June 21, 1932. R. A. FESSENDEN 1863,841 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COORDINATING AND REPRODUCTION Original Filled May 2, 1924 fg-1- to LINE

20 PHONELETRL GENERATOR

To traNg Mirr Er DR REEver VDLIN fa

Patented June 21, 1932 1,863,841 PATENT OFFICE REGINALD A. FESSENDEN, OF CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SUB MARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COORDINATING RADIO AND PHONOGRAPB REPRODUCTION Original application filed May 21, 1924, serial No. 714,899. Divided and this application filed September 13, 1927. serial No. 219,351. the adjustable resistance 37, or other suitable My relates to improving the ef means. 37' is an adjustable impedance for ficiency of radio and telephone and pho regulating the strength of the electric im nograph reproduction, and more especially to pulses in the circuit, and hence the strength co-ordinating these methods of reproduction, of the reproduction in the piano-speaker 39. as 5 (and similar means, as reproduction from 30 is the circuit of the wireless or wire tele different radio stations), and still more espe phone line; 33 is an operating the cially to convenience in said co-operation and piano speaker 39, described below. 34 and 30' to the production of new effects and results are for putting the phono thereby. electric generator and the telephone circuits 80 10 The object of my invention is to accom in operative relation to the amplifier. plish said increase in efficiency and said co 32 is a switch. When it is thrown to the ordination, and said convenience in co right, on to the contact 32, the wireless tele ordination and operation, and said new effects phone is cut out, and only the phonograph and results. record is heard. When it is thrown to the 85 3 The accompanying drawing shows, partly left, to contact with 33, the phonograph is diagrammatically, means, adapted for the cut out and at the same time, by reason of the carrying out of my invention. insertion in the circuit thereby of the com Figure 1 shows the arrangement of appara pensating coil 33, or other suitable means, tus and circuits. the tuning of the wireless circuit is main 23 Figure 2 a type of electric generator tained unchanged. When the switch is in the apted for use with my electro-phonograph intermediate position, as shown, both wire 8. - less and phonograph act conjointly and a Figure 3 shows the application of the in soloist on the wireless may be accompanied vention to a violin in detachable form in its by a full orchestra on the phonograph, or is £3 relation to a violin bridge. vice versa, being regulated by 37 and This application is a division of U.S. ap relative intensity by 37'. 45 is a switch whose lication Serial No. 714,899, filed May 21, 1924. function is described below. In Fig. 1 is shown a novel system in which Fig. 2 shows a suitable form of phono a radio or wire telephone and a phonograph electric generator more in detail. Here a so 30 act individually or in conjunction, and with coil 210 of light weight is fastened to the out any necessary mechanical connection be phonograph needle, as shown, and being. tween the and the de moved back and forth in the field of the vice emitting the , i. e. the reproducer; 190 by the motion of 8, pivoted at here shown as a piano 39. Here 20 is the 27 and actuated by the revolving phonograph 85 35 phono-electric generator, whereby the mi disc 28, generates currents which are carried nute electric impulses are produced in the to the reproducer 18, as shown. circuit 37, 34, by the relative motion of By this invention a number of entirely new the record 28, either optically as shown in and very useful results are obtained, e. g. U. S. applications Serial No. 685,699, filed It enables one to accompany a broadcast 90 March 23rd, 1912, and Serial No. 42,856, solo by McCormack, “That Old Refrain' for filed July 29th, 1915, and Serial No. 635,362, example, by a phonograph record of Kreis phonograph-, filed July 26th, ler's (the 's) rendition on the violin 1911, and Serial No. 423,186, filed Nov. 10th, of the same composition, and to modulate the 1920, (but which methods and appa strength of the accompaniment at every in- 05 45 ratus are not claimed herein); or as shown, and more fully and in detail in Fig. 2, me stant, and instantaneously, to suit the mo chanically by the action of the phonograph mentarily varying strength of the broadcast needle 8; or in any other suitable manner. of the soloist; the tempo being similarly The disc 28 is driven by the varied to coincide with that of the broad 60 36, whose speed is regulated as desired by cast; or to supplement the rendition by Dam- % 2 1,868,841 rosch and his orchestra of "Evening Star in the same part of the room is obviated. from Tannhauser over the radio by Caruso's The wireless apparatus is often best located voice from a phonograph record; or to hear in one part of the room, near a window, while Caruso and McCormack sing together the the phonograph discs may be more conven- . 