What is this --- needle accessory or ???

[Pathe Logical]

Trivia question number two (and I don't know the answer to this either): This may, or may not, have anything to do with phonographs.

I've had this little gizmo (patented July 5, 1910) for over twenty years, but I'm not really sure about what it is. Is this some sort of accessory used to increase volume on phonographs by putting a needle in the hole in the thicker end, tightening the missing thumb/set screw, and then inserting the smaller shaft end into the needle bar of a reproducer. This is just a guess --- I may be way off here.

Thanks for your help,
Bob

[TinfoilPhono]

US Patent 963546. (Lots of typos here due to OCR.)

L. T. HAILE. SOUND BOX FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1909.

963,546. Patented July 1910;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY L forming a part of this speei the ca LUTHER '1. HAILE,'OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

SOUND-BOX FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1909. Serial No. 488,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER T. 'HAILE, citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Boxes for Talking- Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

cation.

My invention relates to sound-boxes for talking machines and has for its object the provision of means supplemental to and operatively detachable and replaceable from and to the usual needle-holder of the soundbox, without interference with the usual function and capacity of the latter to retain a needle removably in its longitudinal aperture by any known means; my invented means imparting to the sound-box and its needle-holder an additional function, namely increasing its capacity to produce loud or soft tones from the same stylus or needle.

Such result has never been heretofore effected, by any needle-holding means. Heretofore to accomplish the ultimate result stated, it was and is necessary, when desiring to produce both loud and soft sound waves from the diaphragm of the sound-box to use two well known types of needles, namely a hard needle, so-called, in the needle holder, for production of loud sound waves or tones, and then removing the former and substituting a soft needle, so called, in the needle holder, and vice versa, according to the result desired. The former kind of needles are comparatively cheap and most largely used, while the latter are relatively expensive. My invention increases acity and functions of the known soundbox and needle-holder, by enabling it to perform, with a common hard needle the function of a soft needle as well, at the pleasure of the operator, and incidental thereto it also increases the range of use of the primary needle holder by enabling the operator to use specific shapes, such as triangular in cross section or otherwise, of needles, the supplemental needle-holder having a hushed needle-holding aperture adapted to that end, not as its prime purpose but, as before stated, an incidental advantageous capacity; and I might further properly speak of another incidental advantage, namely, that it enlarges the useful life of any disk record because taking up and eliminating the scratchy noises produced by an ordinary hard needle on such a record, the grooves of which also quickly become worn by abrasion from such a needle; in other words by the use-of any supplemental and detachable needle-holder with the usual primary needle-holder of a sound-box, not only is the necessity for a soft needle to produce soft tonal effects entirely eliminated, but the hard capacity to produce its usual loud tones when desired: to produce soft tones when desired, and to produce the soft tones with a materially lessened degree of abrasive effect on the record.

In the drawings illustrating my invention,

-Figure 1 is a top,view of a usual type of sound-box and needle-holder, on which my improvement is adapted to be employed;

Fig. 2 is a like view, of the former and of my improvement detachably attached thereto; Fig. 3 is a section on the line a2a' of Fig. 2f Figs. 4 and 5 are elevation and section of the supplemental needle-holder of Fig. 2 detached from the primary needle- Patented July 5, 1910. I

needle is given the holder of Fig. 1, and Figs. 6 and 7 are like views as Figs. 4 and 5, but with the addition of a tone-modifying screw.

Referring now to said drawings, 1 indicates a sound-box of known construction, for a talking machine, and consisting, speaking generally, of a circular frame, supporting a diaphragm and adjunctive parts not necessary to refer to, except that it is provided with a needle-holder 2, and which consists of a short metallic cylinder which is longitudinally bored to permit the insertion therein of the heel end of the needle 7 and means to hold it removably therein when it is desired to remove same and-insert a new one.

