1896
Dr. Byron E. Eldred ADVENTURES IN RESEARCH (Continued from February issue.)
Dr. Eldred became interested in sound research. The sound recording for motion pictures was crude and noisy, the record constituting what may be termed a shadowgraph produced by varying the illumination of a physical slit .008 inches. This problem was solved by the invention known as the "Optical Light Slit." This invention was purchased by the Radio Corporation and is in general use for sound recording by the motion picture producers here and abroad.
The sound track on a 35 mm. film is 90 mils wide. Eldred claimed that a sound track 1 mil wide could be used with equal effect. Sound engineers frankly expressed the opinion that this could not be done. However, the work was accomplished in a highly satisfactory manner.
Eldred proposed to use such a microfilm record for the publishing of books in sound form. The "Talking Book" has received considerable notice, and two years ago Congress appropriated $650,000 for Talking Books for the blind. These microsound record patents are owned by R.C.A., and the Talking Books were recorded on many disc records, which might have been displaced by a microphotographic record on a six-foot loop of 35mm. film.
Research in the sound recording field led to another invention which is in general use by sound picture producers. By means of a "frequency tilter," sound records may be re-recorded and voice quality produced. In other words, voice quality made where it did not exist. This patent is also owned by R.C.A.
Another invention which was conceived ten years too soon, as technical development has but recently caught up to the advanced ideas disclosed, is what is broadly termed a communications invention. By the method described, messages are typed and scanned and for high speed transmission are, as a record of electrical impulses, transmitted at high speed and recorded at a distant point where the record is automatically typed for delivery to the receiving correspondent. By means of this invention 50,000 words per minute may be transmitted over a telephone circuit. The possiblities of this development are far-reaching.
For several years past Eldred has devoted his time to the solution of the age-old dream of casting metal continuously direct from molten metal. This work yielded such remarkable results in the laboratory stage that, unsolicited, the inventor has received contributions to provide for the expense of development from various metal producers and fabricators totaling in excess of $150,000. Among these contributors are the Aluminum Company of American, Aluminum Limited of Canada and the International Nickle Company. The method is now in use commercially and the technical development work practically finished.
This recent metallurgical work resulted in the discovery of a hitherto unrecognized physical law governing the freezing of metals, which will in time doubtless be credited to Eldred as a lasting monument.
Over 100 patents have been issued to Eldred, mainly for commercial processes.
He has lectured at universities and addressed scientific bodies here, in Europe and in Japan and China. In 1929 he was a U.S. Government Delegate to the World Engineering Congress in Tokyo. Has engaged on missions for United States and Foreign Governments, has served on the National Research Council as Vice-Chairman of the Research and Engineering Division, and is a past President of the Engineers' Club of New York. Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Fellow American Institute Electrical Engineers, American Physical Society and American Fellow Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Eldred has about a dozen diplomas and citations for his outstanding achievements. He prizes most the diploma conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Science by Dartmouth.
Secretary, 159 Park Ave., Arlington, Mass. Treasurer, 21 Forest Rd., Cape Elizabeth, Me.
