US2930624A - Sound reproducing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1960 R. l.. BANHoLzER 2,930,624

SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Fled'Feb. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 7' TENEY,

March 29, 1960 Filed Feb. 1'7, 1955 R. L. BANHOLZER SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nited States Patent SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Robert L. Banholzer, Milwaukee, Wis. Application February 17, 1955, Serial No. 488,940

2 Claims. (Cl. 274-46) This invention relates to improvements in sound reproducing apparatus.

Previously disclosed apparatus as shown, for instance, in U.S. Letters Patent No. 1,710,692 to Cregier has been provided so that a person seated at the console of an instrument no more complicated as to keyboard than the simplest piano may play unusual compositions not only in the tones of strings, but also in the tones of voice, wind instruments or any other recordable sound. However, in previously known apparatus for this general purpose, the recording discs, cylinders or tapes simultaneously installed has been necessarily large.

It is an important feature of my invention that ample pick-up and reproducing mechanism can be mounted to operate with a single plate or disc record so that any established number of tones of a particular quality or characteristic voice or instrument, or combination of them can be embodied in one record and picked up or reproduced with a minimum of complication.

The object of the invention is to make it possible to consolidate the necessary parts of an apparatus for this purpose, in a relatively small space, to increase the accuracy of operation thereof, and in general, to reduce the ultimate cost of manufacture and operation of what has heretofore been a very complicated, large and expensive instrument.

One of the important features of my invention is the concentration of as many pick-up reproducers as are necessary (for instance, 88 to correspond with a standard piano type keyboard) in a single bridge apparatus over a disc record to reproduce all of the tones for the playing of a musical composition.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a record player showing my radially armed bridge carrier for the many pick-up needle units in accord with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the console of a musical instrument embodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit between the keyboard, the pick-up units as arranged on my radial bridge, the amplifierV and speaker of my invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in vertical section showing a preferred form of pick-up unit as carried by a bridge arm in operative relation to a disc record, the view being taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a pick-up unit shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing an alternative form of needle carrier and actuator.

Fig. 8 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the keyboard portion of the console shown in Fig. 3. The electric switch apparatus below a key being a normally open switch of the type to be used with the pick-up device shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing a normally closed switch of the type used with the pick-up unit shown in Fig. 7.

prising a recorded sound representing a musical note of certain characteristics and certain pitch, so that when a pick-up unit 35 with its needle 36 is brought to bear upon or in the particular groove, for instance, as shown in groove 26 in Fig. 10, a sustained tone may be played in reproduction of any quality or timbre as, for instance,l

the human voice, a violin or any other recorded vibration. Furthermore, in accord with my invention, a record such as the record 25 may be used in a relatively compact phonographic reproducing unit 37 installed at a conven` ient location in a console 38 as shown in Fig. 3, where I provide a full 88 key keyboard 39 in simulation of a con-v ventional piano keyboard. Below the keyboard and'in the space usually occupied by the sound board and action mechanism of a conventional piano, I install an amplifier 40 and a suitable loud speaker 41. To control volume, a pedal 42 is connected to the usual volume control lever or button of the amplifier 40. The particular man-` ner in which the various units are electrically connected is shown in Fig. 4 and willvbe described below in connec tion with the description of operation of the complete apparatus. p

One of the most important features of my invention is the arrangement of the annular grooves 26, 27, etc., very closely together, and the provision of pick-up units 3,5l on a multi-armed bridge member 45 so that the octaves of the chromatic scale are consolidated on one record of reasonable diameter. r The particular record shown in the drawings is sixteen inches in diameter, and in order to record the 88 tones, the grooves must be so close together that successive tonesof the chromatic scale cannot be picked up by pick-up units 35 arranged successively side'by side on onesup porting arm. The units 35 are too wide to be accommodated on one arm. I have met this problem by providing a multi-armed bridge member 45 hingedly carried upon hinge brackets 46, 47 and 48 supported by housing `49, which encloses motor 50 and speed reducer 51 included as a part of the driving mechanism for turntable .52, which carries and rotates the record 25. Bridge member 45 includes eight radial arms 53-60 respectively. Arms 5S, 59 and 60 having outer extremities shaped to engage with hinge brackets 46, 47, and 48 respectively. As to the outer extremities of theother arms 53 to 57 inclusive, they are provided with Lshaped downwardly extended extremities terminating vin dowel tips 61 receivable in pocketed posts 62 (see Fig. y2)' whereby the entire bridge, even though swingable upwardly upon the hinge supports at 46, 47 and 48 to permit of the changing of a record, may be positively accurately positioned above the record for a record playing operation. The individual arms forming the bridge 45 are channel shaped as Shown most clearly in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, and they merge centrally in a cup-shaped hub 63 opening upwardly so that the hub and the upwardly openingv channels of the arms provide a conduit to carry wires whichinterconnect the units 35 and the amplifier as described below. In the particular arrangement of eight radial bridge arms, the tone grooves of the record are arranged in successive groups of eight.

