The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

OK, What machine was this horn made for? It is 5 ¾" high. The brass end is 3 11/16" in diameter.
The small fitter ring end is 13/16" in diameter. It is stamped with the pat date aug 22,05.
Ebay item 111680457783

That's a mystery to me. It sold for $140 and it has patent information stamped into the body of the horn. ???
Jerry Blais

I wondered the same thing myself. It would be to impractical to use. Was is a scale model or a salesman's sample?
Harvey Kravitz

The patent is for Tea Tray Co., covering the design of the mounting end: LINK. The patent is unrelated to the peculiarly small size.

TinfoilPhono wrote:The patent is for Tea Tray Co., covering the design of the mounting end: LINK. The patent is unrelated to the peculiarly small size.

Perhaps this horn was the patent model? Was a patent model even required at that time? Otherwise, I would have bet it was a salesman's sample.

I doubt it would be a patent model with the grant date stamped into it. And the small end (if the measurement in the listing is accurate) won't fit a typical cylinder reproducer. I'm wondering if it's a talking machine horn at all.

The patent claims focus on design rather than application (although talking machines are mentioned at least once in the description). This little horn could have been manufactured by Tea Tray (or under license from Tea Tray) for a different purpose than for use on a talking machine.

It's a mystery to me!

George P.

I was going to offer that perhaps this was a coxswain's megaphone, but it's too small & short even for that. ( Plus the small end is too small... )

I contacted other collectors about this horn. It could be an early toy horn that used a rubber bulb. Just a thought. It would be interesting to find the actual application of it.
Harvey Kravitz