Early Edison Made Lateral Adapter

[Valecnik]

On page 39 of the 2001 edition of "The Edison Disc Phonograph" it's mentioned that a lateral adapter was offered at $1.75 for a short time in 1914 but was soon withdrawn as it might be eroding sales of the Diamond Discs.  Only a blurry photograph is provided.

 

This appears to be that attachment.  I purchased it on eBAY a couple years back along with an early Edison DD reproducer with the stylus bar plate.  Both came off an A-200 that was parted out, having been destroyed in a flooded basement.  Both reproducers are in really great shape though.   Maybe the flooding must have been a one time event, not years of high humidity.

Edited March 9 by Valecnik
Added detaiil

[RodPickett]

That is indeed a rare, short-lived, Edison Adapter.  You will notice that the Edison photo in the Frow book has the Victor record label "blacked-out".

[Henry]

From what I can see in the two photos, the Edison lateral looks very much like the Exhibition. What does the front side  look like?

[RodPickett]

Yes, this is an Exhibition reproducer in my photo.  However, I suspect that at $1.75, Edison sold the adapter, minus a reproducer, allowing the buyer to attach one of their choosing.

[Valecnik]

8 hours ago, Henry said:

From what I can see in the two photos, the Edison lateral looks very much like the Exhibition. What does the front side  look like?

Sorry I don't have any more pics to post but the reproducer is indeed an exhibition.  I believe Edison only made the adapter arm and designed it to be coupled with an Exhibition or other similar reproducer.  Mine has an Exhibition. 

[Fran604g]

Almost 3 years ago I got very lucky and was able to acquire on eBAY a complete all-original Union Specialty and Plating Company of Cleveland, Ohio "Union No.1" adapter for playing lateral cut records on Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs. The earliest advertising I had at the time been able to find in Talking Machine World  was published in the July 15, 1913 (pg28) issue. It was in a ratty Edison DD Reproducer box; it had apparently been stored in there for a very long time.

 

The Patent date of Dec. 6, 1904 has been of particular interest to me because I could find no specific Patent that reconciles the device with the date. However, what I did discover is this:

(I wrote this up in 2017 so, bear with me and don't take it as gospel)

 

I've done a bit of research into the origin(s) of the "Tone Modifier" (patented by Eugene .M Robinson - U.S. Patent No. 778,271, filed May 12, 1904, granted December 27, 1904) and its manufacturer, the Union Specialty & Plating Co., aka Union Manufacturing & Plating Co., both of Cleveland, OH. I discovered that Harry B. McNulty (original Patentee/owner of U-S Phonograph Co. of Cleveland, Ohio) was involved in the manufacture and/or marketing of the "Union No.1 Attachment for Edison Disc Machines", a swivel lateral adapter tube with "Tone Modifier" and their proprietary lateral soundbox. McNulty's relationship with several entities is quite a fascinating, albeit long and winding story in and of itself. Someday I hope to put it all together.

Almost 10 years earlier than US&P Co. marketed their version of this device, a company named the Tone Regulator Co. at 3oo Wabash Ave., Chicago IL had been formed by a man named Edward H. Uhl, very shortly after Robinson had filed his application to patent his various tone regulator inventions. By October 1906, Robinson's device had been brought to market under the auspices of the Wurlitzer Co. In an introductory article I found in Talking Machine World, (September 15, 1905; pg. 5 "A New Tone Regulator"), the Robinson device was "...perfected and placed on the market by Edward H. Uhl, manager of the Chicago branch of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Chicago. The device is the invention of Mr. Robinson, the head draftsman of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway." Uhl was employed by Wurlitzer as early as 1894 as a "traveling man", and had gone on to be a valuable executive for the Wurlitzer Co. (Pianos and Their Makers - Vol. II; Alfred Dolge; Covina Publishing Company - 1913; pg. 215). I'm not sure how this collaboration of different companies was run, but apparently it worked well - given the success of Wurlitzer. 

 

The device was advertised by The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. in Talking Machine World along with the other similar types of devices held in patent by Robison. Robinson's "rotatable disc" device was initially applied to disc machine tonearms, but it was also designed to be used as an insertable sleeve sold for "Edison [cylinder] Machines" at 75 cents each. McNulty had invented a swivel tonearm (“TALKING MACHINE”, patent 776,672 filed July 21, 1904, awarded December 6, 1904) which apparently became the basis for patent protection of the Union No.1 sound-tube with Robinson's device installed. (figs. 7, 8, 9 below)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14 by Fran604g
punct.

[Henry]

On 3/10/2024 at 4:19 AM, RodPickett said:

Yes, this is an Exhibition reproducer in my photo.  However, I suspect that at $1.75, Edison sold the adapter, minus a reproducer, allowing the buyer to attach one of their choosing.

Interesting that the Edison adaptor doesn't have the little notch in the slit to lock in the Exhibition's index tab at the recommended 60º needle angle. Wonder why?

[Valecnik]

On 3/14/2024 at 2:50 PM, Fran604g said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a big fan of the Union reproducers too Fran.  I have a couple gold ones and a couple oxidised that I keep under the lids of a few of my A series DD machine that also have the DD reproducer with the same volume control.