The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I looked a long time for the book
"MODERN GRAMOPHONES AND ELECTRICAL REPRODUCERS. By P. Wilson, M.A. and G. W. Webb" first issue 1929.

Now I found one I could achieve (50.- British pounds....)
The book is a great resource for all "Gramophiles".

With this book there is a rare photo of a recorder for lateral disc records made by the English Columbia company. Only one thing, I didn´t understand at all how it may worked....... any ideas?

Looks fairly straightforward to me: cutting stylus is on the lower right, with a pivot point behind it; stylus bar connects to the diaphragm; and a spring (?) at the left end of the bar......

Bill

Wow! No wonder why Columbia disc records sound awful, this is the crudest recording head, I have. Ever seen! The spring to the left puts pressure on the stylus chuck away from the diaphragm,without it, it would be floppy, it seems the chuck is mounted to the recorder with the two screws, and this is probably also a spring material, and has dampning rubber, isolating the chuck from the screws. The better acoustic lateral heads have the cutter bar mounted between two ruby or sapphire berrings, and senew connecting the cantiliever to the center of the diaphragm, and a spiral. spring attached to the left canteliever, to a pin on top, of the cantiliever through pin and a screw adjustment on back to change tension,on the diaphragm, so it is more sensitive, and has more clarity. Also this recorder is sans advance ball!