Acoustic booths

Sept. 3, 1957

A. G. IMHOF

ACOUSTIC BOOTHS

2,804,933

Filed Nov. 22, 1954’

<img file="US2804933A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US2804933A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US2804933A_D0003.tif" />

United States Patent Office

2,804,933

Patented Sept. 3, 1957

2,804,933

ACOUSTIC BOOTHS

Alfred Godfrey Imhof, Kingston-on-Thames, England

Application November 22, 1954, Serial No. 470,423

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 3, 1953

Claims. (CI. 181—31)

This invention comprises an acoustic booth primarily for playing or testing gramophone records.

In the large departmental stores or shops, which are equipped to sell gramophone records, it is the usual practice to provide sound-proof cubicles so that a person wishing to head a particular record can do so without outside interference. The provision of these soundproof cubicles, occupying floor space is a comparatively costly matter and the object of this invention is to provide a self-contained unit which is portable in that it does not remain a permanent fixture, and will enable :a customer to hear a record under comparatively soundproof conditions.

According to the present invention an acoustic booth capable of playing or testing a record comprises a pedestal, a hood formed of or lined with a suitable sound absorbing material, said hood being supported by the pedestal and of a size sufficient to accommodate the head and shoulders (at least) of the person wishing to hear or to test the record and playing mechanism, by which any required record can be played in which the sound emitting means is arranged in the hood.

In carrying out the invention I may provide a stand haying three or four legs supporting a table or base to which a sound-proof hood having three sides and a roof is attached. Supported by the table or an extension at the rear thereof is a record playing mechanism, which preferably includes a turn table readily accessible to the person hearing the record or in the case where the playing mechanism is on an extension at the rear, to an operator. In use the person listening to the record will be seated on a stool or the like and in some cases the stool or like seat may form a part of the pedestal.

Satisfactory results have been obtained using an electric motor, together with an electric pick-up for standard and/or long playing records and an amplifier incorporating the usual tone and volume control, the loudspeaker preferably being located at one side of the hood so that the sound is directed to the opposite side of the hood. The advantage of this arrangement is that although it is equally convenient to mount the loudspeaker at the back of the hood transmission of sound to the exterior is reduced to a minimum. The tone and volume controls may be located externally at the rear of the hood so that they are normally concealed to the customer to prevent his or her increasing the volume.

_ It will be understood that the device of this invention, which may take the form of a small or large size booth where one or two people can stand or sit with their head and shoulders inside a sound absorbing hood and listen to any type of recorded music or sound without outside disturbance, eliminates the necessity of a sound-proof audition chamber.

By reason of the fact that it is portable, the acoustic booth of this invention can be moved from place to place which in the case of a shop or showroom is an advantage, since its position can be altered to suit a particular display technique. While the invention is intended primarily for testing and demonstrating records, with reference to which it has been described in detail, it is also applicable to other forms of sound reproduction e. g. monitoring radio programmes and radio phones.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which, a portable acoustic booth is shown in perspective view.

The booth of this invention essentially consists of a hood H mounted over a record player R which is supported on a stand S.

The hood H comprises two side walls and a roof in the form of an arch 1 which is closed at the rear by a flat rear wall 2 and is of a size sufficient to accommodate the head and shoulders of a listener. Within the hood and preferably on one of the side walls of the arch 1, and facing the opposite wall, is a loudspeaker 3 which is connected to the record player R by a lead wire 4. The hood is constructed of sound absorbent material so that a person having his head inside the hood is shielded from external noises and can hear sound emitted from the loudspeaker with the minimum of external interference. With the loudspeaker 3 positioned as shown, the sound emitted by it is directed towards the opposite sound absorbent wall and consequently less sound is disseminated from the booth than would be the case if the loudspeaker were mounted on the rear wall 2 facing outwards.

The hood is mounted on the top 5 of the record player R, which top is provided with a hinged lid 6 giving access to the turntable and pick-up inside, an on-off switch 7 and a warning light 8. When the lid 6 is closed, as shown, it cuts off noise produced by the record player itself and, being flushed fitting, provides with the remainder of the top 5 a smooth surface on which a listener may lean. This surface may be covered with sound absorbing material. Tone and volume controls (not shown) are positioned at the rear of the record player.

The top 5 of the record player projects beyond the side walls 9 so as to provide an overhang or flanges, by means of which it is supported on horizontal bearers 10 secured to the upper ends of tubular metal legs 11 comprising the stand S. The main body of the record player fits between the two side pairs of legs and is partly supported by one of the upper tubular metal cross stays 12, the rearmost cross stay 12 being so positioned as to prevent rearward movement of the casing relative to the stand. The lower ends of the legs 11 are connected by tubular metal cross stays 13 and are fitted with rubber feet 14.

Provision may be made to receive or support records which have been or are about to be played over as when being demonstrated or tested. This may take the form of a tray or a storage receptacle as indicated generally at 15. For transit or storage purposes the tray may fold flat or the receptacle be detachably secured to the side of the booth.

The booth takes up only a few square feet of floor space and, being relatively light in weight, can readily be moved from one position to another.