As shown in Fig. 10, pick-up unit 35 located at 65 on arm 53 will hold its needle 36 in position to engage Patented Mar. 29,

t which armature 114 is mounted to oscillate;

aes-0,624-

in groove`m26, 'the groove farthest vfrom the center of record. The pick-up unit positioned to apply its needle in groove 27 and the successive pick-up units 35 located at ,67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72 are positioned to present their needles' into successive grooves in order, the needle of unit 35 positioned at 72 bearing into groove 29, the next pick-up unit 35r positioned immediately adjacent the' unit positioned at 65 on arm 53 hasa needle bearing into recordl groove y30, this unit is positioned at 75. Thus immediately adjacent units on any of the arms haveseven record grooves between their respective needles, and the pick-up units 35 find ample space upon the respective arms so that the units may be mounted for ready access, repair and operation.

Details ofthe construction and mounting of the specilicl units 35 are shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, a preferred form being shown in Figs. and 6, where it will be seen that the arm, such as arrn 53, has a unit secured immediately therebeneath. The unit has a generallyJ- shaped frame 85 made of llat brass or other suitable material and secured to the arm by screw 86. An electromagnetic coil 87 with core 88 is secured in the embrace of the J frame by a screw 89 which also holds spring bracket 90. A side wall 91 for the unit carries a pivot pinl 92 upon which rocker type armature 93 is pivotly mounted. This armature has a spring tension 94 so shaped as to underlie the end of the J frame and extend therebeyond suiiciently so that a tension spring 97 between spring bracket 90 and the extension 94 may be relied upon to normally bias armature 93 to the position' shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Since needle 36 carried by this particular pick-up unit extends downwardly from the armature at a point spaced somewhat from the pivot pin 92 opposite' the portion of the armature which is in position to be magnetically attracted to core 88 when the coil 87 is energized, it will be apparent that upon energization of the coil, the armature will be rotated in a direction which will extend the spring 97 and will lower the point of the needle 36 into a groove of the record 25.

Thus the particular unit shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is designed to be normally deenergized and to present a needle 36 into a record groove for sound reproduction when the Lcal circuit controll as in Fig. 8, are normally open as key will cause the points 123 and 124 to contact one coil 87 is energized. Suitable cushioning means as, for

instance, at 98 is provided to dampen'noise incident to the mechanical operation of the unit.

- It will be seen that the electrical connections for energizing the coil 87 extend at 99 from the coil into the' channel of arm 53 and the cumulative wires from the respective units 35 are included in a cable littlextending to the vicinity of the keyboard as will be described below. Furthermore, suitable electrical connections as shown at 101 extend from the needle 36 and its pick-up apparatus carried by the armature `93 to the cable 102 in channel 53 and extending to the amplifier 40 as will be described below.

An alternative form of pick-up unit is shown in Fig. 7. It includes a frame 110 secured by screw 111 to the undersideI of an arm such as arm 53. A side wall 112 of the frame provides a mounting for pivot pin 113 upon Coil 115 is normally energized and the parts as shown in Fig. 7 are inv the position which they take when the coil is deenergized. Here the armature 114 has dropped by gravity so that the needle 36 is bearing in a groove of the record. When the coil is energized, the core 116 magnetically pulls the armature 114 upwardly in an oscillating movement about pin 113, thus retracting needle 36 from a record groove.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the console of my instrumenty is provided with piano-like keys 12u pivoted at 121,l and each provided with a spring 122 to normally hold the key in horizontal position. In position to be operated by the key 120 when it is pressed downwardly, isa set of points 123 and 124 which, in the vtype of electrianother and complete a circuit through wires 127 and 128. Such a circuit operated by a particular mechanism shown in Fig. 8, is adapted for the control of a pick-up unit 35, such as that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A stop 129 prevents the key from over-stressing the spring blades.

The key 123 shown in Fig. 9 is in position over a set of points 139 and 131 so mounted on theirrespective spring blades `132-133 as to be normally in contact with one another, thus lnormally maintaining a closed circuit through electrical connections 134-1135, and the key 120 is provided with a switch actuator 135 to bear upon blade 133 when the key is depressed in a playing operation.

