[D9899AAS2] Instructions, 1888-1892
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D9899AAS2
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- Title
- [D9899AAS2] Instructions, 1888-1892
- Editor's Notes
- Notes## wax in back## Geneva stop gets out of connection;## It is of course Not known what will be results of wear of parts after long use and troubles arising from this cause will be described in supplement added to this little work## Notes= Reproducing at slightly lower speed than dictated benefits articulation## Sharp Crackling sounds in addition to the Continuous scape sound one due either to blow holes partcles of wax not being brushed off or a doubl or settling down the spectacle in the middle of a cylinder or unused face of cylinder of same diameter to the right & left of the knife--## Object of return screw is for repeating sentences etc when both hands are used in an operation as in setting type or where the phonograph is some distance from the Copyist the jig back lever being controlled by a string wire or electromagnet attachment.## Dictation & reproduction in one room to a phonograph in another room can take place through heavy tin speaking tubes even 50 feet long flexible tubes like the Regular Speaking tube can be used from one room to another. Reproduction & copying can take place through 50 feet of g1/2g*inch dia thick walled rubber tube.## Copies of any dictation can be duplicated by causing one phonograph to talk to another at th we can furnish a very sensitive Recorder for the second phonogh & connecting tube. They may even be speeded up very fast and duplicates made at rate of cylinder full in 3 minutes?Several hundred can be made?The duplicate is about g1/2g*as loud as the original. The When required for duplicating the original should be spoken in a Slightly louder tone. Cornets, bands etc may be perfectly duplicated in this manner## The Echo perceived in reproducing is due to either deep tracking of the Recorder so it infringes on the space of the oth previous circle and the adjustment of the reproducer over to one side of the track?proper adjustment of reproducer by alignment screw on right arm of spectacle holder this echo is stopped except in exceedingly deep tracking of the recorder when it cannot be adjusted out## In a busy office the Recorder point wh will dull up in a month so the articulation will grow somewhat poor, the recorder point should be rotated to bring in a fresh surface. The best way is not to do this in the users office but give t have the inspector try the articulation & if bad put in a new recorder taking the old one to the office & perform the operation. Tinkering a subscribers renters instrument in his office is not a good thing to do if the part can be easily replaced by a new one If it is found a renter tracks an abnormal amount of cylinder the user is shaving pushing them too tightly on the brass cylinder## Owing to the cheapness of the shaved cylinders as compared with cylinders which have [become? ---] can be used only once some persons have recommended that the Copyist set the spectacle & turn off the all the cylinders every morning before the arrival of th his principal thus allowing his principle always to set the spectacle at the left end of the cylinder?Some claim that the new pencil attachment is all that is sufficient & that as the mark shews where the previous record left off the setting of the end of the pencil just back of the mark will prevent the tearing action of the knife on the wax now so frequent owing to the impossibility of the user knowing where the last record made on a cylinder ends--## We have made cylinders which whose surfaces are made coherent by## To those who object to glass earpieces lighter hard rubber or celluloid ones can be furnished?Some object to the weight of the tube, we can furnish ear tubes of one half the weight. The volume of Sound is somewhat diminished yet plenty loud enough for all uses— To those who object to ear tubes a rubber disc can be furnished which can rest against the ear or we can furnish a stand with funnel from which the copyist can hear perfectly providing the dictators voice is not too weak, or the Recorder point is not too dull & the office is not a noisy one## Some having no use for the return screw disconnect it as well as the short belt driving it this lessens the amount o work on the motor--## Never unpack your phonographs or material until you want them for actual use then you will not have to repack for an out of town order. Local Cos do not repack well as a rule?The factory will in time reach the best way of packing—phonographs should be shipped to fill outside orders in original packages. Then blame for breakages can be placed on the factory.## Do not store packed or unpacked phonographs in cellars or damp places; Most of the Exposed parts of the phonogh are nickel plated bu the back rod, Centers, ph Recorder & Reproducing Points & Shaving Knife main screw cannot be so a plated & are liable to rust. If phonogh are unpacked & put in stock the above parts should be daubed over with Vasaline--## Broken cylinders should be saved as it is hoped we shall be able to devise a process for regenerating the original ingredients & thus buying back the scrap at a price that will reduce the cost of cylinders considerably Complaints have reached the factory regarding the price charged for glass diaphragms-- These are made of microscope glass, are manufactured by only tow firms in foreign countries & none in this?We are compelled to buy all the sizes and 75 percent are either too thick or too thin;## Many complaints have been received that the dictator cannot tell when the Recording point has reached the end of a cylinder, as it is hidden from view by the Spectacle. As the scale is very seldom used in practice we have discarded it in practice and substituted a sliding sleeve with wire pointer; on putting a new cylinder on the phonogh the [--] pointer is placed opposite the end ofhte cylinder another pointer rises up in line with the straight edge in plain sight so the dictator knows the exact point when to cease talking.