5 same famous song, a possibility of great value iently located near a fire place or electric in the study of singing. reading lamp. Or one member of the house 70 Since the same is used, e. g. hold who may prefer to sit in one place, may applicant's piano loud speaker, and actuated prefer the radio and another, who may pre in the same way, i.e. by the same loudspeak fer to sit in another, may prefer the phong er mechanism, and all and static and other abrupt disturbing impulses are E.oth reproductions With the area equally source, well, both no will matter hear s eliminated accurate and satisfactory compar where they may sit. . . . ison and accompaniment is rendered possi By the use of the piano as loud speaker, 5 ble, which is of course not possible where the absolutely correct reproduction is obtained loud speakers are of different types, or op and static and scratching is cut out. 80 erated by different types of mechanism, e.g. By this system the power required for one by a mechanically acting lever and the other by an electromagnetic mechanism, or driving the phonograph discs is much re there are disturbing impulses. duced and the whole outfit may be driven 20 from dry cells; a matter of importance where The listener may himself accompany the no electric power circuits are available. 85 radio or phonograph by playing on the piano, It is preferred that the thrust of the mov and the effect is much more natural and agree ing part of the electromagnetic or other able, as both come from the same lo mechanism which operates the loud speaker 25 cation in the room. The desired changes in against the or its equivalent modulation may be made instantly and by should be opposed, not by a spring or other 90 one seated at a distance, in place of one stand device having a natural i. but as shown ing beside the phonograph loudspeaker; and in Fig. 5 of the parent application, by in without danger of injuring the record, by ertia, and that the only substantial restor 30. merely shifting the element 37 . ing forces should be those inherent in the Another advantage is in shifting phono diaphragm or its equivalent. This has been 95 graph records at a distance from the loud found to give, for reasons not here disclosed, speaker without the necessity of employing much better results. special mechanism. One may be seated in a When the switch 45 is thrown, and the chair on the opposite side of the room from piano is played upon, the loudspeaker mech P the piano loudspeaker, and listening to the anism acts as a generator and the 103 radio. Abroadcast may come in which might played is transmitted through the circuit 46 be accompanied by a phonograph record. If to any place desired, for example to another the phonograph motor and disc table is at room in the house. 40 the elbow, all that is necessary to place the This reverse action of electromagnetic desired disc on the rotating table, and ad , mechanism is well known. An example is 105 just the speed and then the modulation by the telephone receiver which may be used to moving 37, 37. And the modulation may transmit electric waves as well as to produce be made such that the phonograph record is sound waves. When acting as a producer reproduced many times louder than any of electric waves, all that is necessary is to 45 standard type of phonograph could do, or have an initial of the wire, 43. 10 adjusted more delicately and softly, or loud If it is not desired to do this by permanent ly and softly on the same record, to accom magnetization, it may be done by passing a pany the radio, without moving from the slight direct current in the coil 50. The wire seat. And if the micro-photo-phonographic 43 having its magnetization or permeability 50 records are used, described and claimed in changed by the action of the acoustic waves Serial No. 423,186, filed Nov. 10th, 1920, the on it varies the flux threading the coil 50 and storage and handling and costs of the records thereby induces an electromotive force in it is much reduced. - corresponding to the acoustic waves. In this 55 The type in which an independently play manner the piano may act as a source of able musical instrument with strings such as sound in producing electric current and may 20 a piano is used, enables the listener to accom therefore be said to generate electromagnetic pany either the radio or the phonograph or WWes. both combined, himself. This is of great By the term “electro-phonograph” is meant 60' value to students on these instruments. A a phonograph in which the recorded sounds student can compare his own touch on the are first transformed into electric impulses "5 piano with that of the greatest living mas before being reproduced; and includes the ters of the art; or of those long dead. By elements necessary for generating the elec-, the use of an area source, such as the piano, tric impulses from the phonograph records. the necessity of having the phonograph disc Applicant, in his investigations on cutting 65 driving apparatus and the radio apparatus out scratching, static, and abrupt disturb. 