As the vibratory sound-waves from the diaphragm of the sound-box are transmitted through the needle, it is obvious that the physical contact of the spring-controlled holding-pin therewith has objectionable effects aside from its existence as an added mechanical element, and moreover in soundboxes employing such character of holding means, a soft needle has to be substituted for the usual hard needle when a sound record is played producing sound-waves whose tone require a so needle, and which would be very ineffectively produced by the use of the usual hard needle.

In my device, operatively employed, as shown in Fig. 2, said usual holding means, 4

I does not contact with the needle at all, but

wave created with the shank or spindle 11 on the apex of the supplemental needle-holder, and, as hereinafter described I employ no direct mechanical needle-holding means at all, but in lieu thereof provide the longitudinal aperture 3 of the supplemental holder (Fig. ,5) with a bushing of resilient material 9 which performs the double function of detachably holding the needle by frictional contact, resiliently applied, and converts the sound by the needle from hard to soft. v

I will now describe its construction in detail by reference to the drawings:

Without altering the known form of needle-holder 2, shown in Fig.v l and top part of Fig. 2, but preserving and retaining the same exactly as it is, both as to construction, mode of operation and function, as a necessary adjunctive element of my improvement thereon, I add a supplemental and duplicate needle-holder, indicated at 2 in Fig. 2 and shown; in detached elevation in Figs. 4 to 7, constructed in such manner as to be detachably removable and replaceable, from and in the primary and usual needle-holder 2, in substitution, when de- N This result is effected by of a needle is accordingly,

sired, for the stylus or needle 7 removably supported 'operatively therein as usual. making the body portion 2 quite similar, as a short cylindrical body, to the usual holder body 2, and providing it with a longitudinal aperture-3, which latter is lined with a bushing. 9 shown as a tubular body of compressible and resilient material, such as soft vulcanized rubber, whereby tocreate a resilient frictional holding contact with the shank end of the inserted needle 7 and to that end the relative diametric proportion of the aperture 3 and bushing 9 to each other and to the shank end while the length of both 3 and 9 are such as to accommodate fully the holding portion or shank of the needle which is about two-thirds its whole length. If desired, the bushing may be mechanically held in place by a small screw 12.

the bushing is not its sole function, an addiprimary function being that it softens the sound-vibrations pass- ,Butt he resilient needle-holding function of may be governed and regulated to a nicety, enabling the player to graduate and change the gradations of tone-effect, of even 'an ordinary hard needle, if desired, by the employment of a set screw 10 so mounted in the holder-body 2 that its point can -be brought to compress the wall of the resilient the function of the supplemental and debushing against the shank of the needle, giving firmer hold and stronger vibration without metallic contact; and this in addition to ing needle-holdin beans -s1red. p

Another feature of importance, due to the constructional character of the body 2" of the supplemental holder 'is that its exterior top is made with anannular bevel, indicated at 11!, Fig. 4, on the apex of which is a stem or spindle 11 adapted to be inserted, (like a needle 7) in the usual longitudinal needle holding a erture of the primary or usual needle-hol er'2 (Fig. 1) as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The function of the annularly beveled apex 11 on the supplemental holder is that there can be no contact thereof with the flat basal end of the primary needle-holder 2, and hence no chance for a rattling contact, due to, vibration, which might occur if'both had flat surfaces coinciding.

It should also be observed that the shape of the aperture in needle-holders as now constructed, is not confined to circular in cross-section, but is sometimes rectangular or triangular, and it may be the same in mine, as also may be the shape of the lining or bushing interiorly, and moreover it is not essential for softening the tone effect that the lining or bushing be tubular or continuous around the needle, that effect being attained by insulating so to speak, the needle body keeping it from contact with the metallic wall of the aperture in the needle-holder.