## We have received complaints that the cylinder is not long enough but an investigation generally find either that the user is a stenographer or lawyer who dictates thousands of words or in a business of in letter dictation the user lets the spectacle travel while stopping for an idea instead of throwing up the jig back while hesitating-- Others run their phonographs 175 Revolutions when 100 is sufficient. For stenographers & othes who do large continuous work we can send main thread & brass cylinder provided with two hundred thread to the inch and with a Recorder & Reproducer provided with points half the size which we can also furnish the Capacity of the cylinder may be doubled--These parts fit any phonograph## If it is found desirable to keep copies we can furnish a double forked Speaking tube whereby one person can dictate to two phonographs simultaneously. The loudness is not materially diminished in fact several phonographs can be used simultaneously--## We c The factory makes a thin brass shell which can be slipped over the brass cylinder of the phonogh--f an office is equipped with a dozen of these shells and new wax cylinders put on them, they need never be disconnected from the shell until turned down too thin-- this prevents loss of cylinders by cracking when constantly being put on & off the phonogh cylinder proper & also in a great measure providing the interior of the brass shell & phonogh cylinder is kept clean prevents any eccentricity of the cylinder-- But if these shells are used the office must not be a cold one in the winter otherwise the cylinders owing to the diference of expansion are liable to crack-- We obviate this by making a hard black rubber shell which has the same expansion as the wax cylinder but is more expensive— The problem of correcting mistakes in dictation to the phonograph in a way to give the Copyist warning has not as yet been solved satisfactorily?It has been proposed that before copying the Copyist should speed up the phono & read the cylinder & then copy-- This many do and say they not only are able to correct the mistakes but knowing what is coming make better speed so the time lost in listening first reading the matter is more than gained by the increased speed of copying--## Some propose when a mistake has been made to use the return screw & listen in the & by talking louder drown out the sentence wrongfully dictated others propose to use an additional pencil to that used for marking position where dictation ceases the correction pencil to produce a red mark?The Copyist placing the receiver at the red marks first leanss the mistakes of dictation before copying.## Others suggest a loud sound when a mistake or correction is made the excessively amplitude & symetry of the vibrations are sufficient to attract the eye of the Copyist just as a red mark would--## As well a simple attachment can be placed on the phonograph which serves to raise the repr recorder slightly for a out of the record so it will act as a reproducer which it does [protecting?] without hurting the records?The person having made a wrong dictation can raise the jig back & move the Recorder back a little & then listen with the speaking tube & when he comes to the commencement of the wrongly dictated sentence the attachment device is worked the recorder drops to its normal depth & the and producing wipe cuts out the wrong sentence dictation recommencing as soon afterwards as the sentence is passed over; this is also ascertained by listening to with the Speaking tube, this method permits of every kind of correction being made & whole sentence can be cut away no confusion## Another suggestion is that all the corrections be made at the end of the dictation or cylinder-- ## The new cylinders it will be noticed are not provided with the string inside-- The string or thread while it gave greater support to the cylinder was difficult to mould and air bubbles were made by the moisture in the string parafin It would become disconnected and the cylinder could not be moulded cylindrical. The use of a thread mould in the new Cylinder permits of the interior part being sized by a cutting tool. The edges of the thread also tend to displace any chips left of the brass cylinder & this reduce the probability of being rotating irregularly. Dispensing with the string also permitted the use of a difirent material in the cylinder which is not effected by the moisture like the old cylinder-- and a material which gives a smoother cut almost eliminating the scratchy sounds-- We hope in time to toughen this cylinder so as to diminish the breakage in handling.
- Author
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- Date
- 1888-1892
- Type
- Instructions
- Subject
- Cylinder phonograph
- Cylinder recording & reproducing apparatus
- Cylinder record and duplicating technology
- Folder ID
- D9899-F
- Microfilm ID
- 137:1103
- Document ID
- D9899AAS2
- Publisher
- Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
- Has Version
- Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 137