1868,841 3 ing impulses generally, by the use of a plu The violin is preferably driven or excited rality of resonant elements, discovered that by a sideways pull of the wire 59, as appli even a violin, with only four strings, though cant has discovered, contrary to what has not cutting out static to any useful extent, heretofore been taught, that the main mode when used as a loud speaker for electric of action of a violin is a rocking of the bridge and not an up and down motion, and that the EEErom the phonograph cut out adiscs. part ofApplicant the Scratching then efficiency of a violin can be much increased discovered (amongst other ways) that by by attaching a vertical strip of thin wood to adding additional resonant elements, for ex the underneath side of the top of the violin, ample, reads attached to the violin bridge, and running longitudinally, so as to act, as 5 O substantially all the scratching could be cut a sort of a fan when the bridge is rocked in out. He further found that if the number of playing. - reeds was made sufficiently numerous, such The 59 and 59' are preferably of soft a violin loudspeaker would even cut out sub iron or nickel and are screwed into the cir stantially all of the static when used for re cular spring 60, of magnetic material, so as 80 15 ceiving radio broadcasting. to leave a Small air gap between them, as Applicant then discovered that a piano shown. 22, 23 are as before a magnetizing could be used for receiving radio broadcast coil and a source of current and 61 is a coil ing, and that it had a sufficient number of connected as shown to 63, leading to the resonant elements attached to its sound board, transmitter, or receiver. 62 is a small ball, i.e. the piano strings, to act extremely effi used as an inertia to oppose the pull on the ciently as a static eliminator, in addition to bridge when the two wires 59, 59' are attract other properties, i.e. that of giving absolute ed together by the action of the currents ly faithful reproduction of all sounds, from flowing in the coil 61, coming from the trans the lowest to the highest, and of giving equal mitter. - 90. intensity of sound in all parts of the room. Similarly, when the violin is played upon, As an illustration of the efficiency of the the wire 59 approaches and recedes from the piano as a static eliminator, during the past wire 59, thereby generating electric cur three summers, applicant, who has one in his rents which flow out into the line 63 and ace house, and the members of his household and tuate the receiver. 95. guests, have never heard static or known that Applicant has, by means of his Wollaston there was any static, except on such occasions wire galvanometer, described in U. S. Pat as they listened in on other types of appara ents 979,145 and 1,045,782 and elsewhere, tus, to ascertain the atmospheric conditions. plotted curves showing the sound efficiency Reports of other tests, e.g. by the U.S. Navy, of different musical instruments at different 00 will be found in the “Boston American' for ; and has found that the violin August 28, 1924, with photographs of the ap and piano have substantially straight line paratus and description of the mechanism at efficiency curves, and horizontal i. e. the ef thed to the back of a piano, and other de ficiency of these instruments (and also, ap tails. proximately, that of the violincello and bass 105 The piano loudspeaker 39 of Figure 1 may viol) is substantially constant over their have its sound board set in vibration by the range. - ." electric telephone impulses in any suitable Applicant has also found that these act way, since the essential feature of its effi as “area sources' and consequently when ar ciency as a loud speaker lies in the conjunc ranged as shown, act as “pick-up' in such 10 tion of the sound board with the plurality manner that if placed on a stage, the actors of resonant elements, i. e. piano wires. In may walk about and yet be heard equally well, most cases, e.g. as in the “Boston American' substantially, independent of their location. reference to August 28, 1924, any good speak And in taking phonograph records of sing er mechanism is simply wired into the back e's and orchestras, there is no necessity of 15 50 of the piano, and its vibrating element fas the singer leaning backwards and forward tened to the back of the sound board. as he sings, or of placing the instruments in Fig. 3 shows another form. Here 50 is a definite positions. And in reproducing all violin and 51 is its bridge; 55, 55, 55, 55, are those in the room can hear substantially the violin strings. 52, 53, 54 are vibrating equally well. f - 120 55 reeds, weighted on the ends as shown and of Applicant has found that the “pick-up” such dimensions, best found by experiment, and reproduction of these instruments so ar that they have a predetermined amount of ranged and employed as shown, and in simi dampening, preferably, in most cases, an lar manner, is immeasurably better as re amount approximately equal to that of the gards articulation and naturalness of tone 25 6) violin strings; and attached to the bridge, as than the lould speakers on the market: With shown. The natural periods of the auxiliary this form of “pick-up' and reproducer, the vibrators 52, 53, 54 are preferably different speec, aid singing are indistinguishable from those of the individual when in the room. from those of the strings and preferably 130 63 above and below those of the strings. Applicant has discovered that owing to the 4. 