A.S.Thompson Modifier for Phonographs

[Roaring20s]

I could not help but to be curious about this device. I spotted it in Phono-Phan's reply to Jerry's post
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 72#p125372

I made out just enough to do a Google search ...

Picture 4.png (165.22 KiB) Viewed 1698 times

... and dumb luck prevailed on the first try!

http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=0084 ... =PN/840526

Phono-Phan, would you take a photo of it and post it here? Is it entirely made of metal? Aside of it acting as a mute, does it do anything to remove the 'metallic timbre'.

Thanks,
James.

[estott]

Sears Roebuck offered it in their catalog Ca. 1908

[Phono-Phan]

Is there a chance you could post a picture of the ad in the Sears catalog? I am hoping to get some more pictures of this device posted here soon.
Thanks, Ken

[gramophone78]

Is there a chance you could post a picture of the ad in the Sears catalog? I am hoping to get some more pictures of this device posted here soon.
Thanks, Ken

Here you go Ken.

[Phono-Phan]

Thanks for the added patent and ad pictures. Here are some pictures of the Thompson Modifier.
It does greatly reduce the harsh high tones on a record. The tone is more bassy but with lower volume.

[Roaring20s]

Thanks for posting these pictures, Ken.

I know that the knob is only to pull this out of the horn.
I'm guessing that the opening above it allows the muted sound out.
I can't tell from the interior photo what exactly is inside. Is it just a hollow chamber? Is there a chamber within that chamber?
When you first got this was any of the rubber still on it?

James.

[Phono-Phan]

There is an inside baffle. This is just the way I got it. I don't see any indication of where the rubber was but I would think there was some originally to protect the horn from being scratched.