whereby said socket The sound box is connected by a curved tube to the horn, the said tube comprising the two curved sections 12 and 12, which are telescopically connected together, so that said tube sections can be turned relatively to each other. In the particular form shown the section 12 has a slot 14, while the section 12 carries a pin ,or screw 15, which extends into the slot 14 to limit the rotative movement of said sections. The tube section 12 has a double bond, as shown. The tube section 12 is connected to the socket 9. by. what may be termed a modified ball joint 16 and is pivotally held thereto by a pin 17, upon which pin the tube 12 may partake of a hinge movement to permit the sound box to be lifted up and down for needle replacement, and to permit it to work on a hill and dale record groove whenever desired.

The sound box is connected to the tube section 12 by a slip joint, the said section projecting into a socket 18 at the back of the sound box in such a manner that the sound box may be rotatably adjusted on the tube. 19 is a screw for locking the sound box against rotation on the end of thetube section 12 after it has been properly adjusted thereon. By preference the upper part of the socket 9 is cut back slightly, as at 20, so as to permit the sound box to be lifted well clear of the record disk, whereby records and needles may be more easily changed. Since the vertical axis upon which the knuckle 8 turns is located over the middle portion of the record groove, it is. possible to successfully use a comparatively short tubular connection between the sound box and the knuckle, and yet have sufficient length so that, as the sound box travels across the grooved portion of the record, the needle or stylus will properly track therein in all positions of the sound box in its course of travel across said grooved portion.

By providing three rotatably adjustable joints between the sound box 13 and the knuckle 8, I have found that the sound box ple or extension such as now commonly used with the ordinary phonograph when it is desired to adapt it to either form of record. In the drawings I have shown the sound box- 13 adjusted properly for playing a record groove of the lateral cut type. V Whenever it is desired to stop playing the instrument the sound. box may be lifted and then given a quarter turn. This will cause the socket 9 to turn in the knuckle 8 until the pin 17 stands in a vertical position, in which position the sound box cannot drop down, but will be held suspended well above the turntable (see dotted lines, Fig. 1).

The construction of the phonograph is such that it may be employed as a lamp standard, the upper part 6 of the horn furnishing the support for a lamp shade, as well as for one or more electric lamps. I have illustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 1 how a lamp shade would appear with relation to the phonograph.

It will be observed that the construction lends itself admirably to use. as a lamp standard, and when it is to be so used it is preferred to provide a shade support, which may also be constructed. to carry lamps. For example, in the drawings, 23 is a standard which may be suitably connected to the end of the horn and which may be a pipe having branches 2323 through which electric wires may be threaded, to lead tolamp sockets 24-24 conveniently placed near the edge of the horn. The lamp shade indi cated in dotted outline and which may be of any desired design may be supported from the upper part of this standard.

It will be seen that the entire mechanism is exceedingly compact, there being practically no space wasted. I have not attempted to show a motor for driving the turntable, since any improved motor may be employed,

but an electric motor is. preferred, since,'

when the instrument is to be .vended in the form of a' lamp, the current utilized for driving the motor may also be utilized for illuminating purposes. By providing only a single bend in the horn, as shown at 7, the dampening of sound generated by the sound box is avoided. The use of a relatively short tube for connecting the sound box to the horn is also of substantial advantage in this respect. Furthermore, in a device made as compact as the present. one, it is essential to secure some means for properly supporting the sound box-while playing, which will not require excessive room in which to operate, thereby avoiding the necessity of unduly enlarging the housing.

What I claim is r 1. In a phonograph, a sound reproducing device, an amplifying horn, a connection between said parts comprising 'arotatable hollow knuckle depending from said horn, and a tubular connection'leading from said reproducer to said knuckle and including a hinged joint to permit the reproducer to be lifted up and down and arotatable'connection between said hinged joint and said knuckle.

2. In a phonograph, a reproducer, an amplifying horn, a tubular connection between 1 said reproducer and the lower extremity of said horn, and including a knuckle depending from the lower end of the horn, and a socket connection at the side of said knuc kle joint, said tubularconnection projecting from said' socket andbeing connected thereto by a normally horizontal hinge pm,

said socket being rotatable to permit said pin to be turned into a vertical'position to hold the reproducer suspended freely above a record.

WALTER THORPE;

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