1868,841 presence of the plurality of naturally reso ranged substantially perpendicular to said nant elements, and dampened properly, as de resonant element. termined by experiment, by adjusting the 2. In a system of the kind described a pick mass and dimensions and elasticity of the vi up device including a violin having a bridge brating elements and their frictional losses, and a vibratable element attached thereto and 0. 6. substantially all disturbing noises, "atmos operated in the longitudinal direction of said pheric scratching' and the like are cut out. bridge. The theory is not definitely known, it being 3. In a system of the kind described, a pick a matter of discovery and observation, but, up device comprising a violin having a it, i. e. the effect, is probably due to the fact bridge, a resonant element contacting there O that abrupt noises do not actin sustained syn with and a current varying device operated chronism, and hence do not set the vibrating directly by said bridge. elements swinging to anything like the de 4. In a system of the kind described, a pick gree that sustained vibrations do. In the up device comprising a violin having a violin, e.g. when arranged as shown and de bridge, a resonant element contacting there 80 .5 scribed, and acting as loudspeaker, the noises with and a magnetophonic pick up unit hav coming in on a night of "bad atmospheric' E. vibratable element attached to said are not only changed from a low pitched bridge. ... ' and crash to a few crackles, but the g a system of the kind described, a pick pitch is raised substantially above that of up device comprising an area source having 85 20 the highest string on the violin. And by a plurality of resonant elements extending applying several vibrating elements of one way and a magnetophonic pick up unit pitches approaches inaudibility, as 53, 54, in having its vibratable element operatively Fig. 6, the disturbances remaining are sub connected with said resonant element, said stantially too high pitched to be substan vibratable element. vibrating in a direction tially appreciable, and the broadcast comes transverse to said resonant elements. in very plainly. 6. In a system of the kind described, a Better results are, however, obtained E. loud speaker having a plurality of resonant the arrangement shown in Figure 1, in whic elements, a bridge on which said elements 95 80 a nickel or iron wire 43 is fastened at each rest, and a loudspeaker unit having its vi end to adjustable tuning pins 41,42, stretched bratable element attached to said bridge ele over bridges 40, 40', and the received tele ment. . . ? phonic currents flowing through the coil 50 7. In a system of the kind described a loud vary the magnetization of the wire 43, and speaker including a violin and a loud speaker change its length by the well known mag unit having its vibratable element attached 00 to said violin. . . . s soundnetostriction board ineffect, and therebyout, and bending causing the 8. In a system of the kind described, a whole soundboard to act as a unitary large loudspeaker including a violin and a loud diaphragm. By employing a number of such speaker unit having its vibratable element at wires 43, and suitably arranging them, as tached to the bridge of said violin. shown in another co-pending application, the 9. In a system of the kind described, a loud piano sound board and wires are made so that speaker including a violin and a loudspeaker they have no detrimental selective resonance. unit having a longitudinally vibratable rod The advantage of using the adjustable tunin attached at one end to the bridge of said vio pins 41, 42, is that by proper stretching of lin and at the other end to means for impress 110 the nickel wire, the magnetostriction effect is ing compil waves thereon. greatlyBy the improved, expression and “operable made uniform. selectively” . EGINALDA, FESSENDEN. by the phonograph or wireless, is meant op 115 erableBy the by term either “operable one or jointly”the other, is asmeant desired. op erable by both of them together and simul taneously. By area source of sound I mean source of the kind described in my U. S. Patent 12. 1277,562, Sept. 3rd, 1918, i.e. having a di combinationameter of more herein than described seven inches. new technicalBy the effects are produced. . . . y What I claim as my invention is:- 25 . 1. In a system of the kind described, a pick up device including an area source and a plu rality of substantially parallel resonant ele ments operated directly thereby, said pick up. device including a yibratable element ar 130