Unusual Edison Diamond Disc Reproducer

[CDBPDX]

I've had this Diamond Disc reproducer for about a year, finally got around to installing a new limit pin and diaphragm. It is an early one with the volume control butterfly and the sound is superb.

After it was assembled, I noticed something odd, the tail of the diaphragm assembly is not aligned with the connector arm, it is slightly off to one side. I checked other Diamond Disc reproducers and they are all perfectly aligned with the connector arm. There is no evidence that it has been altered.

Any more like this?

Thanks! Cliff

[drh]

My gold bolted-plate standard reproducer (no in-throat volume control) is aligned straight with the arm, but my long play reproducer is noticeably offset. The wavy-copper-traces bolted reproducer that came with my A-150 is very slightly offset, but it looks as if at some point it may have been broken off and welded back to the tube; assuming that's the case, the offset doesn't prove anything.

[CDBPDX]

As I understand it, the volume control option was quickly abandoned when folks started complaining about damaged diaphragms when the butterfly was fully closed.

[coyote]

I would guess that this was either a factory defect when joining the tube to the body, or a later repair, as suggested. If it is the latter, I wonder how they did such a good job concealing the fix. Steve Medved might have some input, and I'm sure he would be interested to see your photos and serial number.

[jamiegramo]

I wonder if at one time the reproducer simply got knocked or was even dropped sending the alignment out. A clumsy heavy-handed attempt to remove it from the machine? I'm not sure what the metal is but maybe it could be gently eased back with a firm grip. It really doesn't look like the result of a repair and I find it hard to believe it left the factory like that.

[fran604g]

I've seen a few reproducers with this phenomenon, similar to this. Apparently the soldered joint where the tube meets the cup can fail, but it's anyone's guess whether this particular one was a factory error, or occurred later and was expertly "repaired".

The felt disc was a very early attempt at tone control, apparently before the co. invented the mute ball inserted inside of the horn throat. It's a patented device not owned by Edison, and may have been experimented with by the company, or installed by jobbers or dealers. I refer to it as "The Robinson Device".

I've studied the Union Manufacturing & Plating Co. a little, and discovered that Harry B. McNulty (original Patentee/owner of U-S Phonograph Co. of Cleveland, Ohio) apparently had procured the right to manufacture and/or market the "Union No.1 Attachment for Edison Disc Machines" (a swivel lateral adapter with "tone control disc" -- my words) at some point in early 1913. The original invention's Patentee was a man named Eugene M. Robinson (U.S. Patent No. 778,271, filed May 12, 1904, granted December 27, 1904).

Almost 10 years earlier (1905) than the UM&P Co. marketed their version, a company named the Tone Regulator Co. at 3oo Wabash Ave., Chicago IL had been formed by a man named Edward H. Uhl, very shortly after Robinson had filed his application to patent his various tone regulator inventions. By October 1906, Robinson's device had been brought to market under the auspices of the Wurlitzer Co. - for use in disc talking machine tone arms.

In an introductory article I found in Talking Machine World, (September 15, 1905; pg. 5 article titled: A New Tone Regulator), the Robinson device was "...perfected and placed on the market by Edward H. Uhl, manager of the Chicago branch of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Chicago. The device is the invention of Mr. Robinson, the head draftsman of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway."

Uhl was employed by Wurlitzer as early as 1894, as a "traveling man", and had gone on to be a valuable executive for the Wurlitzer Co. (Pianos and Their Makers - Vol. II; Alfred Dolge; Covina Publishing Company - 1913; pg. 215). I'm not sure how this collaboration of different companies was run, but apparently it worked well -- given the success of Wurlitzer. The device was advertised by The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. in The Talking Machine World by October 15, 1906 (pg. 20), along with the other similar types of devices held in patent by Robison.

Obviously Robinson's "rotatable disc" device was initially applied to tone arms of disc machines, but it was also designed to be used as an insertable sleeve, and sold for "Edison Machines" at 75 cents each.

Here's an ad I scanned from the September 1913 issue of Talking Machine World, promoting the "new" device. It's the earliest such advertising I've discovered.

13-9 pg47 First image Edison B60 or B80 US&PCo.JPG (67.76 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

And another earlier ad from May 1913 illustrating one intended for use as an adapter to play "78" records on an Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph.

13-4 pg27 Union Mfg. & Plating Co..JPG (64.09 KiB) Viewed 1368 times

Best,
Fran

[Valecnik]

I would guess it's the result of a later repair Cliff. The only reproducers that should have such an offset were the long plays, although the late Bob Waltrip argued that the offset design was better, it was never implemented at the factory as far as I know. I have an Edisonic that was offset by Waltrip. It plays excellently but probably would anyway and any added benefit of the offset tail must be minimal imho.

[CDBPDX]

I believe the misalignment is a fortuitous anomaly, the stylus seems to track closer to parallel with the grooves. Though, with the Edison vertical cut disc, is that alignment even an issue, since the stylus goes up and down instead of sideways??

[fran604g]

Saw this on the 'BAY, and thought it to be relevant to the OP for posterity. It illustrates the joint of the sound tube to the cup (aka body) connection quite well IMHO.

Best,
Fran