Phonograph Adapter & Speed Reducer for the blind

Phonograph-speed adapter

...Developed by Steve Hines to allow blind people to play books available from the Library of congress and from the American Printing House for the Blind. These records run at 8-1/3 RPM speed, half the slowest speed on conventional record players. The American Printing House for the Blind sells special record players which are too expensive for some people. This is a device, designed and prototyped by Steve three years after graduating from the School of Design at NCSU, to provide an inexpensive means for the blind to play books on records on conventional record players.

...This adapter is based on the principle of a car tire. When the car is driven 60 MPH, the axel travels 60 MPH. The bottom of the tire travels at 0 MPH while it rolls on road without skidding, and the top of the tire travels forward at 120 MPH. The important principle is that there is a 2:1 relationship between the 60 MPH axel and the 120 MPH top of the tire.

...This record-player adapter is thin and drops onto the turntable like a record. Once in place, the entire adapter turns until an extension arm of the middle friction plate (shown as black, below) bumps into, and is stopped by, some part of the record player (typically the support for the stylus arm). Three small rubber wheels support the device on the record player's turntable. The bottom of the rubber wheels turn at the same surface speed as the 16-2/3 RPM turntable. This stationary middle friction plate (with the protruding arm) is heavy enough to weigh down on the three rubber wheels to prevent the top of the wheels from skidding, with axles turning at half of the 16-2/3 RPM turntable speed to drive the record support at 8-1/3 RPM.

...When Steve contacted the American Printing House for the Blind about their licensing and selling this adapter, they rejected the idea on the basis that they would not then be able to then sell their more expensive record players.

...This product is not for sale. Do not contact us to purchase this product. .This project is shown only as an example of past projects. .Steve Hines currently offers consulting in the area of industrial design, novel solutions to your problems as well as a variety of licensable technology.