July 8, 1930.

|_. c. GRANT
APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING SOUND

'

1,770,234

Filed July 6, 1928

Patented July 8, 1930

1,770,234

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

LEWIS COLIN GRANT, OF HEATON, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND

APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING SOUND

Application ?led July 6, 1828, Serial No. 290,783, and in Great Britain July 20, 1927.
This invention relates to apparatus for re

producing sound, for example gramophones,

loud speaking telephones and the like.

large area being required to produce lower

frequency tones satisfactorily. "
In some cases the area of the air column

It is well known that such apparatus as usu within the horn orresonator tube may be re 5 ally made does not give a true reproduction of stricted either by making the horn itself or 55.

the original sound but distorts it by amplify portions thereof of comparatively small di
ing vibrations at certain frequencies more mensions in cross-section or my forming or than those at other frequencies. Generally placing in the horn an internal restriction or
10 lost or but slightly ampli?ed.
it is the low-er frequency vibrations which are orifice. The object of this is to enable the Such lower low frequency energy to set up an increased 60 tones can be reproduced by the employment air pressure within the horn or tube to act

of a horn of great length and large outlet on the ?exible portions and? enhance their ' area but apart from the disadvantagev of effect. 'The desired object of equalizing the am size, such horns suffer from the defect of be 15 ing but slightly responsive to Vibrations of pli?cation of the various frequencies 65 higher frequency. ' throughout the range may be further assured The object of the present invention is the by making use of the well known properties construction ofa horn or resonator tube which of certain materials for re?ecting or absorb is free from such disadvantages, and whilst ing vibrations of various frequencies. Thus _
20 of a size suitable for ordinary commercial use, felt and like substances tend to re?ect low 70

ampli?es much more equally vibrations whose frequency vibrations and absorb those at
frequencies extend over a wide range.

higher frequencies whilst hard polished sur

faceshave the opposite tendency. In a horn

This is accomplished according to the pres

ent invention by so constructing the horn or or resonator tube according to this invention 25 resonator tube that it has a natural peridicity there may be parts made of or lined with 75 different from that of the air column con-y substances having these properties. The member which transmits the vibra ' tained in it. This natural peridicity of the

horn itself is. preferably, though not neces sarily, lower than that of the air column in order to amplify the lower tones which, owing to the natural period of vibration of the comparatively short air column in a horn of normal size, are not reproduced at all.

tions which are ampli?ed bythe improved

horn or resonator tube may be a diaphragm, a reed, or a piston but with the details of 60

construction of this member itself andthe means for setting it in motion, the present

application is not concerned. . In one construction of horn according to One or more of the walls or sides of the horn or resonator tube or a portion thereof. this invention the smallest portion of the a.

may be made responsive to vibrations which neckcadj acent to the diaphragm or like mem are lost or only slightly ampli?ed in the ber .is made of polished metal. Following sound due to the normal vibration of the air this is aportion preferably square in cross section all four made sides ofor a wooden two opposite framing sides with, of either thin 90 40 The resonant portion is preferably made material stretched over the framing by forming it of ?exible or thin material, such ?exible and secured to it. A third portion is of for instance as paper, treated fabric or thin metal lined wholly or partially with baize, wood, its dimensions being such as to give it felt or similar material and this portion _, the desired natural frequency. There may leads to a ?ared mouth which may be of as. u be more than one such portion and they may metal or wood and may, if desired, form part
column. s r '

be arranged to respond to different frequen

cies or hands of frequencies. The horn as awhole increases in cross-sec These ?exible portions provide a large area tional area from the neck onwards in ac
. ii

of an enclosing cabinet. ~

of coupling to the air outside the walls-,such cordance with known practice and its axis 190

1,770,234

may be straight, but it is preferred to shape stood that all the dimensions given are mere the various sections so that the axis is curved ly by way of example.
to enable the horn to occupy less space and to
\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire

be contained easily in a gramophone or loud to secure by Letters Patent is :-

speaking telephone cabinet.

In the accompanying drawings,

resonator tube comprising an inlet, a ?ared 70

1. In apparatus for reproducing sound, a

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section mouth, a portion made of ?exible material of one construction of horn according to this between said inlet and said ?ared mouth, and a constriction between said portion made of invention, flexible material and said mouth. Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 10 2. In apparatus for reproducing sound, a of Figure 1, a

15

mouth, a portion made of ?exible material between said inlet and said ?ared mouth, a vention, and Figure 4: is a cross-section on the line 44 constriction between said portion made of ?exible material and said mouth, and another of Figure 3. With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, A portion lined with material to absorb some
struction of horn also according to this in
is the small or inlet end of the horn which of the higher frequency vibrations.

Figure 3 is an elevation of another con

resonator tube comprising an inlet, a ?ared

80

20

or like member. It is made of polished metal name to this speci?cation.

receives the vibrations from the diaphragm

In testimony whereof I have signed my

and leads into the adjoining section two sides

B of which are made of wood and the other two sides B1 of fabric, paper or other ?ex
ible material to furnish a large area of cou
25

LEIVIS COLIN GRANT.

pling to the air outside.

From this ?ex

90

ible walled section a curved metal section C leads to a ?ared mouth D which may be of

wood and is preferably rectangular in cross section. The ori?ce of this mouth section 80 may constitute the open front of the contain ing cabinet and its dimensions may be, for

instance, 84 inches high and 27 inches wide. The horn is of gradually increasing cross
sectional area from the inlet to the mouth
35 and the rate of increase is preferably such as
100

to follow the well known logarithmic or ex

ponential law.
As indicated in Figure 1 the curved sec
tion C may be lined as at C1 with baize or like material which tends to absorb some of

the higher frequency vibrations.

The horn illustrated in Figures 3 and 4: comprises a metal inlet sect-ion A1, an interme diate section B2 with all four walls B3 of

105

?exible material (Figure 4) and a ?ared mouth section D1. The dotted lines at E in
Figure 3 indicate a constriction in the por

110

tion of the mouth section where it joins the intermediate section B2. Such a constriction
50 may be provided to increase the air pressure .
115

acting on the ?exible walls B3 and thus en

hance the effect of the low frequency vibra~ tions. This Gi'fQC't may also be produced by

55 relatively to the rest of the horn as, for in slance, is indicated in dotted lines in Figure
qt. The curved portion of the inlet section
it in Figure is shown as lined as at C2 with
' baize or like material to absorb some of the

enlarging the area of the ?exible walls B3

120

higher frequency vibrations.

The orifice of the mouth section I)1 of the horn shown in Figure 3 may be say 15 to 18 inches square and the other dimen sions in proportion, but it is to be under

130