It willlbeunderstood although the Figs. 8 and 9 showl white keys' of the piano-like keyboard, the switches underneath the black keys of the keyboard operate similarly.v

The diagrammatic, and somewhat schematic, view of the physical' and electrical hookup of my instrument as shown 'in Fig. 4 indicates the eleven pick-up units 35 on one bridge arm, such as bridge arm 53, and it may be assumed that each of the radially indicated pairs of wires in the upper right hand portion of Fig. 4 serve the arms designated Iby the characters 54 to 60 inclusive. Centrally in the hub 63 of the bridge, there is located a bus bar to which there is a pick-up lead 141 from each channel of each bridge armand this lead 141 comprises an electrical connection for one side of each needle pickup. The other side of each of the needle pick-ups is connected electrically to a lead 142 extending to bus bar 143 in the hub 63. Bus bar 140 is connected to the amplifier by an electrical connection 144, and bus bar v143 is connected to the amplifier 4by connection .145.

Thus at any time that anyone of the needles 36 bears in a groove of the record 25, sound reproduction is accomplished.

Energy for the operation of the various units 35 is derived from a sourcey of ldirect current as indicated at 150, a ground lead therefor being shown at 1511 extended along arm 53 for connection to each of the coils as, for instance, each coil 8'7. The other electrical lead for each of the coils extends from the coil to one of the switches under one of the keys of the piano-like keyboard. The keyboard is shown in general at 39 in Fig. 4, and, illustratively, one of the black keys as at 152 is connected to a coil 154 by wire 153. When black key 152 is depressed to complete a circuit through a switch controlling wire 153, current will ilow through a supply wire 155 from the source through the switch under the key 152 through wire 153 to energize coil 154 and cause the needle of the unit 35, controlled by coil 154, to engage in a groove; thus inaugurating the reproduction of sound through the amplifier 4u and speaker 41. As soon as the key 152 is released, the coil 154 is deenergized and the needle is retracted from the groove by spring 97.

It will be understood that each of the arms S31-6i) inclusive is provided with electrical connections as shown at the left in Fig. 4, and that each of the keys of the keyboard 39 has an individual electrical connection to a coil of one of the units 35 on one of the arms.

In operation, the user of my instrument will raise the bridge 45 hingedly about the hinges 46, 47-48 sufciently to permit a record to be laid accurately, concentrically with the turntable. lf necessary, the bridge 45 may be swung through an arc about the hinges to a position in which an abutment I16u as seen in Fig. 2 will support the bridge in its upper position while the record is beingl changed or placed. n Then the bridge is lowered hingedly so that the dowels 6'1 are accurately positioned in the posts 62 for accurate placement and support of the bridge during the playing of the instrument.

Motor 50 may then be energized to rotate the turntable and the source of direct current at 150 may be established by a switch 161. The energization of the operating circuit also energizes a signal light 162 placed in a convenient spot in the console 38 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The instrument is then ready for operation by anyone adequately skilled to play a piano-like instrument. Assuming that the record has 88 grooves providing the chromatic scale as recorded by a violin, the playing of the keyboard 39 in a manner comparable to the playing of a piano will cause the selected keys, as played, to bring the corresponding needles of units 35 down into the grooves for the playing separately or simultaneously of recorded sounds pitched according to the particular groove or grooves engaged by the needles.

The radial array of pick-up units 35 is thus seen to permit of the playing of all of the 88 grooves from one record by one bridge arrangement concentrated in a manner not heretofore possible.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a frame supported phonographic record playing apparatus Ihaving a revoluble turntable provided with an area for reception of a disc shaped record, a record positionable on said turntable and equipped with a multiplicity of closely spaced annular sound tracks, said apparatus having a frame positioned armed bridge including a hub concentric with said turntable and a multiple of arms extending therefrom over said area, said arms being provided with pickup units closely mounted therealong, one of said units being positioned to interact with one of said annular sound tracks and the unit positioned to interact with the next adjacent annular track being mounted on another of said arms.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the armed bridge has hinge means connecting the extremities of at least two of said arms to the frame, and at least two others of said arms are provided at their extremities with positioning means swingably interengageable with the frame for accurate swingable placement of the bridge over said area.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,135 Bryant Oct. 17, 1905 1,326,955 Mueller Jan. 6, 1920 1,710,692 Cregier Apr. 30, 1929 1,734,675 Hull Nov. 5, 1929 2,224,358 Quisling Dec.10, 1940 2,416,135 Appleby Feb. 18, 1947 2,468,224 Munson Apr. 26, 1949 2,539,130 Grudin Jan. 23, 1951 2,554,582 Mallina May 29, 1951 2,685,772 Proctor Aug. 10, 1954 2,690,340 Harrison et al Sept. 28, 1954

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