But it is essential that the lining or bushin shall be of an inherently resilient materia such as rubber tubin for example, provided it be sufiicient y compressible that when pressure is exerted agalnst it by the insertion of the end of the needle or by the tone-modifying screw, a frictional resistance willl be created between it and the needle en Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Y 1. In a sound-box having a fixed depending needle-holding arm "longitudinally apertured to removably support a needle therein, with co-acting needle-holding means, a supplemental needle-holder having a su porting pin on its apex and adapted there y to be detachablymounted in said aperture of the primary needle-holder, and in alinement therewith, said supplemental holder having a body portion which is longitudinally recessed, with a bushing of resilient material in said recess adapted to operatively support a needle by compression.

2. ha sound-box having a fixed dependarm, longitudinall apertured to removab y support a needle t erein,

frictlonal contact due to radial with co-act-ing needle-holding means, a supplemental needle-holder having a body portion with a conical head and a supporting pin on the apex of said head, adapted thereby to'be detachably mounted in said aperture of the primary needle-holder and in alinement therewith, said body portion being longitudinally recessed from its basal end upward, with means to reniovably support a needle in said recess.

3. In a sound-box having a fixed depending needle-holding arm longitudinally apertured to removably support a needle therein, with co-acting needle-holding means, a supplemental needle-holder having a body portion with a conical head and a supporting pin on the apex thereof, and adapted thereby to be detachably' mounted in said apertureof the primary needle-holder. and in alinement therewith, said body portion being longitudinally recessed and provided with a bushing of resilient material in said recess adapted to operatively support a needle by frictional contact due to radial compression.

4. In a sound-box having a fixed depending needle-holding arm longitudinally apertured to removably support a needle therein,

with co-acting needle-holding means, a supplemental needle-holderhavmg a body portion with a conical head and supporting pin on the apex thereof and adapted thereby to be detachably connected to and in alinement with the prlmary needle-holder, said body portion being longitudinally recessed and provided with a lining of resilient material in said recess adapted to wholly insulate the needle from the metallic walls of said recess and to operatively support the shank end of the needle by frictional contact due to radial compression of said resilient lining.

5. In a sound-box comprising a fixed depending needle-holding arm which is longitudinally apertured, and having means to detachably lock the shank of a needle therein, a supplemental needle-holder having a body portion and a supporting pin on its apex'adapted to be detaehabl substituted for, a needle in said needle-hol ing aperture of the primary needle-holder and in alinement' therewith, said body portion having a needle-holding aperture, a bushing-therein of resiliently' com ressible' material such as rubber-tubing, wit means to adj ustably compress said resil ien'tbushing against the shank of the needle to vary the tone vibrations.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature this thirty-first day of March A. D. 1909. t

LUTHER T. HAILE. lVitnesses;

A. M. BIDDLE, R. A. 'DUNLAP.

[VintageTechnologies]

What I say is pure conjecture on my part. If indeed this has anything to do with phonographs, it might be some kind of tone moderator. The hole appears to be lined with something like paper or felt. Perhaps it was intended filter out record scratch. Adding this gizmo would reduce the length ratio between needle holder versus needle bar on each side of the fulcrum; that should reduce volume, I think.

[Pathe Logical]

Rene, I really appreciate your input on this! I've shown this to several collectors over the years, but no one really knew for sure what it was. Now the mystery is finally solved!

Thanks again,
Bob

[winsleydale]

Won't that screw up the angle at which the needle contacts the groove? Like really seriously screw it up?

[Pathe Logical]

I just noticed this similar device recently sold on eBay (Mar. 23, 2015 $40.00 total) eBay Item #291409100885. Does anyone have any additional information on this one? How about a different example of another to share?

Thanks,
Bob

[Orchorsol]

Lacking the soft cushioning component as far as I know, but otherwise similar, was the Edison Bell Sympathetic Chromic system (photos taken from eBay #261781771011, sold in February this year).

[Marco Gilardetti]

Won't that screw up the angle at which the needle contacts the groove? Like really seriously screw it up?

Yes indeed. But most of all, offset and overhang will also be screwed up significantly. Really significantly. That's probably why it was not very popular.