The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In reading through the first volume (1905) of Benjamin's outstanding reprint of Talking Machine World I was struck by some ads promoting vertically-mounted horns, first by Rapke and a few months later by Douglas. Ostensibly the sound was supposed to reflect off the ceiling and fill the room.

Has anyone ever found such a crane? This is a new one on me, and I've been in this hobby for 55 years! Of course now I want one.

Ever since we obtained the Talking Machine World microfilm back in 1998, I've wanted one too! Never seen one, though.

I'm toying with the idea of making one, since I have a Rapke horn crane base. You've shown three variations illustrated in the World; one with the horn supported by a ring at the body/bell seam; another with the horn supported by cross pieces above the bell, and a third with a free-standing horn. I'm surmising that the Rapke base would have been used for at least one type of crane (but of course that's really only a guess).

George P.

I wish they made them for Victor machines...get those darn horns out of the way. You do realize this crane turns machines in real dust catchers... .

gramophone78 wrote:I wish they made them for Victor machines...get those darn horns out of the way. You do realize this crane turns machines in real dust catchers... .

Yes, but controlling the volume is as easy as tossing a tennis ball in the horn...
AND wouldn't a horizontal carriage support a vertical horn (maybe a small one)?

Who hasn't wanted to play basketball with a phonograph?

I, too, while editing was intrigued with this arrangment, never having seen one of these before. I assume that they were, like so many of the other gadgets advertised, never popular and the only produced ones are likely lost to history, or hidden in some old barn.

Benjamin

George,

Post a picture of the base..i would like to see the design..

This looks like a good project for some of our advanced folks....George? Tim? Paul Baker?..

Sure would be a unique item for collectors....

Thanks
Joe

cleveland1996 wrote:George,

Post a picture of the base..i would like to see the design..

Here it is...

George P.

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis ... 5978-0.png

Boy, do I feel like a dope. I have that patent in my files, but forgot all about it! Obviously, the Rapke base pictured would be appropriate for the "Upright Horn Support" or "Sound Distributor."

Thanks for posting the patent illustrations and jogging my memory!

George P.

It looks like most after market crane feet... the rest wouldn't be too hard to adapt to one. Kind of a crazy cygnet horn crane without a cygnet horn...
If you really wanted one you could probably use a repro Edison crane foot and a straight rod...