Scientific amusements . The Megaphone. the Megaphone, which may be regarded as a curiosity,considering the effects produced by such simple illustration represents the instrument which is (orwas lately) fixed upon the balcony of Mr. Edisons a mile-and-a-half distant from the house, at a spot 176 SOUND. indicated by the two birds in the picture, another instru-ment was fixed, and conversation was carried on with the present opportunity will be the most con-venient to speak of the AUTOPHONE, although it is morea musical than an acoustic instrument. Until latelyBarb
Scientific amusements . The Megaphone. the Megaphone, which may be regarded as a curiosity,considering the effects produced by such simple illustration represents the instrument which is (orwas lately) fixed upon the balcony of Mr. Edisons a mile-and-a-half distant from the house, at a spot 176 SOUND. indicated by the two birds in the picture, another instru-ment was fixed, and conversation was carried on with the present opportunity will be the most con-venient to speak of the AUTOPHONE, although it is morea musical than an acoustic instrument. Until latelyBarbary organs and piano organs have been the onlymeans by which poor people have been able to hear any. The Autophone. music, and that not of a very elevated class. Besides,there is a good deal of expense connected with thepossession of an organ. But the Americans, with aview to popularize music, have invented the AuTOPHONE,which is simply a mechanical accordeon, manufactured bythe Autophone Company, of Ithaca, New York. The principle of the instrument is represented inthe illustration, and is extremely simple. An upright THE AUTOPHONE. 177 frame carries within it on one side a bellows, and on theother a flexible air chamber, which serves as a reservoir. The upper portion contains a set of stops like anaccordeon, but the escape of the air throiagh the smallvibrating plates can only take place by the upper surfaceof the frame work, upon which slides a thin plate ofBristol board pierced with holes at convenient distances,and set in motion by the mechanism shown in the annexeddiagram. The figure represents an axle furnished with a series
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade189, booksubjectscientificrecreations
